Lamabb

I've been wanting to start racing for a while now, but I've always felt that I was either too heavy or my gear wasn't good enough.
I'm 22 Years old and 203 pounds - heavy, but I have been riding avidly for about 4 years now and do pretty well in my fast group rides. Now I've started changing my eating habits and hitting the gym 3-4 times a week in addition to riding.
I ride a 2010 Cannondale Caad9 5 and am looking at replacing the heavy and heavily-worn wheels that have served me well for 4 years.

I have been working at getting faster and lighter, but it's tough now that I'm in college and find myself without my cycling club. If I want a group ride, I have to drive 1.5+ hrs out of my way, so I go on solo training rides when I'm at college.

I think I'm just going to jump into it. I've signed up for a race this Saturday - how quickly/badly do you guys expect i'll get dropped? I've also joined a local club that races, but they haven't started training rides yet (My club rides year round, so it's weird for me to see that other clubs don't).

gsteinb

what race?

Jandro 

Check out the stickied info here.

TL;DR - Go race. No better way to find out if you're ready than to just do it.

Creatre

You'll get dropped. But don't worry about it. Just keep going back and you'll get better and better.

hammy56

Ive been racing off and on for 3-4 yrs and I still suck. For now, go have fun...dont worry about anything else. If you feel its for you, then start learning how to race better.

caloso

Go race. You'll learn a lot. It's totally worth it just for that.

Good luck!

motorthings

maybe we need a special cat6-hand-wringing-about-racing subforum (sub of the 41, of course).

shovelhd

You'll get crushed like a junebug on a Floridian windshield, but this one race will have very little to do with your potential. It's how you go forward from this experience that will determine how much success you will have. Less gym, less group rides, better nutrition, more focused training, more racing, more rest.

BTW Carmel, NY is not that far from Bethel, CT where we run a Cat5 clinic before your race. There is no better way to jumpstart your racing career than to learn from those who have achieved success.

carpediemracing 

Even if you don't want to race you should come out and watch. The Cat 5s fill up quickly but watching is always free. If it's a warm day (more likely in April) you can watch in your kit and do laps between races, get an idea of what the racers are doing course-wise. You can also walk around the course during the races to see what the races look like.

For race listings you should check USA Cycling or BikeReg. That's what most people in the area use.

rbart4506

That is so true...

I have found that racing has made be a much steadier and smoother rider, plus a touch faster

The first race is usually an eye opener and no number of threads or comments can prepare you for it, you just have to experience it for yourself.

sarals 

When you're new, the honor is in finishing. Don't worry about staying with the pack, or being on the front, or anything else. Just go out and get your feet wet, experience it. There's nothing like immersion! Oh - and have fun!

island rider

Sign up for Bethel. It's well run and feels safer than some other 'starter' races I've been in (notwithstanding some recent ... anyway). The course is not intimidating and if you can't hang on with the group, you will be among several others who find themselves in the same place, the difference being you are aren't alone in the middle of dirt hill climb on a 62 mile course somewhere. You are a few pedal strokes from your car.

+ registration is not at 6:00 am, like some other races around.