Welcome everybody back to a new school year. I am getting a flurry of inquiries about the club and I'd just like to present a FAQs and hopefully point you in the right direction. Of course, you are always welcome to email me at bstephens[at]cmu.

What does cycling club do?

The cycling club is 100% voluntary. You do whatever you want and we're here to help. We help organize group rides and some of our members compete in local and inter-collegiate races. You don't have to race, but you may be encouraged to give it a try ;).

Mailing Lists

We have several google groups that you should sign up for. Please click "Message Board" on the left column for more info.

Rides and Events

We also have several google calendars set up which can be found by clicking "Schedule" on the left column. Weekly group ride times will also be posted on the google group pages. In addition, you should make sure you're signed up to those google groups so you can receive emails from us!

Jerseys

We are currently extremely low on jerseys and other clothing. I hope to put in an order in the next couple weeks for new ones. We are going to require people to pre-order their clothing, so if you want on that list, please let me know.

Membership & Benefits

To become a member of the cycling club, we require a minimal yearly due. This helps subsidize the money we get from student activities. Cycling is expensive! Members can have access to our club equipment, including a full professional tool kit, spare wheels and parts and trainers for indoor training.

If you want to race, you will pay increased dues. However, racers who represent the school at collegiate races have their travel, lodging and race fees covered by the club. Racers MUST also purchase a current year club jersey.

Sponsorship benefits are still being worked out for this year... stay tuned.

How Can I Help?

The cycling club is in desparate need of officers! If you would like to help with anything ranging from leading group rides to improving this aging website to designing t-shirts, let me know!

-Ben

We've started a blog with race reports and pictures. Check it out!

tartancycling.blogspot.com

-Ben

This weekend, Ben attended the Beacon Cross and HPCX MAC/ECCC races in New Jersey. The race on Saturday was a fast race in the rain and featured an 80 meter run through a beach and two stories of stairs called the "Amphitheater of Pain." Sunday's race was a traditional UCI race with lots of steady climbs and twisty turns. There were plenty of collegiate racers in attendance, but only one representing Western PA!

-Ben

Welcome back to Carnegie Mellon for Fall Semester. The cycling club is ready to get down to business this year. We have some awesome activities planned. There will be plenty of cycling, racing, and fun. Whether you are interested in casual cycling or competitive racing, we'd like to help you achieve your two-wheel dreams. Drop us an email or check out our google group:

CMU Cycling

Visit this group

Also, make sure and mark your calendars for the following events:

• Connections Fair - Aug 22 - 1-4pm
• Activities Fair - Sept 3

-Ben

Tartan Cycling hosted the first ever collegiate race weekend in Pittsburgh on March 22-23, 2008. The weekend, presented by The Weinberg Group, featured an epic road race in Murrysville, PA and a can't-believe-that-just-happened criterium over the 6th and 7th street bridges in downtown Pittsburgh. About 200 collegiate racers attended alongside 75 local USCF racers. We received nothing but praise for the top quality race. The only question people had as they left was, "When are you doing this again?"

http://www.steelcityshowdown.com

The Steel City Showdown Team

-Ben

Tartan cycling represented in Philly this past weekend. After being forced to turn around by a winter storm last weekend, we finally made it to a race. The weather wasn't much better this time though, with the Saturday road race getting rained out and converted to a very soggy downtown crit. Sunday saw some sun, but also some 30mph wind which made the TTT and circuit race a bit more challenging. Nonetheless, the C men (Jeff, Ben, Dan, Josh) fought their way to some strong pack finishes.

-Ben

New kits are in. They are so sweet. Click the jersey for prices, ordering info and more pictures.

-Ben

It's spring semester and you know what that means - Road Season is coming! CMU Cycling will be braving the cold to prepare for the ECCC race season which begins March 1st at Rutgers University. This season looks to be spectacular! With 4 guys in Men's C (Josh, Dan, Ben, Jeff), some outstanding new talent in Men's D (Devon, Tony), and our killer women's team led by Anne-Marie! And back again for this year is the Intro category for newcomers to the sport! Yours truly raced Men's Intro all last season and it was great! Also on the schedule is a Pittsburgh race hosted by CMU Cycling and UPitt Cycling. Stay tuned for more info on that!

I wanna go fast!

-Ben

P.S. To make sure you're in the loop, sign up for the cmu-roadies listserv and the message board.

The cycling gods shined brightly on the CMU Cycling Club this past weekend. Not only was the weather amazing, albeit a bit chilly, but CMU Cycling was representing all over!

On Saturday, Mike Cruz and Ben Stephens contested their first cyclocross race in Ohio and placed 1st and 2nd (results) in the C race. On Sunday, Ben attended the first local Month of Mud series cyclocross race of the season (which had a HUGE turnout!) and won the beginner category and would have placed 15th in the Sport category

Also this past weekend, Aaron Hoy and Mike Chen double-teamed the collegiate 6-hr Enduro (results) and Dual-Slalom races held by West Virginia University. On Sunday Aaron, Zhi Hao Poon and new club member Shing Ee Tan battled gravity at the WVU Downhill collegiate race.

Check out the extensive list of upcoming collegiate and local races on the CMU Cycling schedule

Looking for a challenge, a good workout and a chance to represent CMU? Come and join us on some training rides or jump into some fall off-road racing! Contact your friendly neighborhood cycling club officer.

Join the CMU Cycling Club. $20/year for a club membership and an additional $60/semester if you plan to race. Fill out the Membership Form, put it in an envelope with cash or check payable to "Carnegie Mellon University", and take it to the UC Info Desk and tell them to put it in Box #39. That's it!

-Ben

This year's mountain bike season started this past weekend at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Josh, Ben and Poon (shown below) represented CMU at the XC and STXC races. The XC race was a grueling 6 mile loop over boulders, logs, hundreds of feet of climbing, and little streams that left the three C riders bruised and bloodied. But that could not stop CMU Cycling, Josh went on to put in a high-placed finish at the STXC race, which was a short loop with a quick climb up a fire road and a fast winding descent down a single track.

-Ben