Originally Posted by DrPete
Sounds like a plan--guess I'll hang out till I win a race. It would be nice, after all, to taste victory before I start getting stomped in the 4's...
First, congrats on the progress. Hard work does pay off.
Second, on the topic of not upgrading until you win a race....I have a different take on that. I think that the time to upgrade is when you are able to consistently be competitive, fitness-wise and tactic-wise, in the category you are in. Being "competitive" means consistent top 10 finishes, not necessarily winning.
Actually, winning is a very hard thing to do, regardless of your abilities. There's a guy on my team who is an awesome racer. He started off last year as a Cat. 5 and won the State Championships as a 4 by the end of the year. He cat'd. up to 3 this year and is in the top 5 in the State. He's about to cat up to a 2.
From 5-to-2 in 2 seasons!
The interesting thing about this guy is that he nearly always finishes top 5, mostly top 3, but has actually only won 1 race.
If I were you, I'd think about that when deciding whether to upgrade or not. You certainly don't want to be one of those guys accused of being a sandbagger. Only you, yourself, really know whether you're "ready" for the upgrade.
Just my .02
Bob