During spring break, while many students reclined on beaches, 17 members of the Iowa State Cy-cling Club were doing everything but taking it easy on the mountain bike trails of Moab, Utah.

Web Wilke, co-adviser to the club and manager of residence hall maintenance, said the sandy trails attract travelers from all corners of the world.

“Moab, Utah, is considered the mecca of mountain biking,” he said.

This is the fifth consecutive year members of the club have strapped bikes to their vehicles and headed West to the world-renowned hiking and mountain biking haven.

The excursion, or “adventure” as Wilke described it, takes strength, stamina and a healthy dose of courage.

“It’s kind of you against the elements,” he said.

One challenging trail the group rode, called the Poison Spider, has claimed the lives of three riders, Wilke said. For club members, the looming danger was worth the risk.

Karin Schoen, co-adviser to the club and graduate student in educational leadership and policy studies, was the lone female on the trip.

“It’d be great if we could get more women involved,” she said.

Besides mountain biking, many club members also are involved in road cycling.

Club member Michael Tribuno said the club encompasses all areas of bicycling interest.

“There’s just a mix of riders, some who are really into racing and some that ride a lot and some who just want to get out and go for a ride,” said Tribuno, sophomore in aerospace engineering.

Membership is not limited to ISU students or experienced cyclists, Schoen said.

“You don’t have to be hard core to be in the club,” she said.

The club is active both in the community and the state.

“We’ve worked to promote trails and are trying to help support trail organizations for both off-road, city, paved and gravel trails,” Wilke said. “We’re playing an important role in the state for promoting cycling.”

The club also helped found a statewide group to promote and maintain bike trails.

In the spring and fall months, the group sponsors weekly rides at Brookside Park, Peterson Pits and McFarland Park. The club also races in the Time Trials in Decorah and participates in other local races such as the Iceman Bike Race in Ames.

The ISU Cy-cling Club also sponsors trail work days to help keep the bike trails in good condition and maintenance day for bike tune-ups, and it promotes bike safety.