A New Club Rolls Into the Scene
If you’re a student or faculty at Talawanda, you’ve probably seen the many kids that bike to school. Maybe you’re even one of them. But there’s one such cyclist that enjoys it so much, he decided to make a club out of it.
Jasper Ralinovsky, a senior at Talawanda High School and an avid cyclist, has founded Cycling Club, a student group created for the purpose of sharing his love of cycling with others. “I’ve basically been cycling to school almost every day of my high school career, and I just wanted to let other people be able to share and enjoy that,” Ralinovsky said. “I really think it’s a great way to keep you in shape, and I just think it’s fun.”
Members of Cycling Club will be going on group rides around town, as well as learning various safety procedures. “Just general behavior when you’re on a group ride with other people, because a lot of people haven’t done that before,” Ralinovsky said.
Ralinovsky asked Heidi Schran, a teacher at Talawanda High School, to supervise the club. Schran has been riding long distances ever since she was a teenager, so she was very enthusiastic about the opportunity. “I was super excited because I wanted to get involved with something here at Talawanda after school, but I didn’t know exactly what would work for me,” Schran said. “I think it’s best if we get to do what our passion is, and cycling is something that I have just loved to do. I find that on the worst days if I get on my bike, it’s no longer the worst day.”
Most of Cycling Club’s rides are around 10 to 12 miles long and will take place around Oxford. However, they may sometimes take rides to farther locations. For example, they currently have plans to ride to Hueston Woods and back, a ride that’s 15 miles long. If that distance scares you, Schran assures that there’s no need to be afraid. “We take breaks along the way, so if a hill is particularly hard or you’re feeling tired because you’re just getting your biking legs, it should not discourage you from joining us because we’ll definitely stop along the way to make sure everybody’s all together.”
The club is also a great way to be out in nature and fully experience your surroundings. “You get to see things a little differently on a bike than you do in a car because it doesn’t go by as fast,” Schran said. “Little hills feel bigger both going up and down, and you notice how the crops change from one month to the next, or the leaves changing, or the plants along the side of the road. So it’s kind of cool to be watching that change up close like that.”
Cycling Club meets Wednesdays after school. If you’re enthusiastic about cycling or would like to start cycling more, this club is definitely for you.
Photo Cred: Kei Brown
