aicabsolut

It's finally time for me to go team shopping for next season, as I can only keep milking my student status for so long. What is important to you in a team? What do you like and/or dislike about your current or past teams?

- Size?
- Teamwork / lack of drama in the squad?
- Having racers with similar styles/strengths or diversity? How much is too much in either direction? (Does too much diversity of strengths make teamwork difficult?)
- Sponsor perks?
- Kit color/desing?
- Dues/time commitment/other requirements?
- Other


There are 5 teams in my area have been trying to recruit me. I like some people on all of the teams, but there are a lot of cons, too. Some teams have too low numbers for the women's squad. Some have strength in numbers and ability, but they can't (or won't) work together most of the time, and there's too much drama. Some are more convenient for getting training partners. Others I wouldn't see outside of races. The latter I don't mind so much, but it sucks if the less convenient teams require my presence.

Where I am right now, I train mostly with a group of guys. I generally like this, even when I get dropped and when egos clash. It makes me stronger. There are always slower rides that I can do when I need to back off the intensity. I don't really need female camaraderie. I have made friends in my field, and sometimes it's easier to get people from team X to work with me than it seems to be for them to work with each other. Some of the smaller squads are nice enough, and I like the people, but what would be the benefit of joining when most of us are rarely together near the end of a race from differing abilities and a lack of coordination?

I think I'm going to try to start off the season intercollegiate again to go for the ever elusive upgrade and help collegiate teammates qualify for nationals. I have pretty much resigned myself to being ok with not winning a bunch of races and wanting teammates to lead me out or help me protect my positioning. That's one reason why I want to upgrade to 3. I don't expect to be a star in any 1-2-3 races or open races. Instead, I am looking for a team role that I don't think I'd ever find in the 4s. I don't mind attacking throughout the race or chasing down attacks. I do that anyway, and when the risks I take don't work out for me, I don't have a teammate who can capitalize on it. Instead, I just deliver someone else to the line, or I burn up my spring closing a gap. I guess I'm looking for a way to make more goals for myself in addition to trying to win...to keep the self-loathing in check a little.

rufvelo

Initially it was teamwork, prospects for the future etc
Then it became cash only
Then I didn't care anymore.

El Diablo Rojo

Good guys who get along with out the ego trips. Guys who show up to races and show up to race. Guys who will sacrifice for others without hesitation. A really hot masseuse .....I was able to find the first three in my current team

mollusk

Maximize the fun. Ain't too many folks gonna get rich doing this.

mollusk

The last one you should have at home!

bayareawheeler

team-mates that you look forward to eating a post race burrito with.

nitropowered

What Cat do you race?

caloso

This.

pinky

Personalities
Race smarts/guts
Talent
Race invitations
Kit/Equipment provided/discounted

aicabsolut

Women's 4. Hopefully, W3 soonish.

So when I refer to the size of the "small" teams, I mean there are maybe 3-5 women total, in all categories.

waterrockets 

Dude, I'll give you a massage.

+1 to everything else. I've never been on a team like ours. We have 8-10 guys who have won races this year. We have a Cat 1 hammer head who shows up with the only goal of helping teammates win (and we do). We have 20 other guys and gals who show up in support of others just like that. We have a great shop sponsor.

aicabsolut: you have the right attitude. Get the upgrade, work, learn, and grow. Find a team that will nurture that. Don't even consider a team with the drama you mentioned. Racing is tough enough without that crap.

wanders

You have 15 days to get Ex or WR enrolled.

https://www.nbegin.com/schedules.html

carpediemracing 

I think it comes down to friendship. That encompasses a lot, like similar values, beliefs, manners, etc. You put a friend who you like and respect and make them a bike racer, they'll be a bike racer that you'd get along with well. So look for the racers you consider friends.

The burrito comment is good. That's a good way of saying what I'm trying to say.

******

Sept 1 is transfer season, so I'll say it here first. I'll be joining a new team for 2010 mainly because one of my best friends is going to it. Regarding the burrito comment, we (and our wives, who are also very good friends) were having dinner after each Tue and Sunday race we did together, and if we went to a race, we'd try and help each other out.

There are other reasons too.

1. 2 year minimum sponsorship, so kits won't change annually.
2. Decent numbers in the groups I'll race with (I'm a 3, it looks like there'll be 10-15 4s and 5-10 3s).
3. Decent prices on kits.
4. Run by a guy who is an executive in real life, so he has his stuff organized.
5. Team will support charitable rides, and I'm going to be helping with one in 2010 and beyond (I hope).
6. Team will support rider development, like holding clinics. That's something I've wanted to do for a while.
7. Actual teammates will need to gel on their own, nothing is forced.
8. Local enough that I can go to the monthly meetings.
9. Similar racers, meaning a bunch of them do crits.
10. Team will support my race series with racers who will race and racers who will volunteer (volunteers race free, but still).

In fact, I like the idea of the team so much that I decided to be a 2nd sponsor (sides of jersey, not title sponsor, but not a pocket sponsor either). I'll be sending them payment this week for the agreed total sponsorship amount for 2010.

I have not sponsored a team I've been on (except my own) since, well, since I've had my own teams.

Okay, I lied. If you look carefully at some of the TriState Velo kits (out of PA somewhere), you'll see CDP on them (Carpe Diem Promotions, a USCF club that's no longer, it's now CDR). 2005-2007 I think, but we gave them money from 2002 or something.

cdr

umd

Numbers don't matter if they can't or won't work together.

roadwarrior

On the best team I was on, it was learning how to speak their various languages. And teaching them English.

botto 

saucy.

MDcatV

dont overthink it.

sounds as though you have your goals defined - being a "worker", not a "results getter", so you should be able to fit in anyteam race wise.

join one that has members you dont mind riding with for 4 hrs., then having coffee/lunch with afterwards. one that has racers of similar age as you.

if I were a woman in MABRA, I would have been looking HPC a few years ago, but since they've discontinued their primary committment to a womens squad in favor of working with the U23s, it's not really a viable option.

so, if you get along with the ladies comprising the squad, I'd recommend the cyclelife team. they seem to be the only women's team in MABRA area that has a committment to being a womens team. it's my impression that the ncvc's, coppi's, r1vs, etc. that have women are really just women riding on a team, without much independent support. cycle life has top notch bicycling folks affiliated with them, which would help your development.

bdcheung

it's all about the people for me. if i can't get along with the others, what kind of a "team" is that?

bdcheung

Evolution's womens team has their own coach, a trainer, their own sponsorship structure (actually i think they get better deals than most of the men), their own listserv (if that matters) in addition to the general team listserv.

pjcampbell

My biggest gripe is that I can't seem to be able to get a team kit.

MDcatV

that's good info, had no idea.

I should probably just stfu and not mention teams by name when i'm basing opinions on perception and not actual knowledge.

bdcheung

that's cuz you not a woman!

botto 

a guy wearing the same team kit as me tried starting a fight with because i called him a "pannekoek" (amsterdam slang for prutser) during a race, and he wanted an apology. a friend and teammate ended up getting into a shoving match with him after me. when i gave one of the team organizers a heads up about our sterling behavior, and explained what lead to the whole bruhaha, he replied - "but he is a pannekoek."

took 6 months for mine to come in.

JohnKScott

For me what's important is that they will let me in. That's it. I'll be more picky when I am faster

Actually that's a little (not all) tounge in cheek. The team I'm planning on joining next year is very laid back and the members I have met so far have been very nice. Just right for me at this state of sloweness I am in!

YMCA

You called him a pancake?

When I was in Belgie, we ate pannekoeken often