NC State’s Cycling Club is all about teamwork, whether they are going for local rides around Raleigh or competing nationally.
Brandon Gehin-Scott, a fourth-year studying agribusiness management, is the president of the NC State Cycling Club. Scott said that the club has a race side and a leisure side.
“If you want to do it for fun we can organize those rides for people so they can go out on their bike and enjoy it,” Scott said.
The club does a lot of leisure rides, such as their ride last Friday morning from the Harris Teeter in Cameron Village to the North Raleigh Location of Jubala for what can be considered some early morning coffee, considering the group started their ride at 6 a.m.
Scott said that the group uses Facebook to post everything from races to rides. Members often post about rides and ask if anyone wants to join them, which is how they get most of their practice.
Dylan Lawson, a fifth-year studying environmental technology and management, has been a member of the club for most of his time at NC State. Lawson said that racing is fun, but his favorite thing is introducing first-years and new members to all of the routes around Raleigh.
“We try to build a community of racing, riding and hanging out, and being ambassadors of good cycling etiquette around NC State,” Lawson said. “We are a club team so for nationals we compete against other club teams, but more than that we ride and hangout. In years past we have been a really race-focused team and I think we’re getting to being more of a club and a group of people who just ride.”
The racing side of the club also has a lot to offer students with different disciplines including road cycling, cyclocross and mountain biking.
“During each of the seasons you have the opportunity on the weekends to go to different schools in the ACCC [Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference] and race with other college kids,” Lawson said.
Lawson said that the community comes together during race weekends at the races themselves along with hanging out once the races are over.
“It’s less cutthroat and people from different teams come together as a conference,” Lawson said. “We help each other out. It’s a good community. They are a lot less serious than non-collegiate race weekends. Collegiate race weekends are almost like a party but with bikes, so it’s a lot of fun.”
Both Scott and Lawson encourage students with any level of experience to join the club and try out their cycling skills.
Scott said the club encourages new cyclists to try all three disciplines and find the one they enjoy the most. He also explained that there is entry to pro-level racing for people inside the club, so anyone who wants to ride their bike should feel encouraged to try it out.
They both explained that no experience is necessary, other than being able to ride a bike.
“I guess being able to ride a bike, but I guess if you had a bike we would be able to teach you how,” Lawson said. “We’re open to having literally anybody of any experience level come out from new riders to guys like me.”
New cyclists can rent bikes through University Recreation’s Equipment Rental Center for $3 a day or $6 for a weekend.
This club is great for any student looking to work out, explore Raleigh and build new connections at NC State.
Anyone interested in getting involved with the Cycling Club can contact them through email at [email protected]. For additional ways to see what the club is all about, students can check their Facebook group called NC State Cycling Club, or their Instagram, @ncstatecycling.
The NC State Cycling Club rides by on their bikes in a staged photograph on Sunday. The Cycling Club competes in various races throughout the year including mountain biking, cyclecross and road racing.
