Week 6 & 7 recaps

Week six and seven of the ECCC road season took the conference to its northern limits with races being held in Vermont and New Hampshire. Although these races were not well attended by Penn State cyclists, the club was anything but idle with almost daily Black Mo rides leaving from Rec Hall. The Wednesday night speed ride has also started back up in earnest with a huge showing on April 15th of both past and current members laying down serious wattage.

Training rides haven't been the only thing our club has been up to over the last two weeks.  On Monday Men's B rider and USA Cycling Level II coach Cody Moore led a bicycle skills clinic focused on bike handling.  Using and cones provided by the Boalsburg Middle School he taught the basics of high speed cornering and braking for a group of 25 highly motivated triathletes and cyclists.  Additional instruction was given on how to maintain balance after contact with another rider and how to take pull off during a team time trial.

Late comers to the event were treated to garbage ball, which is the greatest game you will ever play.  Using a collapsible hamper as the goal riders from two teams worked to score points in a game strangely reminiscent of bicycle polo.  By dividing teams based on whether or not cyclists were wearing a Penn State kit Cody inadvertently created a monster by placing both Wes Kline, Gregory Ratzel, and Madison Mathews on the same team.  Strategies were formed blocks were made and in the end the phrase, "Okay just one more game..." was repeated more times than anyone could count.

With races happening closer to home and promise of a good time at the Blue & White game some of our team decided to pass on the green mountains in favor of Greene county.  Drew David took 5th at the Greene County Road Race presented by West Virginia University and the ACCC.  Drew took 5th in the race and although he didn't score any points for the conference we're happy to see that even with the harsher winter and shortened road season our cyclists can still crush the south.  Additional club members and alumni rolled out to the 28th Annual Lower Providence Spring Classic Criterium.  Competing in the men's cat 1. Wes Kline put the hurting on a field of cyclists from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware even if he didn't make it to the podium.