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Six gaps – weekend edition

October 8, 2026 Lorenzo Van Munoz Leave a comment

Over the years, many MIT cyclists have taken on the challenging “6 gaps” route in Vermont, covering 130 miles and 11,000+ ft of elevation over six passes in the Green Mountains. This Labor day weekend, the Three Musketeers, Lorenzo, Martin, and Sparrow, made a rendezvous in Bethel, VT to attempt this epic ride and celebrate the end of the summer. We also anticipated that the steep grades and sections of unpaved roads would be better suited to gravel bikes with low gearing and wide tires, and we felt that ours absolutely crushed the course. (Lorenzo ran a 42T chainring with a 10-50T cassette. Martin ran a 40T chainring with 10-44T cassette. Sparrow ran a 40T chainring with 11-44T cassette.). Although the trip was planned around the full-day ride, the weather led us to split it up into two days as a delightful training weekend, in contrast to previous editions overwhelmed with type II fun.

Lorenzo and Martin ready to roll to Vermont with their gravel bikes.

On Saturday, we woke up at 6 to start our ride up Rochester gap in cool weather with overcast skies. We were buzzing with energy and looking forward to our biggest climb since Mt Lemmon at WTC. As we warmed up the legs on the shallow slopes, a car passed us, did a u-turn, and passed us again while holding a MIT cap to cheer us along! Thrilled by the encouragement, we rode together up some painfully steep ramps while trying to convince ourselves that they weren’t really that bad at all.

When we began the descent of Rochester gap, we had the only mechanical of the whole trip: a puncture that didn’t seal until we plugged it. After this, we took the twisty descent to Rochester with caution to keep our speed under control and on our arrival to the town were greeted by friendly drivers and majestic views of the Green Mountains.

Our next climb was Brandon gap and while its grade was the most gentle of all the climbs, the effort was not. Sparrow rode ahead at his sweet spot while Lorenzo saved energy at an endurance pace, with Martin somewhere in between. Everyone’s unique approach to the climb reflected their willingness to take great risks for even greater rewards on such a long day on the bike. As we crested the climb, we noticed a drizzle had begun and we proceeded to take the wet descent with caution. Down in the valley, the light and persistent rain soaked through our socks and shoes, so we took a break at a general store to warm up and refuel.

We began Middlebury gap in a better state and worked our way to the top more urgently than the previous gap because of the rain on our backs. This climb started to eat away our confidence about tackling the full route, not only because of the pain-inducing ramps towards the top but also because of the cold and wet descent. As we reached Hancock, we stopped at their general store for lunch and considered our options. We hadn’t even done half the distance of the ride and with the three hardest climbs left we weren’t feeling optimistic about completing the route due to the weather. So, we took the easy way out and decided to ride back to the airbnb so we could recover and finish the last three gaps the next day.

Three musketeers frolicking on Vermont pavement

En route from Hancock to Rochester, the rain lifted and our mood bounced back as we cruised on the valley road. We just enjoyed the scenery as our thoughts turned towards good post-ride meals and maple creemees. As we passed one particular farm, we saw two gun-slinging Vermonters with rifles across their backs, which motivated us to ride even faster. Once in Rochester, we retraced our route by climbing the gap in reverse, which thankfully wasn’t as leg-busting as the other side.

We enjoyed the evening after the ride by visiting Randolph to eat maple creemees and feast at the local tavern. Crowds of GMSR racers were also flocking around the town and led to some lively discussions at the local bike shop. Since we had another day of riding ahead of us, we also restocked our ride snacks, or just sugar and electrolytes for our water. That night, we went to sleep peacefully by counting the sheep in the backyard of the airbnb where we stayed.

Sparrow adjusting his saddle angle with a baking tray to reduce climbing-induced back pain

We started our second day by driving to Warren and ascending the formidable Lincoln gap, known for having the steepest paved mile in the U.S. Compared to the day before, the climbs were shorter, perhaps only twenty minutes each, but all the more brutal. Going up Lincoln gap can only be described as fighting for your life up a 20+ % grade. It was mandatory to grind up the climb in the lowest gear while also struggling to balance the bike and possibly zig-zag to prolong the suffering in exchange for taking off the sharp edge. Whoever designed the road clearly intended to induce despair by making it go straight up so that you could see exactly how far you had to go. At the top, hikers congratulated us on the valiant effort while we basked in post hill-climb relief.

A mandatory stop at the Warren covered bridge

The highest point of the trip at the top of Lincoln gap

We forged onwards towards App gap, where we expected to cross paths with the GMSR stage of the day. This climb was especially race-worthy, ascending multiple switchbacks while slowly but surely getting steeper towards the top. Feeling inspired by the race, we decided to go full gas on the climb. It was magical how as we climbed, a fog enveloped the top of the climb making only several feet of the road visible ahead. We were urged up and onwards by cheering spectators and words of encouragement written in chalk on the ground. The barriers appeared out of the mist like on a grand tour stage to signal that we had one final steep pitch to wrestle up. At the top, we stayed to watch racers roll in and congratulated them on their efforts.

The foggy GMSR App gap stage finish line

Eventually, we descended the other side, returning to the warm and sunny valley to enjoy a lunch break. An excellent bagel and donut stop was on our way, which left us happy and refueled to continue back to Warren for our last climb. There was a fair bit of hilly riding to get there, which we took rather easily so we could chat and enjoy the scenery. Somewhere along the way, we saw another gun-slinging Vermont state trooper in full military gear, so we hurried again to get far away from their sting.

Our last gap of the trip was Roxbury gap and the sun was really baking overhead on the climb. We all focused on the now-familiar sight of the steep roads and made quick work of the climb before it got too hot. At the top, we were treated to splendid views of both valleys before we turned around to go to our car. The drive home wouldn’t have been complete without a creemee, which we secured and gleefully ate to celebrate our accomplishment of climbing all six gaps.

Martin and Sparrow summit Roxbury gap to finish all six

After all, we were grateful that the weather made us split the epic ride into two days. We all caught the Vermont bug and are looking forward to more climbs in the Green mountains, and perhaps racing GMSR next year!

Nationals, News, Photos, Race Reports, Track

Track Nats ’26

September 21, 2026 Lorenzo Van Munoz

Day 1: The travel

This time it’s not so new. The MIT Cycling track team (Matteo Fulghieri) is traveling once more to Indiana to compete in the USAC Collegiate Track Nationals at the Major Taylor Velodrome. The flight into Indianapolis International Airport is every heavy cyclist’s daydream: a landscape flatter than my cast iron pan at home where I stir fry vegetables most Tuesday evenings.

Arriving in Indianapolis, the first step is to make my way to the eventual race site to sign in and register. Akin to a captain at his helm, with the stern facing the land he loves, I stand now with only my bike case and firmly planted feet facing a storm of uncertainty; I can’t know what the following three days will hold for me, but I do know they will occur, and their outcome forever a moment in time.

