Seattle, despite its constant drizzle, is known as the most bike-friendly city in the country according to The Seattle Times. At Seattle University, this is no exception. Originally founded in 2011, the Cycling Club is officially up and running for the start of 2019. And with winter competitions just around the corner, the club and its members have been preparing for a fun season ahead.

Backtrack to 2011, when club founder and national title holder Heidi Franz created a cycling club which quickly rose to popularity within the Redhawk community. Having won a total of five national titles from 2016 to 2017, Franz and the club formulated a team with indisputable talent and depth. However, once the upperclassmen graduated the club lost a great deal of members and acknowledgement — until now.

Johnny Esteban, the president of the cycling club, has been working to spread awareness within the Seattle U community since its revival this past summer.

“I thought it’d be fun to bring back the club and I knew a couple riders still here,” Esteban said. “This year I’ve been spending a lot of time getting the word out. It’s a lot easier to keep something going than it is to revive it”.

With pamphlets posted and weekly meetings, the cycling club is on the rise. Even more impressive may be the club’s current partnership. Métier, a local bike retail service shop, has been very involved with the club and its training program especially.

Todd Herriott, the founder of Métier, has offered to host bi-weekly training and informational sessions for the club. Being a former professional rider and coach himself, Herriott has an exceptional amount of knowledge to spread to the lucky members of the club.

The shop’s mission revolves around the rich culture of cycling and the name itself translates to “a pursuit in which a person excels”, Esteban has no doubt the club will do nothing less than just that.

Esteban explains how to prepare for an intense season of cycling competition when the Seattle drizzle never really stops, especially during the winter.

“Just because you’re training cycling, it doesn’t mean you have to be riding a bike,” Esteban said.

Core and strength training provide a base for a strong cyclist, and with this the club has been preparing for an exciting season ahead.

With meets as close as the University of Washington and as far as Montana, the upcoming season looks to be a good one.

Nicole may be reached at
[email protected]