Cycling Club to host weekend rides, competitions

11/19/08 - Sophomore Peter Kenyan rode his bike off a five-foot drop yesterday to promote the University of Rhode Island Cycling Club, what organizers hope will be the newest addition to the university's club sports lineup. Kenyan said he has been cycling since he was little, riding off natural and makeshift jumps on the farm in Rhode Island where he grew up. Today, he seeks similar challenges on campus.

"I just come here at night and find a lot of ledges around here and drops and ... just use your imagination and pick a line and go off," Kenyan said. "There's anything from two-foot drops to - I've seen a couple of 15-footers around here, so there's something for anybody around here."

Kenyan doesn't limit himself to any particular aspect of the sport, but enjoys mountain biking as well as road racing, and is looking to get into track racing.

Now, Kenyan is working with associate professor of landscape architecture William Gordon to spread his passion for cycling to the URI community.

Gordon, the club's coach, takes a dual-pronged approach to the sport.

"What we're attempting to do is have a club that promotes general fitness as well as support the efforts of a racing team," Gordon said.

USA Cycling, the organization that oversees collegiate club cycling, sanctions track, mountain, cyclo-cross and road races.

Mountain bike races involve trail and downhill riding, while road racing is the format familiar to many through the Tour de France. Track racing involves shorter, high-speed races around artificial tracks. Cyclo-cross, a newer format, involves racing on and off road and on and off wheels, with obstacles that force racers to dismount and carry their bicycles.

Club members will have the option of competing in any of these formats.

The club will host regular weekend rides for anyone wishing to participate, and members will not be required to compete.

"It's a little bit of everything for everybody," Kenyan said. "It's not just hardcore racing, we're going to have some fun and just be able to ride in a group rather than by ourselves."

Gordon said he is hoping to be able to promote a pro-cycling atmosphere on campus.

"The biggest thing is developing a culture climate here at the university," Gordon Sai.d "A culture climate for cycling really doesn't exist here, and what we need to do is to change that."

Gordon cited the health benefits of cycling as well as its low environmental impact and its potential to relieve the cramped parking situation on campus.

The club has been officially recognized by USA Cycling but is still in the formative stage on campus.

Kenyan is currently the club's sole official competitor, as well as its president, but he and Gordon have big plans for the organization.

"In two years, I would like to have 200 members, that's my goal," Gordon said. "I think it's a pretty outrageous goal, but ... if you don't set goals, it's tough to temper and figure out what your accomplishments are."

Gordon said he is hoping the variety of options offered will attract a broad range of participants, male or female, undergraduate or graduate.

USA Cycling membership requirements are less strict than for NCAA sports. Club competitors must be full-time students, but membership is not restricted to undergraduates.

Kenyan said he is aware of about 40 students who have expressed interest in joining the club, and Gordon said he has a list of about 20 interested in participating in the spring road-racing season.

The racing arm of the club will compete as a Division I team in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC), a region of the USA Cycling Collegiate spanning from Delaware to Maine.

The club will hold a meeting for anyone interested in joining Sunday at 6 p.m. in Rodman Hall. Those planning to attend should contact Gordon at uricycling@cox.net.