There’s even a sense of peculiarity; the precisely measured 333m track sandwiched by a highway, a BMX track, and a university. An unusual gathering place for young adults who enjoy riding bikes to gather and pedal harder than they’ve ever pedaled before.

Following this moment of heavy anticipation and retrospection, it’s time to swing by the hotel. It is fortunately surrounded by a multitude of gas stations, which people oft forget are prime fueling stations for cyclists as well. Nothing beats the energy of a $1.99 roll of crunchy donuts.

Day 2: The sprints

Sprints day is the first day. Today is all about speed and acceleration, with little need to endure powers long enough to hurt. The seating for the match sprints is quite straight forward: how quickly can you cover 200m with a wind up.

The best part of TrackNats is making friends, and fortunately the Fort Lewis Cycling team adopted me into their family. So much so that the MIT name was formally added to their tent, and we even shared our equipment. After all, mi chainring es su chainring.

Photo courtesy of Karen Brower Photography

The flying 200m starts with a strong push in the back to get you some speed up the gradual incline of the back straight. With this, you roll ever so slowly through the Start/Finish with 2 to go. The name of the game is building up your potential energy but preserving your legs to the fullest. It’s a bit of a shimmy to get your knees brushing the top railing; pushing and rolling at just the right times to give a momentum kick. Now, rolling towards the Start/Finish approaching your 1 to go lap, the power picks up. A smooth roll evolves into a little pressure on the down stroke, then pressing down like you mean it, then coming out of the saddle to pull on the bars a bit, then the back stroke gets a tug, until you’re at the top of the railing and pushing and tugging with every ounce of strength in the legs. Finally, you round Turn 2 and pass through the 200m mark and it’s time to sit back into the saddle and spin the lower extremities right off the torso and hold on for dear life, pushing 40mph through Turns 3 and 4. This year I crossed the finish line in 11.531s, putting me in 15th and to race the 2nd place qualifier.

The match sprints themselves remind me a bit of my wrestling days, if you take out the wrestling and replace it with cycling—okay maybe it’s not really similar at all. The two lap race to the finish always starts slow, with a lot of eye contact and sometimes some smiles. Coming through the last lap, it then picks up into a battle for position—I was bested by my opponent, who very carefully stole the inside line and kept me stuck at the barriers; besides the fact that he was incredibly quick on the pedals.

Day 3: The IP and Points Race

The 4km Individual Pursuit is not so dynamic. You start pedaling, you keep pedaling, and then around lap 5 of 12 you realize you went out too hard and your legs are screaming. I call this the first stage of the IP: regret. Lap 7 brings the next stage: negotiation. You tell yourself you can handle this and just need to keep going, that this really isn’t the worse thing ever and the finish line is approaching. Lap 9 brings hopelessness; you were wrong, you can’t keep doing this, your legs have reached unregistered pain levels. You can’t even see anymore and the baking of the track is the only item keeping you from crashing. Then, the final laps bring existential contextualization: what does it mean to be a cyclist, what does it mean to be in pain, can I be certain that my pain is real, do I have the free will to stop pedaling, is humanity doomed to eternal suffering, if I am not for myself who will pedal this bike? Finally the finish line approaches, and it seems quite fit to immediately collapse in the grass. Today was a PR in 5:01.

** This is an important moment to highlight a lesson I learned this day: having been adopted into the FLC family also meant total treatment as such, and that meant being screamed at each lap. In those moments of desperation, these forced me to pedal harder. Shout out to the team parents Mari and Drew.

Of course, the rest of my time was spent recovering and yelling words of encouragement to my FLC teammates, who all excelled in their races.

The evening wrapped up with the points race. 36km in 35 minutes does not leave the brain with much time to do math, and math I did not do. I managed to secure a few points on the opening sprint, but failed to encourage the mind to join the breakaway, and this left me in 12th place.

Day 4: The Kilo and Scratch

A deep rain enveloped the sprawled Indiana landscape; a reflection of how my legs felt at this point. On the bright side, this meant sleeping in and hanging out around the house and working. Reality emerged around noon: the remaining races would all take place in the evening. The opening kilo saw me pulling my cleat out of the pedal once more, so details of the frantic effort to clip back in and pull the cranks off the bike will be spared.

Finally was the scratch race. This time just 12km at a blistering pace exceeding 50kph. At these speeds, reaction time becomes critical and knowing the moves to jump into is vital. The race ended together, with myself in 14th. The women’s points race followed; from the vantage point of the pit you can see the entire race, which makes for an exhilarating spectator experience. This race unfortunately saw the only crash of the weekend, which fortunately saw only scrapes and bruises as a result.

After all was said and done, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology cycling team earned the highest club team omnium points, earning the title of a National Championship program. The horizon is bright for the program, and the goals are only higher for next year. And of course the reunion of the FLC-MIT familia.

News, Photos, Race Reports, Road

UVM 2026: From Philo to the Podium

July 31, 2026 Lorenzo Van Munoz

At the end of the ECCC 2026 racing season, MIT cycling sent its largest contingent of the year to the Catamount Cycling Classic hosted by University of Vermont.

The attendees included Emily, our noble logistics officer who was wrapping up a successful spring racing campaign; Paul, our unofficial support team lead; Lorenzo, our men’s road captain fearlessly returning from knee rehab; Sparrow, ready to wattsmax the finale to his first racing season; Matteo and Ryan, our resident hooligans and fast bois; Noah, our team photographer and gravel evangelist; and finally me (Jody), our cyclocross co-captain. After 2 years of training with the team, I was finally attending my first ECCC racing weekend thanks to overcoming my fear of racing on pavement and kicking my habit of running Spring marathons.

Our first day of racing started with a brutally steep climb up Mount Philo for the Individual Time Trial. Having heard about this legendary climb from past racers, I had prepared by doing weekly Eastern Ave repeats over the past month. In a last-minute bargain for extra watts, I also swapped out my aluminum 650b stock wheels to the carbon team wheels. I had never done any training with them, but looked forward to the mental boost of a lighter wheelset.

After shooing off the men’s 4/5 racers Sparrow and Noah, I found myself at the start line, heart pounding and staring at the concrete wall ahead of me. I got off to a slow and wobbly start, finding my rhythm after the first few turns. A few short minutes in however, my legs felt unusually weak and something was up with my gearing. Why couldn’t I downshift? Climbing had never felt this hard before. I struggled to stay upright and finally made it to the top, feeling a mix of relief and despair.

When I got back to the team cars, it hit me. My last minute wheel swap from 650b to 700c had changed my apparent gear ratio. With my 165mm cranks and wobbly legs, it was a miracle I had made it up at all. I sheepishly debriefed with Sparrow, who had also made it up the steepest Philo sections, only to accidentally dismount his bike early due to a mistaken finish line. Meanwhile, Noah had floated up the hill with his sub-1:1 gear ratio, making us regret not taking our gravel bikes too.

