by Scottie Barsotti
Georgena Terry (MechE ’80) built the first custom bikes created specifically for women, leading a new industry, influencing an entire sport, and blazing a trail to the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.
To fully understand the impact on cycling that Georgena Terry (MechE ’80) has had, it’s important to understand a bit of her philosophy: that is, her philosophy on bikes themselves and the freedom they give the rider.
“The bicycle is an extension of your body. You are not separate from the bike, you are both one, and you help each other,” said Terry. “I treat my bikes like they are human beings. For me, when I get on a bike I’m inserted into nature and we are able to experience and enjoy everything that’s happening together, whether it’s rainy, snowy, sunny, windy, whether the terrain is going up, down, or sideways.”
Terry has been an avid cyclist since her childhood in Montgomery, Alabama. While the famously hilly, winding terrain of Pittsburgh may be confounding to some, Terry found it to be a welcome perk of studying engineering at CMU. For fun, she and her biking pals would challenge each other to climb some of the city’s most grueling hills.
