Hey J, thanks for the helpful information. I was in the bicycle path a few weeks ago asking similar questions and some guy there referred me to the UNT Cycling Club's page on FB which after searching for I couldn't find (I may be an idiot, but searching on FB never gets me the results I'm looking for). You can find me on facebook (Matt Iserman). I was working Wed nights and Sat/Sun mornings and never had the opportunity to join The Bicycle Path on any of their rides (starting this week I'll have Saturdays off).
I sold my mountain bike just before I left Austin (needed cash for the move) and to be quite honest, I don't really miss it. I'm more of a roadie guy anyway.
Collegiate racing is something I'd love to get involved with now that I'm at UNT, yet with zero racing experience, I'm sure it's a tough nut to crack. I assume road season would start in the Spring, so that gives me some time to train and get in better shape. What I'm really looking for is a few guys to ride with over the winter who can help me get to where I would need to be in the Spring. Since I'm new to town I don't really know the good places to ride so I generally stick to loops around the city whenever I want to put in serious milage. Also, riding in harsh conditions doesn't phase me too much (I pedicabbed in Austin through the winter last year and made the big bucks while all the Nancy boys stayed home, actually kind of enjoyed working up a sweat in the cold).
I went on the Tuesday Night Social Ride for a few weeks when I first got to Denton back in June. It was alright, but I like a bit of a faster pace when I ride. My girlfriend really enojyed the ride though, and we've been meaning to ride it more often.
Anyway, thanks for the advice and I look forward to hearing from you. You can hit me up on fb, email me (mattDOTisermanATgmail), or just reply to this thread.