After some solid ITT performances by the remaining team members and some wheelies by Ryan, it was time for the road race. I felt substantially better and was eager to climb up the rankings this time (pun intended) in my first-ever road race. Things got off to a hot start, and I clawed my way into the lead group. Despite being warned by Emily about the prevailing women’s tactic of attacking mid-conversation, I was caught off guard when Middlebury riders bolted up a hill in the midst of a debate on Trader Joe’s gummy flavors. Before I knew it, they were gone and I was left with one other rider to finish out the second half of the race.

Following our race, Sparrow hopped into his car to volunteer as a follow car for the men’s 3/4 race, where he tried to help Lorenzo avoid being dropped. Noah and I watched from the sidelines and snapped photos, marveling at the pacelines, fast cornering, and beautiful Vermont scenery.

Matteo (rightmost) takes a pull in the mens 1/2/3 peloton with Ryan (2nd from left) in the back

The men’s 3/4 race peloton including Sparrow volunteering as the follow car

Emily pacelining in the road race with the 1/2/3 women

The mens 1/2/3 road race prepares to tackle more rolling hills in the Vermont countryside

Recovery creemees after dinner! From left to right: Lorenzo, Noah, Jody, Sparrow, Ryan, Matteo, Paul, and Emily

The team finished off the day with a hearty Mexican dinner and Vermont creemees for extra recovery calories. The next day, Lorenzo, Noah, Sparrow and I headed to UVM campus early for the 4/5 men’s and women’s races. I trailed the boys during the pre-ride laps, gingerly leaning into the corners and praying I would stay rubber side down in the race.

Following warmup, Sparrow and Noah immediately jumped into the men’s 4/5 race, where they were serenaded by a full brass and percussion band. Both of them put up impressive sprint performances, with Sparrow staying out of trouble until his impressive display of watts rewarded him with a top-5 finish.

The adrenaline of the men’s race had given me a newfound confidence for my race, and I lined up in the front row. The whistle blew, and I easily kept up with the front group, barely noticing the corners. When a rider made an attack with 3 laps to go, it slowly dawned on me that this was my only chance to try for first place glory. Buoyed by Lorenzo’s yells of ‘you can go faster!’, I pulled away from the peloton and chased until the finishing straightaway, where I resigned myself to second – until I spotted the first place rider ahead. I surged forward in a final effort, missing the win by half a bike length.

Jody about to take on the chicanes at the UVM Crit

The team watches in suspense as Emily sprints for a photo-finish second place

While I couldn’t finish the job, Emily tried for redemption in the women’s 1/2/3 race. After leading the race and taking a couple Prime lap points, the entire team watched as she outsprinted two other women to snatch second place in a photo finish. Lorenzo decided to skip his men’s 3/4 race due to his knee, joining Sparrow as a star spectator (‘give them hell, Emily!’) and selfie-taker.

The men’s 1/2/3 race wrapped up the day. Matteo and Ryan’s race ended early after getting stuck behind a crash, but that didn’t stop our team photographer from getting some quality action shots.

Resident hooligan number 1 Matteo takes on the men’s 1/2/3

Resident hooligan number 2 Ryan takes on the men’s 1/2/3

Emily (right) clinches 2nd place ECCC omnium!

With the racing finished, all that was left to do was wait for the awards ceremony. Although we were sunburned, tired, and running almost entirely on post-race adrenaline, the wait was worth it: Emily capped off an impressive weekend with a third-place medal in the road race, second place in the criterium, and a second place in the ECCC omnium, while I was proud to come away with fourth in the hill climb, fifth in the road race, and second in the criterium. To top it off, I was awarded the team’s Most Aggressive Rider jersey, a longstanding MIT Cycling tradition that rewards attacking riders with the privilege of wearing a bright red jersey featuring an intimidating angry face.

Overall, the weekend was one of the most rewarding racing experiences I’ve had. While I’ve raced plenty of running races, cyclocross events, and even gravel, this was my first time being at the very front of a race, chasing down a breakaway and realizing that a win might actually be possible. It’s a thrill I won’t forget anytime soon.

Whether or not I end up racing ECCC again next year, I’m grateful I finally took the leap. Between the climbs, the crits, the wheel swaps, the creemees, and the people who made the weekend memorable, Catamount was an unforgettable way to close out the spring season.

News, Photos, Race Reports, Rides, Road, Training

Winter Training Camp 2026

February 25, 2026 Aaron Vliet

The three musketeers packed their bikes and set off for another spectacular Winter Training Camp (WTC) in Tucson, AZ. In this year’s edition, the team shared Daniel’s house in Oro Valley with two pro triathletes, Marc and Gabi, making for excellent company and great mentors on life as an athlete. Our goals for this camp were to make new friends while riding bikes, to eat well and build up our base miles without overuse injuries, and to race a time trial on our last day.

The scenery of the Sonoran desert with its rugged rocks, Saguaro cacti and speedy road runners was a welcome relief from the winter storm on the East Coast. The best way to see it was to warm up our legs on an easy spin out to Gates Pass by setting out on the Loop bike path. It was Sparrow’s first time riding his new road bike and when we crossed the first road he forgot to unclip his pedal and fell immediately, sending his Di2 drivetrain into crash mode. As all three of us MIT PhD students were stopped at the side of the road to diagnose the electronic issue, we asked ChatGPT for repair instructions before eventually figuring out that unplugging the derailleur and plugging it back in would get Sparrow bike to work again. We continued to ride three climbs of increasing difficulty to help us adjust to riding outdoors and practice our descending. As we stopped for a photo, we also spotted the gang of Quinn Simmons, wearing his national champion jersey, on a post-Shootout cooldown ride. We rode home starstruck and planned our upcoming ascent of Mt. Lemmon after recovering with a big chicken stew.

Three musketeers take a team photo at Gates Pass

On day 2, we drove to Le Buzz cafe for our ride up Mt Lemmon. The weather at the summit had been snowy for a few days and at the base we were stopped by a sheriff who told us to turn around after 5 miles. Lorenzo led the climb and decided to stop after 14 miles at Windy Point Vista, when he could see snow a few miles up the road. After a few minutes, he got cold, put on all his jackets and rode down to find the rest of the team. A mile down the road, Martin asked “did you go all the way to the top?” and Lorenzo, still hypoxic, replied while descending “Yeah, just around the corner.” Martin, only hearing Lorenzo say “Yeah” as he zipped by, thought “Man, I’m really out of shape if Lorenzo had all the time to make it to the top and back.” Half a mile down the road, Lorenzo realized the miscommunication and stopped to call Martin. Having no reception, Lorenzo had no choice but to chase Martin up the climb, having already given him a mile headstart. Sparrow, who hadn’t yet been spotted, was dreaming of the cookie cabin waiting atop the mountain as he climbed to join his teammates.

