Bowdoin cyclers competed for the first time this year at the Yale Lux et Velocitas race.
Andrew Pryhuber '15, Turner Kelsey '14, Alex Daniels '14, and captain Charlie Cubeta '13 raced last weekend against cyclists from Northeastern schools and Canada, many from varsity cycling programs.
The race, organized by the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC), was split into four divisions. Cubeta, Kelsey and Daniels raced in Division D and Pryhuber in Division C.
Cubeta was Bowdoin's top finisher in Division D. He finished second out of 46 competitors in the road race and finished in the top six in all three of his races. It was his best performance yet since he started racing.
"Once you finish high in D, it's just time to move up to C," he said.
The racing team is a subset of the larger Bowdoin Cycling Club, whose mission is "to make cycling something very accessible for everyone," said Cubeta. "Races are just a part of it. Really the club's mission is getting people interested."
Cubeta and co-captain Alex Fogarty '13 have been attempting to expand the club, with the goal of creating a community of cyclers of all skill levels rather than only emphasizing racing.
"There are people who are interested in riding bikes around campus but don't have the venue to do it," Cubeta said. "We're trying to fill that void."
The size of the club remains relatively small at around 10 members, according to Cubeta. Although "publicity has been a problem," Cubeta said that the club is attempting to avoid being the intimidating group of riders that he encountered when he first joined.
The club seems to have succeeded in that respect: Pryhuber said that he felt welcomed rather than intimidated by the club.
"It's not an intense team," Pryhuber said. "It's a great culture of people who like to ride their bikes."
The cyclists train under experienced triathlete and professional multisport coach Kurt Perham once a week, practicing race-specific techniques. Perham has been working with the team for one year.
"Our initial goal is still racing," Cubeta said. "It's hard not to be focused on it. But it's also just about riding for fun—getting outside and exploring the Brunswick area."
The club organizes group rides two or three times a week through its mailing list. Interested cyclers meet at the Polar Bear and head off to "get a workout and explore some roads," said Cubeta.
The club will compete in its second and final ECCC race next weekend at Dartmouth.