How do you train for a sport that demands anywhere from 25 to 80 miles of road racing on snow-blanketed roads?

The members of the Northwestern club cycling team have the answer.

They take to their own rooms, remove the back wheel of their bikes, and pedal along. Most of the 20 members of the team also have purchased a device that adds resistance to the bike, simulating the hilly conditions of a road race.

“Unfortunately, most winter training happens on our own,” said club president Jeff Florczak.

Because the cycling season begins in mid-February, training during the winter months takes on added importance given the level of endurance needed to succeed over weekend-long competitions. Florczak can still recall the agony and the bliss of completing in an arduous road race.

“I was in a lot of pain afterwards, but we downed about 15 gazillion baskets of breadsticks from the Olive Garden,” he said.

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