Cyndi Steiner

Height: 5’9”

December Weight: 134 lbs.

Race Weight: 132 lbs.

Birthdate: January 29, 1965

Childhood Heroes: “My high school biology teacher. He taught us how to think for ourselves, rather than believe everything we were told. He taught us how to think critically, ask the right questions and sort through information to get to a logical answer. He also introduced us to fascinating people in history and why they mattered: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Darwin, Huxley, Linneaus, Wallace, Sagan, Bronowski…the list goes on. I grew to enjoy learning history because of him. My favorite saying of his, taken from Isaac Newton, was that “We see as far as we do because we stand on the shoulders of giants.” His class was my favorite of the day.”

Hobbies and Interests: “Any reason to be outdoors: hiking, canoeing, sailing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, rock-scrambling, hawk-watching. Also an avid history buff and love to explore old places, ruins. Will stop dead in my tracks to read a placard on the side of the road. Huge animal-lover also: all of them, including snakes – despite being afraid of them!”

Favorite Movies: “I don’t sit still long enough to watch movies.”

Musical Tastes: “Folk, alternative folk, blues, classic rock.”

Favorite TV Shows:So You Think You Can Dance?

Favorite Meal: “Breakfast at a Jersey diner: waffle, coffee, scrambled eggs and fruit.”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “I mix several of them together and add strawberries. When I’m feeling indulgent, I buy a box of Captain Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch.”

Favorite Pre-Race Meal: “Whatever will stay down. Scrambled eggs, dry whole wheat toast, pancakes with no syrup.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Mint chocolate chip.”

Childhood Dream: “Become a veterinarian.”

First Car: “1970 VW Karmann Ghia with duct tape holding in the headlights due to the fenders rusting out! When I rounded a sharp right turn, the driver’s side door would fly open. It was great fun to drive.”

First Job: “Cleaning motel rooms. I was 14 years old.” Favorite Vacation Spot: “Adirondacks.”

Pre-Race Feeling: “NERVES!”

Early Racing Memory: “Branchbrook 2002, which was my first race. It was an open women’s race, and all of eight racers signed up. This was one of the early March training races, before the season really got started, and back when they actually had a women’s field. I hadn’t a clue what I was doing, but the guys from our team kept yelling in from the sidelines, and I did what they told me to do. At one point, two of our girls got away, and the guys started yelling “Don’t bridge up!”. I had no idea what they meant! I just rode with the pack and hoped I was doing things right. At the end of the race, I sprinted and came in fifth out of eight. Our two racers took first and second, and I learned that I had not, in fact, bridged up. It was such a simple race, but I was proud of having beaten a few racers.”

Funny Racing Memory: “When a trash-talking, wheel-sucking sprinter missed the cue that the race was ending one lap early. Afterwards she was really complaining that she missed the sprint.”

Greatest Racing Moment: “Winning Cherry Blossom 2008.”

Most Painful Moment In Life: “The night after 8-hour spinal neurosurgery in 1990. Even the morphine could not diminish the pain.”

Worst Injury from Racing: “Broken wrist. I had my bike with me while on a business trip to London. I met up with a local London-based club who met at Crystal Palace every Saturday and rode out to the ‘lanes’, what they call country roads in the UK. They all meet for coffee at a café each Saturday and then gradually get around to saddling up and going for a ride. There were riders of all abilities there; I rode with the front until one of the chaps came forward and reminded the guys I was with that this was a ‘social ride’ and that we should stop dropping everyone else. So I went back to the middle of the group, and soon after that, we turned onto a steep, narrow, slippery descent. It was a damp morning, as are many mornings in the UK, and several of us wiped out on the steep section, including me. It wasn’t nearly the dramatic crash that one likes to boast about afterwards, as I was barely moving, but I broke my wrist nonetheless, having put out my arm to catch myself as I slid out. Best part of the story is that I did not know it was broken for 10 days! I completed that ride, rode again while in London, and then did a training ride with the team before finally getting it x-rayed.”

Closest Racing Friends: “Stacey Barbossa, Elaine Molinaro.” Funniest Racer: “Mike Novemsky.”

Favorite Race: “South Mountain Training Series.”

Embarrassing Racing Memory: “Losing a race with three women total and two of us were on the same team. I kept attacking but my teammate didn’t, so the opponent had plenty of recovery. She then sprinted for the win because I was exhausted and my teammate is not a sprinter!”

Toughest Competitors: “There are too many! Probably the boys at South Mountain. No matter how hard I worked, I was not going to be in the money at the finish despite several breakaways and being able to help male teammates with lead-outs and blocks.”

Favorite Athletes to Watch: “Fabian Cancellara. He makes time trialing into an art form.”

Qualities You Most Admire in People: “Integrity, honesty, postive attitude, and the ability to motivate others.” What You Love Most About Riding Your Bicycle: “The speed!”