Shippensburg University’s Cycling Club is here, and they are not messing around.
If you do not already know, SU has an outlet for athletes with a love for cycling. Because it does not qualify as an NCAA sport, SU created a program to build its own cycling team. In fact, it has been around for several years.
The club is open to anyone at SU, both competitively and just for fun. However, they band together and compete in region-wide races such as the Milton’s Harvest Festival, where SU placed first as a team this past weekend.
Instead of playing under NCAA, the cycling club participates in its own division known as the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference, where they compete against other colleges, including Harvard and Penn State.
Cycling is an individual sport that can earn points as a team when competing in races, just like swimming or cross country. It is divided into gender and skill levels starting at level “D” and working its way up to level “A”. Therefore, there is a level for everybody who may be interested in competing.
SU holds its own race called the “Ship Scurry” every year during the spring semester. It is known as a big race with three different events — road race, a criterium race and a hill climb.
SU’s cycling club meets on Thursdays and Fridays to ride together and are coached by business professor Nathan Goates, however cyclists train mostly on their own time.
This year is a building year for the club, with a record number of people joining thanks to their active social media platforms.
The club’s president, Jake Wible, and vice president, Lydia Westre-Stith, both hope to keep the momentum going with their numbers and to retain the club’s competition level after they graduate.
“I want more people to try the competition aspect. It’s just super fun and a lot of people can benefit from it,” Wible said.
Although it is mostly an individual sport, there is a sense of community within the club, where all the members have bonded with their fellow teammates on long rides together, talking about anything from family to personal philosophies.
“Cycling is just a unique sport that can be as competitive or relaxed as you want it to be. You are really going to meet some amazing people and really get to know them on your rides,” Westre-Stith said.
If you are interested in joining the cycling club, email either Jake Wible at jw8350@ship.edu, or Lydia Smith at lw0621@ship.edu.
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