Looking to race for first time?
08-15-12, 12:01 PM
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Looking to race for first time?
I am 16 years old, 6' 1" and 160lbs. I have been riding for a little over a year now (July 2011) except for the months of september 2011 - febuary 2012.
I have never raced before, only solo and club group rides, but I really want to make it somehwhere in my life with racing. I am worried that I will not be fast enough to even keep up with the races though. No matter how much I ride now, my speed does not seem to be increasing. I have a couple of questions:
1) I can average 37km/h on flats in the back of a pack on the club group ride. But am struggling a lot to pull, and then stay with the group after about a minute of pulling. Is this good speed for someone like me? And how could I increase my speed? I am worried because everyone I look at in my province's racing results that is my age, averages 37kmh + overall in races.
2) How do you warm up for races out of town without an indoor trainer? I know almost everyone gets dropped on their first race, but I don't want it to be because of not warming up.
3) Any advice on what I can do to prepare myself for races, training wise? Mental and/or physical? Especially now with the winter coming in a couple of months plus school on September 4th.. homework.
Thanks in advance!
I have never raced before, only solo and club group rides, but I really want to make it somehwhere in my life with racing. I am worried that I will not be fast enough to even keep up with the races though. No matter how much I ride now, my speed does not seem to be increasing. I have a couple of questions:
1) I can average 37km/h on flats in the back of a pack on the club group ride. But am struggling a lot to pull, and then stay with the group after about a minute of pulling. Is this good speed for someone like me? And how could I increase my speed? I am worried because everyone I look at in my province's racing results that is my age, averages 37kmh + overall in races.
2) How do you warm up for races out of town without an indoor trainer? I know almost everyone gets dropped on their first race, but I don't want it to be because of not warming up.
3) Any advice on what I can do to prepare myself for races, training wise? Mental and/or physical? Especially now with the winter coming in a couple of months plus school on September 4th.. homework.
Thanks in advance!
08-15-12, 12:07 PM
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1) who knows, racing is aot different that group rides/just riding hard.
2) i just spin around the area of the race. rarely bring a trainer or rollers.
3) i would say go race sometime before the end of the year. see where u lack the strength/skills. then over the winter and spring work on what ur not the best at.
2) i just spin around the area of the race. rarely bring a trainer or rollers.
3) i would say go race sometime before the end of the year. see where u lack the strength/skills. then over the winter and spring work on what ur not the best at.
08-15-12, 12:21 PM
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I am 16 years old, 6' 1" and 160lbs. I have been riding for a little over a year now (July 2011) except for the months of september 2011 - febuary 2012.
I have never raced before, only solo and club group rides, but I really want to make it somehwhere in my life with racing. I am worried that I will not be fast enough to even keep up with the races though. No matter how much I ride now, my speed does not seem to be increasing. I have a couple of questions:
1) I can average 37km/h on flats in the back of a pack on the club group ride. But am struggling a lot to pull, and then stay with the group after about a minute of pulling. Is this good speed for someone like me? And how could I increase my speed? I am worried because everyone I look at in my province's racing results that is my age, averages 37kmh + overall in races.
2) How do you warm up for races out of town without an indoor trainer? I know almost everyone gets dropped on their first race, but I don't want it to be because of not warming up.
3) Any advice on what I can do to prepare myself for races, training wise? Mental and/or physical? Especially now with the winter coming in a couple of months plus school on September 4th.. homework.
Thanks in advance!
I have never raced before, only solo and club group rides, but I really want to make it somehwhere in my life with racing. I am worried that I will not be fast enough to even keep up with the races though. No matter how much I ride now, my speed does not seem to be increasing. I have a couple of questions:
1) I can average 37km/h on flats in the back of a pack on the club group ride. But am struggling a lot to pull, and then stay with the group after about a minute of pulling. Is this good speed for someone like me? And how could I increase my speed? I am worried because everyone I look at in my province's racing results that is my age, averages 37kmh + overall in races.
2) How do you warm up for races out of town without an indoor trainer? I know almost everyone gets dropped on their first race, but I don't want it to be because of not warming up.
3) Any advice on what I can do to prepare myself for races, training wise? Mental and/or physical? Especially now with the winter coming in a couple of months plus school on September 4th.. homework.
Thanks in advance!
08-15-12, 12:31 PM
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Why Botto, what a helpful response.
Ditto to what justkeepspinning says. Give it a shot, don't worry about being dropped, you probably will, learn from your first races and train accordingly.
