Crits in Melbourne

Gags said:

I know I could prob find out all I need to know by searching the web but I
am inherently lazy and so I am gonna pose some questions here as I am pretty
sure there are enough people in here who can answer them.

What is the go if I want to try racing a crit to see if it is for me??

Do I need to be licenced??

If yes, how much does a licence cost??

Do I need to be a member of a club to join in one of their races??

How hard is the pace (not how fast), how long are the races, and which grade
would a first-timer be slotted into??

For the BR guys.....do the crits have any hills like what we do on the BR??
(still hate those hills).

Ride On,

Gags

Gags, remind me on Sunday.
Search this forum for my last year race reports on my first 3 (Feb-March) at Kew.
I just paid $25 to Join Hawthorn club so i could ride in their races and $5 on the day. Kew is a loop you can check out on your commute (closed off loop next to east end of Johnston St). The first one is Wed 6pm Nov 9'ish from memory (check Hawthorn's site). Appaprently this course is harder than the other courses but then again the fields werent so manic from all reports

"Gags" <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

What is the go if I want to try racing a crit to see if it is for me??

Glenvale is probably the easiest circuit but has
the most riders. Any circuit will do really.

Quoted message said:

Do I need to be licenced??

Yes, but this can be in the form of a day licence
which are about $20.

Quoted message said:

If yes, how much does a licence cost??

For club and national CA licence about $200/yr.?

Quoted message said:

Do I need to be a member of a club to join in one of their races??

Nup.

Quoted message said:

How hard is the pace (not how fast), how long are the races, and which

grade

Quoted message said:

would a first-timer be slotted into??

How hard? That's too relative to the individual. I've raced
crits where I've pootled along and then sprinted for 50m
to win and I've raced crits where it took minutes just to get
my breathe back and I could barely stand up afterwards.
Race length depends on grade. ~45min for D, 50min for C.
D grade for all newbies, unless there's a lower grade.

Quoted message said:

For the BR guys.....do the crits have any hills like what we do on the

BR??

Quoted message said:

(still hate those hills).

hahaha. No. None of the crits circuits have real hills.

hippy

"Gags" <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know I could prob find out all I need to know by searching the web but I
am inherently lazy and so I am gonna pose some questions here as I am
pretty
sure there are enough people in here who can answer them.

What is the go if I want to try racing a crit to see if it is for me??

Do I need to be licenced??

If yes, how much does a licence cost??

Do I need to be a member of a club to join in one of their races??

How hard is the pace (not how fast), how long are the races, and which
grade
would a first-timer be slotted into??

For the BR guys.....do the crits have any hills like what we do on the
BR??
(still hate those hills).

Ride On,

Gags

Gags,

This link should answer some of your qestions
http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/Membership/membershiphome.htm

But being an ADF member this may be of interest to you.
Here's what was in the september issue of Cycling Australia's E-Cycle
newsletter:
<quote>
Defence Force Club

The agreement by the CA Annual General Meeting to accept the formation of an
Australian Defence Force Cycling Club (ADFCC) is expected to become reality
in time for the new 2005 membership year.
The ADFCC will affiliate directly to CA but capitation and membership
statistics will be allocated to each state based on home addresses. As most
ADF members are regularly subjected to long periods away on exercise or
other ADF commitments and may not be able to participate all year round and
as the majority of ADFCC members will only participate in cycling activities
conducted within the services, it has been agreed that ADFCC membership will
be offered at a discount fee (approx 30%). However, an ADFCC licence will
reflect 'full membership' status including the capacity to represent State
and National teams. Due to regular movement and postings of ADF personnel,
exemption is granted to permit ADFCC members to compete in local 'club'
based racing.
<unquote>

I don't know who you would need to contact but a call to someone at CA
should be able to point you in the right direction.
http://www.cycling.org.au/Template.cfm?Section=Contact_Us

Geoff

"flyingdutch" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gags said:

I know I could prob find out all I need to know by searching the web but
I
am inherently lazy and so I am gonna pose some questions here as I am
pretty
sure there are enough people in here who can answer them.

What is the go if I want to try racing a crit to see if it is for me??

Do I need to be licenced??

If yes, how much does a licence cost??