Windy Point Vista with the Mt Lemmon highway and cloudy weather in view

Desperation set in when Lorenzo returned to the Windy Point Vista without Martin yet in sight. Three miles later, with snow on the shoulder, he caught up to Martin and turned around, rejoining Sparrow. As the descent began, Martin and Sparrow took off, thinking about the LeBuzz cookie and not having to pedal. Lorenzo started to shiver so badly he couldn’t steer his bike and needed to stop every 100 m to warm up. Meanwhile, towards the base of the climb, Martin was brushed against by a car and crashed, with some serious road rash. To our surprise, Martin’s Di2 hadn’t gone into crash mode. Still full of adrenaline, Martin hopped right back onto the bike without noticing the multiple cracks in his carbon frame. After about a mile or so of riding, his legs started to cramp and the extent of the damage sunk in when he got off and inspected the bike.

The team photo at their turnaround on Mt Lemmon before beginning a harrowing descent

We rejoined at LeBuzz, where Martin needed to inhale a pastry and coffee before addressing his multiple open wounds. The entire screen of his bike computer fell off, but at least the ride was saved and uploaded to Strava. Eventually, we went to the urgent care so Martin could get his injuries taken care of, including a scary swelling bruise. Already, it was clear what everyone’s rose, bud and thorn would be later, and thankfully the dinner of chicken stew and baked sausage was already prepared. Martin had a restless night between the road rash and scheming to commit insurance fraud for a new frame.

After the extreme events of the previous day, it was clear that a recovery day was needed. While Martin stayed off the bike to watch the bruise, Sparrow and Lorenzo, looking splendid in his Belgian kit, went along the Loop to Savaya, the nearest coffee shop with the best views of Mt Lemmon. While enjoying their cup o’ Joe, they saw a roadrunner snacking on meatballs from the coffee shop. Later, they went shopping at an international market with multiple aisles for each cuisine, over 20 in total, adding a lot of steps to our recovery day. While Lorenzo made a lentil stew from the leftovers, Marc “the shark” shared stories about how to race and get sponsored as a pro triathlete.

Captain “Chef” Sparrow studying the varieties of soy sauce at Lee Lee International Market

On day four, Martin was determined to ride and after he bandaged himself better than Tadej Pogacar we set out for a long ride on the Loop where there wouldn’t be any dangerous car traffic. Daniel, our host, made everyone’s day by letting Martin ride his steel 1x bike, formerly owned by Ashton Lambie, Individual Pursuit world champ. On the long, flat stretches of bike path we practiced how to ride in a paceline efficiently en route to the Mercado San Agustin. Afterwards, Sparrow, having just completed the longest ride of his life, sprang into action as chef, cooking a succulent fried beef dish with the best chili oil (aka, rocket fuel) and a pork shoulder stew for the days to come.

Fried beef, noodles, and bok choy dressed with homemade chili oil

Martin planned a route for the next day around Saguaro national park and Colossal Cave. On the way, he stopped at Fairwheel bikes, where the kind folks set him up with a rental bike. At Saguaro NP, the park loop decorated with cacti was so beautiful that all the tourists driving their cars were stopped in the middle of the road. On one such pause, Lorenzo noticed that his shifter cable had snapped and found himself doing torque intervals on his simplified 2-speed bike. We continued our leisurely tour of the park and at last made our way towards Colossal Cave. The slight uphill grade was complemented by a colossal headwind, requiring a concerted push to cover the distance. On the return, we flew downhill with the tailwind, reaping the rewards of our labor. Towards the end, Lorenzo’s rear tire went flat, finally rendering his 2-speed bike useless, as karma had caught up with him for lording the simplicity of his mechanical bike over his teammates electronic drivetrains flawed due to the crash mode anti-feature (false positive for Sparrow and false negative for Martin). On the way home, we tried out some local tamales that would have tasted better with some homemade chili oil.

Daniel’s arrival had been delayed a day due to a snowstorm on the East Coast. When he arrived that afternoon, he complained his back hurt from shoveling snow all day on his driveway. He needed to stretch his legs and went for a spin with Lorenzo to catch the sunset. Back at the house, we feasted on pork stew and were joined by Gabi and Marc. At some point Marc commented that Lorenzo had been rocking his bib shorts all day, to which Lorenzo replied, “when was the last time you trained for a 12 hour ride?” Practice makes perfect.

MIT cyclist rides into the Sunset on the Loop

With the recovery day completed, we were excited about the upcoming ITT and drove out to the mining town of San Manuel to recon the super-fast course. We flew along the downhill stretch to practice a TTT paceline and at the 9 mile turnaround, we stopped to regroup and saw that both Martin and Sparrow had punctures. Sparrow’s sealed, however it took us three MIT students 10 minutes to convince Daniel to stop Martin’s puncture with 2 plugs. Feeling very accomplished, we took a group photo with the festive cacti in the background.

Three cyclists pose as Saguaro cacti in the Sonoran desert

The ride continued with a long false flat followed by a climb up the far side of Mt Lemmon that led to the zipline adventure park. We were sure to stock up on glycogen and refueled with burgers, chicken tenders, and fries at the restaurant. The scenery of the Sonoran desert was truly stunning and thankfully was enjoyed with minimal interruption from cars.

Back at the house, the team joined Marc and Gabi for a barbecue with their triathlete friends. The group traded training stories and placed bets on the winning times for the Saturday ITT.
The plan for day 7 was to taper for race day and get a decent recovery ride. We rode out on the Loop to a coffee shop when Sparrow got a message from his advisor requesting that he go to the U of A to meet with research collaborators. While Sparrow rode to the campus and gave a chalk talk in cycling kit, Martin, Lorenzo and Daniel rode back to Oro Valley and watched some Polish TV shows on an old LCD. It soon became clear that a better TV was necessary for the house so Daniel went to Best Buy to embarrass Martin with Polish humor in front of the employees. A few hours later, we procured a TV and fit it into the minivan together with Sparrow’s bike and all the cyclists.

On our last day, we got ready to race the time trial in San Manuel and calmed our nerves by stress-eating costco gummy bears. We all set out around the same time and rode quickly to get the fastest time on the course and get a solid FTP estimate. While the three musketeers swept the podium of the collegiate C race, Daniel took the win in the masters category. Martin and Sparrow felt extremely dehydrated, and bartered their only remaining gummy bears for two cans of red bull from the race organizer. All in all it was a great success and a fun way to wrap up camp.

