Peralta cyclists ready to ride
Cool-looking uniforms help spur interest
Kathy Hrastar
Issue date: 5/17/07 Last update: 5/18/07 at 5:32 PM PST
Section: News
May is National Bike Month, providing as good excuse as any to join the Peralta Cycling Club. Chartered through Berkeley City College, the club is open to all Peralta students, faculty and staff. It's open to commuters, racers and recreational cyclists. It's open to mountain bikers, roadies, track riders and cyclocross.
Besides, the jerseys and shorts look really cool. "When people see the uniforms, they want one," said Hanan Alves-Hyde, the club's president. She said she recruited five new members "just from seeing the jerseys."
The first-edition uniforms arrived in mid-May, after the club waited months for the order. It's just in time for Alves-Hyde, who will transfer to UC Berkeley in the fall--good for her, perhaps not so good for the club.
"She created it. She organized it. She got the uniforms. She's definitely the head honcho," said Mike Alden, club treasurer. But then he takes that back. "No, I wouldn't say 'head honcho'…."
While the phrase might not fit the petite, upbeat cyclist, it's obvious that the club drafts off her lead. Alves-Hyde started the club in 2005, hoping to make cycling more accessible. She felt it had a bad reputation as an "exclusive" sport. Within two years, the club grew to approximately 90 members, representing each of the four Peralta colleges.
Alves-Hyde attached fliers to bikes at the bike racks at each campus, and promoted the club at club rush days. She admits she paid out-of-pocket for miscellaneous expenses, to keep the club alive. She also paid the registration and licensing required for members to race at the collegiate level.
"I race, but I don't want people to be intimidated by that," she said. She's "pretty shy" about it--"sensitive to being a showoff." Understandably so. On April 29, Level A competitor Alves-Hyde won the criterium race at the Western Collegiate Conference Championship in Davis. Then, May 12-13, she represented Peralta in the Collegiate National Road Championship in Kansas.
Besides, the jerseys and shorts look really cool. "When people see the uniforms, they want one," said Hanan Alves-Hyde, the club's president. She said she recruited five new members "just from seeing the jerseys."
The first-edition uniforms arrived in mid-May, after the club waited months for the order. It's just in time for Alves-Hyde, who will transfer to UC Berkeley in the fall--good for her, perhaps not so good for the club.
"She created it. She organized it. She got the uniforms. She's definitely the head honcho," said Mike Alden, club treasurer. But then he takes that back. "No, I wouldn't say 'head honcho'…."
While the phrase might not fit the petite, upbeat cyclist, it's obvious that the club drafts off her lead. Alves-Hyde started the club in 2005, hoping to make cycling more accessible. She felt it had a bad reputation as an "exclusive" sport. Within two years, the club grew to approximately 90 members, representing each of the four Peralta colleges.
Alves-Hyde attached fliers to bikes at the bike racks at each campus, and promoted the club at club rush days. She admits she paid out-of-pocket for miscellaneous expenses, to keep the club alive. She also paid the registration and licensing required for members to race at the collegiate level.
"I race, but I don't want people to be intimidated by that," she said. She's "pretty shy" about it--"sensitive to being a showoff." Understandably so. On April 29, Level A competitor Alves-Hyde won the criterium race at the Western Collegiate Conference Championship in Davis. Then, May 12-13, she represented Peralta in the Collegiate National Road Championship in Kansas.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Hanan Alves-Hyde
posted 5/23/07 @ 8:20 PM EST
Thanks Kathy, looks great!
Post a Comment