{"id":67260,"date":"2010-11-30T19:00:44","date_gmt":"2010-12-01T00:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"\/gazette\/?p=67260"},"modified":"2019-04-08T17:20:03","modified_gmt":"2019-04-08T21:20:03","slug":"they-ride-by-dawn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2010\/11\/they-ride-by-dawn\/","title":{"rendered":"They ride by dawn"},"content":{"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-full-width-text-below centered-image\"\n\tstyle=\" \"\n>\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-video\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/plqCHytD8NQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Justin Ide\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tCampus &amp; Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\tThey ride by dawn\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tColleen Walsh\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Staff Writer\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2010-11-30\">\n\t\t\tNovember 30, 2010\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t6 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tWhile you\u2019re still asleep, Harvard cycling group is pedaling for miles\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>Most fall mornings, a slightly sleepy collection of men and women rises early to hit the road.<\/p>\n<p>They are an eclectic group of Harvard students, staff, faculty, and community members. They range in age from their late teens to 50-something. They can be freshmen or CEOs, but they move fast, and under their own power. They ride by bike.<\/p>\n<p>Eun Young Choi is their Pooh-Bah. Choi, a Harvard Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience, was inspired by a leisurely summer cycle around Martha\u2019s Vineyard. When she heard about the <a href=\"http:\/\/huca.herokuapp.com\">Harvard University Cycling Association<\/a> (HUCA) in 2007, she decided to investigate.<\/p>\n<p>Now she is its administrative and spiritual leader and has gone from novice rider to top competitor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started out with no athletic background, and now cycling has become a huge part of my life and has changed my attitude and perspective on academia and life challenges in every way,\u201d said Choi, who carries the title of Pooh-Bah in a nod to the exalted office from the comic opera \u201cThe Mikado.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The organization, which dates way back to 1890, fosters a love for cycling and shares it with anyone willing to listen and learn. The student-run group relies on fundraising and donations from private sponsors for support, and on a dedicated cadre of volunteer coaches.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201copen to all\u201d aspect of the team was \u201cbeen important right from the start,\u201d said <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Allis\">John Allis<\/a>, a champion of U.S. cycling in the 1970s and a three-time Olympian who recently retired after almost 30 years as a HUCA coach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily have to race. \u2026 A lot of the skills you will learn while riding with the team are very applicable for riding in traffic, bike handling, physical fitness, and being a better bike rider,\u201d said Allis.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Allis said that developing riders who can go on to compete is the club\u2019s main goal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are, of course, ultimately racing oriented, so a certain amount of competitive spirit is a help on the rides. You are not out there to look at the birds and the bees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 1985, Ed Sassler, then a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.northeastern.edu\/neuhome\/index.php\">Northeastern University<\/a> student, heard that Allis was working with Harvard riders. With no cycling team at Northeastern, Sassler joined HUCA. He never left. He rode as a student and then as a coach, describing his early advisory role as that of a sheepdog chasing down overzealous riders who got too far ahead, or helping corral those dropping behind the pack.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Sassler, who works full time in a bike shop, continues to coach, running training rides in the fall, working on the group\u2019s fitness level in the gym in winter, and preparing HUCA members for the racing season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem with cycling is everybody thinks it\u2019s as easy as riding a bike. In reality, it\u2019s not that simple,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Sassler called the experience frustrating at times, since some students have to drop out because of school demands. But there are many who stay and excel in competitions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a rider who started out as the slowest thing on two wheels, and she ended up taking the silver medal at nationals,\u201d said Sassler.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard students in degree-granting programs race in collegiate competitions in the spring, and other riders compete in races from May through October. In addition, the club organizes an annual 75-mile fun ride that winds from Harvard University to Harvard, Mass.<\/p>\n<p>Ian Boothby, a tall, lanky freshman from Nashville, joined HUCA after reading about it online. He credits the club with improving his endurance and his comfort level with biking in a pack, and he is looking forward to trying his hand at racing in the spring.