Mountain bikers look to revamp cycling club

Road bikes aren’t the only bicycles students can find at IU.

IU alumnus Leah Russell founded IU’s Mountain Biking Club two years ago, with recreational mountain biking, off-road riding, volunteering and trail maintenance as the club’s focuses.

Unfortunately, the club did not last. But sophomore John Kraft has taken the lead to re-establishing it this year.

“John is doing a really good job of getting the club started and going,” club member and senior Keatan Williams said.

Kraff said he is trying to put together as many rides as possible.

“The feedback I got from Keatan about the original club was that they didn’t do enough riding, so basically that’s the biggest change I hope to see,” Kraft said. “This year is our first ‘rebuilding’ year.”

New members expect to see a variety of changes.

“This year, the club is more focused on setting up a foundation and expanding quickly,” Williams said.

“We are trying to get the club more organized, so everything isn’t just thrown together. It’s easier for people to participate when they know what to expect.”

Though campus already has the well-known IU Cycling Club, the Mountain Biking Club differs in a variety of ways.

Most importantly, Williams said, mountain bikers usually ride on outdoor trails or in the woods, as opposed to cyclists who ride on highways and paved roads.

“We’re a lot more laid-back than the IU Cycling Club,” Kraft said. “We’re not really a competitive group. We just go out to have fun and ride and not worry about anything.”

The club has about 10 members ranging from freshmen to graduate students, who participate periodically.

It also has Sunday rides at Brown County State Park, and members volunteer at both the park and the Wapehani Mountain Bike Park.

Members will be present and active at the Brown County Breakdown regional mountain biking event and are hoping to induct riders to participate for the IU Outdoor Adventure Moab Mountain Bike Spring Break trip to Moab, Utah.

“We hope to raise awareness about the sport and the club, as well as set up a solid foundation so that the club may continue,” Williams said in an e-mail.

Students can get involved by visiting www.mbciu.blogspot.com or e-mailing mtbikeclubiu@gmail.com.
“The club is accessible to anyone that wants to ride,” Kraft said. “Even if you don’t have a bike, we’ll find you one!”