MIT cycling takes on the race against time in San Manuel, AZ

On the following day, still gleaming from our podium sweep, we all watched MVDP ride away with his 7th cyclocross world champs on the beautiful new TV before backing our bags and flying home from Phoenix. WTC was a huge success despite the difficulties that came our way and managed to do good training while growing as a team. Everyone finished WTC feeling stronger and excited about the upcoming riding season!

Finally, we owe a huge thank you to Jeff for driving the team home all of these years!

News, Rides, Road, Training

Fall Training Weekend 2025!

October 20, 2025 Aaron Vliet

Gradient: consistent; Squat depth: variable; smiles: mandatory.

Per tradition, we went back to Western Massachusetts for another great weekend of bike riding and team bonding! Let’s hear what some members have to say about their experiences!

“Organizing fall training weekend was a labor of love and when everyone finally rolled out on Saturday morning all of the effort had paid off. In the perfect fall weather, everyone responded to the challenging terrain and numerous town lines differently. While Will took flight up Mt Greylock, Mason and Ryan sparred in the sprints and later our resident runner, Andres, would wake up early to do marathon training before showing us how to ride bikes fast. Back at the house, the team gossiped about the best tan lines and happily ate dinner to prepare for Sunday’s riding. After a wise start-line change to a friendly donut shop orchestrated by coach Brad, the team went for its “endurance” spin and gravel adventure before wrapping up the weekend with a team meal at a pub in the Berkshires, where the spirit of fall training weekend waits for the team to return next year.” – Lorenzo

“I really enjoyed Fall Training Weekend. This was my first one and I had a blast. The routes were spectacular. I’ve been eyeing a Mount Greylock summit for awhile now and it lived up to the hype. Meeting the rest of the cycling club was really nice and getting to group ride is always a privilege. I must admit the “become a race member” sweet talk is seriously starting to work on me. Thanks so much to the team for planning this!” – Daniel

“Fall training camp was a blast as always! I signed up on a whim, coming off a month-long hiatus and was a bit apprehensive about the intensity. Although I was rightly apprehensive (I was cooked), it was a blast to get back on my bike during possibly the best time of the year in western Massachusetts. It was great to get out on some of the nicest roads as motivation to start up my training again.” – Will

Vinh approaching the top of Greylock with a big smile

“Fall training camp has always been the most anticipated annual event for me. Went every time since my freshman year til now, in my senior year (which potentially is my last..) Here was where I fell in love with biking, which has had severe consequences on my financial well-being. Worth it. Greylock has always been tough and challenging, no different this year (even worse as my goal shifted from biking 225 miles to benching 225). The community and the friends were phenomenal as always, which is what I love the most about the team! The sightseeing squad was mad chill this year. Although I did not go down Greylock without a brake (again), going down whatever it was in the adventure ride was something.. The divine retribution of pretending to fall to mesh with Lorenzo, then fall for real (6 times) was not anticipated. If I am damned to eternal suffering at MIT for 4 more years, definitely coming back, with notifications off this time so no PI may stop me from being a menace on the road.” – Vinh

“This was my second year going to the training camp out west. It’s so amazing to have an opportunity to get out and ride with everyone for a couple of days, especially meeting new members of the club and people whose schedules don’t always overlap with mine. This year we had fantastic weather, with a nice cool breeze and the trees starting to turn color. I appreciated how much thought went into making sure there were rides going out at every level, whether you were looking to cruise around and see the sights or just wanted to hurt yourself. I was definitely on the cruise side this year after a crazy ride last fall, but still took the opportunity to go as hard as possible up Greylock and set my best time so far. It’s so nice to get back to the house in the afternoon and hear everyone so excited about their rides, and then go out and eat a few dinners worth of food. I was also excited for my first adventure ride of training camp, which ended up including a climb that was harder than Greylock and a downhill I wished I had brought my mountain bike for. I’m really grateful that there’s so many great people working on making this such a fun and easygoing experience every year.” – Cian

Beautiful views on the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail

“Fall Training Weekend was such a lovely time! It was great hanging out with this incredible crew of strong, supportive, funny, and wicked smaht cyclists. We couldn’t ask for a better setting than the Berkshires or for better conditions than this perfect New England fall weekend. We rode on quiet country roads through rolling hills, on the beautiful Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, and of course up (and down) Mount Greylock! Unbridled joy was in abundance whether we were practicing our group riding skills, struggling individually and collectively up the mountain, or stopping just a tad longer for coffee and pastries. I am grateful to the team for the thought and labour that went into this: planning our lodging, our routes, and our transportation; checking in on everyone; and helping us stay safe and just the right amount of uncomfortable.” – Ehab

What’s better than a group selfie? Two group selfies!

“This was my third fall training weekend (last year I was sick and sadly couldn’t go) and first time organizing it as a road co-captain. The weather was perfect and it was so nice to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones! My rose (rose bud thorn, iykyk) of Saturday was when a big group of us gathered at the top of Greylock to cheer teammates on as they finished the grueling climb and reached the summit. I can’t wait for more adventures with the club!” – Chen

“This was also my third fall training CAMP and I had a delightful time hanging out with the team sleeping in bunk beds once again and preparing Saturday night dinner for the team alongside my mighty sous-chef Lorenzo. This was my first time climbing up the North side of Mt.Greylock and it was definitely a challenge and while the little voices in my head told me to stop I kept going. The following day a group of us went on a little gravel adventure (which included a significant climb rip). The conditions of the roads weren’t ideal but we still had a blast. I’ve recently taken a step back from training but this weekend was a nice reminder for what made me fall in love with biking in the first place. I am grateful for the community I’ve built here over the last couple of years.” – Tatem

“FTW was the perfect way to wrap up a full summer of riding and gave us the first taste of crisp fall air. After ridding myself of marathon training (goodbye, running shoes) and acquiring a power meter earlier this year, I was excited to test out my legs on Greylock for the third consecutive FTW. Unlike the last two years, we arrived at the base of Greylock both dry and fresh, making for a much more enjoyable and speedy climb. After swearing off any more elevation gain on day 2, the adventure group set out on a rock-and-puddle-riddled route that left us with no option other than… another climb. Amazingly, this new hill was even steeper than Greylock, but rewarded us with lovely gravel, sweeping views, and mountain-bike worthy descents. We ended the day by munching on some fluffy donuts and nerding out about science and bike tech with our coach Brad on the drive home. I couldn’t imagine FTW any other way!” – Jody

At fall training weekend I mostly just read a short story, The Art of the Town Line Sprint, by Rason Meece. Here’s a quick summary of the work. It begins with a quote from the great Lee Lopez: “the key to winning a town line is to surprise your opponent, especially by waiting to inform them about the race until you’re already doing >1000 watts.” While you’re basking in the glory of that first win, begin preparing your excuses for why you will proceed to lose all future town lines against the stronger sprinter. My personal favorite is to pretend that all future town lines are not as important as the first one or that the difference is purely a function of aerodynamics (not the 400W sprint gap). If all else fails, you can always revert to a tried and true strategy of inventing town lines where they are not, it’s a surefire way to simultaneously surprise and confuse your opponent. – Rason

Other highlights of the weekend in photos:

Andres clearly has this whole nutrition thing locked in

Looks like we were not the only ones on this adventure ride

“This was my second FTW and I was super excited for it. The climb up Mt. Greylock makes you question your sanity, why you would willingly sign up for this and what your legs did to deserve this torture. But… it gets so much better when you approach the top. The views, unlike last time when it was just misty and rainy, were gorgeous with Fall colors peeking through in the distance. Meeting up with everyone and sharing the joy of completing a big climb is an amazing feeling. The cafe on the top did not live up to the promise of delivering hot beverages because someone decided to get married up there and let the cyclists rot out in the open, but such is life.

