The Fresno State cycling club received official club sport status this fall and will begin the Collegiate Road Series in spring 2012. The cycling club developed in time for a full season this year with the help of its president, William Foster.

Kristi Eastin is the faculty advisor for the club and anticipates coaching also. The club is geared toward all aspects of cycling including road, mountain bike and cycle club racing.

“The club will enter the Western Collegiate Cycling Conference this spring,” Eastin said. The Western conference is one of the most competitive conferences.

The Western Conference includes 23 schools in total. Schools in California and half of Nevada, like Humbolt State, San Diego, UCLA, USC, UC Davis, UC Berkley, UC San Diego, San Diego State, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly and others.

The club is a co-ed sport that can be competed in as an individual or as a team. Any Fresno State student can join. The cycling races will include beginners, novices and experts and includes categories for both men and women.

Points are scored by each of the categories and are totaled for an overall team score. The club is currently at 50 members and is open to any students interested in riding bikes. The club intends to encourage students and faculty to commute by bicycle as well.

“For those who do not know about racing and you have an interest in bicycles and riding, the collegiate cycling is an introduction to bicycle racing,” Eastin said. “If you want to learn more about bicycles, this is the place to do it.”

The club’s goal is to develop the culture of the cycling around campus. Foster is in his senior year at Fresno State and is majoring in mechanical engineering. He transferred here last January and immediately began his involvement with the club.

“Collegiate cycling is a very unique sport and is huge in our area,” Foster said.

He added that the club has things to offer commuters and people who like to ride for fun or for exercise. “This club was started in order to help students discover all that cycling has to offer, and we love helping anyone out who is interested in getting started,” Foster said.

Twenty-four-year-old Syd Newsom is the club’s vice president. He is a junior at Fresno State majoring in exercise science. He was also one of the club’s founders and has been vice president since then.

“I wanted to be part of the cycling club mostly because I want the opportunity to race the collegiate races,” Newsom said. He added that their intentions are to help more people become active in our cycling community and experiencing the many benefits of cycling.

Fresno State students interested can email the [email protected]. The club is welcoming new members and anyone interested in bicycling. Also be on the lookout for the club’s conference races in spring.