crit strategies

DON'T over train! Everyones biggest mistake. Train yourself to sprint, ideally from a lead-out. Remember that rest is at least as important as miles or hours. Minimize your effort in the race until you need it for the breakaway, prime or finish.

ya i am a pretty good sprinter b/c of my size but horrible at hills but there is no hills on this course. so you saying just stay with the pack and sprint like the last 100 yards or so. i don't think i am over training i have a 42 mile race the next weekend that is a real hard course so i am riding alot. to try and at least not finish last

billybob1992002 said:

ya i am a pretty good sprinter b/c of my size but horrible at hills but there is no hills on this course. so you saying just stay with the pack and sprint like the last 100 yards or so. i don't think i am over training i have a 42 mile race the next weekend that is a real hard course so i am riding alot. to try and at least not finish last

Stay close to but not necessarily at the front of the bunch.

1)Less chance of getting caught up in a stack,
2) or dropped from the elastic band effect of corners (ie having to accelerate after each corner to get back into the bunch).
3) You can go with any breaks, or if the bunch is big, know that a break has gone.

It doesn't sound like you over train. Make sure you are doing intervals of some kind.

I have found that it's helpful to get your heart rate close to max 3 or 4 times before your race, may be 10 minutes before. I normally do this by doing some short sprints near full tilt.

I don't know your category but if it's possible to enter two races you may find the second to be easier even if it's faster. Just because the muscles and mind are all geared up.

Stay in the top 10% to 15% even if you have to be very aggressive to keep that position. If you do this you may not even have to break into corners you surely will if you are in the back half. As I'm sure you know crit racing is a highly aggressive sport so position is the name of the game.

Try and figure out who the sprinters may be. Who keeps going after the primes. Are there teams in the race, are they communicating and organized. If so you may want to pay close attention to what they are doing in the last 4 laps or so. They'll likely try and lead someone out.

45 minute beginners crit.

There will be no strategy. It will be all out from the start so forget strategy. If It's anything like the crits around here then I would be more worried about keeping the rubber on the road in the corners. Look for anyone as inexperienced as you and stay away from them.

ya it is not a normal cat5 crit i am racing in the cat5 novice division b/c it is a beginers crit. so there will be a lot of inexperienced riders wich scares me alot b/c i don't want to mess my bike up b/c of some idiot who has never riden with a group or anything

billybob1992002 said:

i don't want to mess my bike up b/c of some idiot who has never riden with a group or anything

this has always been my biggest cause of hesitation to get into racing, particularly crits..

to the experienced racers: is it pretty much a given that you'll eventually sacrifice your bike to a pile-up? do you use a different bike (less valuable, more durable, perhaps?) for crits than you would for a standard road race?

i have my one bike it is a Cdale R700 and i can't afford multiple bikes and stuff. i guess it is a risk i have to take

ishiwata said:

this has always been my biggest cause of hesitation to get into racing, particularly crits..

to the experienced racers: is it pretty much a given that you'll eventually sacrifice your bike to a pile-up? do you use a different bike (less valuable, more durable, perhaps?) for crits than you would for a standard road race?

*After* I got a really nice road bike I use the old bike for all the flat crits and riding in the rain. I've seen way too many broken forks and frames at crits. But I've never gotten in a bad accident in a bike race - just try to keep my nose out of the wind and out of trouble. If you watch out for sketchy riders (pass them ASAP or at least don't let their riding impact you directly, and people doing foolish things like trying to overtake on the inside when the whole pack is going wide for a turn, it's pretty easy to stay relatively safe. If the old bike goes south I am planning on buying one of the 200 dollar frames and putting all the parts on it.

billybob1992002 said:

i don't want to mess my bike up b/c of some idiot who has never riden with a group or anything

It's a risk you got to take. Racing is so much fun and, yes, having your bike totalled in an accident sucks. I would personally probably cry (lol), but at least I was having fun and keeping up with my passion. Just keep your eyes open and stay alert.

And, don't ride scared...

well i did the crit and the so called novice was not really novice. it was hardcore riders who just say they are novice. i ended up dropping out after 15 mins b/c i had been sick the whole week and i was in last place and going to get lapped

Don't even worry about it. Everyone gets dropped, but please don't get discouraged! If you can find an evening twilight series do it as often as possible. Getting dropped is probably not as much about your fitness as it is experience. I know guys, crusty old crit racer guys, who may as well not even train because they just know the game so well. They can fake it. And many of them just race themselves into shape. It just boils down to mistakes-the crusty old guys don't make them and you probably made them all.
If you just keep trying you will learn the game, w/o question.

i am trying not to let it discourage me. i have a 42 mile race this weekend and i am feeling better but i dunno if i can do it. after the results of this race but my friends say collegiate is much easier and especially in the c class

billybob1992002 said:

i am trying not to let it discourage me. i have a 42 mile race this weekend and i am feeling better but i dunno if i can do it. after the results of this race but my friends say collegiate is much easier and especially in the c class

it's been years but that was my experiance with college racing. Is it another crit?

42 miles-must be a RR. Just a little slow today.

nope it is like a 16 mile loop that we ride around 3 times with a couple hills and about a mile and a half of hard packet dirt

This is your first year racing and you will get dropped a lot. Approach each race as a chance to learn something about the sport and think afterwards about what you can take away and apply to the next crit. Someone said on the boards years ago that you have to be really fit just to suck in bike racing. I've found a lot of truth in that. What's cool about the sport is that every race pushes you beyond the limits you've unconciously accepted in your training. And you get better.

Keep it up and keep us posted.

chris
ne iowa

Have you noticed that you ride little faster after your first race? Sometimes I consider Crit races as speed workouts. Keep racing! One day, you will finish first.

Good luck!

hopefully i will finish first sometime that would be great and a awsome payoff for all the work i have been putting in. my next race is not till april so i will be able to train real hard for it.