JOIN for fun, join for speed, join for self-improvement:
First and foremost, anyone can join the team at club level. But, in order to take advantage of all our sponsorship offers and get financial support from the school on race weekends, you'll need to be an undergraduate or graduate student.
BECOMING A MEMBER OF YALE CYCLING:
There is no prerequisite for fitness, speed, or experience. We are about developing new cyclists. We have clinics and rides that are meant to give you the skills and confidence to ride. You will be among numerous new cyclists each year who come from different fitness backgrounds, skill levels, and age groups. We want to get you out riding and give you the opportunity to sample all that cycling offers.
To race in collegiate races, you MUST be a full-time Yale student. That includes undergraduates, professional schools (medical, management, divinity, etc.), and Ph. D students. Unfortunately no post-docs or alumni.
If you are not a Yale Student, you can join us on rides that are not official Yale Cycling practices, per Yale Club Sports rules. These rides are the Tuesday/Thursday NHBC rides and the Yale Saturday Ride. We ask that you please sign a liability waiver, however, and email it to us at YaleCyclingTeam@gmail.com before the ride.
Requirements for joining the racing team (limited membership):
These do not pertain to club level membership.
BIKE: You must own a bike. We have some to loan out for you to try out but come race season you'll need your own machine. Different bikes are used for different disciplines. Make sure you own a road bike if you're road racing.
JERSEY: You need a Yale Cycling jersey in order to race. We get steep discounts on these from our kit manufacturer, Primal. Be on the look out for emails about our kit orders. For the 2025-26 season, we’ll be having a race-specific order in the spring, in addition to our usual fall order. (If you need to borrow a jersey for one-time use, ask around/email us.)
TEAM DUES: Depending on how much you're interested in racing, there are season dues you must pay (SEE BELOW).
LICENSE: USA Cycling issues every collegiate racer a license; these cost $80. If you already have a USAC license, the collegiate add-on is free. Look under the ECCC tab on the menu bar to learn more. The license is reimbursable if you will be doing multiple races; otherwise, many races offer a one-day license option.
RACE: Finally, we require all first time racers who have not participated in a skills clinic, to begin in the intro category for their first race weekend.
So you pay some dues and are officially part of the team, what does that get you? Yale is very supportive of our team and our sponsors are fantastic. We have one of the best funded programs in the country. So, all travel expenses, lodging, and race entry fees are covered. If you've ever raced before you know how much that can add up.
Make sure you subscribe to the email list to stay up to date on team dealings. Also, get in contact with one of the team captains and start riding with Yale today. Once you become a member, you will be eligible to join the “racers-only” email list for team events, clinics, and race notifications.
Subscriptions to list-serves:
"General Cycling" - subscription is OPEN [Subscribe here]
offers info on kit orders, recruiting events, and Saturday rides)
“Alumni” - subscription is OPEN [Subscribe here]
low-volume mailing list intended for alumni and anyone interested in gear orders
yearly updates and gear order information
“Racers-only” – subscription is LIMITED to dues-paying club member
offers announcements on team rides, skills clinics, social events, and racing opportunities
acts as a forum for posting rides
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Team Dues
Member-only benefits:
Team Training Plans by professional cycling coaches (CCNS)
Skills clinics and workshops!
Winter indoor spinning sessions (1-2x per week)
Team Training Trips in Mountain and Road
Loaner Bike Fleet & more support for more racing seasons! A full mountain, track, cyclocross and road season for year round participation
Club level, Affiliate Membership: Yale staff are able to join and race for the Yale Team in non-collegiate USAC races!
Club/affiliate level membership: $45 per academic year
Anyone can join at this level! Students, alumni, locals, Yale staff
Team discount on kit order
Access to all team rides, coached skills sessions, bike repair workshops, and social programming (racers.only list-serve)
Access to loaner bikes of various sizes (first come, first serve) if committed to attending weekly rides and have an interest in trying out racing in the spring
Spinning sessions, when space allows (limited and unlimited racing members prioritized)
Students Only: One collegiate race weekend (includes hotel/host housing, team travel) OR one local race weekend or team event with necessary registration (ie. CT state time trial) - Not sure if you want to race? Join at this level and give it a try. If you like it, as we think you will, then upgrade.
Does NOT include access to sponsorship deals except those at team events
Season pass/Five-race plan: $90 per academic year
Students Only (Graduate/Undergraduate/Professional)
5 collegiate race weekends of any discipline per year (includes hotel/host housing, team travel)
Team discount on kit order
Priority full access to team spinning sessions (3x weekly November-March)
Full access to sponsorship packages (team discounts at bike shops, sponsor sites, and free food/gear - codes distributed via separate email list just for team racers)
Access to team training plans from professional coaches
Expected participation in team events and rides (e.g. leading a fall Yale Saturday Ride)
Unlimited racing: $180 per academic year
Students Only (Graduate/Undergraduate/Professional)
Unlimited race weekends per year (includes hotel/host housing, team travel), in any discipline.
All athletes who wish to be considered for national event qualification must be participating at this membership level
Those who accept managerial leadership roles will receive automatic upgrades from limited to unlimited.
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HOW TO PAY DUES, CURRENT AS OF SEPTEMBER 2025:
Paypal (forward the receipt to YaleCyclingTeam@gmail.com)
NOTE: Membership levels may be upgraded mid-season by paying the difference in dues. No refunds or downgrades will be given.
We encourage anyone who is an ongoing member and wishes to race more than a single weekend to join at the five-race weekend or unlimited racing membership options. The club/affiliate level membership is mainly intended for Yale affiliates, tour cyclists, or those who are just dipping a toe into racing.
