new racer needing help

Hi Taylor,

First, it's good to see that you are aiming high with your ambitions 🙂, kudos on determination.

Your first big step towards racing should be to RIDE MORE! Good start with daily rides over 10 miles 😉! Try getting involved with a few friends for group rides, and progress to a local cycling club to learn how to ride in larger groups... Get comfortable with cornering and manuevering in a mass of people.
At your age, there are probably some good opportunities within local junior race clubs, where you can recieve coaching and support from other riders your age. Look online, or go to your LBS for more information on such clubs.
Once you have some more experience (miles on your legs, and age), you'll need a UCF liscense (if you don't already have one from a junior team). From that point on, enter as many races as you can, and get a feeling for how hard this sport can really be.

As for what to do to get into serious racing (climbing from Cat5 to Cat1), you first need to ask yourself a few questions, and answer them honestly:
1. What am I in this for? Are you looking for glory and riches, or the thrill of a chase and the satisfaction that comes from overcoming your own personal obstacles as well as other racers?
2. Am I willing to put in the time? As you get into racing you will be spending well upwards of 25-30 hours a week at your age training. This seems small, but 25 hours in the saddle can seem like forever if you aren't in love with the sport.
3. Am I willing to accept that it may never happen for me? Not everybody is cut out to be an ultra-elite pro racer like the "movie-star" headliners of Armstrong, Basso, Indurain, etc.
4. Am I willing to give up LOTS of other comforts in life so that I may be physically and financially prepared for racing?

If you feel that you can answer yes to the questions, then you just may have a shot.

Good Luck!

now thats the kind of stuff i need

the answer to every question is yes, except for the open ended one which is im not sure why im in this i get on the bike i clip in; i go, id rather do that than watch a movie, drive the car, whatever you know... then going fast like the devils chasing you,... thats what its about... no,

going from cat five and making my way up through to 1 is going to be a fun journey ill keep you guys posted

RaiderRider said:

My name is Taylor Brown I am 16 and I am going to be a pro eventually.

Im just... not sure how. what do you guys suggest,
BTW i read the "When is it time post" but thats not really what im asking here
im more wanting tips on how to move up, in a timely manner for someone my age

i ride everyday at leat 10 miles, most always more, i raced a crit last year, so embarrasing i skipped it this year, but next year and from now on im going all out and im clawing my way to the top...

can you fellas help

I am 16 myself and I have been racing and training for about 2 1/2 years, I am currently a Cat. 4 and I am halfway to a 3 and I hope to be a 2 by the end of next year. I have to train about 3-4 hours a day and on Thursday's I have to ride the trainer for 1-2 hours due to my College schedule ( I am a concurrent student at a local college and I am racking up the college credits so I can spend less time in an out of state college.) Don't try to suddenly increase your training mileage, maybe add five miles per week until you can work up to about 40 or 50 miles, since the winter is coming now is the time to get in a good base for next season. Try to get affliated with a local racing team or club and try to get a coach. Prepare to make sacrifices, forget about going to parties or seeing movies late at night with friends. Forget about buying things not related to cycling, work hard to eat healthily. But don't worry about winning every race next year because, like me, you will still be pretty young and still have the risk of burning out, that's why a lot of the Juniors who are highly succesful in their early years ( I still haven't won a race:o , just gotten a bunch of top fives and top threes) dissappear completely from the sport. Above all, stay focused and have fun, don't let training and racing become a burden, you will make it if you belive in yourself.

RaiderRider,

The advice here is pretty good. You will want to try riding longer than 10 miles but do it gradually. And if you do find a club to join, I think you will find the miles go by a lot quicker if you have someone to ride with. It also helps to get out the door, when you're not that motivated, if you have someone to meet up with. And of course, your skills will improve quickly riding with a group too.

I just wanted to advise you on your hours per week of training. You read one post listing 25-30hrs per week. That is simply too high. If you hit 25 hours in the middle of next summer once or twice, that would be something to build up to. 20 hours is more realistic.

As for now, if the weather is good, enjoy yourself and ride about 10-12 hrs/week through November/December. Take some time off in December, maybe 5 or 6 days. A lot of people take time off over the Christmas break. But if you're in school, you'll probably want to ride during the holidays instead. So in that case, try and ride more for the holidays and then plan a rest week after that such as when school starts up again. In January, try to build up to 15hrs if the weather is good. If your season starts in March, then in February you will want to do some 4 hour rides with some hard efforts to get fit for race season. Maybe plan a week of up to 20 hrs if you can swing it. Hope that helps.

Good luck with your goals. With your enthusiasm, you should be able to be a competitive junior in time. Here's some advice:

1. Find a local club that has some juniors on it. Work hard to make friends with the other juniors on the team.
2. Find a coach or a mentor, but MAKE SURE they have experience working with juniors. If they only coach masters, they won't know how to properly coach you.
3. Ignore these other posts about training 20 to 30 hours a week!!!! That's insane. Keep up with your consistency, and work up to 12 to 15 hours a week MAX. Getting on the bike 5 to 6 days a week is more important than BIG hours at your age.
4. The first criterium for EVERY junior is hard. I tell any new junior to not plan on finishing their first crit, no matter how strong they are.

Trust me, I know. I run the biggest U19 development team in the US. We ONLY work with kids like you who are new to the sport.

Dan Coleman
www.teamcolavita.com

calldano said:

Good luck with your goals. With your enthusiasm, you should be able to be a competitive junior in time. Here's some advice:

1. Find a local club that has some juniors on it. Work hard to make friends with the other juniors on the team.
2. Find a coach or a mentor, but MAKE SURE they have experience working with juniors. If they only coach masters, they won't know how to properly coach you.
3. Ignore these other posts about training 20 to 30 hours a week!!!! That's insane. Keep up with your consistency, and work up to 12 to 15 hours a week MAX. Getting on the bike 5 to 6 days a week is more important than BIG hours at your age.
4. The first criterium for EVERY junior is hard. I tell any new junior to not plan on finishing their first crit, no matter how strong they are.

Trust me, I know. I run the biggest U19 development team in the US. We ONLY work with kids like you who are new to the sport.

Dan Coleman
www.teamcolavita.com

Taylor, I suggest you get a hold of a guy named Martin Jackson. He'll get you on a doping regime and you'll be kicking the [censored] out of those euro wussies in no time.

I'll even put in a good word for you with Mr. Jackson.

Good luck and remember, with the right drugs, you don't even need to train.

I feel like people are coming down hard on the hours I posted about spending training... Training consists of more than being on the bike however. Sorry if my comment about pain in the saddle after 25 hours was confusing. If my calculations are right... 25 hours of riding in a week would be quite difficult -though definitely possible (3/12 to 5 hours a day). Again, sorry to confuse the matter. My comment was originally meant to encourage commitment to the sport, as well as bring up the issue of training off the bike on days when a ride just isn't possible.

Good luck again, sounds like you've got some good support here!

spinner32 said:

Good luck again, sounds like you've got some good support here!

Yes, good luck.