<\/p>\n<p>Although he has had a couple of spills, and he called the 5:45 a.m. wake-up call a challenge, \u201cBy 7 a.m., you are not regretting it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just an open community, open to anyone who wants to participate and learn about cycling and bike racing. We welcome people of all skill levels,\u201d said Choi.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Bowen, who works at a local medical device company and has helped coach HUCA for the past decade, was stunned when he first saw HUCA members helping each other up a hill. With some other clubs, he said, that \u201cnever occurs to them.\u201d But HUCA is different.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou put your hand on their back and help them up the hill so they are able to stay with us and learn and develop,\u201d said Bowen, adding, \u201cIt reflects the whole attitude of this group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To recruit students for the racing season, the group holds six weeks of basic skills training in the fall.\u00a0 While geared toward potential racers, the rides are open to anyone and cover proper positioning, safety tips, bike maintenance, and racing skills, such as sprinting, cornering, and contact between bikes.<\/p>\n<p>After taking a break from cycling for years, Harvard Law Professor <a href=\"http:\/\/www.law.harvard.edu\/faculty\/ramseyer\/\">Mark Ramseyer<\/a> joined up and was out with the club regularly last year, from February through August. Calling himself \u201ctoo old for racing,\u201d Ramseyer, Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Legal Studies, said he just enjoys the chance to get out and ride with others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s fun. You ride with a group, and you are thinking about other things besides how bad your legs hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recently the group gathered before sunrise in front of Peet\u2019s Coffee, the regular meeting spot in Harvard Square. Despite the unsettled weather, members remained undaunted, both by the prospect of rain and a couple of serious hills in their immediate future.<\/p>\n<p>After a brief ride, they stopped to discuss what would come next. Noting that some members had managed to sprint up a smaller hill on an earlier outing, Sassler told them he had found a much longer one they would have to simply \u201csettle in and climb.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Reaching into her bag and offering the riders a mini-chocolate and peanut butter cup before the ascent, Choi inspired the group with a promise of more candy at the top and words fit for a club that loves competing, learning, and having fun. \u201cEveryone\u2019s a winner,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With roots dating to 1890, an eclectic group gathers each fall for the cycling season, learning the rules of the road and having fun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105622744,"featured_media":67263,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gz_ga_pageviews":10,"gz_ga_lastupdated":"2017-01-09 20:39","document_color_palette":"crimson","author":"Colleen Walsh","affiliation":"Harvard Staff Writer","_category_override":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1364],"tags":[2379,5773,9613,11739,12702,15870,16181,19464,22543,22728,22781,25912,28630],"gazette-formats":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-67260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","tag-colleen-walsh","tag-bicycles","tag-cycling","tag-ed-sassler","tag-eun-young-choi","tag-harvard-law-school","tag-harvard-university-cycling-association","tag-john-allis","tag-marc-ramseyer","tag-mark-bowen","tag-mark-ramseyer","tag-northeastern-university","tag-racing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.0 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>They ride by dawn &#8212; 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Community\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\tThey ride by dawn\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tColleen Walsh\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Staff Writer\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2010-11-30\">\n\t\t\tNovember 30, 2010\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t6 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tWhile you\u2019re still asleep, Harvard cycling group is pedaling for miles\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t<p>Most fall mornings, a slightly sleepy collection of men and women rises early to hit the road.<\/p>\n<p>They are an eclectic group of Harvard students, staff, faculty, and community members. They range in age from their late teens to 50-something. They can be freshmen or CEOs, but they move fast, and under their own power. They ride by bike.<\/p>\n<p>Eun Young Choi is their Pooh-Bah. Choi, a Harvard Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience, was inspired by a leisurely summer cycle around Martha\u2019s Vineyard. When she heard about the <a href=\"http:\/\/huca.herokuapp.com\">Harvard University Cycling Association<\/a> (HUCA) in 2007, she decided to investigate.