Ben Stephens sees space between the wheels of the racing cyclists. The Robotics Institute PhD candidate blazes around the bike track in a park near the Carnegie Mellon campus. Halfway through the 20-lap recreational race, his speed tops 25 mph, and his Tartan cycling jersey, unzipped in the July heat, flaps in the wind. He stands up on his bicycle, churns the pedals, and darts into the hole to take the lead, working alone against the wind as the peloton chases him down. "I have to hold them back for 10 more laps," he thinks, wondering whether he made his move too soon.
The bike saddle is a familiar seat for Stephens, who has no furniture in the living room of his off-campus apartment. Instead, he has three bicycles and a stack of wheels, all used for different road surfaces and racing conditions. The former distance runner turned to cycling after a knee injury and grew to love the sport so much that he sacrifices his rare free time from human balance research to serve as president of the Carnegie Mellon Cycling Club. In addition to organizing an intercollegiate race for the club, he also imparts his racing knowledge during group weekends that bring together about a dozen or so cyclists, including students and members of the faculty and staff.
One of his tips is how to draft off one another's wheels to minimize the resistance of head wind. In a race, head wind can zap a rider's energy, which might be happening to Stephens as the peloton closes in on him. Right now, thighs burning, he wishes he had a Tartan teammate to provide some drafting relief. But today he is alone. Five laps to go. His legs are like Jello. "I'm dying," he thinks.
But he remembers when he first came to Carnegie Mellon and Cycle Club President, Mike Cruz (HS'07) explained the physics of race dragging during the out-of-state drives to intercollegiate races. With those lectures in mind, Stephens flicks his left elbow, a universal cycling gesture indicating that the next person in line can take the lead. Sure enough, a couple of riders pass him, enabling Stephens to save whatever energy he has left by dragging behind the two riders. At the final stretch, he ignores his burning muscles, sling-shots around his competitors, and crosses the finish line first, arms raised. Then he rides his bike home and goes to bed.
—Katy Rank Lev
