Northwestern University Cycling Team

[Ken Robb]

I just learned that my alma mater has a cycling team. My first thought was "How can they train in that nasty climate?" Then I realized that the weather in Belgium is pretty nasty too and some decent riders have developed there.

I graduated in 1965 and I can only remember ONE guy who rode a bicycle. There were about 5 of us on motorcycles. My last visit to campus was Spring 2008 and there were LOTS of crummy "beach cruisers" fastened in racks by locks and RUST. Apparently the owners had parked them at the first snowfall and left them sit for months. I don't remember any options for indoor bike storage in my day.

I found a few cool pix of current inter-collegiate races with team kit from Michigan, Indiana, etc.

[Gsinill]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

"How can they train in that nasty climate?"

I assume you are referring to July and August which are usually unbearable (not this year, it has been one of the best summers in 20 years)?

[sdrides]

Collegiate cycling is awesome! Maybe there's a connection to the depletion of pro racing- college sports are all over TV, how about college bike racing?

[MattTuck]

If it is anything like the Dartmouth College cycling team, they train like fiends on indoor trainers during the winter. I am on their email distribution list, and every day, it is some discussion of who's going to bring the trainers to somewhere, and when they're all going to meet.

Such is life in the cold North.

[alioup]

What's indoor training? This photo of me (a collegiate cyclist) braving the harsh winter weather of Santa Barbara was taken in February.

[jghall]

Originally Posted by alioup101

What's indoor training? This photo of me (a collegiate cyclist) braving the harsh winter weather of Santa Barbara was taken in February.

Now you're just rubbing it in to us Midwesterners like myself.

[FlashUNC]

Raced in college for the Tar Heels for a couple years. It was a blast.

Still got a pair of the socks somewhere...

[raygunner]

Weather in Chicago has been my-t-fine this summer. Moderate temps, low humidity and cool evenings.

But we still have awful roads, awful drivers, etc...but I'm enjoying the weather (at least right now)!

[Ken Robb]

The article I read referred to "the end of the season this Spring" so I don't think there would be any official team activities in the Summer. In any event, even on days when Chicago gets into the 90s one could probably ride with temps in the 70s early in the morning but when it's colder than 20F riding is no fun with or without snow and ice on the ground. OTOH 48 years in SoCal MAY have softened me quite a bit from the lad who spent his first 22 years in Chicagoland.

[Lanternrouge]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

I just learned that my alma mater has a cycling team. My first thought was "How can they train in that nasty climate?" Then I realized that the weather in Belgium is pretty nasty too and some decent riders have developed there.

Being tough is for people who don't have other options I was tougher when I had less favorable weather.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by Lanternrouge

Being tough is for people who don't have other options I was tougher when I had less favorable weather.

I think Basic Training/Boot Camp is confirmation of your theory.

[Drmojo]

my alma mater also
Graduated in '83
great North shore riding.
Then I moved to California...

[William]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

If it is anything like the Dartmouth College cycling team, they train like fiends on indoor trainers during the winter. I am on their email distribution list, and every day, it is some discussion of who's going to bring the trainers to somewhere, and when they're all going to meet.

Such is life in the cold North.

At OSU, we would just get a Winter rain bike set up like our racing rigs. Let it take the rain and grit all Winter and then break out your main rig in the Spring. I was fine getting wet all the time instead of starring at the wall on a trainer.





William

[Ti Designs]

When I started at Northeastern in '82, a friend and I wanted to start a school cycling team. The university wouldn't let us, cycling on the streets of Boston is dangerous. The school did have a football team - that's not dangerous? What's worse, the football team didn't win a single game the whole 7 years I was there (co-op program, double major, and I get to use that John Belushi line...) Chris and I were both cat 2's, we could have won a few races. Instead I wound up riding with John Allis and the Harvard team. Northeastern now has a team, but I coach Harvard.

I get new riders in September. When I say new, I mean new. Throw out your mental image of rich kids driving BMWs with carbon wonder bikes. Last year 1/3rd of the new riders on the team had down tube shifters. Racing starts in March, and between September and March there's a new england winter. The saving grace to coaching at Harvard is the selection process that takes place just to get there. Harvard students know how to reach their goals, so a harsh winter or a decade of bike riding to make up doesn't keep them from racing. Northeastern in contrast will let anyone in.

[echappist]

Originally Posted by sdrides

Collegiate cycling is awesome! Maybe there's a connection to the depletion of pro racing- college sports are all over TV, how about college bike racing?

no, just no

every single other country in the world has collegiate sports as a diversion, something to do in spare time; only in the U.S. does the tail wag the dog

most of us who participated would never had the chance had collegiate cycling been a varsity sport. The beauty of it all is to have a cat-1/2 (or sometimes even a domestic pro) and a cat-5 on the same team, and having the more experienced riders helping and coaching the newer riders. Limiting it to something to be showcased for TV is going to detract from that

Originally Posted by MattTuck

If it is anything like the Dartmouth College cycling team, they train like fiends on indoor trainers during the winter. I am on their email distribution list, and every day, it is some discussion of who's going to bring the trainers to somewhere, and when they're all going to meet.

Such is life in the cold North.

Indoor isn't that bad. I live in NJ and prefer to do some training indoors during the winter.

Originally Posted by Ti Designs

When I started at Northeastern in '82, a friend and I wanted to start a school cycling team. The university wouldn't let us, cycling on the streets of Boston is dangerous. The school did have a football team - that's not dangerous? What's worse, the football team didn't win a single game the whole 7 years I was there (co-op program, double major, and I get to use that John Belushi line...) Chris and I were both cat 2's, we could have won a few races. Instead I wound up riding with John Allis and the Harvard team. Northeastern now has a team, but I coach Harvard.

I get new riders in September. When I say new, I mean new. Throw out your mental image of rich kids driving BMWs with carbon wonder bikes. Last year 1/3rd of the new riders on the team had down tube shifters. Racing starts in March, and between September and March there's a new england winter. The saving grace to coaching at Harvard is the selection process that takes place just to get there. Harvard students know how to reach their goals, so a harsh winter or a decade of bike riding to make up doesn't keep them from racing. Northeastern in contrast will let anyone in.

There are kids like that as well. Yale (my alma mater) had the scion of a rich tycoon show up with a $6000 bike and neither bike nor life skills. Dude can't even dress properly for the cold and didn't know how to pack food for a road trip. That said, most participants are grad students living on stipends. 85% of my undergrad tuition was paid by Yale, and I had no means to participate in cycling until I started grad school.

The real shame is the shortening of the collegiate season. It used to be ten race weekends (including ECCC championship), but it's down to a measly six these days. Once upon a time we had two divisions for the C and D fields, and now participation is down about 40% and rendered separate fields unnecessary. Seems to be mirroring development elsewhere in USAC...