{"id":272882,"date":"2025-11-09T21:55:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T21:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/272882\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T21:55:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T21:55:08","slug":"northeastern-cycling-teams-hard-work-pays-off-at-nationals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/272882\/","title":{"rendered":"Northeastern Cycling Team\u2019s hard work pays off at nationals"},"content":{"rendered":"

The wheels of Northeastern\u2019s Cycling Team, or NUCT<\/a>, power through the rocky surfaces and muddy conditions of New England\u2019s trails. This past season, the team ended with a ninth-place finish<\/a> at the USA Cycling, or USAC<\/a>, National Championships, held Oct. 9 to 12 in Grand Junction, Colorado. It marked a historic milestone for a club that is coachless and self-managed.<\/p>\n

NUCT flew to Colorado on its own dime, determined to perform at its highest level and represent Northeastern with pride.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Across all mountain biking disciplines, the team tallied 242 points<\/a>, competing against club teams with greater funding, coaching and staff support.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stronger opponents, like Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., and Milligan University in Elizabethton, Tenn., amass seven-figure budgets. But that didn\u2019t affect Northeastern\u2019s unifying team spirit, which is core to the club\u2019s values.<\/p>\n

Much of that bonding is forged during weekend camps that bring together students from different universities who share a love for bikes and cycling. Every weekend, from the start of September until the middle of October, riders from all over New England pack their bikes and drive to a campsite near the USAC\u2019s race location.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This season, for two races, cyclers camped at Bolton Valley Resort<\/a> in Vermont and Holiday Brook Farm<\/a> in Dalton, Mass. At the camp, they practice and race against each other in the fall\u2019s misty mornings and crisp afternoons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe racing part is good, but I think very few people are there exclusively for the race,\u201d said Michael Mehall, a third-year data science and economics combined major and captain of the team. The bigger motivating factor is building community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the evenings, teams cook dinner, relax and get to know each other around a bonfire.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bonfire is, hands down, the best part of every weekend,\u201d Mehall said. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes all the planning and the logistics and the paperwork, which there is a ton that we do in the back end, worth it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Riders don\u2019t attend the camp just to win races, but to form long-lasting friendships.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, it doesn\u2019t matter what school you go to, what jersey you have on, what place you got in the race or what races you race,\u201d Mehall said. \u201cEveryone is there for the love of bikes and for the love of being outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beryn Value, a fourth-year civil engineering major, has been riding bikes with her mother and siblings since high school and quickly realized she was the most talented rider on her high school team. Value feared she would quickly burn out if she joined the university team \u2014 a common concern \u2014 but instead discovered a supportive community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many friends that we\u2019ve made on different teams, and all my core memories come from [the camp],\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Weekends are rigorous, filled with intense races that demand a calm, focused mind free from thoughts of schoolwork.<\/p>\n

Riders plan their study schedules in advance. Occasionally during\u00a0 emergencies, they \u201croll up the windows and close the car\u2019s door\u201d to complete homework assignments while at the camp, said Alden McCarthy, a second-year industrial engineering major.<\/p>\n

When unable to fulfill school requirements, there is no other option but to get back on track during the week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of catching up during the week,\u201d McCarthy said. \u201cThis is the first week back from nationals that I feel that I\u2019m finally caught up back in school, like taking math tests that I missed and doing assignments and homework.\u201d<\/p>\n

Value changed her approach to homework when she joined the team. She previously finished her assignments on weekends, but now stays glued to campus during the week to enjoy the off days.<\/p>\n

While Value adjusted to a new routine, the team also faced a variety of modalities in the competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

NUCT is divided into two different types of racing categories: endurance and gravity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Within endurance racing, there are two main disciplines: short track and cross country. Cross country races span 16 to 20 miles and follow a first-come, first-serve format \u2014 the first rider to cross the finish line wins. Short track races, on the other hand, are fixed, time-based competitions on shorter courses that demand speed and multiple laps around the track. Riders complete as many laps as possible within the time limit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re very pedally courses and not overly technical,\u201d Value said of the short track races.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gravity racing differs from endurance racing because it requires greater skill and more delicate attention to details. It\u2019s also broken into two disciplines: dual slalom and downhill.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dual slalom is a 30-second course where two riders race head-to-head simultaneously. After the first run, riders switch sides and face off again. The times of both runs are added together, and the rider with the fastest total times advances to the next round of the bracket. Contrary to endurance races, gravity-based events don\u2019t have laps \u2014 timing is what matters, and the fastest rider wins.<\/p>\n

Downhill races kick off at the top of a mountain \u2014 usually at about 8,000 feet \u2014 and riders pedal as fast as they can, assisted by gravity. The terrain features rocky sections that make the bike jump and drop, which is why riders must deck out in full protective gear. Downhill races are timed, and the rider with the shortest time wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Each race is broken into skill categories ranging from A to C, ensuring riders compete against opponents with similar abilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mehall and McCarthy are placed into the A category in endurance racing and the C category in gravity racing. Value is in the A category in both disciplines, making her an omnium rider. She finished sixth <\/a>at nationals in the female individual club omnium category.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Races are held during myriad weather conditions, varying between states and seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first race [in Vermont] was downpouring and super muddy. At nationals, for the Downhill [in Colorado], my bike weighed 60 extra pounds because there was so much mud on it from the rain,\u201d Value said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not all courses are soggy and slippery, though.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is really awesome, beautiful weather in the prime fall conditions,\u201d Value said.<\/p>\n

Different terrain conditions have devoted fans and ardent haters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to get kitted up and go ride in the mud, it\u2019s pretty fun,\u201d McCarthy said. \u201cI love a good mud ride, just to go out and ride around and not care about how dirty you get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though collegiate cycling doesn\u2019t have an official winter season, some riders embrace the cold and snow, taking what they can get.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople say there\u2019s no season in the winter, but there\u2019s kind of a vibe of getting a fat bike, like a bike with crazy wide tires, and going riding in the snow,\u201d Mehall said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Graduation is approaching for Mehall and Value, while McCarthy still has two more years to compete. They all want to pursue their cycling hobby wherever life takes them after graduation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the meantime, McCarthy will compete this summer at the Sea Otter Classic<\/a>, a race in California, and hopes to bring some riders from the team alongside him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my favorite race ever, and they have every discipline \u2026 it\u2019s an amazing time,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m trying to convince some of the cycling people to come out to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Value will tackle some other national competitions, like the Enduro Nationals<\/a> and the U.S Open<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mehall wants to compete in races beyond the collegiate level, which feature longer trails and require high endurance.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI love races that are 40 to 50 miles because they\u2019re brutal,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re just sitting back, and you\u2019re just kind of powering through. Those are five hour races, and there\u2019s something particularly miserable that I love.\u201d<\/p>\n