Lithuania

so what exactly does one of these look like? Im thinking about submitting my upgrade request.

DrWJODonnell

https://www.njbikeracing.com/pages/ugresume.html

I keep my races on a resume in chart format in word. Everytime I race, I hit the tab key and voila, a new line to fill in with date, name of race, place of race, category, placing, and how many points.

zimbo

Dr. Will has it right. The only thing I would add would be the total number of racers since there's a minimum size requirement for 4->3 and so on.

--Steve

cat4ever

I do the same thing, except I don't need a column for points....

waterrockets 

Lithuania

if im honest about field size its going to be a while longer before i can upgrade

zzzwillzzz

well you don't wan't to lie because your districrt rep can look all that stuff up. but you can still send the info in and at least have a discussion about your upgrade. it's not your fault the field sizes are small. they may allow the upgrade anyways or tell you to stay where you are. it doesn't hurt to ask. if they don't upgrade just go out kick somemore @$$

Lithuania

im definitely not going to lie I would maybe just leave a thing or two out

SaddleBags

For an upgrade, it's a min field size of 10 and 10 miles for a crit.
https://www.vacycling.org/upgrade.html
This link has the info you can put on your upgrade request.

hollow

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but my question is pretty much the same. I'm thinking about upgrading as well, I just don't know if I should yet. So far this year I have 5 top 10 finishes and a couple of top 5s. I'm pretty big (6'2", 205 lbs), but three of my top 10s have been in road races. In all four of my road races I've been there for the sprint at the line. I'm just afraid of being able to keep up with the pack in the 4s. Any thoughts?

waterrockets 

Upgrade now and start learning more. You won't regret challenging yourself.

Size doesn't play into it unless you're not fit. One of our local strongmen is 6'4 and probably 215-220 (all muscle). He won masters national championships in 2005 -- in Park City Utah (climb, climb, climb). He got into a small breakaway, then countered on a climb and went solo for the win.

DrPete 

Upgrade. You'll end up a much stronger, smarter rider for it. And FWIW, my measurements are the same as yours and I can hang with the pack in the 4's.

Cat 5 is for intro/development. If you're consistently putting in top 10's, you're ready to get out. Let some other newbie have his fun and catch the bug.

SaddleBags

US National Crit Champion - Kayle Leogrande

hollow

I suppose you guys are right, thanks. I just have so much to work on. And, I guess 5 top 10s are decent, I suppose I'm just comparing myself with my teammate who started racing in February, won 12 of his first 13 Cat 5 races, upgraded to Cat 4 and has won his first two races there. Not a good comparison. Plus, I can hang with the climbers but not beat them, and my sprinting is awful. I'm trying to read up on a training program for spinting and searching around here for some pointers.

blaronn

No, definitely don't compare yourself to him! He's a beast. He'll be a 3 by mid-season at the rate he's going. It took him upgrading for me to finally start winning. I just catted-up though so like mentioned above, time to let the next guy "catch the bug".

BTW, you did an awesome job of breaking up the pack Sunday & eliminating the support guys in light blue. From what I've heard, half of hanging with the 4's involves tactics & smarts, and you're well above the 5's level in that regard. You've also got a great team to learn from - one of the few that successfully executed any tactics in the 5's races I was in. It definitely frustrated me!

hollow

Yeah, he's already 2/3 of the way there. I was wondering when you were going to cat up, you're really getting some results. And congrats on the win, just wish I had held your wheel.

Thanks for the comments, most likely I'll cat up before the next race too. So, how did you know it was me, was it from giving my h/w? That'll usually do it, lol.

blaronn

Thanks. I felt surprisingly good throughout. It was fun working with you to wear 'em down, alternating attacks and hard pulls. Some of those guys were hurting pretty badly, and I think our race had most of the strong 5's, as the weaker 5's stuck to the short course. At the end I just assumed you had fallen off the back during the climb because the first time I looked back was well after the finish and I didn't see you. You must've exited the course quickly. It was disapointing though to not have the opportunity to measure up against the 4's.

There aren't many in MO who meet the description of your teammate. That narrowed it down to two likely people, you or the other guy who is something like 6'4" & 160. The h/w & username just sealed the deal.

hollow

Yeah, I could tell you felt good, since you almost went off the front a couple of times. That's why I figured I'd try to catch your wheel, and I had it until about 500m when that junior got in the mix and messed me up. And I did exit the course, right after the finish, I was just about 50m behind you as I sat up. I wish we could have raced the 4/5 race with the 4s as well since it seemed like we passed most of them.

MDcatV

https://www.mabra.org/article.php?did=35&scid=31

riskus - you've done your 10 races, upgrade. now.

Lithuania

^^^
thats the kind of response I like to hear! Now I know what I will be doing at work tomorrow.

platypus

yeah ya freakin' sandbagger!

Lithuania

well i sent in my upgrade request. im keeping my fingers crossed