HowtoGetInvolvedwiththeVirginiaTechCyclingTeam
TheVirginiaTechCyclingTeamisaclubsportsteamsponsoredbyVirginiaTech
DepartmentofRecreationalSports–itisveryeasytojoinandtherearemanywaystoget
involvedwiththeteamthroughouttheyear.Themainpurposeanddrawoftheteamis
allowstudentstojoinacommunityofcyclistsatVirginiaTechandhavepeopletotrainand
racewith.TheCyclingTeamisalittledifferentfromotherclubsportteams,asthereareno
tryoutsandalmostanyoneisabletocompetethroughouttheyear,makingtheteam
atmosphereveryinclusiveandwelcomingtoall.Althoughthereisnoformalprocessneeded
totrainwiththeteam,thereareafewstepstobegincompetingintheACCCcollegiate
cyclingcompetitions.
AnystudentatVirginiaTechwhoisinterestedinmountain,cyclocross,orroadbiking
canbecomeinvolvedintheteam.Therearenorequirementstojoininginontrainingrides
andteamactivities,howeverjoiningourlistserveandcontactingoneofourofficersfor
informationonmeetingswillhelpastudentbecomeinvolved.Ifastudentisinterestedina
particulartypeofcyclingbutdoesnothaveabike,EastCoastersindowntownBlacksburgis
theteambikeshopandcanhelpwithpurchasinganybikesorrelatedgear.Afterbecoming
addedtothelistserveandcomingtoafewmeetingsandrides,alotofpeopledecidethey
wanttotryracingwiththeteamaswell.
TheVTCyclingteamisapartoftheACCC,whichisagroupofcollegiatecyclingteams
whoorganizeandcompeteinracesthroughouttheyear.Collegiatecyclingteamsareco-ed,
wetraintogetherthroughouttheweekandalltraveltothesamevenueeveryweekend.
Althoughwomenandmenraceseparatelyintheircategories,collegiaterankingsarebased
onacombinationofmen’sandwomen’sscores,whichincreasesteamcohesionandhelps
promotewomen’scycling.
Thetypeofracingthatsomeonecancompeteindependsonthetimeofyear.
CollegiatemountainbikeseasonsbeginsFallsemester,aroundthesecondweekendafter
schoolbeginsandrunsthroughmid-October.Cyclocrossseasonrunsfrommid-Octobertill
theendofFallsemester,androadseasonstartsupatthebeginningofSpringsemesterand
runsthroughtilltheendoftheschoolyear.
Thereareafewthingsthatacollegiatecyclistmustdobeforetheycancompeteinthe
ACCCwiththeVTCyclingteam.First,theymustpaydues.Theteamgetsmoneyfrom
VirginiaTech,andissponsoredbyvariousindividualsandcompanies,soourduesare
relativelylowerthanthatofothersportsclubs.Roadteamduesare$200,whilecyclocross
andmountainbikeduesare$175.Thisincludesraceentryfees,alltransportationforthe
weekendandhousing.TheonlyotherthingthathastobeboughtinordertoraceisaUSA
Cyclingcollegiatelicense.AcollegiateUSAClicenseprovidestheriderwithinsuranceand
allowsthemtocompeteinUSAClicensedracesandwinupgradepoints.Afterpayingfor
duesandbuyingacollegiatelicense,allyouhavetodoisfilloutafewassumptionsofrisk
formstheteamrequiresandyouwillbegoodtogo!
Overall,joiningtheteamisveryeasyandonlyrequirespersonalcommitmentto
ridingandtraining.Ifaprospectivememberwantstostartcompeting,thereareafewextra
requirements,howeverone’sinvolvementintheteamcanbeasmuchoraslittleasthey
wish.Welovesharethesportofcyclingwitheveryone,andnewmembersarealways
welcome-regardlessofskilllevel!
Descriptions
USACycling(USAC):thegoverningbodyofcyclingintheUnitedStates,thisorganization
overseescollegiatecyclingprogramauthorizescollegiateclubstocompeteintheir
conferences.
Conferences:organizationsofschoolsthatcompeteagainsteachotherincycling-divided
geographicallyintoregionssimilartothoseofcollegiatefootball.
Collegiate:studentstaking12ormorecredits(full-time)cancompeteincyclingascollegiate
athletes
Open:racesthatareopentoanyone–notrestrictedtocollegiatestudents.