Ditto to what justkeepspinning says. Give it a shot, don't worry about being dropped, you probably will, learn from your first races and train accordingly.
08-15-12, 12:32 PM
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1) who knows, racing is aot different that group rides/just riding hard.
2) i just spin around the area of the race. rarely bring a trainer or rollers.
3) i would say go race sometime before the end of the year. see where u lack the strength/skills. then over the winter and spring work on what ur not the best at.
2) i just spin around the area of the race. rarely bring a trainer or rollers.
3) i would say go race sometime before the end of the year. see where u lack the strength/skills. then over the winter and spring work on what ur not the best at.
To the OP try to find some local clubs. In the Guelph area there used to be a guy Ziggy Martulowski (not sure of spelling) who was really involved in racing and the development of younger riders. Racing is racing, training is training trying to compare average speeds provides no correlation between each other.
For a warmup? Crits I ride a small circuit to open the legs up a little road races I sit on my butt until go time.
To prepare yourself? Ride, ride, ride some more. Ride with some fast guys, ride with some faster guys.
08-15-12, 12:34 PM
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Oh yeah, I got dropped from my first race (at 17) and was a Cat 1 by 18. Work hard, don't get discouraged and be focused.
08-15-12, 12:37 PM
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Try it and see. If you get dropped, you get dropped. Just do it. The longer you wait, the more you'll build it up in your mind and the harder it will be to break through the inertia and actually do it.
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08-15-12, 12:55 PM
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its all about hard work. (note im not as cool as rkwaki for going to a 1)
08-15-12, 01:24 PM
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I believe botto may be referring to his sticky on the homepage:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...s-a-tip-or-two
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...s-a-tip-or-two
08-15-12, 01:26 PM
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08-15-12, 01:51 PM
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08-15-12, 01:52 PM
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**** u u fat son of a *****. Also why do u suck so much at cycling now a day's? didnt u come in like 15th at ur last race!?!? jesus!
08-15-12, 01:56 PM
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08-15-12, 02:27 PM
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Let me use my experience and wisdom to teach you something valuable when it comes to racing:
Don't let your pride and ego cloud judgement. Given the situation:
6 guys off the front, money pays 5 deep (and only like $20), no need for upgrade points as I have nowhere to go there is nothing to be gained fighting for position and achieve the top 10 you speak of. A seasoned racer realizes there is nothing to be gained mixing it up in a sprint for which there is no money or points but so much can be lost. When guys start bumping and grinding for those positions that is where huge wrecks happen. Could I have powered through and finished top 10? Sure. Was there a risk that someone could make a stupid mistake when they see me coming? Absolutely. So is it worth 'mixing it up' for pride? Absolutely not. If you watched the Olympic road race or many of the stages of Le Tour you would have seen that if sprinters were out of contention (i.e. Cav at the Olympics) rather than get sketchy and dangerous to finish 35th they simply ride in with the group and protect themselves.
In all seriousness when one has the ability to reason out a finish that is when you become a more seasoned racer.
Don't let your pride and ego cloud judgement. Given the situation:
6 guys off the front, money pays 5 deep (and only like $20), no need for upgrade points as I have nowhere to go there is nothing to be gained fighting for position and achieve the top 10 you speak of. A seasoned racer realizes there is nothing to be gained mixing it up in a sprint for which there is no money or points but so much can be lost. When guys start bumping and grinding for those positions that is where huge wrecks happen. Could I have powered through and finished top 10? Sure. Was there a risk that someone could make a stupid mistake when they see me coming? Absolutely. So is it worth 'mixing it up' for pride? Absolutely not. If you watched the Olympic road race or many of the stages of Le Tour you would have seen that if sprinters were out of contention (i.e. Cav at the Olympics) rather than get sketchy and dangerous to finish 35th they simply ride in with the group and protect themselves.
In all seriousness when one has the ability to reason out a finish that is when you become a more seasoned racer.
08-15-12, 02:34 PM
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08-15-12, 03:34 PM
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About the going from getting dropped on your first race to cat 1 in a year, and going from cat 4 to 2, that is jaw dropping 
!
As for all of the other replies, thanks for the advice! I am trying hard to look for a race to do exactly what you've said, so that i know what to expect for next year and what to work on.
! As for all of the other replies, thanks for the advice! I am trying hard to look for a race to do exactly what you've said, so that i know what to expect for next year and what to work on.
08-15-12, 07:08 PM
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The Ontario race season is basically done...Only the Provincial TT is left...
