Imagine a quiet ride through the beautiful Kansas countryside, taking in the breathtaking, diverse scenery at a slow, steady pace. Each adventure you take makes you want to travel farther and your love of this activity grows more with each trip. But instead of cruising in a car, you spend your time on two wheels - on a bicycle.

"My longest ride was from Salina to Manhattan, a trip of more than 70 miles," said Scott Smerchek, junior in computer science. "I enjoy the scenery more than anything."

For Smerchek, riding long distances on a bike is nothing out of the ordinary. As a member of the K-State cycling club team, he rides his bike every day.

"Each member of the team has their own individual training plan," he said. "A group of us go to [Peters Recreation Complex] twice a week right now and with warmer weather coming, we will be out riding quite a bit more."

Smerchek said he first got interested in cycling as a way to be active.

"I wanted to do triathlons as a way to challenge myself," he said. "I took up cycling as a third of that training and decided later to drop the swimming and running."

Once he decided to focus on cycling, he became an active member in the club at K-State, participating in several races in his first year with the team. Now in his second year, Smerchek is building on the fundamentals he learned last season.

"He has improved most with his fitness," said Tanner Marshall, senior in mechanical engineering and member of the cycling team. "He's also broadened his horizons by trying mountain biking and improved his technique."

Smerchek said though their club has drawn as many as 30 members, many of them are not interested in racing competitively.

"We welcome anyone who has an interest in cycling, whether you like mountain biking, road biking or just want to learn more about the sport," Smerchek said.

The cycling team competes in the North Central Collegiate Cycling Conference, which includes rivals Nebraska and Kansas.

"Our first race is against KU and is an invitational for the entire conference," Marshall said. "Road season starts at the end of March."

K-State will host a race the first weekend in April, which will feature multiple races.

"There will be a race up at Tuttle on Saturday, followed by a criterium in Aggieville on Sunday," said Zach Dubas, senior in mechanical engineering and member of the cycling team. "A criterium is basically just a shorter race that emphasizes speed, acceleration and turning more than endurance."

He said the criterium is the most fan-friendly race, with each cyclist lapping the course as many as 30 times.

As a junior, Smerchek will have one more season after this one with the cycling team to improve his skills.

"In the future, I will continue to ride, but in a less competitive environment," he said. "Cycling is something I enjoy and helps to keep me active and healthy, so I won't give it up."

He said anyone interested in the club should come to one of the weekly meetings Wednesdays in Union 206 or check out their Web site at www.ksu.edu/cyclingclub.