Nearly every single WUCA member begins by trying to complete what has been an impossible goal on their bicycle! That is the cool thing about ultracycling—it is a great sport where you can test your limits and find out how much more is inside of you!
Our members are diverse in all possible ways—age, gender, race, nationality, bike type. . . and more. Only a very few are professional; nearly all of us are amateur athletes that love to go long on our bikes!
Ultracycling does not require special equipment; many first-timers will just use their regular road bike to get started! Sure, there are plenty of upgrades available (like in any sport) but they are not required to have a great experience!
One more thing—we cheer for each other’s success! It is amazing out on the road or in the pits how everyone helps each other keep going. Any new ultracyclist will always be amazed how many times someone cheers them along even when getting passed on the road!
Absolutely yes! Once you join WUCA, our volunteer leadership and our members will be ready, willing, and able to help you make the right connections to learn more and become part of our growing global community.
First, while WUCA membership is not required, we strongly encourage it! Your membership will open the door to lots of valuable information on how to make your first event successful.
Second, you need to be prepared with the level of fitness and training appropriate to the demands of your first event-whether the race is 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 500 miles or more!
Third, you want to prepare the nutrition, hydration, and spare equipment you may need to stay fueled and operational during the event. Our Member Forum has lots of information on that topic. Most ultracycling events include laps that take the athletes through the pits (just like an auto race) or allow rolling crew support-in either case, having the right stuff to keep rolling is critical.
Fourth, you need a bicycle, tuned and ready to go. WUCA athletes compete on regular road bikes (from single speed to 27 gears), recumbent bikes, hand-cycles, tandems, and more. But a mechanical problem (or poor fit) can be so disappointing, especially if you can avoid it with good mechanical care!
Finally, you need the emotional strength and courage to try! Ultracycling is an endurance sport that challenges every athlete to go beyond their limits and achieve the impossible. Yes, it can be physically uncomfortable; you may face rain or wind, hot or cold, potholes to avoid, and hills to climb (sometimes more than once!) Yes, just rolling across the starting line is a great accomplishment, but finishing that first race is simply an amazing moment!
YES! In 2021, COVID-permitting, WUCA championship races are planned in North America, Europe and, we hope, in Asia. Championship races are selected among the many different WUCA-sanctioned races and offer you the chance to be the champion in 6-hour, 12-hour, 24-hour, and ultra-distance events (typically 500+ miles). Male and female overall winners receive one-of-a-kind WUCA jerseys and bragging rights until the next year!
Our sport is growing fast—on nearly every continent, our calendar fills with new races in which to enter. In 2021, WUCA is introducing new, automated ways to input your data and update the standings in our various competitions.
In many races, athletes are supported by crews in their pits. Sometimes its just someone’s partner or spouse, in a few cases, there can be two or three people. In 2021, WUCA is offering crew memberships and new, special content to help them help their athletes.
One of WUCA’s most important jobs is maintaining the rules and standards for assuring the continued growth and success of ultracycling.
For cyclists (and their crew), the most important rules will be those that focus on the safety. In addition to the rules published for each event, WUCA is compiling a comprehensive guide to ensuring riders and crew have the benefit of the collective experience of those who have accumulated many thousands of miles of racing.
For promoters, WUCA has developed a detailed set of rules and guidelines. Promoters will establish their own event rules, consistent with local regulations and unique parameters of each event. Members may be confident, however, that races on the WUCA calendar are compliant with at least a minimum set of rules, available to promoters on this website.
For attempting a world record, one of the hardest achievements in any sport, the rules are more detailed and rigorously administered. Rules address application fees, measuring course distances, bicycle equipment and safety, training and use of officials, timing and measurement equipment, etc.-the World Record Rules.