Northwestern Cycling Team

Winter Activities Update

yselman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:08:30 +0000

Winter in Evanston can get a bit overwhelming, and sometimes it is hard to stay motivated. That is why the team makes sure to provide members with many group activities to stay fit, social, and happy this winter!

Computraining at Higher Gear

Every Wednesday and Sunday of this quarter, the team takes a trip up to Highland Park for some high intensity training. These sessions, which last anywhere from one to two and a half hours, are based on a sophisticated training plan designed especially for our team by our coach and sponsor Doug Close. Higher Gear and the DDC Institute make these sessions possible through their generous sponsorships, but make sure to sign up early, since space is limited!

Patten Gym Workouts

Every Thursday night, the team meets at Patten Gym on campus for additional training. This workout focuses less on measuring power and more on the “good sensations” of riding a trainer. These sessions are open to all members so don’t miss out!

Social Activities

Throughout the quarter, the team will get-together for various social events, including team dinners, movie nights, and potlucks. We have already had one team dinner at Cozy Noodle in Evanston, and will be heading up to Bluegrass, one of our sponsors, later in the quarter.

Racing

During the last weekend of February, the MWCCC racing season will commence in Columbia, Kentucky! During almost all of the following eight weekends, the team will travel throughout the Midwest to participate different conference races. This is the most exciting time of the year for our team, so stay up-to-date on team performances via Facebook or Twitter. For news on collegiate road cycling both throughout our conference and the country, check out Collegiate Cycling News, a collegiate news source start by two of our very own team members.

If you have any questions or want to get involved, email NUCycling@gmail.com

2012 MWCCC Racing Schedule

yselman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:08:20 +0000

Below is the official road racing schedule for the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference for 2012.

February 25/26 Lindsey Wilson
March 3/4 Mizzou
March 17/18 Lindenwood (also part of NCCCC season)
March 24/25 Ohio State
March 31/April 1 Michigan/Michigan State
April 7 Marian (with Easter April
April 14/15 Purdue
April 21/22 Notre Dame (Regionals)

View the MWCCC page for more information, such as race fliers and results.

October 2011 Newsletter

Joe Hooker — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:22:05 +0000

This is the team’s October version of our monthly newsletter. The newsletters include team happenings to keep sponsors, friends, and alumni updated about all things related to cycling at NU. Thank you for your support.

September 2011 Newsletter

Joe Hooker — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:34:42 +0000

This is the team’s second monthly newsletter. Our newsletters include team happenings to keep others updated about all things related to cycling at NU. Thank you for your support.

DUES PAYING MEETING

yselman — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:07:00 +0000

DUES PAYING MEETING

Wednesday, Oct. 12th, 8pm

University Hall Rm. 121

Officially join the team!

Come meet some of our sponsors, learn about our discounts, and be there for the unveiling of the final kit design!

Dues are $175–which includes a jersey, bib, race hotel fees, race transportation fees, and many many discounts.

We’ll also be placing bike orders, group orders, and ordering extra apparel. Get excited!

General Interest Meeting!

yselman — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:44:31 +0000

Come learn about cycling at Northwestern! No commitment required and everyone is welcome. Here are the details:

Wednesday, September 28th
8pm
University Hall, Room 101

Fall Quarter: What to expect

yselman — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:42:02 +0000

Beautiful weather

September-November usually offers some of the best riding weather of the year. Make sure to get involved early to be able to fully enjoy all the sunshine and warmth available during the beginning of the quarter! Still, Chicago weather is always erratic so stock up on arm warmers, gloves, and leg warmers from our online store or Higher Gear, our favorite bike shop, just in case.

Pancake rides

In the fall, the Walker Bros ride tradition is always in full-swing. Every Sunday at 11am the team meets in front of Kellogg (at the intersection of Foster and Sheridan) for a 30ish mile ride to Fort Sheridan. This ride is completely “no-drop” and riders of all skill levels are invited to join! On the way back, we all stop at the famous Walker Bros pancake house for a delicious team breakfast.This is about as close to a full team practice as we get, so make sure to come along and get to know the team.

Homecoming Parade

If you´ve spent a fall quarter at Northwestern, you have undoubtedly heard of the Homecoming Parade. Every year, the team participates by riding in the parade wearing our kits and lots of flashing lights. We pre-celebrate the parade with a team pot-luck dinner and follow this event with a pretty great party. We like to have a lot of people, so even if you haven´t ridden with us ever, please please join us.

Tuesday and Friday INTRO rides

At 4pm every Tuesday and Friday, team members meet in front of Kellogg for slow pace rides. Whether you´re an advanced athlete looking for a recovery ride or are on a road bike for the first time, this ride is for you. We go as fast as the slowest rider and welcome people of all abilities. If you are not sure you want to join just yet or have never done a group ride, this ride series is an excellent opportunity to ease into the sport.

Local fast rides

The north shore has some pretty quick riders, and some of our more trained cyclists usually participate in local-area rides. Some are sponsored by bike shops while others are just universally known. If you´re looking for a challenge, one of these could be a good place to start. Almost all of these rides stay above 20mph and have anywhere from 15-50 participants. If you´re not experienced, it might be safe to skip these until you´re more comfortable on the roads.

WEDNESDAY

Turin Ride, 6pm, leaves from Turin Bike Shop on Davis in Evanston, approx. 40miles, 22-32 mph, usually about 50 participants

THURSDAY

Higher Gear Ride, 5:30pm, leaves from the Higher Gear shop in Wilmette, approx. 32miles, 20-28 mph, usually about 20 participants.

