He trained the hard way, racing his bicycle on his own and crashing.

Justin Rumley said he learned how to race empirically, by trial and error.

He doesn’t want younger racers to learn the way he did, so he tries to find young riders to bring into the sport and help them train.

Recently, he found Wes Hartman, sophomore in mechanical engineering.

“He’s my prodigy,” said Rumley, senior in architecture.

Hartman said his first race was in Altoona at the beginning of the month. He said he placed fourth in the race.

“I love riding with the team,” Hartman said. “I love hurting.”

Hartman placed second in his category this weekend in Iowa City.

Rumley expressed pride in his mentee.

“When I see him come across in second place, it makes me feel just as good as if I’ve won the race,” Rumley said.

Ever since he has gotten into racing, Hartman said he has gained a passion for it. He said he often goes on long endurance rides by himself, as well as going on training rides throughout the week with the team.

The racing team goes on more difficult rides on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and slower, easier rides on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Hartman said.

Rumley said he does not believe he is above Hartman or any other racer.

“Some of [the team members] look up to me,” Rumley said. “I don’t separate myself, and I’m not better than any person, but I see they could be as good as me.”

He said he has a lot of work to do before he can excel at the sport.

“I’m not even at the top of this thing, there’s always things to strive for,” Rumley said.

Rumley said Hartman contacted him because he is a well-known racer in Ames.

“[I told him] I could help him reach his goals,” Rumley said.

Hartman said he has received help from other more experienced members of the racing team.

“Everybody’s been riding for a long time and everybody’s willing to give you hints,” he said.

The team aspect is an important factor for both men, they said.

“The whole team aspect is huge,” Hartman said.

The camaraderie of the team extends beyond the races, Rumley said.

“This isn’t just about teammates and racing,” Rumley said. “We’re all friends. If we quit racing tomorrow, we’ll still be friends.”

The Cycling Club is open to other kinds of cycling, including mountain biking, said Randy Wahl, president of the Cycling Club and senior in pre-business.

“We try to help all riders, anyone who simply owns a bicycle,” he said.