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Coed Sport Clubs
General Club Information:
Club history: NU Cycling was formed at the end of the 1980s and has gone through many transformations in its history. Beginning as a very small club that included mostly graduate students and track racers, including current sponsor Barry Slotnick of Varisport in the early 90s, it began to take a greater focus on road racing later in the decade. A coed sport, the women's side saw a high peak on the road in 1996 with Christina Dekraay taking both the nationals road race and criterium, totaling the individual omnium title as well. The men's side continued to grow as well and made a great Top 20 at Division 2 nationals in 2004 with the power team of Peter Dinolfo, Mike Margarite, Erik Gullikson, and John Roberts. The former two are now elite riders on coastal pro-am teams, Webcor/Alto Velo and Empire Cycling, respectively. NU alumna Kate Sherwin attained a pro cycling contract with Victory Brewing (2005). Most recently, the club moved up to Division I in collegiate cycling in 2006, and, at the 2007 national championships, the team found the nationals podium again with Reed Tanger's 5th place in the criterium. Seth Meyer was 20th in the Division I road race, and the team earned 18th place overall in the country. Approaching its 20th year competing at the highest level of collegiate cycling in the United States, the NCCA (National Collegiate Cycling Association), overseen by USACycling, NU Cycling boasts a roster of 26 men and women intent on taking it from one of the Top 20 Division I cycling schools in the country and catapulting it into the Top 10. All practices are organized via the team's listserv since there are so many variables to manage when one is training 10-20 hours per week. Thankfully, there are many categories in collegiate cycling so those interested in simply giving it a shot can train as much or as little as they like and simply race Men's D or C or Women's C or B. Elite/pro level racers adhere to a stricter schedule overseen by the club's president and recruitment chair (currently Josh Raizin and Will Nowak), beginning serious training for spring racing at the end of October / beginning of November. Over the next six months, they will try to peak for collegiate road nationals in mid-May. The team must qualify first, however, and all members are encouraged to partake in the spring racing season, which spans all weekends between late February and late May. One other staple of the training season is our ten-day stint in Georgia over Spring Break, specifically designed to hone form as important midwest regional races approach in April. The cycling team is, as mentioned already, open to all with bikes and enthusiasm for riding safely and well. Because anyone is eligible to race any category between D and A, all are encouraged to join the listserv and attend group rides ("no-drop" rides will be held for riders of all levels) to feel out how they will fit best in the team. But the bottom line is this: No one will be turned away, so long as everyone wears a helmet!
$150/year, which includes a pair of NU bib shorts and a race-cut cycling jersey (team uniform valued at $160 itself and is available to cycling members more cheaply because of generous sponsorship). Dues also cover all expenses for travel and lodging throughout the year. Every Sat/Sun there are road races between late February and mid-May. However, members are encouraged to go to as many or as few as they wish.
The open roads! All group rides start from the Italian Coffee Bar on Sherman/Grove in Evanston and typically head north/northwest out of the more congested immediate suburbs of the city.
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