First Road Race

Everyone is out of their league doing there first race. Jump in there and have fun. You will get better faster by racing. Chances are you may get dropped early, but you will learn more in your first race then through months of training. There will be lots of riders with your ZERO racing experience. That is why you start as a cat 5. Jump in there and have fun!!

haynen said:

Hi, I've been riding for quite some time, but mostly solo. I don't have much experience riding in a peloton although I'd rate my bike handling skills as good. I would like to enter a race in a couple weeks and would do so as Cat 5, 48 miles, laps of an 8 mile course.

My question is: Am I out of my league in doing so? Any suggestions? My goals would be to 1) learn a bit about the racing scene, and 2) finish.

im entering my first race soon, and i have had barely any experience riding in a group.

im not too bothered, i dont think that it will be group riding skills that will be worrying me, more the pace of the race.

just try and stay mid-peloton so you dont get left for dead off the back.

I was least nervous in my first race hehe..then I felt in few races and I got fear of riding in the peloton🙄🙂

Ruff_Ryder said:

im entering my first race soon, and i have had barely any experience riding in a group.

im not too bothered, i dont think that it will be group riding skills that will be worrying me, more the pace of the race.

just try and stay mid-peloton so you dont get left for dead off the back.

My first race is in three weeks, a midweek 10 TT, No where to hide. I keep telling my self i haven't made a mistake, 35 years old and my first race, what am i thinking about. I haven't got a tt bike nor a skin suit nor a pair of Tri Bars, am doing this one commando....

Thanks for your thoughts all.
I shall not get dropped!

I just raced for the first time this year. It was supposed to go upto 55F, but sure didn't happen. Make sure you pack everything you can think of: shoe covers, arms and legs warmers and etc...

Everybody is doing their first race lately. I was little nervous because I didn't do much at all this winter but I finished with satisfied result. I thought I was the only one who is out of shape. Many of them are not in shape either. So, don't be scared and have fun. You shouldn't be looking at your result. Consider it as your speed workout or whatever.

Make sure you drink a plenty!

Well my first race in 30 years is up in 5 weeks. Been riding 6-8 hours a week all winter on my Kurt Road Machine with an occassional ride with the club on the weekend when warm enough and no precipitation. Finally getting a chance now to do some regular outdoor riding. Plan to up the intensity in the next month. First set of races in May followed by a short break in June, more training in June/July and another set of races mid-August through mid-September. Still pretty slow, only averaging about 19.2 mph on 30 min TTs. From what I've gleamed takes 2+ years to get in top form, so figured this year is a training one. No illusions of grandue, just the hope I can place in a cat 4/5 or Masters 50+ in 2007.

Good luck! Just make sure not to touch a wheel and bring half the peloton down! 😄

haynen said:

Hi, I've been riding for quite some time, but mostly solo. I don't have much experience riding in a peloton although I'd rate my bike handling skills as good. I would like to enter a race in a couple weeks and would do so as Cat 5, 48 miles, laps of an 8 mile course.

My question is: Am I out of my league in doing so? Any suggestions? My goals would be to 1) learn a bit about the racing scene, and 2) finish.

First thing is definitely enter the race. the best way to get a feel for racing is to race. Set realistic goals so that you won't be discouraged at the end.

However, it would be great if you were able to join in on a few club rides before hand so that you get a feel for riding in a pack. It's a lot different than riding solo and you have to be very careful of the other riders around you. It takes very little to cause a crash.

Some thoughts:
Be aware of the person not only in front of you, but also the person in front of him as well. A pack acts like a "wave" and the action of the guy in front will eventually make it's way to the back of the pack.

Try not to be at the back of the pack. Usually the safest place to ride is the top 10 to 20 riders. if you can't manage that (sometimes the pace is too hard) try and at least stay in the middle so that you don't get the rubber band effect that hits the end of the line. This will also have you using only about 70-85% of the guys doing the work at the front.

Try not to use your brakes much when in a paceline. If you have to gradually slow down try extending your inside knee outward to cause a "drag". Of course if you have to make a sudden stop use your brakes.

Get yourself mentally prepared for a mass sprint at the end of the race. Most Cat 5 races don't break up that much, so there's usually a huge pack gunning it to the finish line. This is the most dangerous point of the race, so BE VERY careful. Watch the people around you so you don't get caught up in a cvrash. If you DO try the sprint and bonk before the end, DON'T just die in the middle of the road, you could cause a crash. Graually work your way to the left (assuming the yellow line rule is in effect) and you will be out of the way of the rush up the middle.

