By Trevor Crown
Staff Writer
To the typical UCSB student, Halloween weekend evokes images of Isla Vista streets packed with costumed out-of-towners. The UCSB Cycling Team, however, is anything but typical. To Eric Hartsuyker, Ryan Quinn and Nik Benko, the last weekend in October meant a chance to compete in the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships. The three riders placed as high as 19th and as low as 51st in three events throughout the weekend.
This year, the Championships took place in the small resort town of Angel Fire, NM. Competition began Friday with Hartsuyker placing 31st in a cross-country event marred by crashes due to fresh snow and mud on the course. Hartsuyker and his fellow riders even opted to dismount and hike whole portions of the course that were too slippery for riding. Disappointed by the chaotic nature of the race, Hartsuyker called it a “muddy disaster” and regarded his 31st placing as “possibly the most meaningless result of my cycling career.”
Saturday brought slightly less hectic conditions, but the courses were still far from ideal. In the short track event, an early and rapid thinning of the course caused a slowing bottleneck effect for riders behind the leader, and in the end all were lapped except for three riders. Hartsuyker placed 51st. Saturday’s downhill race took place amidst even less favorable conditions than Friday’s cross-country, with the top of its course nearly frozen solid. Hartsuyker, keeping his sense of humor, said of the event: “If anyone's ever played Super Mario 64, the course was the speed run from Cool Cool Mountain.” In another collision-packed race, Quinn placed 19th and Benko placed 44th, both agreeing that the downhill was the weekend’s most memorable event.
UCSB Club Cycling is composed of both recreational and competitive cyclists in road, mountain and track events. While the team boasts nationally and globally ranked veterans of the sport, some of its members are brand new to cycling, and newcomers are encouraged. Gaucho riders compete in the Western Collegiate Cycling Conference, which includes 22 teams from California and Western Nevada. Their season begins in February and lasts through May, with meets at host schools accommodating all levels of competition.
Team Captain Stephen Murphy joined UCSB Cycling as a freshman and is now a third-year member. He stressed that the cycling experience is about more than the physical benefits.
“Training is more than just going out and riding for hours and hours a day, head down, like many think,” Murphy said. “Training is spending 10-16 hours a week chatting with friends, seeing awesome sights, exploring the area, carving switch-backed descents, challenging yourself and watching the progress you make. It's not always easy, but it is always worth it.”
Caroline Ackley, a second-year member and first-year competitive racer, remembers her start in cycling and the rapid learning experience that followed. “I joined the team last year, having ridden a road bike really only once or twice,” Ackley said. “It's surprising how quickly you can fall in love with this sport, and the people you ride with make it very worthwhile.”
Murphy also made an appeal to potential new members, saying, “For those interested in joining, there are no tryouts. Just show up with a bike and a helmet.”
Though season may seem far off, UCSB Cycling is already preparing and awaiting its first race in San Diego this February, and hopes to make its mark on the WCCC this year.
