Her teammates call her “Cyclocross Barbie” and she reckons she deserves the moniker because she loves getting all “girlied out” with pink tires and pink bar tape and pink socks. But what you might miss about Lindsay Peters if you just judge her by her flowing blonde hair, deep bronze Bend Oregon tan and penchant for feminine accoutrements is the fact she is a crusher. 

We have been following @runfreebird on instagram for a while, so when we found ourselves driving through Bend for destinations North, we just had to stop and say hello. We met in the parking lot for one of Peters’ favorite trail for a little pedal and we were not disappointed, she was adequately adorned in “girlie” and ready to ride. 

And she’s a talker and a grinner.. We left the parking lot at a casual pace and the only thing moving at race pace is Lindsay's ability to tell stories. We think she’s pretty great and we know you will too. So without further ado, here’s Peters’ story in her own words. 

I grew up in Santa Cruz with a mom that ran and rode for sport, a dad that raced Cat 1 Mountain/Road/Crit, and a brother who rode Downhill and Freestyle professionally. I’ve always been around bikes and rode here-and-there for fun, but nothing ever super consistent. I got into cycling and racing last year when I was on Team 10 Barrel and they told me I need to start riding and racing and not just drinking beer. LOL!

During this last year of racing I did as many mountain bike, cross country, cyclocross and gravel races as I could fit into my busy schedule. I decided to ride my first century this year, all on singletrack, gravel roads with over 7,000 ft of climbing and that’s when I decided that gravel is my jam. I’ve been a runner for over 20 years and my first 50k was in the mountains with over 10,000 ft of climbing, so this felt like a natural transition of fun and torture.

Up until now I’ve just been having fun with the sport and not taking it seriously, but next year I’ve decided to give training a go. I’m going to get back into the gym and give this sport a whirl and see what I can personally accomplish. I’m also in the process of looking at my race schedule which has some out of state races that are gravel and cross-country. I’m extremely excited to do two races back home in California (Sea Otter Cross Country and Lost & Found Gravel Grinder) along with Gravel Words in Nebraska.

I have been “shopping” for a new gravel bike and any pink accessories I can find. I've always taken any sport I’ve participated in very seriously, so it’s fun just to be over-the-top girlie and have fun with biking.

Being a mom and trying to ride, race and work has been a balancing act. Thankfully, I have a very supportive tribe and parents. The beauty of it all is my son, Jeorge,  just wants to ride his bike all the time. Jeorge is only 7 and already complaining about his bike weight and suspension, so a lot of my rides during the week are chasing him around at the local trails or down Mt Bachelor. My goal is just to be able to keep up with him as he grows up. I’m a very lucky mom.

I have also been beyond lucky to meet so many amazing women cyclists here in Bend. All different levels, disciplines and all so sweet and encouraging. I’ve set a  goal to create a way for women to support and network together. It could be group/training rides, sharing experiences, or just encouragement and support. Cycling can be an intimidating sport at times and I believe that women supporting each other will empower more women to join the sport or even pursue the racing side of cycling. I just want to “spread the stoke” of cycling and how much joy the sport has brought me.

Even with all this bike riding I still love trail running, swimming in the rivers and lakes with my son and my dog, Boone, BBQing with family and friends and basically anything which has to do with good people, food and sport. I’m beyond happy.