After seeing a recent campaign Terry ran featuring teams of riders in matching jerseys, Terry superfan Marilyn, reached out with just one question: Who Loves Terry Tops More?
The answer is clear: The Crown Colony 20+ Mile Riders, riding out and cutting up in Ft. Meyers, Florida. Last they counted, each of the Crown Colony’s nine members owns 14 tops and a myriad of Terry shorts and capris. Their colorful wardrobe and passion for riding has garnered them many compliments out on the trails. A passerby even expressed admiration by referring to them as a “beauty pageant on wheels.”
Composed of septuagenarian trendsetters, the Crown Colony says cycling 40-60 miles a week keeps them young. Marilyn proudly states “We may not be the fastest but we know we are the most fashionable!” Tune in as we chat with the Crown Colony matriarch herself.
What inspired your group to take up cycling? We all rode bikes as kids, coming back to it in retirement has been joyous. While our ages range from 70–76, it keeps us physically and mentally engaged as well as fit and young at heart.
What is the best thing about riding in a group? We enjoy the camaraderie and love the feeling of shared accomplishment. We find that we push each other to keep to our scheduled Monday and Friday rides, and often throw in a Wednesday too. Oh yeah, also the more we bike the more we feel we can eat and drink.
Do you have a favorite route in Ft. Meyers? Wind direction determines our route. Florida is dead flat but the wind makes up for that. We always want a tailwind on the way home. We have five or six routes that correspond with wind direction. The night before a ride we check wind direction and text which route and more importantly which of our many Terry tops to wear. We now have so many that sometimes we have to share a picture so we all get the right one.
Does your group have any big ride plans outside of Ft Myers? We have “Snow Birds” and “All Timers” in the group. (We call those of us who live in Florida year-round “All Timers”). During the summer we used to all meet up in Minneapolis for a week of riding. We have not done that since COVID. Hopefully we can get back to that again.
Marilyn herself is on extended summer adventure from June—September traveling and biking throughout NC, VA, Washington DC, NYC, PA and WV. Last we checked in, she was heading from Washington D.C. and is riding onto to NYC.
Any advice for someone interested in joining a group ride? We are lucky to have formed such a strong bond. We call ourselves the Crown Colony 20+ Milers because we live in a beautiful golf community called Crown Colony. Our rides are a minimum of 20 miles and many times more. We decided to limit the active riding group to approximately seven at a time, as we feel it is a safe number to traverse the road and trail conditions in Ft Myers. It is also a manageable number for travel planning. We found it is optimal to have riders with similar skill and endurance levels.
What made you choose Terry as your fashion hub? Ahhhh, we love everything about Terry tops and shorts. The shorts look good, typically have ample pockets, and fit well. The Soleil Tops feel silky and are lightweight while providing excellent sun protection. We love having both short and long sleeve selections. The tops are regularly given as birthday gifts and we have now started a tradition of gifting matching socks for Christmas. Most of all we love the designs! We love riding as the biking fashionistas and having so many people comment on how great we look.
If you want your crew to be as gracefully geared up as the crown colony, now is your big chance. Throughout July 2022 you can save 30% with the purchase of two or more qualifying jerseys. Simply use code: EVENT30 at checkout to save on your whole team’s haul.
This is fabulous!!