Cat Ranking System??

www.usacycling.org

top secret.

mac77bear said:

Can someone please explain to a beginner bike racer how the Cat system works and how you get started racing?

mac77bear said:

Can someone please explain to a beginner bike racer how the Cat system works and how you get started racing?

Find a race that interests you. Go to the race. Register. When it is time for your race to begin to go the start line. When the gun goes off follow the other racers.

If you are road racing then you begin as cat 5 and you will race in either cat 5, cat 4/5 mixed, or you can do citizens races. If the race you are doing is USCF then you need a USCF liscense. You can buy an annual liscense or a 1 day liscense either online before the event or at the event when you register.

cat 5 4 3 2 1 5 begg so on

mac77bear said:

Can someone please explain to a beginner bike racer how the Cat system works and how you get started racing?

usacycling.org2005 USAC rulebook.pdfOpen ↗
See pages 4-5. Upgrade from 5-4 is based on entering 10 races. Upgrades from 4-1 are based on points gained from finishing position in races entered.
The best way to get started is to find a group of racers to train with. Go to a large race in your area and ask a few of the stronger riders where and when they train. Ask to tag along. You will get dropped at first, but if you train hard enough eventually you'll be able to stay with them. Riding with a fast group is your best preparation for racing. There might also be a riding or racing club in your area. They usually hold organized rides on weekends.

mac77bear said:

Can someone please explain to a beginner bike racer how the Cat system works and how you get started racing?

When I started racing I was told that I should wait three years before analyzing my racing potential. This is true if you're not Lance etc. This is assuming you haven't done other sports.

The critical thing to remember is that top speed (maximum burst speed) is probably the biggest obstacle for new racers, not the avg speed or the race distance. If you can hit close to 35+ mph on a flat road preceeded immediately by a shallow downhill then you'll be fine in that respect.

To race within the largest cycling organization (i.e. they select Olympic team, National Team, etc), you need to deal with USA Cycling. They have two sides - NORBA (mtb) and USCF (road). They have collegiate and other things but these two divisions are what most people deal with.

If you are a member of NORBA/USCF then you can enter races which meet their permit requirements, get relatively consistent officiating, deal with a relatively consistent set of rules, and get insurance coverage while you race. In return you have to follow the rules, probably the most important and immediate being that you MUST wear a helmet whenever you get on your bike anywhere anytime.

To become a member I believe it's $50 annually (discounted for Juniors). You start off as a Category ("Cat"😉 5. After doing 10 races, you can petition your regional rep to upgrade to Cat 4. As a Cat 4 you can earn points based on experience and on placings (20 points or 25 races). You get points (typically) for top-6 placings - 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for first-sixth place. As a Cat 3 you need to earn 25 points by placing only to upgrade to Cat 2.

Typically new racers are Cat 5's. If you are somewhat serious about your training and getting to at least, say, 10 races a year, you'll probably be either a 4 or a 3. Most racers are 4's or 3's (last I saw #'s, about 80% of licensed racers were one of the two). Cat 3's = "working man's class", i.e. you can hold a real job and be competitive.

Racers who approach racing with some level of seriousness usually work their way to Cat 4 within 12 months and possibly Cat 3 within two-three years of starting. Although you shouldn't hold back and keep winning Cat 5 races, it's also not good to advance too quickly.

Typically (no offense intended and this is based on my observations of New England racing):
Cat 5's: racers are 3-5 feet apart, smaller groups (field limit 50 per USCF rules), shorter races (10 miles might be typical), usually a couple really strong racers and the rest are trying to get their feet wet. If there are crashes they are usually because of rider error or mechanical problems - chain installed incorrectly, tire installed incorrectly, handlebars/stem not tight, first time ever on aero wheels with 30 mph gusty winds - these are some things I've seen at the races I promote.
Cat 4's: racers are 1-2 feet apart, some swerviness, racers don't welcome contact with other racers, fields up to 100 or so racers, longer races (15-20 miles typical crit), sometimes mixed with 3's. Crashes caused by any reason but usually contact with other riders.
Cat 3's: racers down to inches apart at times, some contact inevitable (shoulders, hips, etc) during the normal course of racing, races typically 20+ miles. Some very strong racers (multiple former national champions are Cat 3's). Crashes usually due to racers fighting for field position. Can be mixed with Pro/1/2's or 4's. Former racers getting back into the sport usually get placed here (if they were formerly Cat 1 or 2). more consistency in rider strength.

