What types of riding and racing does UMCT do? UMCT focuses primarily on Road, but we also participate in Track and Mountain races during the summer, and Cyclocross during the fall. The majority of the club's rides are road rides but we do have occasional rides of other disciplines depending on the season and interest. Of course, you are welcome to post any kind of ride on the ride board, so other UMCT riders can join you! What does it take to be on the team? All we require is a positive attitude. As a club sport, we cater to all fitness and ability levels, and will never deny a rider access for either of these reasons. Having a bike helps too, but is not always required! There is usually a bike or two floating around the team for those in need! When are team practices? During the fall, we do not have official structured practices. We tend to spend the fall doing milder no-drop style rides so the team can get to know each other and get a taste of what is to come. From November to March there are structured indoor practices four days a week. All of these practices are coached workouts and are an incredible opportunity to build fitness in a controlled environment especially when there is two feet of snow outside! These practices are Sunday 12pm-2pm and Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 7pm-9pm. What are the team dues, and what do they pay for? Dues for the 2011-2012 season are $175. That covers travel and accommodation at every race as well as all entry fees. Also included in dues, and new for the 2011-2012 season: a free UMCT Jersey! These jerseys would cost $85 anywhere else, so after one race weekend you've already broken even. We also provide access to a team coach, who is a great source of knowledge for everyone from first-year riders to the elite, as well as structured workouts from November to May. - Just to clarify, as per sports club policy, you must pay full dues to attend team events (officially this also includes team rides, but we let people slide). We cannot travel with anyone who has not paid dues in full, or has an outstanding balance/missing paperwork. We get a lot of questions about whether to pay dues if you don't want to race: The answer is yes. The University provides us extra funding to cover the cost of competition, and as a result, we're able to offer access to racing at no cost to our athletes . Team dues cover the cost of running the team, including securing sponsorship, paying our coach, renting practice space, and putting on races and charity events. What kind of a time commitment is it? Riding for the team is as much of a time commitment as you want it to be. Practice attendance is completely voluntary. Ultimately, every rider should scale their effort to their ambition. What you put in is what you get out. Simply to ride or race with the team might require only a few hours a week, but to compete at the national level requires as much or more time and effort than any varsity sport. What teams do you compete against? We compete as a D1 school in the North Central Collegiate Cycling Conference which includes schools from Iowa, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota. These schools are Cornell College, Grinnell College, Iowa State University, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa, Emporia State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, University of Kansas, Creighton University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, North Dakota State University, University of North Dakota, Carleton College, College of St. Benedict-St. John’s University, College of St. Scholastica, Minnesota State University-Mankato, Northwestern Health Sciences University, Saint Olaf College, University of Minnesota-Duluth, and University of St. Thomas. What kind of bike do I need? Just to ride with the team, any bike will do! If you plan to race, though, you should have a bike that is specific for racing in that discipline, ie. a road bike for road racing, a mountain bike for mountain racing, or a cross bike for cross racing. Our sponsor shop, One on One Bicycle Studio, would be thrilled to help you find exactly what you need (at a sweet discount)! What if I am not in very good shape? There's no better way to get in shape than by riding your bike with UMCT. It's easy on the joints, so no overuse injuries to worry about. UMCT provides a positive athletic environment for all ability levels, so you can reach your goals and have a great time doing it! What if I have never raced before? Most of our riders had never raced bikes before they joined the team, so never having raced is the norm! The collegiate racing scene is a really great introduction to the sport as well, since everyone you race with and against come from a similar background. Can I have my bike in my dorm room? Short answer - Yes. Fitting it in can be tricky with the limited space in a dorm room, but it's never really an issue. One team member a few years ago is rumored to have stored as many as 4 bikes in his dorm room! Can I ride and not race? Absolutely, we welcome everyone regardless of whether or not you want to race. That being said, most of our riders choose to race because it's so much fun! Alright, all of this sounds awesome! How do I join? Come on a ride or to a practice and get to know the team! We had an introductory team informational meeting in September, but you can join anytime! More formally though, you just need to sign our waiver and pay dues. Our mailbox is in 1901 University Ave. SE (on the East Bank, right across from the Rec Center) and you can turn in team dues and waivers there. |
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Rider of the Week  Name - Charlie Kranz Hometown - Tonka Bay, MN Interests/Activities - My other interests included fishing, boating, running, and eating. Professionally, I am interested in corporate finance and consulting. How'd you get into cycling? - Got into cycling when I bought an old road bike to get to class and save a few minutes in the mornings. I got hooked as biking was such a great form of exercise and was something fun and new compared to rowing. I've been biking a little over a year now, and look forward to more riding and racing in the future. Favorite Riding Memory -My favorite riding memory so far is the team's spring break trip to Arkansas in 2011. The hills were brutal but the weather was (mostly) great and I got way stronger on the bike. Favorite Pro Rider - Fabian Cancellara |
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