Do I need to be a member of a club to join in one of their races??

How hard is the pace (not how fast), how long are the races, and which
grade
would a first-timer be slotted into??

For the BR guys.....do the crits have any hills like what we do on the
BR??
(still hate those hills).

Ride On,

Gags

Gags, remind me on Sunday.
Search this forum for my last year race reports on my first 3
(Feb-March) at Kew.
I just paid $25 to Join Hawthorn club so i could ride in their races
and $5 on the day. Kew is a loop you can check out on your commute
(closed off loop next to east end of Johnston St). The first one is Wed
6pm Nov 9'ish from memory (check Hawthorn's site). Appaprently this
course is harder than the other courses but then again the fields
werent so manic from all reports
--
flyingdutch

Is that the loop in Yarra Bend Park?? or is it Yarra Bend Road??

Gags

"Geoff" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Gags" <gags_44nospamatnospamtpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I know I could prob find out all I need to know by searching the web but

I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

am inherently lazy and so I am gonna pose some questions here as I am
pretty
sure there are enough people in here who can answer them.

What is the go if I want to try racing a crit to see if it is for me??

Do I need to be licenced??

If yes, how much does a licence cost??

Do I need to be a member of a club to join in one of their races??

How hard is the pace (not how fast), how long are the races, and which
grade
would a first-timer be slotted into??

For the BR guys.....do the crits have any hills like what we do on the
BR??
(still hate those hills).

Ride On,

Gags

Gags,

This link should answer some of your qestions
http://www.vic.cycling.org.au/Membership/membershiphome.htm

But being an ADF member this may be of interest to you.
Here's what was in the september issue of Cycling Australia's E-Cycle
newsletter:
<quote>
Defence Force Club

The agreement by the CA Annual General Meeting to accept the formation of

an

Quoted message said:

Australian Defence Force Cycling Club (ADFCC) is expected to become

reality

Quoted message said:

in time for the new 2005 membership year.
The ADFCC will affiliate directly to CA but capitation and membership
statistics will be allocated to each state based on home addresses. As

most

Quoted message said:

ADF members are regularly subjected to long periods away on exercise or
other ADF commitments and may not be able to participate all year round

and

Quoted message said:

as the majority of ADFCC members will only participate in cycling

activities

Quoted message said:

conducted within the services, it has been agreed that ADFCC membership

will

Quoted message said:

be offered at a discount fee (approx 30%). However, an ADFCC licence will
reflect 'full membership' status including the capacity to represent State
and National teams. Due to regular movement and postings of ADF

personnel,

Quoted message said:

exemption is granted to permit ADFCC members to compete in local 'club'
based racing.
<unquote>

I don't know who you would need to contact but a call to someone at CA
should be able to point you in the right direction.
http://www.cycling.org.au/Template.cfm?Section=Contact_Us

Geoff

Thanks Geoff.......that might just be a goer.

General Question: Do guys hook up for club races to form a "team" and then
try to control the race so that their gun sprinter can win??? Do clubs put
up anything in the way of prizes as incentives???

Gags

Quoted message said:

General Question: Do guys hook up for club races to form a "team" and
then
try to control the race so that their gun sprinter can win??? Do clubs
put
up anything in the way of prizes as incentives???

Gags

Not a team as such. Usually a few friends (usually club or training mates)
that work together in a race. I've actually been in a race where it was
pretty much just two groups working against each other - it was to say the
least very interesting tactical racing. I think you would call it colusion
rather than team racing.

Yes there are incentives to win... MONEY the amount of which depends on the
grade and numbers racing in that grade. The money pool comes from race
entry fees and sometimes club sponsors.

Geoff

Gags said:

Is that the loop in Yarra Bend Park?? or is it Yarra Bend Road??

Gags

in the park i guess. the road version is on the north side of the river near golfcourse, etc

Imagine heading east along Johnston, passing Kyra's place (computershare) on the left just before you cross river. then cross river/bridge and look up to your left. That's it. Take the turnoff to get onto Boulevard but double-back hard left so you are now heading West. that road is about 200m long and takes you to the gates and start of the loop

oh sod it, that dont make no sense...

here's a map

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~bdarabug/images/kewcrits.gif