The descent was the best part of it all with anticipation for food building up. We were treated to a delicious dinner by Tatem and Lorenzo and everyone exchanged stories of the day. The next morning, despite all dark thoughts of not riding again for a while, started with more excitement to ride in the crisp fall morning. My tubeless tire (fresh from the shop from 2 days ago) gave in to some glass shards with the sealant miserably failing to patch the wound — nothing some good old tube could not fix. That out of the way, we rode through some gorgeous hills with more fall colors and despite promises of not pushing our legs, we kept pushing our limits and had a great ride back to the donut shop. I’m already waiting for next year’s training weekend!” – Gohar

Nationals, Photos, Race Reports, Track

Biking in a circle: Track Nats edition

September 17, 2025 Aaron Vliet

In the wee hours of Wednesday, a sole MIT student embarked on a journey to bring MIT back to its fame of yesteryear: track nats. The mission: race for the third time ever on a track. The destination: the sun kissed plains of Indiana.

Descending upon the home of the famous Indy Speedway, the once hazy ground reveals its colorful checkerboard, devoid of undulation or really any vertical features of any kind. A track cyclist’s dream. The term “watts per kilo” is yet to be coined here. It’s quite fitting they built a velodrome here.

Thankfully Indiana has bike lanes on their highways

Thursday morning kicked off with the match sprints. As well as my first impressions of the Major Taylor Velodrome. Not only a place of history, but also located on Marian University’s campus and coupled with an impressive BMX course and concrete bleachers to enjoy the festivities. Maybe most importantly, the gorgeous cote d’azur and 30º bankings.

The match sprints are seeded by a flying 200m attempt: a 2.5 lap attempt in which only the final 200m are timed. Of the 34 athletes registered, only 18 would continue on to the match sprints. So I knew I would need to do something to even compete. And so, with the firm push of my bike holder, I lurched towards the walls of the velodrome.

The first lap is a bit of a prance. You work your way up to the boards, expending as little energy as possible. At first you flirt a little with the blue railing, and after descending the back stretch you climb the banking and really rub elbows. Having made acquaintances, and drifting into your final lap, you lay down the hammer up and around the banking with all your legs can handle, then shoot down the slope to siphon all the kinetic energy you can and then just hold on for dear life as your legs spin your cranks off (or vice-versa) and the g-forces pull your heart into your stomach.

I crossed the line in 11.531s. At 62.440 kph, or 5 thousandths the speed of sound, I finished 18th. I’d be up against the top finisher, who finished nearly a full second ahead of me (10.740s, which is pretty unbelievable on an outdoor track). I drew the short stick, so I would be leading the two of us out.

I started it slow from the gun. It felt less like a game of cat and mouse, and more so a walk around the park maintaining an awkward amount of eye contact. Coming into 200m to go, my opponent finally decides to attack from behind. Using my elevation, I dive into his slip stream waiting until the last second to try and pull around. Well against competition like that, all you can really do is try. Next up is the 4km TT in the morning.

It’s my first time doing the 4km, and truth be told I’ve opted for the gravel riders most-loved companion: clip-on aero bars. This time, twelve laps around the track. The first four felt fast, I tried not to start too hot but after a 1:15 kilo I realized I might need to ease the gas pedal. The second four laps thanked that decision. The last four laps were nothing but searing pain. My 4km ends with a time of 5:07. I might not write home about it but I’ll put it in this blog post.

That evening is the points race. It’s a 90 lap race (30km), with points up for grabs every 5 laps. I’ll keep the summary short and sweet, akin to my race. The race starts fast. A break goes. The race remains fast. The legs beg for mercy but people aren’t here to make friends. And so the thunderstorm of disc wheels keeps booming around at break neck speeds, as riders trickle out one-by-one. It’s very much a game of survival.

Saturday morning brings us the well-anticipated kilo. Also a first time for me. An all out effort for one minute and change. The timer starts at 15, and slowly beeps down to zero. And you just give it your all. I had opted for the awkward aero bar set up, but never found myself able to grab them lest the bike buck and pull like a wild beast. Entering the third lap, my vision merges into two, the back stretch four, and the final 50m nothing. Sheesh. My time was ultimately the same as my opening kilo the day before. Something something pulled my cleat out. On to the next.

The final race of the day would be the scratch race. However, we had one more hurdle to face: Mother Nature. After a string of rain and lightning delays, the hopes of a twilight race dwindled and we’d have to settle for a Sunday morning race. On the bright side, I chatted with the many friendly and lovely people who race track around the country for their universities. This was maybe my favorite part, and all the new friends I made.

As the old adage goes, clouds out thighs out

In place of racing, they did shoot off fireworks

Sunday morning, I had a better idea what to expect. I foddered the scratch race and avoided using my matches for as long as possible. Eventually, as the gaps opened, the choice was no longer mine and the matches were being burnt. Unfortunately for me, the rate exceeded the rate at which the laps were being counted down. This left me watching the final sprint from the inner circle.

Nevertheless, the weekend was full of lessons, experience, smiles, fun, and new friends. And so, we now look to next year.

Lessons learned:

In the match sprints, be the one to cause action, don’t just react and don’t wait till corner three
In the mass starts, the draft a) sucks and b) is hard to fight your way into, so don’t expect much recovery after a dig
In the TTs, for the love of god cinch down the pedals on your shoe.

News, Track

Track Day 2025

May 29, 2025 Aaron Vliet

In the early hours of Saturday, around 6:30am, there was an overwhelming sense of excitement coming from 77 Massachusetts Ave. The MIT cycling team was pumping their tires and housing coffee in anticipation for a ride to New Hampshire. The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and the forecasted rain was nowhere to be seen. A long awaited break in the consistent Saturday rain.

Such luck did not last for very long, and the cyclists found themselves with a face full of road spray and bone rattling chills. Yet they ventured on, and valiantly found themselves at the Northeast Velodrome. Upon seeing the elegantly banked curves and the beaming côte d’azur, they could hardly contain their smiles (see Figure 1).