The best way to get started is to join a club or a team. Typically a club will have an associated team. Find local shops and ask if they have group rides or if they know of some "non-partisan" group rides. Where I am there is a huge group ride (100-200 riders) which is semi-spontaneous - no single club or organization is in charge and they ride every weekend day. Find a friendly face in a club or a shop and take it from there.

Good luck and hope you enjoy your foray into cycling.

This by far was the best information givin about cat racing for beginners, thanks and please write a book to help others out with a very good answer.

Thanks again,

mac77bear said:

Can someone please explain to a beginner bike how you get started racing?

Buy some good health insurance and a bike you can afford to replace. Contact a local bicycling group and ask when the fast group rides are. Show up for the rides and see how you compare. Ask the riders where the good places/times to train are. When you feel the urge to go to a race ask to share expenses with the guys on the group ride.

The common theme in the description of the different categories is "...crashes are usually due to..."

I think I'll stay slow, solo, and upright 🙂 My elbow still kills me from my one-man idiot fall.

"...crashes are usually due to..."

It's a part of the game from Citizen to Pro Tour.

Only a unicycle is a less stable machine.

Take a few dozen yards of road, mix in a random skill level (I've raced and trained with Cat I's that were terrible bike handlers despite their physical talents and lowly IV's that were catlike) of riders that would slit their mother's throat for a $5 trophy and turn the blender up to 30-35 MPH...in a crosswind...thru some blind turns...in the rain.

Hilarity and swearing ensues...

The advice given about racing a bike you can afford to replace is valid. Yesterday's aluminum cast-off with a decent pair of wheels is a good choice if you don't have the Radio Shack/Leopard/Trek team mechanic handing you out three free bikes plus spares every spring.

Good insurance is a must, USCF coverage be damned. Injuries that are serious may be rare, but they do occur and preparedness matters.

An old guy's advice about training with a team, some local racers, the fast local bunch or whatever is spot on. You don't get faster or more skilled training alone. Enter all the local Tuesday evening training crits or whatever your local scene offers. Train like you race...if you do, the racing gets easier.

Be prepared to travel. Depending on where you live, you will probably find yourself tossing bike and gear in the car and driving some distance to training races and to sanctioned events. Part of the bike game.

Stay away from the obviously dangerous riders and try your best not to be one.

Last of all, but most important...have fun! The more you race, the more enjoyment you'll get out of doing them. Watching your skills improve and measuring yourself against other racers is very rewarding. You'll meet [censored] and really great folks and hopefully make life long friendships with the latter while avoiding the former.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Good insurance is a must, USCF coverage be damned. Injuries that are serious may be rare, but they do occur and preparedness matters.

Last time I checked I believe it was a $5000 deductible - pretty sad. Cat5 crashes are somewhat frequent, especially in circuit type races. And unless you are contesting a podium spot or a top 5, ease up on the gas pedal at the end. I've seen too many accidents caused by Cavendish wannabees sprinting for 15th place. Some folks think it's a good idea to linger for a good result before upgrading to 4. I am not one of those people. Despite the fact that there are poor bike handlers along the spectrum, Cat 4 gets noticeably less squirrely.

Cat5 races altough occasionally as short as 10 miles are typically 17-22 miles, sometimes 25, and if you do any of the major "road" races, at least in the NE (Bear Mountain, Nancy Morgenstein, Battenkill, etc.), they are all about 60 miles (same as the 4's).

Save your race #'s and dates. Maybe not such an issue now w/race reg and electronic storage via old emails but I was denied an upgrade in '93 because simply because I hadn't noted the dates and was told I needed to redo my 10 races.

Having friends or teammates to share stories with after the race, about your great finish, about getting dropped, about your narrow miss, or to simply help you apply some gauze and bacetracin goes a long way to adding to the fun and excitement that is racing.

Good luck and remember to have fun.

...or to simply help you apply some gauze and bacetracin goes a long way to adding to the fun and excitement that is racing.

Too many stories to even start telling...unless you're buying the rum!

It should be mentioned that no race day bag should be without a proper first aid kit. Specifically, set up for road rash and cuts. Hydrogen peroxide gets you instant man-cred in the parking lot when your ass is hanging out of what's left of your shorts and your front wheel is in four pieces. Bonus points if the minor streaking of blood down your thigh has a couple of the local hotties checking you out...your buds will wish THEY have went down instead of you!

Nu-skin, Neosporin, A&D ointment, gauze, tape, scissors and a cooler of ice-cold beers to kill the pain after sitting on the back of the local ambulance getting patched up are rights of passage. Along with that busted wheel that hangs in the garage for the next thirty years with a hellova tale to go with!

