Joan Hanscom: Racing, outreach, and intense passion

Bike racing is Joan Hanscom's life; from racing for fun, to professionally organizing races, to running an entire bike racing organization, Joan has done it all. She talks about all things bike racing; from how she got started, to organizing, to the challenges facing women in the sport. Joan discusses her work at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, and the importance of outreach and the larger picture. She shares her insights on passion, training, podcasting, and what a career in the sport means to her. Joan Hanscom is a cyclist, podcast host, and the Executive Director at Valley Preferred Cycling Center. Her love of the sport helped her build a unique career in race promotion and production, working with organizations such as the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross, Cyclocross World Championships, and USA Cycling. Currently, Joan is the Executive Director of the Valley Preferred Cycling center in Trexlertown, Pa, and hosts the Talk of the T-Town podcast. Highlight [0:00] Joan (00:00:05): If you're at a baseball game, sitting up in the last row of the bleachers, drinking a beer, you're having a lovely time, right? You are enjoying the sunshine, you are enjoying a tasty beer, you are out with friends. It is a nice time. If you go to the velodrome, or the bike race, they pass by your face. If you're in turn four ... Craig (00:00:22): Yeah. If you're the wrong place ... Joan (00:00:23): They pass by your face within inches, and you feel the wind go by, and you feel the sport. I think that, that's the difference. Whenever I've sold sponsorship for bike racing, the ticket is to get people out to see it and feel it, because of it is, it's sound, it's color, it's movement. It's all tied together in a way that I don't think other sports are. That's then the magic in it, right? It's something that you've done. You've ridden a bike. I've never played major league baseball, but I've ridden a bike and I can appreciate the effort that goes into it. Intro [1:02] Chapter's transcript… Joan Hanscom: Bicycle racing coordinator, and Executive director of Valley Preferred Cycling Center Podcast: Talk of T-Town More info at moversmindset.com/podcast Intro to Cycling [2:29] Chapter's transcript… Growing up riding a bike, returned to it later Artemis Racing group; unique and thorough onboarding process, really made it accessible Thorough intro was invaluable, kept her in the sport, and gained lifelong friends Movement through life [9:17] Chapter's transcript… Did many things; skiing, swimming, gymnastics, ballet, ball sports Parents let her choose what she wanted to pursue: Ballet. Danced through college, but not professionally Biked in high school and college; for fun, not competitively) Women in cycling [13:47] Chapter's transcript… Changes over time, leadership that is motivated to change Many of the changes are recent, within the last 5 years Different levels and progression available for women and men, effects of the differences Catch 22; need to invest and grow women's participation, in all areas, but you won't make money for the first few years “You should be looking, here is all the revenue as a sum total and I am investing in an underserved segment of the market because ultimately, if I invest in this underserved segment of the market, I can grow it. If I've already maxed out on the number of 55-year-olds, you're not gonna get more 55-year-olds, but you could potentially grow up the women's field because they're underserved. From a business model, I think it's worth investing in a couple of years of a losing field in order to ultimately grow a segment that is underserved, but that's me, and I'm biased, which I admit.” ~ Joan Hanscom Velodrome goals and growth [19:54] Chapter's transcript… Velodrome widely known in the community Joan's vision for what the Velodrome and Valley Preferred Cycling center should be; a place for all, a hub Fully integra