<\/p>\n<p>Now she is its administrative and spiritual leader and has gone from novice rider to top competitor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started out with no athletic background, and now cycling has become a huge part of my life and has changed my attitude and perspective on academia and life challenges in every way,\u201d said Choi, who carries the title of Pooh-Bah in a nod to the exalted office from the comic opera \u201cThe Mikado.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The organization, which dates way back to 1890, fosters a love for cycling and shares it with anyone willing to listen and learn. The student-run group relies on fundraising and donations from private sponsors for support, and on a dedicated cadre of volunteer coaches.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201copen to all\u201d aspect of the team was \u201cbeen important right from the start,\u201d said <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Allis\">John Allis<\/a>, a champion of U.S. cycling in the 1970s and a three-time Olympian who recently retired after almost 30 years as a HUCA coach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily have to race. \u2026 A lot of the skills you will learn while riding with the team are very applicable for riding in traffic, bike handling, physical fitness, and being a better bike rider,\u201d said Allis.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Allis said that developing riders who can go on to compete is the club\u2019s main goal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are, of course, ultimately racing oriented, so a certain amount of competitive spirit is a help on the rides. You are not out there to look at the birds and the bees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 1985, Ed Sassler, then a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.northeastern.edu\/neuhome\/index.php\">Northeastern University<\/a> student, heard that Allis was working with Harvard riders. With no cycling team at Northeastern, Sassler joined HUCA. He never left. He rode as a student and then as a coach, describing his early advisory role as that of a sheepdog chasing down overzealous riders who got too far ahead, or helping corral those dropping behind the pack.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Sassler, who works full time in a bike shop, continues to coach, running training rides in the fall, working on the group\u2019s fitness level in the gym in winter, and preparing HUCA members for the racing season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem with cycling is everybody thinks it\u2019s as easy as riding a bike. In reality, it\u2019s not that simple,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Sassler called the experience frustrating at times, since some students have to drop out because of school demands. But there are many who stay and excel in competitions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a rider who started out as the slowest thing on two wheels, and she ended up taking the silver medal at nationals,\u201d said Sassler.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard students in degree-granting programs race in collegiate competitions in the spring, and other riders compete in races from May through October. In addition, the club organizes an annual 75-mile fun ride that winds from Harvard University to Harvard, Mass.<\/p>\n<p>Ian Boothby, a tall, lanky freshman from Nashville, joined HUCA after reading about it online. He credits the club with improving his endurance and his comfort level with biking in a pack, and he is looking forward to trying his hand at racing in the spring.<\/p>\n<p>Although he has had a couple of spills, and he called the 5:45 a.m. wake-up call a challenge, \u201cBy 7 a.m., you are not regretting it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just an open community, open to anyone who wants to participate and learn about cycling and bike racing. We welcome people of all skill levels,\u201d said Choi.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Bowen, who works at a local medical device company and has helped coach HUCA for the past decade, was stunned when he first saw HUCA members helping each other up a hill. With some other clubs, he said, that \u201cnever occurs to them.\u201d But HUCA is different.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou put your hand on their back and help them up the hill so they are able to stay with us and learn and develop,\u201d said Bowen, adding, \u201cIt reflects the whole attitude of this group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To recruit students for the racing season, the group holds six weeks of basic skills training in the fall.\u00a0 While geared toward potential racers, the rides are open to anyone and cover proper positioning, safety tips, bike maintenance, and racing skills, such as sprinting, cornering, and contact between bikes.<\/p>\n<p>After taking a break from cycling for years, Harvard Law Professor <a href=\"http:\/\/www.law.harvard.edu\/faculty\/ramseyer\/\">Mark Ramseyer<\/a> joined up and was out with the club regularly last year, from February through August. Calling himself \u201ctoo old for racing,\u201d Ramseyer, Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Legal Studies, said he just enjoys the chance to get out and ride with others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s fun. You ride with a group, and you are thinking about other things besides how bad your legs hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recently the group gathered before sunrise in front of Peet\u2019s Coffee, the regular meeting spot in Harvard Square. Despite the unsettled weather, members remained undaunted, both by the prospect of rain and a couple of serious hills in their immediate future.