Photograph by George Sakkestad
Sunnyvale-Cupertino Cycling Club members Kevin McKee, Craig Lindberg and Ron Calhoun stay in shape on the road.
By LESTER CHANG
For Kevin McKee and Craig Lindberg, bicycling ia a passion.
To get in better shape, they will ride up to 100 miles a day.
For a challenge, they will peddle up Mt. Hamilton--which rises to 4,500 feet--although their muscles might cramp later.
They will speed down hills at 50 miles an hour, sometimes right beside faster-moving cars.
But both will take it a notch higher when they train with the Sunnyvale-Cupertino Cycling Club, whose goals are to prepare cyclists for racing and to help others get in better shape.
McKee, who joined in 1991, and Lindberg, who joined in 1994, say by joining the group they've learned to improve their racing skills, strength and stamina.
The club allows them to talk about and study the different riding styles of cycling stars and use what they learn in their own riding. Some of their heroes are Miguel Indurain, who won the Tour De France five times, and Lance Armstrong, a top American rider.
When they are not on the saddle riding, club members will meet at someone's house and talk about cycling, McKee said. A popular meeting place is the Cupertino Bike Shop, which services their lightweight bicycles, he said.
"What is good about the club is that there is encouragement to compete, if you want, or just to get in the best shape possible," said Lindberg, who has competed in 40 races since joining.
The club is made up of men and women who are primarily employed in the high-tech industry in Silicon Valley. Most are between the ages of 30 and 45.
They focus on road racing (staged on hilly and flat terrain), short-distance races and racing on tracks.
Most of the riders compete at the amateur level, but they are as dedicated to their training programs as professionals, said Lindberg, who rides 12 hours and works out at a gym every week.
The races are primarily held in Northern California or northern Nevada. To get the competitive edge, some cyclists recently hired Craig Schommer, a member of the U.S. Olympics cycling team in the 1980s as a trainer, Lindberg said.
Racing was the main focus when the club was formed in 1986 by employees of Spectrum Cycles, a now-defunct bicycle shop in Sunnyvale.
The club has produced riders who later competed professionally, McKee said.
One was Ron Calhoun, who captured medals during time-trial racing in the early 1990s. Calhoun also competed for a place on the U.S. team for the 1992 Olympics.
The club has allowed Lindberg to live out a boyhood dream. "I wanted to race when I was younger, but I couldn't because career took precedence," said Lindberg, an electrical engineer. "But I am doing it now."
McKee, who has ridden for at least 15 years, helped start the University of Colorado cycling team in the early 1980s.
For the most part, because he didn't have steady riding partners, he trained alone. That type of training ended when he joined the club in 1991 and found riders who loved bicycling as much as he did.
Members also give support in other ways, McKee said.
"When the wife of one of the members died of cancer, we all pitched in and gave emotional support," McKee said. "That is what is great about this club. It is about something we love, and more."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 5, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.