AtlanticCollegiateCyclingConference(ACCC):thegeographicregioninwhichVTcompetes,
alongwithASU,JMU,NCState,UofM,UNC,UVA,USNA,VCU,WVU,AmericanUniversity,
Campbell,CNU,W&M,GW,Georgetown,JohnsHopkins,Loyola,UNCW,andWFU
Categories:provideawaytosplitupcollegiateracesbyfitnessandexperiencelevel.There
are4categoriesinmen’sandwomen’scyclocross,mountainandroadraces-CatDisthe
mostbeginnerlevelandCatAisthemostexperiencedcategory.TheAracesarelongerand
fasterthanothercategories,andDracesaretheshorterandeasier.Althoughacyclist
usuallystartsinCatDorC,theycanobtainpointsbyracingandfinishingwell,whichmaybe
usedtoupgradetothenextcategory.
Road:atypeofcyclingthatconsistsofridingaroadbikewithskinnytiresanddrop
handlebarsacrosspavedordirt/gravelroads.
AVTCyclingteammemberracingaroadbike
Criterium:atypeofroadracethattakesplaceonaclosed1-2milelongcircuit,whereracers
completethecircuitforanallottedamountoftime,usually20to60minutesdependingon
category.
RoadRace:usuallyusedwhentalkingaboutlongerraces(over20miles)thattakeplaceon
theroad,whereagroupofcyclistsracetoseewhofinishestheallotteddistancefirst.
TimeTrial:atypeofroadcyclingracewhereanindividual(orteamasinateamtimetrial)is
timedonhowlongtheytaketocompleteacourseofacertaindistance.Afterwards,racer’s
timesarecomparedandthefastesttimedecidesthewinner.
Cyclocross:atypeofacyclingcompetitionwhereabikewithknobbyoff-roadtiresisridden
aroundacourseforaspecificamountoftime.Thecoursewillconsistofoff-roadandpaved
sections,andwillincludeareasinwhichtheriderwillhavetodismounttojumpover
barriersbeforeremounting.
AVTCyclingteammemberracingcyclocross
Mountain:atypeofcyclingdoneonabikewithknobbytiresmadespecificallytoride
off-road.Mountainbikingcanbedoneinavarietyofterrainandtherearemanydifferent
sub-typesofthesport,buttheyalltakeplaceoff-road,onmountainbikes.
VTCyclingteammemberracingamountainbike
Clubsport:ateamatVirginiatechthatissponsoredbytheschoolandreceivessomeamount
offundingfromtheRecSportsoffice
Listserve:aformofcommunicationthroughemail,commonlyusedontheVTCyclingteamto
organizeridesandteamactivities,aswellastocommunicatewhenmeetingsandracesare
happening.
Instructions:HowtoJointheCyclingTeam
ToJointheTeam
1. Jointheclublistservtoreceiveimportantteaminformation
a. [email protected].
b. Leavethesubjectblank.
c. Inthebodyofthemessageputthefollowing:
subscribevt_cyclingfirstnamelastname
2. Attendourweeklymeetings:Monday@7:30pmWarMemorialHall125(meeting
timesarevariablebutsentoutoverthelistservbeforehand)
OurweeklymeetingsareconvenientlyheldinWarMemorialHall
3. Joininonasmanyactivitiesorridesaswished
Teamridesandactivitiesaresentoutoverthelistserv
ToRacewiththeTeam
1. Payteamdues
a. Writeacheckto“TreasureratVirginiaTech”withthecorrectamount(road
$200,cyclocrossandmountain$175)
b. HandincheckstoRecSportsofficeatMcComas
DuescanbepaidtotheDepartmentofRecreationalSports,inMcComasHall
2. BuyacollegiateUSAClicense(morespecificinformationcanbefoundon
usacycling.org)
YearlycollegiatelicensescanbeboughtontheUSACyclingwebpage
3. Filloutclubsportsteamforms
a. Assumptionofriskform
b. Medicalinsuranceform
c. Driver’sagreementform
4. Registerfortheweekendwiththeteam(specificinformationsentoutbeforeevery
weekendoverthelistserv)
Registeringforraceweekendsiseasy!
Conclusion
HopefullythisdocumenthasoutlinedsomebasicfactsabouttheVTCyclingTeam,aswellas
givenaninsightintocollegiatecycling.Thestepsaboveshouldhelpanyonelearnhowtojoin
ourteam-welovenewmembersandcan’twaittomeetyou!