botero.

I will start racing this spring. I'm defintinly nervous. What was your first race like? I'm hoping this will be entertaining.

CrimsonKarter21

My first race was totally raw from my point of view, until I started doing better, then in hindsight it was a tragedy.
I started with the Cat 5's in the Junior class. I got dropped by the 5's.

DROPPED BY THE 5'S!

cat4ever

40 mile cat 5 road race in 2005. 33 riders total. Got dropped but hung on riding solo for 15 miles to finish 9th.

GuitarWizard

Just because it's a Cat 5 race doesn't mean it's going to be slow.

Frunkin

First race: Hung with the juniors on a flat 25 min crit. I placed pretty far back, but in my defense I didn't really hear/comprehend the bell for the last lap.

caloso

My fitness was good (I'd been doing triathlons) but I had absolutely no idea how to race a bike. I spent way too much time at the front of the pack and waited way too long to sprint. Not that I had any kind of sprint to give.

jeffremer

Lafeyette Criterum. About 3-4 months of weekly pack riding experience and less than a year riding. Lafeyette is a hard course: one normal 90 degree turn, one 90 degree turn after a very steep short descent, one 180 into a long but not super steep uphill finish. Nice pavement though. Got dropped about half way through, soloed for a while and then bailed after I was down half a lap.

The pace was high, I made typical newbie mistakes. I mashed through corners and braked too hard going into them. I didn't stay near the front and slowly got accordianed off the back.

Still, It was a ton of fun, I didn't let it discourage me, my next race I finished with the pack (albeit at the end of the pack). I've drastically improved (at least in crits, first RR this weekend), not because I'm much stronger but because I've learned to race a lot smarter. Every race has its lesson.

Youngin

Are there sub 18 categories? I want to start racing this summer.

Second Mouse

I'll let you know after my first race on 3/8.

divineAndbright

My first race was last season, 40km crit on rolling hills. it was a club race, theres an "A" group which would be cat 1-3, and the B group, your genral cat 4-5. I was pretty balsy and wanted to ride the A race, but they didnt think it would be a good idea being my first race and they made me ride the B, I solo's off right off the gun and stayed out at the front the whole thing and won rather easily I had a 20-30 second lead the whole thing. Did I mention I was riding a 24 pound 1989 steel bike with downtube shifters? Felt like total sandbagging to me regardless, but I think if I was in the other group I probably woulda been dropped by the end... although the next time I raced it in the A and got a 4th (still riding downtube shifters!).

ilpirata87

2 years ago, almost to the day. William and Mary collegiate C road race. The roads were winding and narrow enough as it was, and just 1 or 2 miles in there was an even narrower bridge. Of course a ton of people wrecked there and I stacked right into one of them. Luckily I jumped up without a scratch, bridged back on, and spent the rest of the race chilling at the back to finish in the pack. Decent for a first effort... First crit a couple months later didn't end up so well. Root canal = not so good times.

elgalad

My first race was a 72km RR on a course with lots of rollers and a few sprinters hills. Got into four or five breaks, because I hadn't learned anything about conserving energy, and ended up finishing somewhere toward the back of the pack.

esammuli

Boulevard Road Race. 44 miles with 1500ft climbing per lap. Got 13th in Collegiate B's.

cmh

My first race was one of the Parkside spring training races near Kenosha, WI. I was in the 14-15 yr old class called Intermediates. I was 14, riding a bike with steel wheels, and wearing tennis shoes and sweat pants. I was deathly afraid to ride in front for fear that I would get dropped so I sucked wheel the whole race. The small pack (maybe 8-10 riders?) kept talking about me and my team mate (also his 1st race) like we weren't there. They'd say "lets drop these guys" then surge up the pace, then look back at us and say "I can't believe they are still hanging on". I took 2nd place in the sprint. Everyone congratulated me on our placing and made me feel welcome after the race.

cmh

Yes there is a 16-17 yr old Jr. category. See usacycling.org and the getting started racing threads for more info.

eskimo85

B college road race, hung on barely. got dropped in the crits though, moved down to c and started doing better and learning a lot more because i was in it to win it.

asmallsol

First race weekend, the crit was 4/5's, and I kept on the back of the pack for about 10 minutes. Eventually fell back after picking the wrong wheel of someone who put a huge gap infront of him. Me and him worked together for the rest of the race, finished 9th of 19th. The next day on the RR, I got dropped by the sprinters on the last climb, finished 10th. Next weekend, I came out and got 4th in a 5 only crit. I was happy.

ElJamoquio

Fibber.

The races they combined were the Over and Under 35's. And the second race was like two weekends later.

Tarmacguy

First race was state championships, got dropped like a school kid..spent the last 40 odd kms by myself.

mike9903

dropped. . . . .


enough said

garysol1 

My first race was a stage race. It consisted of a 42 mile road race, a 10 mile TT then a 30 minute Crit.

Roadrace....Easier than expected. It was like a medium speed group ride with a sprint at the end. The advice given to me was to just sit in to watch and learn. I quickly realized I was much stronger than most of the field. I got a 3rd.

TT...Next to last place. Aero bars do work so I am told. Damn was I slow.

Crit.....What a blast. Medium speed with several bursts but nothing to painful. I think I got a 3rd or 4th.

Edonis13

mine hasnt happened yet, but my guess is that i will be off the back within 3-4 laps.

asmallsol

ah thats right. Those old guys could push it. Did you stay with them? And yes, actually that allen park crit was like 3 weeks later.

guygadois 

Someone this last season said that everyone crashes in their first Crit. I said "No Way, Man" and then remembered my first Crit I crashed going into the last corner and was in second place at the time. Damn tubular rolled on me. Enjoy your first race! :-)

caloso

Are you doing Land Park?