Cycling Club gives bikers the chance to try competitive cycling

For most, biking is simply a means of getting from here to there. For the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cycling Club, however, it's serious business.

Ben Dilley, a junior mechanical engineering major and the club's president, said the club has been in existence on and off for many years, most recently being reincarnated in 2001.

There are approximately 20-30 members on the team each year, said Amy Lanham, a senior assistant director of Campus Recreation and the Cycling Club adviser. While some students join to improve their racing proficiency, others join simply for the chance to bike with fellow cyclists. But what they have in common is a love of being on two wheels.

Dilley joined the club, which is one of 31 sports clubs offered through the Campus Recreation Center, during his freshman year of college after signing up at a booth set up for Big Red Welcome weekend. Dilley had been active in high school sports and was looking for a way to maintain his athletic lifestyle. He had taken up recreational biking during his senior year of high school and jumped at the opportunity to do so competitively in college.

"The UNL Cycling Club is a competitively based sports club that focuses on introducing the aspects of racing to anybody with an interest," Dilley said in an email, citing the club's mission statement. "So while our club has a range of interest and commitment levels, our main goal is competitive cycling. We provide people who enjoy riding their bike an opportunity to enter into competitive cycling."

And competitive, they are.

The Cycling Club maintains a rigorous training schedule throughout the school year in preparation for an intense competition season in the spring.

During the winter, the group meets at the Rec twice a week for workouts in the spinning room. When the weather allows, the cyclists venture out for weekly training rides, as well as spontaneous group rides, Dilley said.

In addition, the Cycling Club holds two training camps throughout the year, one during fall break and the other during spring break. The fall camp is held at Platte River State Park and is typically more fun, acting as a good introduction to the sport of cycling to new riders. The spring camp, which has been held in California in recent years, is more intense, consisting of a week of training that culminates in a race.

Dilley said the competition season for the Cycling Club starts at the end of March and continues until the beginning of May. Each weekend, a different school from the club team's region hosts a race. UNL's region consists of about 10 schools, including Kansas State University, the University of Kansas, Iowa State University and the University of North Dakota, among others.

A race weekend consists of three events for the competitors: the road race, the criterium race and the team time trial. The best example of a road race, Dilley said, is the Tour de France — cyclists race for a set distance with the goal being to cross the finish line first. The criterium race consists of competitors racing for a set amount of time (typically 30-90 minutes) on a course that is usually shorter than a mile in length. Dilley said the criterium races are extremely fast and can be dangerous. In the team time trial, a team of four riders race together on the course to try and get three of the four riders across the finish line with the best time.

Despite the highly competitive nature of the races, Dilley said everyone has a good time.

"Everyone knows everyone, so it's really relaxed before the start of the races," he said. "Once the race begins, it's a different story. The racing is extremely competitive, as there are year-end competitions (that) teams are looking to earn slots for.

"Once the last person crosses the finish line, though, everybody is friends again."

Dilley recalled competing in last year's road race at Kansas State as one of his most memorable competitions. The pouring rain, wind and near-freezing temperatures left the riders soaked, frozen and covered in mud, he said.

"The jury is still out on whether we raced in those conditions because we were true cyclists, or we were just plain stupid."

Lanham commends the success of the team as a result of the students' drive.

"Since all sport clubs are student led and student initiated, the club's success is directly related to the strengths of the student leaders," she said. "Working with the clubs is very rewarding as I have the opportunity to watch students achieve goals ever year while representing UNL in a positive light."

Dilley said the Cycling Club aims to offer students the opportunity to pursue competitive cycling and to meet and ride with others who have a similar passion.

"If you enjoy bikes and are looking for other people to ride with, or if speed and pushing yourself to the limit intrigue you, come check us out."

sarahmccallister@dailynebraskan.com