Cat 4/5 wrecks are usually just stupid [censored] and mostly avoidable if you ride 'smart'.

My kit back for road races used to include a bottle of clean water, some TCP (disinfectant), a gentle scrub brush and gauze/tape. Crits weren't too bad if you fell off as the road rash is still pretty numb for around 10 minutes - which is enough time if it's bad enough to quit, get back to the car and clean the [censored] out. I only had a few crashes in years of racing and all the bad ones were in training. You get used to spotting the idiots, numpties and dumb fcuks.

I don't think that group rides offer much in the way of prep for shorter mass start events that are typically faster unless you have a group of guys that are hell bent on grinding each others souls into oblivion and causing lactic acid overflow - otherwise it's just a fast clubrun and a good few mph short of whats needed. Mid week crits and road races are great though.

If Cat5 scares you - plan a few weekends of doubling or tripling up on events if you can. Ride senior cat5 and masters cat5 if you're old enough :P Sat/Sun events - that's 4 per weekend - three weeks and you're Cat4 regardless of where you finished and how well you did - then it'll all be out of the way. If you're really that scared that you're gonna crash and break your face and your bike then maybe road racing isn't for you. Race bikes are meant to be raced and are not some prized possession soley for drooling over parked up against the wall outside of a cafe - besides, noone said you can't race on your training bike.

Some districts do "early bird" or similar events for those looking to start out that also count towards the tally of events required to move upto Cat4. They'll typically have one or two guys in the bunch that have some experience and will typically call out the numpties if they're proving dangerous and also offer advice on the go.

[quote="swampy 1970"]My kit back for road races used to include a bottle of clean water, some TCP (disinfectant), a gentle scrub brush and gauze/tape. Crits weren't too bad if you fell off as the road rash is still pretty numb for around 10 minutes - which is enough time if it's bad enough to quit, get back to the car and clean the [censored] out. I only had a few crashes in years of racing and all the bad ones were in training. You get used to spotting the idiots, numpties and dumb fcuks.[/swampy] Good idea with the kit, except for the brush. It's best to avoid brushing debris out of wounds as the brushing can do more damage. Instead flush with copious water--as opposed to fluids of copulation--and remove any remaining debris with tweezers.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by swampy1970 [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I don't think that group rides offer much in the way of prep for shorter mass start events that are typically faster unless you have a group of guys that are hell bent on grinding each others souls into oblivion and causing lactic acid overflow - otherwise it's just a fast clubrun and a good few mph short of whats needed. Mid week crits and road races are great though.

I used the phrase "fast group rides."

A beginning Cat5 is going to get beaten up pretty good on a fast friendly group ride. He is also going to learn a lot. Over time different training might be necessary. No sense in falling down and hurting others at the local races.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by alienator [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Good idea with the kit, except for the brush. It's best to avoid brushing debris out of wounds as the brushing can do more damage. Instead flush with copious water--as opposed to fluids of copulation--and remove any remaining debris with tweezers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by swampy 1970
My kit back for road races used to include a bottle of clean water, some TCP (disinfectant), a gentle scrub brush and gauze/tape. Crits weren't too bad if you fell off as the road rash is still pretty numb for around 10 minutes - which is enough time if it's bad enough to quit, get back to the car and clean the [censored] out. I only had a few crashes in years of racing and all the bad ones were in training. You get used to spotting the idiots, numpties and dumb fcuks.[/swampy]

I know - but when it's numb you don't feel it and I had a few local first aid type just flush stuff out and slather on the plastic skin only to have the road rash start oozing yellow goop... Personally, I'd rather hit it with a soft brush and know I've got it clean and it's not like I'm going in there with a wire brush trying to take off 40 years of rust off a brake rotor/hub :P Very soft brush used gently...

swampy1970 said:

 
I know - but when it's numb you don't feel it and I had a few local first aid type just flush stuff out and slather on the plastic skin only to have the road rash start oozing yellow goop... Personally, I'd rather hit it with a soft brush and know I've got it clean and it's not like I'm going in there with a wire brush trying to take off 40 years of rust off a brake rotor/hub :P Very soft brush used gently...

You could always give a metal comb a go. Road rash sucks, but infected road rash sucks massively. I'd rather break bones that have road rash get infected.

Every time I ended up in the ER after flying down the road without a bike or motorcycle under me, the nurses used a brush of some sort to get me sparkling clean and get the gravel bits out of my hide. Falling on fresh chip-and-seal is like falling on a cheese grater.