The new season of the Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference got underway at the beginning of March, and our very own Portland State cycling team is in the fray. The club sends riders to competitions throughout the region, with stops in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Members of the club have also competed in national events.
PSU cycling gears up for spring
The new season of the Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference got underway at the beginning of March, and our very own Portland State cycling team is in the fray. The club sends riders to competitions throughout the region, with stops in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Members of the club have also competed in national events.
You may have thought, “Hey, I’ve been looking for a club to join. This sounds fun, but I only have a mountain bike.” Well, don’t fret—the PSU Cycling Club focuses on promoting bicycle riding across the board—including road racing, cyclocross, time trial and leisure—and riders of all skill levels are welcome to join. Members generally sign up at the start of fall but may join at any time during the year. The initial fee is $200, which includes your very own formfitting jersey and butt-hugging spandex as well as travel costs and lodging. Though the price can seem a bit steep for a student, it breaks down to under $25 per month for the year, so skip a night out at the bar once a month and you’re good to go.
Prior to their first race at the University of Oregon, I met with Colin Ross, cycling club president. The team was eager to dive into their first official event, and Ross had already scouted the competition. “Traditionally, the strongest team in the conference is the University of Washington,” he said.
But tradition doesn’t seem to be something that Ross and the rest of the team spend much time agonizing over. They went to Eugene and placed first in the field with 129 points, edging out Oregon (128 points) and finishing comfortably ahead of prerace favorite Washington (fourth place, 106 points).
The road racing season is now in full gear, with races scheduled every week through mid-April. You can keep up with the team’s performance and event results at nwcollegiatecycling.us. If PSU keeps cranking out wins, they could go on to the conference championship, scheduled for April 20–21.
Whatever your motivations for checking out PSU cycling, come into it with the goal of having fun. Christian Braun, an exchange student from Germany who recently joined the team, has enjoyed the camaraderie he’s found within the club. “I’m thankful that I was so welcomed,” Braun said. “I wouldn’t want to miss the group rides, because it’s so much fun…it’s a great group of people.”
For more information, contact the PSU Cycling Club at [email protected].
