2. Introduction
The UNC Cycling Team is a co-ed club
sport open to full-time students, both
graduate and undergraduate. The
team competes in an intercollegiate
conference in both road and off–road
events. Whether you are already a
serious athlete or serious about
becoming an athlete, the UNC cycling
team can provide an avenue to
develop yourself as a bike racer. While
we focus on racing, we encourage non-
racers to join our club.
3. OFFICERS:
CO-PRESIDENTS: TREASURER
Mollie Brewer Suzanna Dupee Austin Black
mbrewer18@gmail.com dupee@live.unc.edu austinblack91@gmail.com
SECRETARY WOMEN’S COORDINATOR 2013 RACE COORDINATOR
JORDAN REEVES REBECCA GOODWIN BEN FOSTER
jreeves1990@gmail.com rmgoodwi@live.unc.edu bentfoster@gmail.com
4. COACHES:
SARAH FADER NATE BERRY
sarahcaravella@yahoo.com nberry11@gmail.com
5. Are there tryouts
to get on the
team?
Is Cycling NCAA?
Collegiate cycling is not an NCAA sport. It is a club sport. This means that
practices and racing are not mandatory. It also makes cycling much more
conductive for student-athletes looking for anything from fitness to
competition without having to give up 30+ hours a week to training and
travel. UNC being top ranked for academics, most are here to get a degree
(can’t speak for all colleges...) and cycling is a great outlet for physical fitness
and stress relief. In fact, several current members of the team used to
compete in other sports as NCAA athletes and took up cycling for the
aforementioned reasons.
6. Do I have to race to be on the team?
No. Racing is not
mandatory. Though both racing and
practices are encouraged (and a lot
of fun!!)
Academics always come first and it
is completely acceptable to miss
team engagements for academic
ones.
7. Benefits of Club Membership
• Free UNC Cycling Jersey
• Huge discounts off most items
at ParCycles
• Race fees and travels expenses
covered
• Reduced pricing on team
athletic apparel
• Generic training plans from
experienced coaches
• Physical fitness and social
networking
• The ability to represent your
alma mater! FUN!!!!!
8. Collegiate Cycling & Why It’s Special
Collegiate bike racing is a great way to become introduced into the sport.
Unlike public races, you’re only racing against athletes from other schools.
It’s more laid back and you make lots of new friends. Collegiate racing is
generally more inclusive than public racing, and team tactics and strategy
often play a larger role. If you’re still thinking about racing, don’t hesitate to
contact the officers.
9. How Often Should I Ride?
While this can be a highly personalized
question, a simple answer is that for racing
in categories other than the “A’s”, riding 3x
a week with at least one group ride (more
than 50 people) should suffice. UNC
Cycling is completely made up of student
athletes, and it is our team policy that
academics come before athletics. Specific
training and tactical practice is often
required to move up in categories, but the
3x a week baseline should be at a high
enough level to compete and have
fun. Feel free to contact Coaches Sarah
Fader or Nate Berry for more questions
regarding training.
10. What Kind of
Bike Do I Need?
How expensive is a race-
worthy bike?!
While you do not need to buy the latest
and greatest (and most expensive), the
WalMart special mom bought for you
won’t cut it. You can race on a $150 bike
you got on craigslist but generally, we recommend aluminum frames and Shimano 105 /
SRAM rival components.
Bikes can be expensive, but here at UNC Cycling we usually do a good job at securing
very, very good pricing on entry level race-worthy road bikes. Plus, there are other options for
used bikes. The $500-$1000 range is a good approximation for the equipment buy in for
someone completely new to the sport. But, even that can be mitigated by attention to detail
and a little research. Feel free to ask the officers.
11. What Do I Need to Race, Besides
Equipment?
All collegiate races come under the USA Cycling domain. To race in their races you’ll need a
license, which can be purchased day-of-race or yearly. If you plan on racing more that just a
few times, you’ll want a yearly license to save money. More information can be found at
www.usacycling.org
You’ll also need to fill out a Standard Release Form for each and every race. They’ll be
available at the registration table at the race, but you can save time by filling it out before. If
you want to race with us in collegiate races, you’ll have to pay dues.
12. Different Types of Riding & Racing
UNC focuses primarily on Road, but we also participate in Mountain 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 our facebook page, so other UNC riders can join you!
13. When Are Team Practices?
During the fall, we are going to have a
structured cross practice once a week
for those interested. In the fall we will
also have some 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 weekly practices 1-2 days a
week and options for members to ride
with each other in a non structured
setting, the rest of the week. All of these
practices are coached workouts and are
an incredible opportunity to build
fitness.
14. When Are Team Dues? What Do They
Pay For?
Dues for the 2012-2013 season have changed. They are now $60 per semester, or $120 up
front. Your dues go to cover club costs as well as to greatly subsidize the cost of racing. Also
included in dues, and new for the 2012-2013 season: a free UNC 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
15. What Kind of Time Commitment Do I
Have to Make?
Riding and racing for the team is as
much of a time commitment as you
want it to be.
Practice attendance is completely
voluntary.
