Meet your ride Leaders
Susie Douglas
Down 2 Bike Project Founder
pronouns: she/her
Hello Everyone! I've learned over the last ten years how the sport of cycling can change your life in an incredibly fun way. As an avid outdoor enthusiast, adventure traveler and bike rider, it only made sense to start a business that would help share that lifestyle and passion with others.
I hope to instill enough confidence and adventurous spirit in fellow riders so they can begin to explore the world by bike and enjoy it as much as I do. Because let's be honest, traveling while on two wheels is more fun!
Nicole Roth
Eastern Iowa's Queen of Gravel
Day job: Risk Analyst (stare at spreadsheets all day
Pronouns: she/her
I started riding bikes with my mom as a kid and rode for fitness and commuting in high school and college. I started focusing on long distance riding when a friend/coworker asked me to ride 160 miles in a day across Indiana in 2016 (thanks Lori!). After a few years of road riding and dabbling into mountain biking, I got a gravel bike and was hooked!
Long gravel rides and races are my favorite now. I love exploring new roads, stopping to pet the nice gravel dogs, sprinting away from the scary ones, and spotting as many farm cats as I can. Iowa has tons of amazing and scenic gravel roads and I’m excited to ride ‘em with you all!
Vanessa Curtis
pronouns: she/her
I grew up on a farm, and even though I didn’t do many sports as a kid, I have always loved being active. I ran track in college and spent several years obsessed with long-distance triathlons post-graduation until a running injury forced me to focus solely on cycling.
The injury was a blessing in disguise; I found that I really love cycling the most. I have dabbled in all cycling disciplines from cyclocross, mountain biking, and road racing.
In the past year, thanks to Core4 and my first gravel bike, I have fallen in love with the freedom and adventure of gravel riding. The local gravel community has been welcoming, and the routes always make me feel like there is something special just around the next corner.
I stay in cycling shape over the summer with the fantastic mix of group rides we have in Iowa City. In the winter, I do some casual Zwifting and mix it up with strength-training and variety provided by CrossFit. I am excited to get to know more adventurous people who want to ride all the surfaces.
Join the Down 2 Bike Project community and be the first to know about upcoming group rides & events.