<\/p>\n<p>After a brief ride, they stopped to discuss what would come next. Noting that some members had managed to sprint up a smaller hill on an earlier outing, Sassler told them he had found a much longer one they would have to simply \u201csettle in and climb.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Reaching into her bag and offering the riders a mini-chocolate and peanut butter cup before the ascent, Choi inspired the group with a promise of more candy at the top and words fit for a club that loves competing, learning, and having fun. \u201cEveryone\u2019s a winner,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n\t\t<p>Most fall mornings, a slightly sleepy collection of men and women rises early to hit the road.<\/p>\n<p>They are an eclectic group of Harvard students, staff, faculty, and community members. They range in age from their late teens to 50-something. They can be freshmen or CEOs, but they move fast, and under their own power. They ride by bike.<\/p>\n<p>Eun Young Choi is their Pooh-Bah. Choi, a Harvard Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience, was inspired by a leisurely summer cycle around Martha\u2019s Vineyard. When she heard about the <a href=\"http:\/\/huca.herokuapp.com\">Harvard University Cycling Association<\/a> (HUCA) in 2007, she decided to investigate.<\/p>\n<p>Now she is its administrative and spiritual leader and has gone from novice rider to top competitor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started out with no athletic background, and now cycling has become a huge part of my life and has changed my attitude and perspective on academia and life challenges in every way,\u201d said Choi, who carries the title of Pooh-Bah in a nod to the exalted office from the comic opera \u201cThe Mikado.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The organization, which dates way back to 1890, fosters a love for cycling and shares it with anyone willing to listen and learn. The student-run group relies on fundraising and donations from private sponsors for support, and on a dedicated cadre of volunteer coaches.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201copen to all\u201d aspect of the team was \u201cbeen important right from the start,\u201d said <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Allis\">John Allis<\/a>, a champion of U.S. cycling in the 1970s and a three-time Olympian who recently retired after almost 30 years as a HUCA coach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily have to race. \u2026 A lot of the skills you will learn while riding with the team are very applicable for riding in traffic, bike handling, physical fitness, and being a better bike rider,\u201d said Allis.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Allis said that developing riders who can go on to compete is the club\u2019s main goal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are, of course, ultimately racing oriented, so a certain amount of competitive spirit is a help on the rides. You are not out there to look at the birds and the bees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 1985, Ed Sassler, then a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.northeastern.edu\/neuhome\/index.php\">Northeastern University<\/a> student, heard that Allis was working with Harvard riders. With no cycling team at Northeastern, Sassler joined HUCA. He never left. He rode as a student and then as a coach, describing his early advisory role as that of a sheepdog chasing down overzealous riders who got too far ahead, or helping corral those dropping behind the pack.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Sassler, who works full time in a bike shop, continues to coach, running training rides in the fall, working on the group\u2019s fitness level in the gym in winter, and preparing HUCA members for the racing season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem with cycling is everybody thinks it\u2019s as easy as riding a bike. In reality, it\u2019s not that simple,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Sassler called the experience frustrating at times, since some students have to drop out because of school demands. But there are many who stay and excel in competitions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a rider who started out as the slowest thing on two wheels, and she ended up taking the silver medal at nationals,\u201d said Sassler.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard students in degree-granting programs race in collegiate competitions in the spring, and other riders compete in races from May through October. In addition, the club organizes an annual 75-mile fun ride that winds from Harvard University to Harvard, Mass.<\/p>\n<p>Ian Boothby, a tall, lanky freshman from Nashville, joined HUCA after reading about it online. He credits the club with improving his endurance and his comfort level with biking in a pack, and he is looking forward to trying his hand at racing in the spring.<\/p>\n<p>Although he has had a couple of spills, and he called the 5:45 a.m. wake-up call a challenge, \u201cBy 7 a.m., you are not regretting it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just an open community, open to anyone who wants to participate and learn about cycling and bike racing. We welcome people of all skill levels,\u201d said Choi.