The Case Western cycling club is not letting the crisp fall weather deter their progress as they enter into the cyclocross portion of their season, competing in the Northeast Ohio CX series of events leading up to the regional collegiate championships in December.

The team concluded their track events last month with the Case team taking 15th place in Division III at the USA Cycling Collegiate Track Nationals race. This is a relatively new event for the team, though many riders are familiar with the style. Graduate student Jenna Tomasevich and senior David Takahashi competed in the race, scoring enough points to propel the team to their second national ranking.

The team participated in two preliminary track matches with seven racers. The national qualifying meet took place at the Cleveland Metrodome. The Case Cycling team claimed the top spot as several students placed in the top ten riders. The resulting high scores put the Case Western team on top of all schools in the midwest in both Division I and Division II.

The group looks to keep this momentum going through cyclocross, which is a mix of mountain biking and road biking techniques. With five of the races completed, several Spartan racers have shown success in the hybrid races, including Alex Kloss, Matthew Swartwout, Evan Guarr, Daniela Mehech and Rebecca Schur.

The team training will also be changing with the outside temperature. The normal weekly schedule for the club includes multiple group rides, some at a racing pace and others rolling at a more recreational speed. During the winter months, the club starts organizing a spinning class, which will take place in the squash courts at Veale. These sessions are open to the campus for a fee, which includes entry to as many sessions as desired.

Club president Eric Silverman is excited for the opportunity for more students to become involved in cycling activities. The training format also allows the team to become closer as a group. “During the spinning classes, less experienced riders can be right next to nationally ranked cyclers.” Silverman explained, “The whole group comes together in the winter because you can all stay and train together.” This also provides a valuable resource for recreational riders who may be interested in racing in the future to get valuable advice and feedback from their more experienced peers.

The spinning class is one of many services the club uses to spread the knowledge and enjoyment of cycling through the CWRU community. The club also has a seasonal bike tune-up event on the quad and offers this service to students any time through the e-mail fixmybike@case.edu, providing reasonably priced and convenient repairs.

Silverman is looking for students to become even more involved with the club with coordination to improve pedestrian/bicycle movement through campus.

Since many members of the club ride their bikes between classes, there is a vested interest in coordinating with undergraduate student groups.

The club will post notices regarding the spinning sessions and other events on their Facebook page at facebook.com/CaseCycling. They will be hosting the NEOCX season finale in December which will be a great chance for people who are unfamiliar with cycling to experience the excitement of an indoor race.