There the MIT cyclists—Lorenzo, Matteo, and Ryan—met their instructors for the day. A huge shout out to Mark, Ed, and Wolf for putting up with the fixed gear noobies (well except for Lorenzo who already had experience on a track).

The day started out simple, with sizing the bikes and practice clipping in. From there the first laps were made around the track, learning the rather unusual sensation of pushing down on the pedals to slow down. Matteo could be seen reaching for the brakes and grabbing only air on occasion.

The sun showed its face intermittently and the outlook improved. The water was slowly making its way off of the concrete and into the chilly air above. So the cyclists gathered up by the boards.

After learning the ropes, the cyclists were ready for their first race. They were led through both a 12 lap scratch race and an 18 lap points race, with two intermediate sprints. Each was hotly contested, with Lorenzo sending early and sustained attacks while Matteo and Ryan bumped elbows for the fast paced draft coming around corner four. Their high cadence skills were at full display as they crossed the white line in a photo finish.

At the conclusion of the day, the cyclists were still all smiles and more than ready to make their return. It was fully worth the bike ride there and the bike ride back, and the mud accumulated on the way. See you all there soon!

See the Northeast Velodrome’s blog post here: https://northeastvelodrome.wordpress.com/2025/05/25/finally-a-saturday-clinic/

Cyclocross, Race Reports

2024 Cyclocross Season Recap

December 22, 2024 Aaron Vliet

We are the (Omnium) Champions!

What a season! MIT Cycling capped off a relentless cyclocross campaign this fall with a team omnium victory.

Racing to Victory

The team poured their all into every race, and this year’s unusually dry conditions let racers take corners faster than ever and boldly leap barriers with no fear.

Women’s road captain Tatem came roaring onto the cross scene this year, snagging seven (!!) podium finishes. Her participation in a whopping 16 races (including 4 two-race weekends!) also earned her the individual Women’s B omnium spot. Newcomer Joy snatched 2nd in the omnium with her strong racing in the latter half of the season. Seamus rounded out MIT’s dominance with a win in the Men’s C omnium.

Brooke and Bianca dove headfirst into their first cyclocross race at our season finale at Shedd Park, fearlessly tackling the course on their heavier gravel bikes with very little CX practice beforehand. In fact, the women and non-binary members of MIT cycling finally outnumbered the men this season. What better way to show off team spirit than with an (accidental) off-camber team time trial?

Also captured is the finishing order in reverse: shortly after this photo, Jody crashed and rode the remainder of the race with handlebars bent at a 15-degree angle. Meanwhile, Joy and Chen engaged in a spirited battle until Joy overtook Chen with 1 lap remaining. Chen proceeded to fail to remount after running up the steps and somehow ended up on the other side of the tape. From Chen: “Always remember to practice CX basics, kids!”

One Last Hurrah

We were joined mid-season by former member Andrea, who took a week-long break from studies in Norway to race one last time with MIT Cycling. She was met with one of the toughest courses of the season at Keene Pumpkin Cross, featuring beachfront sand dunes and a root-studded run up into single-track mountain bike trails.

Also making their final hurrahs were former captains Nick and Hannah. After an impressive tenure as cyclocross captain over the past 3 years, Nick capped off his MIT Cycling career with a thrilling sprint for 5th place at Keene in addition to three more top-10 finishes in the highly competitive Men’s Elite field.

The team will sorely miss Nick’s leadership, whether it be hosting skills practices, leading team pre-rides, or planning minute-by-minute logistics. We will also miss Cami’s presence as volunteer cross team manager, dedication to cheering at every race as seriously as the racers were racing, and even joining for a few races of their own this year!

Nick and Cami will continue racing with West Hill Shop, and we hope to see them both next year in their new kit!

For former team mom Hannah, Tree House CX was her final race as a member of MIT. “It was great to race with so many MIT women after spending the last few years working to build up the women’s community in the team,” she writes. “Congrats to Tatem, for beating me like everyone except her knew she would, and to Joy and Yanyang for having a fun race. And thank you to Jody for chasing me down so I didn’t stop pedaling. I can’t wait to continue cheering everyone on from the sidelines next season!”

Seamus completed his third and final CX season for MIT (although he is looking forward to racing road in the spring!). Despite a few ups and downs throughout the seasons, his persistence won him the season Men’s C Omnium this year and inched him closer to a coveted Cat 3 upgrade. His season highlight was finishing 12th and 10th in crowded fields at his “home” race weekend in Northampton.

Fresh Faces, Big Dreams

With Nick, Seamus, and Hannah graduating, new talents will be taking the reins on the cyclocross team in the coming years.

Max joined the team after leading the mountain biking season, proving that his bike handling and speed were top notch, even without suspension or big downhills! From Max: “It was my first season racing cx and I had a blast! It’s very fun to be able to race two completely different courses in a weekend and get to see such a wide variety of conditions.” Thanks to his camera, we were also treated to professional-level photos this season!

Recruited by Max, initially for mountain bike racing, was Joy. While she first joined CX this year as a way to get outside on the weekends, with Nick, Cami, and Tatem’s mentorship, she went on to compete in a whopping total of 8 races and joined Tatem on the Individual Omnium podium! “I started off with just trying something new, but after finding an amazing community and realizing I could actually do well, really pushed myself and am so proud of my accomplishment and season this year!”

Also joining Max and Joy for his first season was fellow mountain bike co-captain Tim, who took his mountain bike for a spin on the treehouse course after an injury left him out of summer racing. The newcomers list was rounded out by Alex, whose quote summarizes the essence of the sport: “Racing cyclocross for the first time as part of the MIT team was a memorable experience! The team was very welcoming, and the experienced riders shared helpful tips that made a big difference. Even though I had a small crash, I had a lot of fun and felt supported throughout the race. The mix of challenge and encouragement made it a day to remember!” Alex regaled the team with tales of attending CX races back home in Belgium after the muddy travails of Secret Squirrel.

Community in the Chaos

While the podiums and prizes are sweet, the true highlight of this season was the bond we built as a team. Cyclocross is as much about pushing limits as it is about cheering on your teammates from the tape line, helping with bike repairs, and sharing stories at the end of a long race day.

As we celebrate our team omnium triumph, we’re already dreaming of new challenges, bigger goals, and more team bonding in the coming road season ahead. See you all at the next race!

Cycling Safety, Road, Tips

Cycling Safety!