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Bowen, who works at a local medical device company and has helped coach HUCA for the past decade, was stunned when he first saw HUCA members helping each other up a hill. With some other clubs, he said, that \u201cnever occurs to them.\u201d But HUCA is different.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou put your hand on their back and help them up the hill so they are able to stay with us and learn and develop,\u201d said Bowen, adding, \u201cIt reflects the whole attitude of this group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To recruit students for the racing season, the group holds six weeks of basic skills training in the fall.\u00a0 While geared toward potential racers, the rides are open to anyone and cover proper positioning, safety tips, bike maintenance, and racing skills, such as sprinting, cornering, and contact between bikes.<\/p>\n<p>After taking a break from cycling for years, Harvard Law Professor <a href=\"http:\/\/www.law.harvard.edu\/faculty\/ramseyer\/\">Mark Ramseyer<\/a> joined up and was out with the club regularly last year, from February through August. Calling himself \u201ctoo old for racing,\u201d Ramseyer, Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Legal Studies, said he just enjoys the chance to get out and ride with others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s fun. You ride with a group, and you are thinking about other things besides how bad your legs hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recently the group gathered before sunrise in front of Peet\u2019s Coffee, the regular meeting spot in Harvard Square. Despite the unsettled weather, members remained undaunted, both by the prospect of rain and a couple of serious hills in their immediate future.<\/p>\n<p>After a brief ride, they stopped to discuss what would come next. Noting that some members had managed to sprint up a smaller hill on an earlier outing, Sassler told them he had found a much longer one they would have to simply \u201csettle in and climb.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Reaching into her bag and offering the riders a mini-chocolate and peanut butter cup before the ascent, Choi inspired the group with a promise of more candy at the top and words fit for a club that loves competing, learning, and having fun. \u201cEveryone\u2019s a winner,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n\t\t<p>Most fall mornings, a slightly sleepy collection of men and women rises early to hit the road.<\/p>\n<p>They are an eclectic group of Harvard students, staff, faculty, and community members. They range in age from their late teens to 50-something. They can be freshmen or CEOs, but they move fast, and under their own power. They ride by bike.<\/p>\n<p>Eun Young Choi is their Pooh-Bah. Choi, a Harvard Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience, was inspired by a leisurely summer cycle around Martha\u2019s Vineyard. When she heard about the <a href=\"http:\/\/huca.herokuapp.com\">Harvard University Cycling Association<\/a> (HUCA) in 2007, she decided to investigate.<\/p>\n<p>Now she is its administrative and spiritual leader and has gone from novice rider to top competitor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started out with no athletic background, and now cycling has become a huge part of my life and has changed my attitude and perspective on academia and life challenges in every way,\u201d said Choi, who carries the title of Pooh-Bah in a nod to the exalted office from the comic opera \u201cThe Mikado.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The organization, which dates way back to 1890, fosters a love for cycling and shares it with anyone willing to listen and learn. The student-run group relies on fundraising and donations from private sponsors for support, and on a dedicated cadre of volunteer coaches.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201copen to all\u201d aspect of the team was \u201cbeen important right from the start,\u201d said <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Allis\">John Allis<\/a>, a champion of U.S. cycling in the 1970s and a three-time Olympian who recently retired after almost 30 years as a HUCA coach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily have to race. \u2026 A lot of the skills you will learn while riding with the team are very applicable for riding in traffic, bike handling, physical fitness, and being a better bike rider,\u201d said Allis.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Allis said that developing riders who can go on to compete is the club\u2019s main goal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are, of course, ultimately racing oriented, so a certain amount of competitive spirit is a help on the rides. You are not out there to look at the birds and the bees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 1985, Ed Sassler, then a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.northeastern.edu\/neuhome\/index.php\">Northeastern University<\/a> student, heard that Allis was working with Harvard riders. With no cycling team at Northeastern, Sassler joined HUCA. He never left. He rode as a student and then as a coach, describing his early advisory role as that of a sheepdog chasing down overzealous riders who got too far ahead, or helping corral those dropping behind the pack.