Have you gotten your 2006 calendar yet? Be sure to order this special-edition Women of Bicycle Sport Shop Calendar soon!

In an effort to encourage people of all ages, shapes and sizes to ride bikes, the 2006 Women of Bicycle Sport Shop Calendar showcases the female employees of Bicycle Sport Shop and their favorite two-wheeled friends. Each month you will be treated to a full-page photo by Andrew Yates and a brief biography of the woman of the month. The large-square format of the dates allows for personal notes, and the calendar lists major cycling events throughout the year. Bicycle Sport Shop is generously donating 100 percent of the profits to Texas Bicycle Coalition.

The calendar will be on sale beginning Saturday, December 10 at both of Bicycle Sport Shop’s Austin locations (10947 Research Blvd. and 517 S. Lamar) just in time for the holiday season. If you’re outside the Austin area, please call Bicycle Sport Shop at 512-477-3472 or 512-345-7460 to place an order for a calendar and have it shipped to you. Each calendar is $9.99 plus shipping and handling. Calendars can also be purchased online from the BikeTexas store.

Photographer Andrew Yates says the photo shoots were easy and fun: “The women really came up with the concepts or locations themselves; then I just tried to find a good shot to illustrate their love for cycling. I ride a lot, so I was often able to suggest a location that maybe they hadn’t been to.”

There have been a few key women employed at the store since it opened in 1984, but for many years they were outnumbered by the male staff members, reflecting the state of cycling participation in those days. Unfortunately, most bike shops were considered “boys’ clubs” and many women found them to be unwelcoming and less than fun places to visit.

Bicycle Sport Shop owner Hill Abell said, “The staff at Bicycle Sport Shop recognized that we had to do a better job of inviting women into our stores and to do that we had to attract more women to join us in making it a fun, friendly and rewarding place to work. I’m pleased to say that we now have an incredible group of female staff members working in both of our stores at all levels of our organization, from service and sales to management. Without a doubt this has made us all more attuned to the needs of our female customers and better able to fulfill their search for the right products and information to make cycling a lifelong activity.”

As you will see from the brilliant photos in this inaugural Women of Bicycle Sport Shop calendar, the women who work at the shop love to ride. They do a great job of sharing that passion for cycling, be it flying over ledges off-road or commuting through town to work.

While the women may be hard to stuff into your Xmas stockings, the calendar makes a great gift for the coming year. Not only will the stunning photos motivate you to get out and ride, but Texas cyclists will continue to benefit from your purchases as well. Check out Bicycle Sport Shop's website for more details about the calendar.

Bicycle Sport Shop is hosting a Calendar Release Party on Friday, December 16, 2005, from 5:00 to 7:00pm at its central Austin store, 517 S. Lamar. Come meet the women of BSS and celebrate this great new calendar! Refreshments will be provided by Real Ale, Wakichef and Fat Turkey Chocolates.