December 2, 2024 Aaron Vliet

Road Safety

Bike defensively! (Assume the worst of everyone around you until disproven: that pedestrian will jump into the bike lane without looking, that car will turn without signaling…)
Watch out for cars turning right (especially if you are going straight through the intersection)
Watch for cars turning left from oncoming traffic. These are often the most dangerous because they are the least likely to see you in the bike lane and often turn fast to shoot a gap
Avoid being directly behind or alongside cars, especially trucks. This is their blind spot and the most dangerous place to be. Since they can brake faster than you, you might run into the back of them, or they could turn into you since they can’t see you
Wear a helmet, use lights/reflectors at night, wear hi-vis clothing
Stay alert in bike lanes with parked cars between you and traffic. Pedestrians will forget that there is a bike lane and jump out from between cars or out of cars. Generally stay as far away from the car side as you can. The intersections in these types of bike lanes can be dangerous. You are hidden by the parked cars, so you and the turning cars have less time to react. Go slow into the intersections.
If in a bike lane between parked cars and traffic, stay on the side with traffic. Counter-intuitive, but much safer. The cars are coming up behind you and see you. They are unlikely to hit you. Meanwhile, people opening doors from their car into the bike lane or walking out between two parked cars don’t see you and aren’t looking for you. This is much more dangerous.
- If a car has lights on, give it an extra wide berth because the odds that someone is getting in or out are high
- side note: advocate for safer infrastructure – https://www.cambridgebikesafety.org/
Give trucks extra space when they are turning because they often end up in the bike lane and even over the sidewalks during a sharp turn
Make sure your brakes work well and try braking as hard as you can at different speeds (and when it is wet) so you get a feel for your stopping distance
Look for eye contact with drivers. Don’t assume they see you until you have locked eyes with them
Watch out for intersections on quiet roads. The odds of encountering anyone are low, but that means cars often roll quickly through stops since they assume no one is around
Look ahead and behind you often. You’ll have a feeling for what’s ahead and the traffic behind you. That way you can comfortably and safely avoid situations by taking early evasive action
- If you have trouble looking behind you, try taking your left hand and grabbing the back of your seat. This allows your chest to turn with you as you do a check over your shoulder
Get comfortable taking the full road when necessary. If it’s a tight road and you’d feel unsafe with a car passing you, ride in the middle so they won’t. Make sure to look that it is safe to take the full road and signal that you are moving laterally. You generally have the right to do this, hence all of the “bicycles may use full lane” signs. However, if there is a wider section, pull over to let them pass so you don’t anger the drivers
Delivery trucks will be in the bike lanes. If you are looking ahead, you will see them with plenty of time to signal and just take the full road and go around them
Same with regular cars (Ubers, DoorDash, etc). They will pull over into the bike lane or just randomly stop in the street. Go around them with caution and give their doors a wide berth. People will almost always be jumping out of these cars, often without looking because they are stressed
If you know an intersection well, go on the pedestrian light when you can (watch for cars running red lights, they almost always do). It is often safest to cross an intersection before the cars do.
Rightfilter stopped traffic when safe to do so. You are allowed to ride on the right of stopped cars at an intersection and it is safer for you to be visible at the front of the line of cars then next to them in their blind spots. However, be aware that the light may turn and they might start moving at any time. Additionally, there isn’t always space, so you may have to find a spot in line. When you do, you can take the full lane to safely cross the intersection
Give blind driveways a berth. Cars backing out really have no hope of seeing you.
In fact, give all blind turns a wide berth, be they on the bike path or cars turning into your road at a sharp angle etc. If you always assume there is someone coming around that corner at you, then you will never be unpleasantly surprised
Pass on the left
Signal your intentions (e.g. left arm out if merging into left lane or turning left)
When making a left turn in an intersection with a left turn lane, either use the left turn lane (taking the lane fully) or do a two part left turn, where you continue straight to the opposite corner and wait for the light to turn for perpendicular traffic. Sometimes there is a dedicated space for bikes to sit by the corner to make this sort of turn.
Don’t brake hard with only the front brakes – unless you want to do a cartwheel 😉
Be careful of slinging a bag on one shoulder or putting bags on your handlebars – they could slid into/get caught in your front spokes (a backpack, cross-body bag, or panniers are better alternatives)
As much as you can, avoid deep potholes and sharp edges. But if you are in traffic, hold your line and ride the pothole rather than swerving into traffic.
Stand up out of the saddle when riding over rough road or potholes and use your arms and legs as shock absorbers
When going around a corner, keep your outside foot down (don’t pedal through sharp corners)
As much as you can, avoid biking through broken glass and nails

Bike Maintenance

How often should you clean and lubricate your chain? While there’s no one right answer, some suggest every 150 mi or once a month
Check your brakes: brakes wear away over time. If you notice reduced braking power and the brake pads look thin it may be time to replace them (if the brakes don’t look thin try cleaning your rims or increasing the tension in the brake cable)

Race Reports, Track

MIT Cycling takes on Northeast Velodrome

July 22, 2024 trios

On this bright and sunny day the MIT crew headed out to Londonderry New Hampshire to check out the Northeast Velodrome to learn what it is like to ride on a track. When we arrived, Mark and his volunteers, Wolf and Jed got us set up on the bikes quickly. We all got to match black and red bikes which match our MIT kits (how cute), except Tatem who is a traitor and wore a Minnesota kit for some reason?? Her excuse was that “her MIT kits were dirty” but that’s lame, tell her to do laundry.

Mason getting ready to be fitted on the track bike

Michael checking out the narrow handlebars

While we were getting set up, Mason and Tatem overheard Michael exclaim “These handlebars are so narrow! How wide are they?” and next thing you know Mark whipped out the tape measure while Michael was still in disbelief. Rumor has it that Michael is still learning what it means to be “aero”.

After getting set up on the bikes, we all sat down and received a pre-ride talk from Wolf to learn about the mechanics of a track bike as well as track etiquette and the meanings behind the lines on the track.

There weren’t quite enough seats for the lecture but that’s alright because clearly Mason and Felix did not mind.

After the lecture we got to hop on the bikes and learn how to get comfortable riding the fixed gear. To be honest, it was quite frightening at first to ride a bike with no brakes and getting used to the fact that your legs must move at all times and there is no coasting, but we managed to get the hang of it rather quickly. We even did some fun drills which included bumping into and hugging a buddy.

Once we got comfortable riding the bikes and doing drills we got into the fun action of racing. We split up into two groups and ran through a full omnium of scratch, tempo, elimination, and points. We think Berk may have had the most fun of us all and may have a calling for track racing? To be determined.

Overall, we had a very fun day on the track and hope to return. We also would like to challenge other ECCC teams to try the track and have an ECCC omnium day??? That would be a blast, y’all better get on it!

And of course the day ended with a gatorade stop on the way back and of course Hannah and Mason are enthusiastically twinning, well maybe just Hannah, but I think Mason just needs some more electrolytes.

This post would not be complete without another big THANK YOU to Mark and everyone who supported our clinic. We learned so much and could not have had a better set of instructors. Your care and excitement were obvious and we loved being brought into the fold of going fast and turning left. Can’t wait to come back!