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Sassler, who works full time in a bike shop, continues to coach, running training rides in the fall, working on the group\u2019s fitness level in the gym in winter, and preparing HUCA members for the racing season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem with cycling is everybody thinks it\u2019s as easy as riding a bike. In reality, it\u2019s not that simple,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Sassler called the experience frustrating at times, since some students have to drop out because of school demands. But there are many who stay and excel in competitions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a rider who started out as the slowest thing on two wheels, and she ended up taking the silver medal at nationals,\u201d said Sassler.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard students in degree-granting programs race in collegiate competitions in the spring, and other riders compete in races from May through October. In addition, the club organizes an annual 75-mile fun ride that winds from Harvard University to Harvard, Mass.<\/p>\n<p>Ian Boothby, a tall, lanky freshman from Nashville, joined HUCA after reading about it online. He credits the club with improving his endurance and his comfort level with biking in a pack, and he is looking forward to trying his hand at racing in the spring.<\/p>\n<p>Although he has had a couple of spills, and he called the 5:45 a.m. wake-up call a challenge, \u201cBy 7 a.m., you are not regretting it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just an open community, open to anyone who wants to participate and learn about cycling and bike racing. We welcome people of all skill levels,\u201d said Choi.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Bowen, who works at a local medical device company and has helped coach HUCA for the past decade, was stunned when he first saw HUCA members helping each other up a hill. With some other clubs, he said, that \u201cnever occurs to them.\u201d But HUCA is different.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou put your hand on their back and help them up the hill so they are able to stay with us and learn and develop,\u201d said Bowen, adding, \u201cIt reflects the whole attitude of this group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To recruit students for the racing season, the group holds six weeks of basic skills training in the fall.\u00a0 While geared toward potential racers, the rides are open to anyone and cover proper positioning, safety tips, bike maintenance, and racing skills, such as sprinting, cornering, and contact between bikes.<\/p>\n<p>After taking a break from cycling for years, Harvard Law Professor <a href=\"http:\/\/www.law.harvard.edu\/faculty\/ramseyer\/\">Mark Ramseyer<\/a> joined up and was out with the club regularly last year, from February through August. Calling himself \u201ctoo old for racing,\u201d Ramseyer, Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Legal Studies, said he just enjoys the chance to get out and ride with others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s fun. You ride with a group, and you are thinking about other things besides how bad your legs hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recently the group gathered before sunrise in front of Peet\u2019s Coffee, the regular meeting spot in Harvard Square. Despite the unsettled weather, members remained undaunted, both by the prospect of rain and a couple of serious hills in their immediate future.<\/p>\n<p>After a brief ride, they stopped to discuss what would come next. Noting that some members had managed to sprint up a smaller hill on an earlier outing, Sassler told them he had found a much longer one they would have to simply \u201csettle in and climb.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Reaching into her bag and offering the riders a mini-chocolate and peanut butter cup before the ascent, Choi inspired the group with a promise of more candy at the top and words fit for a club that loves competing, learning, and having fun. \u201cEveryone\u2019s a winner,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n","\n\n<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>Most fall mornings, a slightly sleepy collection of men and women rises early to hit the road.<\/p>\n<p>They are an eclectic group of Harvard students, staff, faculty, and community members. They range in age from their late teens to 50-something. They can be freshmen or CEOs, but they move fast, and under their own power. They ride by bike.<\/p>\n<p>Eun Young Choi is their Pooh-Bah. Choi, a Harvard Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience, was inspired by a leisurely summer cycle around Martha\u2019s Vineyard. When she heard about the <a href=\"http:\/\/huca.herokuapp.com\">Harvard University Cycling Association<\/a> (HUCA) in 2007, she decided to investigate.<\/p>\n<p>Now she is its administrative and spiritual leader and has gone from novice rider to top competitor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI started out with no athletic background, and now cycling has become a huge part of my life and has changed my attitude and perspective on academia and life challenges in every way,\u201d said Choi, who carries the title of Pooh-Bah in a nod to the exalted office from the comic opera \u201cThe Mikado.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The organization, which dates way back to 1890, fosters a love for cycling and shares it with anyone willing to listen and learn. The student-run group relies on fundraising and donations from private sponsors for support, and on a dedicated cadre of volunteer coaches.