For more than 100 years, the MSU Cycling Club has been riding the trails across campus.
The club was started in 1894 as the M.A.C Cycling Club, and according to the MSU Bikes website, used dues to create a gravel path along the northern side of Michigan Avenue for cycling.
Although the MSU Cycling Club began as a fad for MSU students, today it is still around for the interest of cycling.
“We’re just a student-run club that is interested in all types of cycling, so a lot of the club focuses around road racing,” Alex Corrion, plant pathology doctoral student and club president, said.
The club promotes bike safety and awareness for students who join. This includes using bike lanes, wearing helmets and having reflectors or lights when riding at night.
The cycling club has approximately 20 members and all students are welcome to join — they just need to have a bike.
Michael Thelen, mechanical engineering senior and treasurer of the club, said students don’t have to be experienced cyclists to join. The club is always actively seeking new members who have a passion for cycling.
“You don’t even have to have a high end bike, we have no-drop rides,” Thelen said. “We have rides where you can just have fun and chat.”
Additionally, the MSU Cycling Club is more than willing to help students find bikes within their price range, along with having a club bike for members to use if needed. The club can also help members with bike maintenance.
“I’ve been a mechanic in a bike shop for five and a half years — I can work on your bikes, I instruct and I can help you learn how to maintain your bike,” Thelen said.
During the school year, the club has races almost every weekend. If it does not race as a club, the club holds rides during the week. In the winter months the club is still active on campus, it just takes different approaches to the season change.
Every year, the cycling club participates in the MSU Gran Fondo, which is Italian for “Big Ride.” The purpose of the Gran Fondo is to support skin cancer awareness, prevention and research.
Stefan Cerbin, horticulture doctoral student and vice president, said anyone can do the route for free and there are routes 12 to 80 miles long.
“It’s really enjoyable and there’s all riders in all different age groups that do it,” Cerbin said.
