ECCC Family & Friends

Every ECCC race is a huge social event, especially when the sun's shining. Most riders are at every race all day, and when they're not prepping their bike, warming up, or racing, they're watching teammates race or hanging out with friends on other teams. If you have family, friends or significant others competing in the ECCC and there's a race near you, you definitely want to come by---you'll get to see your rider putting it all out there in the sport they love, and you'll be able to hang out and enjoy the rest of the day together in a super fun, action packed social scene. All are welcome in the ECCC, cyclists or not, and many parents and other family routinely travel hundreds of miles to see their racers' target events. A good number even come to nearly every weekend!

These are some quick resources to help you plan to come watch a race:

  • Season Calendar
    Look for upcoming ECCC races and events in your area and get detailed race flyers on the calendar.
  • Collegiate Cycling Races
    The ECCC runs many different kinds of races throughout its seasons. This short guide will help you follow the lingo.
  • Spectator's Guide
    Notes on what kinds of races are generally good to watch and which are not.
  • ECCC Blogosphere
    If you can't make it to the races, the ECCC Blogosphere is the place to get race reports and other news about your favorite teams and riders.

Trip Planning

In addition, here are a few things to think about in coming out to a race:

Northeastern Party Van
Northeastern settles down for lunch. (photo: Northeastern)
  • Bring food.
    Nothing will permanently endear you to a team more than bringing a box of fruit or pastries.
  • Dress successfully.
    No matter what the weather forecast says, in collegiate cycling you just never know if it's going to be hot, cold, rainy, snowing, or parched. Be prepared. Keep in mind that temperatures and weather can vary widely if you're traveling any distance to get to a race, particularly in rural locations. On cold or wet days you also need to be dressed much more warmly to stand around and comfortably watch a race than you would if you were doing an activity or simply going from place to place.
  • Be extra careful on the roads and trails.
    When traveling in the immediate vicinity of the race, keep in mind that there are sure to be many cyclists on the roads and trails. Even if not actively racing, many of them will unfortunately not be paying as much attention as they normally would, either from being tired and starving or focusing on warming up for the event ahead. Use extra caution when driving around the parking lots and on or near race courses.
  • Keep in mind the nature of the events.
    All our races are awesome, but not all of them make for easy spectating. Make sure to consult the race flyer, available on the calendar, and look at the events and courses when making your plans. Though not set in stone, some general rules for spectating are available in the spectating guide.

Get Involved

The ECCC can always use more people; the following are some ways to get involved:

  • Officiating
    If you really enjoy being at cycling races and want to help out the greater cycling community and get paid to do so, you might consider becoming an official.
  • Coaching
    Alternatively, stepping up as a team coach or manager of some form is a great way to be very involved with and supportive of your team. Every team can use some guidance, whether casually or formally, and extensive cycling or racing experience isn't necessarily required to have huge positive impact.
Northeastern Dual Slalom, 2007.
Dual Slalom at Northeastern's Sunday River race, 2007. (photo: Jeff Gunn)
last modified January 21, 2014, at 04:51 AM