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201copen to all\u201d aspect of the team was \u201cbeen important right from the start,\u201d said <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Allis\">John Allis<\/a>, a champion of U.S. cycling in the 1970s and a three-time Olympian who recently retired after almost 30 years as a HUCA coach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily have to race. \u2026 A lot of the skills you will learn while riding with the team are very applicable for riding in traffic, bike handling, physical fitness, and being a better bike rider,\u201d said Allis.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Allis said that developing riders who can go on to compete is the club\u2019s main goal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are, of course, ultimately racing oriented, so a certain amount of competitive spirit is a help on the rides. You are not out there to look at the birds and the bees.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 1985, Ed Sassler, then a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.northeastern.edu\/neuhome\/index.php\">Northeastern University<\/a> student, heard that Allis was working with Harvard riders. With no cycling team at Northeastern, Sassler joined HUCA. He never left. He rode as a student and then as a coach, describing his early advisory role as that of a sheepdog chasing down overzealous riders who got too far ahead, or helping corral those dropping behind the pack.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Sassler, who works full time in a bike shop, continues to coach, running training rides in the fall, working on the group\u2019s fitness level in the gym in winter, and preparing HUCA members for the racing season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem with cycling is everybody thinks it\u2019s as easy as riding a bike. In reality, it\u2019s not that simple,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Sassler called the experience frustrating at times, since some students have to drop out because of school demands. But there are many who stay and excel in competitions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a rider who started out as the slowest thing on two wheels, and she ended up taking the silver medal at nationals,\u201d said Sassler.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard students in degree-granting programs race in collegiate competitions in the spring, and other riders compete in races from May through October. In addition, the club organizes an annual 75-mile fun ride that winds from Harvard University to Harvard, Mass.<\/p>\n<p>Ian Boothby, a tall, lanky freshman from Nashville, joined HUCA after reading about it online. He credits the club with improving his endurance and his comfort level with biking in a pack, and he is looking forward to trying his hand at racing in the spring.<\/p>\n<p>Although he has had a couple of spills, and he called the 5:45 a.m. wake-up call a challenge, \u201cBy 7 a.m., you are not regretting it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just an open community, open to anyone who wants to participate and learn about cycling and bike racing. We welcome people of all skill levels,\u201d said Choi.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Bowen, who works at a local medical device company and has helped coach HUCA for the past decade, was stunned when he first saw HUCA members helping each other up a hill. With some other clubs, he said, that \u201cnever occurs to them.\u201d But HUCA is different.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou put your hand on their back and help them up the hill so they are able to stay with us and learn and develop,\u201d said Bowen, adding, \u201cIt reflects the whole attitude of this group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To recruit students for the racing season, the group holds six weeks of basic skills training in the fall.\u00a0 While geared toward potential racers, the rides are open to anyone and cover proper positioning, safety tips, bike maintenance, and racing skills, such as sprinting, cornering, and contact between bikes.<\/p>\n<p>After taking a break from cycling for years, Harvard Law Professor <a href=\"http:\/\/www.law.harvard.edu\/faculty\/ramseyer\/\">Mark Ramseyer<\/a> joined up and was out with the club regularly last year, from February through August. Calling himself \u201ctoo old for racing,\u201d Ramseyer, Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Legal Studies, said he just enjoys the chance to get out and ride with others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s fun. You ride with a group, and you are thinking about other things besides how bad your legs hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recently the group gathered before sunrise in front of Peet\u2019s Coffee, the regular meeting spot in Harvard Square. Despite the unsettled weather, members remained undaunted, both by the prospect of rain and a couple of serious hills in their immediate future.<\/p>\n<p>After a brief ride, they stopped to discuss what would come next. Noting that some members had managed to sprint up a smaller hill on an earlier outing, Sassler told them he had found a much longer one they would have to simply \u201csettle in and climb.