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Founded in 1957 by a small group of racers intent upon promoting and
growing the sport of bicycle racing in Greater Boston, NEBC has
outlived equipment fads and life-style changes, persisting as one of
New England's oldest racing clubs. The founders' success is evident
today in the proliferation of opportunities which range from a full
calendar of Citizen races to national caliber competition such as the
Fitchburg and Killington Stage races.
NEBC's basic philosophy is simply put: rider development. More than
one rider has entered the club as a junior, performed well in club
training rides and local races, eventually becoming a well respected
senior category rider, and finally continuing their development by
moving beyond club racing. NEBC is constantly striving to find the
next generation of racers, provide them with the basic skills, and to
infect them with a lifetime enthusiasm for cycling. Names and faces
change, but the program keeps working.
NEBC bases its program upon a complete set of USCF teams,
covering all age groups, men and women, each with its own team
captain. We encourage all members to join one of these teams and we
make room for all who are willing to participate. There are no hard
and fast rules about who trains with whom, and riding with more
experienced riders is strongly encouraged. In this way, we quickly
weave new members into the club's fabric, giving them experienced club
riders to lean on and learn from, and instill early on a sense of
racing as a team sport.
During the racing season, April to September, NEBC hosts a full calendar
of weekly events designed as an integrated training program to produce
well-rounded skills.
Membership is in excess of 250 riders; more than two-thirds being USCF licensed.
Women constitute about 21% of the club membership. NEBC members come from all walks of
life, including engineers, architects, lawyers, doctors, accountants,
clergymen, students, teachers, shopkeepers, business people, etc.
Every Spring NEBC hosts a "New Racer Development"
clinic to introduce the technical aspects of bicycle racing to
newcomers. This four week clinics is coached by experienced racers and is
designed to provide the basic skills necessary for newcomers to become
comfortable with speed and to rider predicably in close quarters.
NEBC is an active participant in USCF district events, both on and off
the bicycle. We keep our membership aware of important District
activities and USCF developments and policy changes through regular
representation at District meetings.
NEBC is also involved in community activities. In the communities we
serve, NEBC wants to maximize the exposure of casual riders to bicycle
racing, in the hopes that they will be bitten by the racing bug and
join us, or at least that we will be able to improve their skills and
thus increase their enjoyment of cycling.
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