It’s time to get that bike out of the shed, pump up the tires, WD40 the chain and head out to Brookside Park to meet with the Iowa State Cycling Club.

With rising temperatures, ISU Cycling Club members are gearing up for the unofficial start of their season with daily mountain biking and road racing rides.

“It’s the best way to unwind, to spend two hours getting exercise and have a chance to socialize,” said Dave VanderWiel, a member of the Cycling Club Board of Directors.

The cycling club, which consolidated with the Mountain Biking Club last year, is a part of the ISU sports council.

Members of the club meet daily to practice their skills, train for races and have a good time, VanderWiel said.

Through the daily rides, club members train for bike races that occur around the state. The unofficial start of the cycling club season is the Tour de Veishea, a series of three bike rides that take place the weekend before Veishea.

The Classic Criterium, a road race on central campus, will take place on April 12 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The mountain bike race takes place at Petersen Pits on April 13 from noon to 4 p.m. The third race is a road race time trial near Cambridge from 9 to 11 a.m.

During the cold winter weather, cycling club members are forced to take most of their training indoors. Stationary biking, running and weight-lifting are all ways club members stay in shape during the off-season.

“Some of us still ride in the winter. If you live in Iowa, you get used to it,” VanderWiel said.

This February, about 15 of the hardier members dared the elements to ride in the annual BRR!!! Bike Ride to Rippey.

Besides the races, VanderWiel said the cycling club’s daily rides during the spring and fall keep the club going.

“Every single ride something funny happens,” VanderWiel said. Events like minor falls, collisions and bike failures are also reasons for laughter on the rides, he said.

Cyclists of all ages, from freshman to graduate students like VanderWiel to ISU faculty, belong to the club. While women are currently a minority in the group, more women are getting involved in the cycling club.

VanderWiel said the daily rides are a great place for visitors to catch up with the club.

“We just ask that [visitors] wear a helmet and bring water,” he said.

Mountain bikers meet at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Brookside Park parking lot.

Those interested in a road workout can meet at 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the southeast Towers parking lot.

Visitors are also welcome at the cycling club’s next meeting at 7 p.m. on April 8 in Beyer room 103.

Interested cyclists can check out the cycling club’s home page at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~scc/cy-cling/ for club meeting times, meeting minutes and upcoming races.