16. Who Do We Race Against?
UNC is part of the Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference. The Atlantic Collegiate Cycling
Conference is a collection of cycling clubs representing colleges and universities from
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. We are one of eleven conferences
that make up the collegiate program of USA Cycling, the national governing body of
cycling in the United States. Our athletes compete in road, mountain, and cyclocross
racing throughout the academic year at the conference level with hopes of qualifying
for the USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships
17. 2012-2013 Race Schedule
2012 Mountain Bike 2013 Road
• Sept 8-9 ASU • Feb 9-10 NCSU
• Sept 15-16 NCSU • Feb 16-17 Wake
• Sept 22-23 W&M/ VCU • Feb 23-24 W & M
• Sept 29-30 VT • March 2-3 VT
• Oct 6-7 WVU ( Conference Champs) • March 9-10 GW
• March 16-17 UNC
2012 Cyclocross Schedule • March 23-24 Navy
• Oct 27-28 ASU • April 6-7 ASU
• Nov 3-4 VCU/UVA • April 13-14 WVU
• Nov 10-11 VT • April 19-20 Duke ( Conference Champs)
• Nov 17-18 DUKE Road Nationals are May 3-5 in Ogden, UT
• Nov 24-25 NCSU
• Dec 1-2 WFU ( Conference Champs)
Cyclocross Nationals are Jan 9-13 in Madison, WI
18. Other Basic Info to Get Started!
Items that you will need to bring with you on EVERY ride:
• Flat kit ( includes: spare tube, co2 cartridge and inflator, and tire lever)
• Multi-tool
• 2 Water Bottles
• On the bike nutrition ( bars, gels, banana’s etc.) Usually the rule is 100-200 cals of
food per hr. on the bike.
• Emergency cash- usually $10 bill is fine
• Cell phone
19. Pre-Ride Bike Inspection
It is good to get in the habit of checking your bike for safety.
• Inspect tires for cuts, nicks, and general wear.
• Install wheels & check for proper alignment
• Verify quick release for appropriate closure and tightness. QR lever should be on left side of
bike and pointing toward middle of bike. A QR which is closed onto a fork blade, seat or chain
stay may not be closed adequately or is very difficult to open.
• Spins each wheel verifying that it rotate freely
• Brake pads - check that adequate material remains and that pads and calipers are tight.
• Brake cable – inspect for frayed cables, damaged housing and loose hardware.
• Brakes – verify brakes work correctly by squeezing & releasing each brake level a couple
times.
• Headset – verify appropriate tightness by applying front brake then rocking bike fore & aft.
Feel for looseness. Lift front of bike and turn wheel right & left, feel for binding of headset.
• Bottom bracket – grasp a crank arm and gently move perpendicular to rotation of cranks. Feel
for looseness.
• Crank arms- check arms on both sides of bike for looseness.
• Derailure cables – check for frayed cables, damaged housing and loose hardware.
• Derailures – verify proper adjustment and shifting.
• Saddle – verify saddle clamp is adequately tight.
• Water bottle cages – verify cages are tight by grasping cage and gently wiggling.
• Handlebars / stem – inspect for loose nuts & bolts, check bar tape for wear and tear or
damage.
• Inspect bike for general cleanliness.
• Inspect for loose nuts and bolts.
20. Post-Ride Cycling Nutrition Basics for
College Students
Post ride nutrition for college students
• Again, there are volumes and volumes of information about “perfect” balances of
carbohydrates and protein / fat etc… But really, you have to understand a few simple things.
• Cycling is an endurance sport. You expend a lot of energy that needs to be repleted to the
body. There is a ~30 minute window after you stop exercising where your body most efficiently
takes up nutrients, so eating right after a ride is essential for getting the most out of your
training. The first thing your body will want after a ride is carbohydrates. Examples include:
oatmeal, bread, cereal, pasta, rice, quinoa.
– Example #1: 1-minute oatmeal (~$1/lb) with frozen blueberries ($2/lb)
• The nice thing about this combo is you can boil the water and put it directly onto a bowl of dry oatmeal. Let sit for a few minutes, then add blueberries. You only need to
clean the bowl after, and takes about 5 minutes to make. It’s very inexpensive too. The cost of items in the photo were calculated to be about $1.
– Example #2: English muffins with peanut butter and honey.
• The peanut butter adds some healthy fats and protein.
• Your body will also need moderate amounts of protein to repair muscle and cardiovascular / pulmonary systems. Monounsaturated fats (olives, olive oil, peanut
butter, almond butter, nuts, and most non-animal sources) are used in the synthesis of hormones, and small amounts are necessary to replete fat stores as well.
• In general: carbohydrates > protein > unsaturated fats. Go easy on the red meat, and avoid
fried foods (sorry!)
21. During Ride Cycling Nutrition Basics for
College Students
During-ride nutrition
• Try to eat something every hour. Bananas, cliff bars, cookies, and bagel halves are
good examples of portions and portion size for prolonged riding. General rule of
thumb: bring more food than you think you need.
• Fluids become much more important when riding in really warm conditions or for
more than two hours. Even if you don’t feel like you’re sweating, you’re generally
losing a lot of water. Every breath leeches H2O into your exhale and you sweat more
than you think (the vehicular nature of cycling means very quick evaporation). Also
important is the intake of salts. You lose more than water when you sweat, and
using an electrolyte drink can go a long way when you’re spending a lot of time on
the bike.
• If you’re read this far, I hope that this information was of help to you. If you have
more specific questions about training or nutrition, feel free to ask.
22. We are looking forward to an amazing 2012-2013 season.
We can’t wait to have you as part of our team!!!