Most important, HAVE FUN. No-One is going to go to the Tour de France, so just enjoy the race and don't get caught up in a testosterone war.

Hope you do well and meet your goals! 😄

i did my first race a while back and got dropped and i ended up not finishing. but riding in a group is different on your rides find like a solid road line like the white or yellow ones and stay on the line without swerving off it that will help and just have some fun don't expect to win first place if you do that is awsome but don't be discouraged if you don't. one thing is to pace yourself don't wear yourselve out at the very begining and not be able to finish

haynen said:

Thanks for your thoughts all.
I shall not get dropped!

I just started racing myself and while I definately found the speed intimidating at first, sitting in the dfraft kept it reasonable. I was surprised to finish with the lead group in the bunch sprint with the same time as the winner. Even if I hadn't, though, I noticed a lot of folks cruising off the back just taking the opportunity for some early season training and not worrying about being competitive, which was cool. As others have said, there will be other newb's or out of shape veterans there, too, so don't sweat it.
I will say, though, that given the choice between speed and bike handling, focus on the bike handling. I don't remember or have an opinion on the people who get dropped, but I have some very *special* feelings for the guys who jam on their brakes in front of me or can't hold a line safely. I figure if I get dropped it's my problem, if I take out half the pack, that's everybody's problem.

NW

Ruff_Ryder said:

im entering my first race soon, and i have had barely any experience riding in a group.

im not too bothered, i dont think that it will be group riding skills that will be worrying me, more the pace of the race.

just try and stay mid-peloton so you dont get left for dead off the back.

Remember, training is training, racing is the polar opposite. Mass group racing is not a breathing contest. Playing chess is the game.

Group riding skills (safety for all, and for energy economies for you) are critical for success. The stronger and smarter the field the more these skills grow critical.

Unless you plan on riding off-the-front and TTing your way home alone---or with a couple others, you will need to work with others, and understand what being in a box means. And how to exit the box by creating a space. How to use your upper body to widen an area--and gradually slowing/accerating to zip through newly open holes. (too advanced for Cat 5) For now, just get used to the slowing/accelerating bunch.

If it is your first race---you will not know when to move up---or where/when the easiest places/ways to do that is. You'll be guessing as to what to do, when to do it--and how much energy to use.

My advice for race #1.

1) have no expectations other than for pure fun.
2) do not cross wheels
3) do not "half-wheel" other riders
4) do not go over the centerline (ever)
5) follow along----work off the efforts of others.
6) do not attack or counter attack until you get within 1,000 meters or less to go. Let others do that.
7) If you do make it to the 1 km cone, with the lead group, you will have had a tremendous day.

Good luck. Enjoy road cycling.

As I have mentored Cat 4 & 5 races, I will predict that there will be a few super strong guys who will attack constantly. The group will then race/react negatively-----meaning they will chase everything down immediately rather than allowing a break to form OTF--which normally happens in cat 3, 2, 1 pro.

If this is so, you need do the the minimum effort until very late into the race. You will be stronger/fresher than many of the others if you do this.

Your objective is to stay alert, avoid crashes by being slotted into 6-15th place--never half-wheeling others.
Let the race come to you, not the reverse.

Be cool.

Oh, and please, NEVER ever, move out of your sprinting line in the final 100 meters.

NEVER, ever, unless you want to get T-boned.

You can also be justifiably DQed and banned until completing some mentoring classes.
Once you commted to your final 12-14 second effort, that is it. Go straight for the line. No hooking or meandering.

Weaving around is the mark of a real unsafe bozo.

And please do some mentoring classes and simulated sprinting and pursuiting drills too.

oh one other suggestion i have is to practice starting without wondering side to side b/c usually you will be touching elbows almost with others on the start and if you can't start in a straight line you run the risk of crashing and taking out a bunch of others

Flyer said:

Oh, and please, NEVER ever, move out of your sprinting line in the final 100 meters.

NEVER, ever, unless you want to get T-boned.

You can also be justifiably DQed and banned until completing some mentoring classes.
Once you commted to your final 12-14 second effort, that is it. Go straight for the line. No hooking or meandering.

Weaving around is the mark of a real unsafe bozo.

And please do some mentoring classes and simulated sprinting and pursuiting drills too.

Altenate view...see any race...sprinters go hard to the line and then pull out of the middle to get out of the way. Blocking the middle is a great way to get a lot of people angry with you and cause people to have to take unnesessary risks to get around you.

That being said, never make any sudden movements or directional changes when in a bunch, but by all means do try and get out of the way if safely possible.

What not to do is just sit up. When you have exhausted your energy, try to keep a reasonable pace until you are clear or others have gotten around you.