First, we’re super excited to meet all the new members joining in the fall! Mountain, CX, BMX, Track, or Road- you’ll find a home on the Arizona Cycling Team!
We wanted to share some common questions that we see:
1.) Where do I keep my bike on campus?
A: Unfortunately, the university doesn’t allow bikes to be stored in the dorms. It’s a real hassle and something we’ve been working on for a while. However, the best bet is to reserve a bike locker through Parking and Transportation or one through the Rec Center:
https://parking.arizona.edu/bicycle/lockers-enclosures/
You should be able to find one close to your dorm. These are fiberglass cases anchored to concrete pads with a unique lock. There is enough space in one to store a bike, a pump, and some tools. To date, PTS has never had a bike stolen from a locker.
2.) How do I join?
A: We’ll have our first meeting on Thursday, 8/29, at 6 PM in (room TBD soon). We’ll review how the team operates, how collegiate racing works, and so on. You can pay dues ($40 for general membership + an additional $60 if you want to race) via Venmo, PayPal, cash, or check.
3.) What are race fees?
A: We have two types of memberships: general and racing. General membership ($40) gets you access to all our sweet sponsors, kit orders, a team bottle, etc. If you want to race with us, you’ll pay an additional $60 for each semester you want to race. In turn, we’ll cover all the entry fees, lodging, and gas associated with the collegiate races that semester (fall = MTB and CX; spring = road). Each semester has eight race weekends. On average, you’d spend $60 on one weekend of racing if you paid it out of pocket- the fees pay for themselves very quickly.
4.) Do you have any kits in stock?
A: Maybe. We don’t keep a large inventory on hand, but you can e-mail us and ask. We do a new order in September.
5.) How do the categories work?
A: Collegiate cycling is slightly different than the USA Cycling categories. Roughly:
A = Pro, 1, 2, or 3 for the road and CX; Pro/1 for mountain
B = 3 or 4 for road and CX; 2 for mountain
C = 4 or 5 for road and CX; 3 for mountain. You can move up the categories based on the points you earn at finishes. You can also use your USAC category to earn upgrades as well:
https://www.usacycling.org/about-us/governance/policy-viii6.) Do I need a USA Cycling license?
A: If you plan on racing, yes! You’ll purchase the collegiate racing license, and that will also give you a free domestic license (needed to race non-collegiate events):
7.) What if I’ve never raced?
A: That’s ok! You don’t have to race to be a team member, although we encourage everyone to try it once.
You can read more about the team on the “About the Team” page and contact us (uacyclingclub(at)gmail.com) if you have other questions or let us know you’re heading to UA!
8.) How do I get team updates?
A: Go to:
https://list.arizona.edu/sympa/
Log in with your UA net id (or create an account if you don’t want to use your school e-mail).
On the left, search for uacycling
Follow the steps to join from there
On this website, you’ll also be able to browse the archive to see anything you’ve missed.
We’ll discuss how to join the team’s Discord once the semester starts.