Spend the rest of this summer and fall doing the club/group rides and work on getting comfy in the pack. When the weather gets cold, stay on the bike...Keep riding...Then when the snow comes, move it indoors and hit the trainer...If you want to hang with the guys, you need to train like them. That means over the winter you can't stop riding. Taking a break for a few weeks is ok, but not a few months.
When spring rolls around the first OCup race is usually Good Friday...Check the calendar for 2013, that's when the race will be
I'm not sure about clubs\teams in the Guelph area, but I'm sure there are a few...Check out the OCA website 'https://www.ontariocycling.org/'...
Lastly, to race you you will need an OCA UCI road license. You can purchase that next year, usually in about February. You may be able to do some racing with a Citizen's License, but you will need to purchase a one day upgrade license to do one of the OCups...
Probably the best weekly race series around here is the Midweek races on Tuesday night. They also have a learn to race clinic on Monday's. The only issue for you is these occur at the border of Mississauga and Toronto...
Spend the rest of this summer and fall doing the club/group rides and work on getting comfy in the pack. When the weather gets cold, stay on the bike...Keep riding...Then when the snow comes, move it indoors and hit the trainer...If you want to hang with the guys, you need to train like them. That means over the winter you can't stop riding. Taking a break for a few weeks is ok, but not a few months.
When spring rolls around the first OCup race is usually Good Friday...Check the calendar for 2013, that's when the race will be
I'm not sure about clubs\teams in the Guelph area, but I'm sure there are a few...Check out the OCA website 'https://www.ontariocycling.org/'...
Lastly, to race you you will need an OCA UCI road license. You can purchase that next year, usually in about February. You may be able to do some racing with a Citizen's License, but you will need to purchase a one day upgrade license to do one of the OCups...
Probably the best weekly race series around here is the Midweek races on Tuesday night. They also have a learn to race clinic on Monday's. The only issue for you is these occur at the border of Mississauga and Toronto...
08-15-12, 07:35 PM
#23
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The Ontario race season is basically done...Only the Provincial TT is left...
Spend the rest of this summer and fall doing the club/group rides and work on getting comfy in the pack. When the weather gets cold, stay on the bike...Keep riding...Then when the snow comes, move it indoors and hit the trainer...If you want to hang with the guys, you need to train like them. That means over the winter you can't stop riding. Taking a break for a few weeks is ok, but not a few months.
When spring rolls around the first OCup race is usually Good Friday...Check the calendar for 2013, that's when the race will be
I'm not sure about clubs\teams in the Guelph area, but I'm sure there are a few...Check out the OCA website 'https://www.ontariocycling.org/'...
Lastly, to race you you will need an OCA UCI road license. You can purchase that next year, usually in about February. You may be able to do some racing with a Citizen's License, but you will need to purchase a one day upgrade license to do one of the OCups...
Probably the best weekly race series around here is the Midweek races on Tuesday night. They also have a learn to race clinic on Monday's. The only issue for you is these occur at the border of Mississauga and Toronto...
Spend the rest of this summer and fall doing the club/group rides and work on getting comfy in the pack. When the weather gets cold, stay on the bike...Keep riding...Then when the snow comes, move it indoors and hit the trainer...If you want to hang with the guys, you need to train like them. That means over the winter you can't stop riding. Taking a break for a few weeks is ok, but not a few months.
When spring rolls around the first OCup race is usually Good Friday...Check the calendar for 2013, that's when the race will be
I'm not sure about clubs\teams in the Guelph area, but I'm sure there are a few...Check out the OCA website 'https://www.ontariocycling.org/'...
Lastly, to race you you will need an OCA UCI road license. You can purchase that next year, usually in about February. You may be able to do some racing with a Citizen's License, but you will need to purchase a one day upgrade license to do one of the OCups...
Probably the best weekly race series around here is the Midweek races on Tuesday night. They also have a learn to race clinic on Monday's. The only issue for you is these occur at the border of Mississauga and Toronto...
I won't be looking at OCup for now as that is for the better riders who can actually win races and compete there. Many if im very good I'll consider it. But probably not yet.
I am part of a club and try to get out every thursday. Thursday rides help me keep up/improve my speed. And they're fun!
And I do have a club license, I beleieve it is OCA. And ya, I was considering going to Mississuaga when I had the time to which is rarely, but hopefully this new club can lead the way.
Totally martians.
08-15-12, 07:39 PM
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You're moving in the right direction...
08-15-12, 08:02 PM
#25
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