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Reaching into her bag and offering the riders a mini-chocolate and peanut butter cup before the ascent, Choi inspired the group with a promise of more candy at the top and words fit for a club that loves competing, learning, and having fun. \u201cEveryone\u2019s a winner,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10529,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2009\/02\/hlss-olin-center-and-harvard-university-press-offer-first-open-access-journal\/","url_meta":{"origin":67260,"position":0},"title":"HLS\u2019s Olin Center and Harvard University Press offer first open access journal","author":"harvardgazette","date":"February 12, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"In partnership with the John M. Olin Center for Law, Economics, and Business at Harvard Law School, Harvard University Press (HUP) launched the Journal of Legal Analysis, its first foray into online, open access publishing, on Feb. 3.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Campus &amp; Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Campus &amp; Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":145348,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2013\/08\/david-k-smith-former-dean-of-radcliffe-admissions-77\/","url_meta":{"origin":67260,"position":1},"title":"David K. Smith, former dean of Radcliffe admissions, 77","author":"harvardgazette","date":"August 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Former dean of Radcliffe admissions David K. \u201cDeke\u201d Smith of Topsham, Maine, died Aug. 14 at the age of 77, following a brief battle with cancer.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Campus &amp; Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Campus &amp; Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/davidkdekesmith_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/davidkdekesmith_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/davidkdekesmith_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17785,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2003\/09\/in-brief-29-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":67260,"position":2},"title":"In brief","author":"gazetteimport","date":"September 25, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Send resumes online Beginning this month, resumes and applications for positions at the University will only be accepted online. In order to be considered for any position(s), applicants must apply via the HIRES (Harvard's online job database) job site to a specific requisition number at www.atwork.harvard.edu\/employment. Computer kiosks are available\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Campus &amp; Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Campus &amp; Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":68747,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2001\/05\/cycling-club-climbs-to-colorado-finals\/","url_meta":{"origin":67260,"position":3},"title":"Cycling club climbs to Colorado finals","author":"gazetteimport","date":"May 17, 2001","format":false,"excerpt":"The air may be thin in Colorado, but it will be fresh and sweet this weekend to members of the Harvard Cycling Team, which will be making its first-ever trip to the National Collegiate Road Cycling Championships in Colorado Springs.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Campus &amp; Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Campus &amp; Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":207400,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2005\/04\/third-speedpot-a-whir-of-wheels\/","url_meta":{"origin":67260,"position":4},"title":"Third &#8216;speedpot&#8217;  a whir of wheels","author":"gazetteimport","date":"April 14, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"More than 400 cyclists from dozens of Northeastern colleges and universities churned up the country roads and concrete jungles of Grafton and Somerville this past weekend as part of the third annual Beanpot Cycling Classic collegiate race.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Campus &amp; Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Campus &amp; Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Jenna Shoemaker '06","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/04\/32-cycle7-225-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":68798,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2001\/05\/cycling-team-goes-to-nationals-but-misses-out-on-trophy\/","url_meta":{"origin":67260,"position":5},"title":"Cycling team goes to nationals, but misses out on trophy","author":"gazetteimport","date":"May 24, 2001","format":false,"excerpt":"The Harvard Cycling Team came back from Colorado trophy-less but energized by their first-ever trip to the National Collegiate Road Cycling Championships in Colorado Springs.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Campus &amp; Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Campus &amp; Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/105622744"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67260"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67260\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":270684,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67260\/revisions\/270684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67260"},{"taxonomy":"format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gazette-formats?post=67260"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=67260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}