SATURDAY

xXx Ride, passes the arch at around 7:45am, technically “no-drop,” anywhere from 30-70 miles (depending on the group you choose to ride with), 18-25mph, approx. 50 participants
Judson: passes the arch at around 7:30am, 50-70 miles, 22-32mph, 50 participants

Note: this information varies depending on the season, so ask the Listserv if you´re not sure about the details.

Skills workshops

Every Fall, the team hosts a series of rides that work on building skills. We work on riding in groups, pace-lining, race etiquette, etc. Some concentrate on sprinting or cornering, while others involve practicing low-impact crashes in slow motion in a patch of grass. If you´re new to the sport, please consider coming to these sessions.

Trail Rides

If you´re not too interested in intense road biking and just want to go for some nice local rides, join us for our monthly trail ride. This is simply a safe, easy, slow, no pressure group ride that takes you through the Greenbay Trail. Bring your commuter bike, mountain bike, or whatever else you have on two wheels. Remember to always wear a helmet!

Activities Fairs

Come by one of our booths at either the ASG Activities Fair, Fall Fitness Fair, or Graduate Student Resource Fair! This is a great chance to meet some people on the team (without having to be in full spandex), ask questions, and learn what we´re all about.

RACE: Fall Fling

On the weekend of October 1st, the team participates in a race sponsored by ABD. If you like group riding but have never raced, this is a great chance to jump in to the bike racing scene. If you are curious about racing but have never even seen a real race, come along as a spectator! Everyone is welcome.

Cyclocross

Fall is the season for this crazy sport that combines road racing and mountain biking. If you´ve never heard of ´cross, dont worry, neither have most people when they first join. A few NU Cyclists have always participated in cyclocross which is a great way to improve bike handling skills and have fun. Spectating and heckling ´cross races is one of the most entertaining ways to get involved, so look out for invites to downtown Chicago races on the weekends.

DUES Meeting

In mid-October, the team will hold a meeting to collect dues (usually around $150 for the year). This covers the team kit, all lodging expenses during the race season, and includes you in all the hefty team discounts. You can also order other team merchandise, including T-shirts and cycling accessories. Alumni sometimes attend this meeting to give a brief background on the team history and we unvail the official kit design. This is mandatory, so don´t miss out!

Social Events

Whether we´re sitting in someone´s apartment watching TV or at our favorite team bar (Hopleaf), you will always find team members hanging out together. Expect big parties and also chill get-togethers this fall. Most events are not advertised on the Listserv though, so make sure to come out on a few rides to get in touch!

Questions? Don´t hesistate to contact us!

Can´t wait to get started? Check out our Summer Cycling activities.

June 2011 Newsletter

Joe Hooker — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 20:01:07 +0000

This is the team’s first monthly newsletter! Our newsletters include team happenings to keep others updated about all things related to cycling at NU. Thank you for your support

Year-End Review

ajaffe — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 01:26:22 +0000

It’s been a remarkable year for the Northwestern Cycling team. Our team has continued to grow. We’ve continued to add and participate in more rides and races and worked to make cycling more accessible for all bikers from beginners to our consistent racers.

Fall saw an increase in members to a team of 45. From the start of the season we had strong turnouts on group rides and our weekly Walker Brothers weekend pancake ride. Experienced riders got back on their bikes and some new riders got on their bikes for the first time.

As Chicago went from cool to cold, the team moved from the road to our first-ever indoor training facility, where the generous support of our sponsors allowed the team to use a fleet of Velodyne trainers for through the winter. Weekly winter practices and training programs kept the team on their bikes and helped get the squad into racing condition.

The team came out strong for the first race weekend at Lindsey Wilson. Twelve Northwestern cyclists made it through 16 hours of driving to ride to some excellent results in Columbia, Kentucky. The course full of difficult hills and steep climbs, but in the road race the team saw three top ten finishes with others finishing in the top 15.

Throughout the racing season Northwestern was represented at every single collegiate race within our conference. Across all racing categories we had strong riders consistently placing and winning. Through snow, rain, sleet and sun we drove countless hours to and back from races and spent plenty of freezing laps on courses and in criteriums clutching our handlebars.

For our spring break from 15 riders went down to Georgia to spend the better part of the week training in the mountains and relaxing in a luxurious river-side log cabin. Epic rides included a six-gap (read: mountain) that was over 85 miles that took literally all of the daylight available.

The majority of the team wrapped up the racing season at regionals at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. The hills were big and the races rigorous, but the weather was warm and the sun made an appearance for the road race and criterium. The team saw a strong showing in the Men’s C-field with two top-ten finishes in the criterium. One of our Women’s-A riders came in fourth in the road race and eighth in the criterium.

To finish the race season the team was represented at Nationals in Madison, Wisconsin by our two A-riders, Axie Navas and Scott Rosenfield, who put in incredible strong performances in the road race and criteriums.

As the 2010-2011 season rolls to the close the team has transitioned back into participating in and sponsoring weekly rides (come ride with us on Tuesdays, Fridays, or Sundays if you have a chance) and working with its riders to maintain and improve their fitness and abilities on the bike.

As a team we would like to thank you for all of your support that has made our season possible. We could not have done it without you. We will keep you updated on the team and hope that you will continue to support us into your 2011 school year.

Look for black and purple Wildcats on the road!

Many Thanks,

The Northwestern Cycling Team

Summer Cycling

yselman — Sun, 29 May 2011 18:49:16 +0000

Are you going to be in Evanston this summer? Get an early start on learning what the team is all about!

Join us for a Sunday no-drop ride, participate in some of the Chicago-area races, or just come hang out.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information or with any questions.