Originally Posted by
labrat_62
One thing that will help a ton, getting a good start. start in the little ring up front, and maybe your 15 in the back, quick clip in, pedal pedal pedal, quick shift to the big ring, and off you go. Should allow you to start in the front 1/3 of the pack, while others are fighting their bigger gears to gets started. Anyway, works for me.
? Start in your big ring/19/21.
Honestly, once the race starts, most of the tips you've gotten arent going to mean alot. Things you can control are pre-race stuff.
-check your equipment evening before, so that you're confident it's functioning safely/properly
-pack your race bag, cooler, car, whatever you're taking with you the evening prior with things you'd take to a group ride
-Pack 4 water bottles + take something to drink on your way to the race ... 2 water bottles for warmup, 1 for the race, 1 for post race chatting
-Get there at minimum 1.5 hrs. before your race, and warm up for at least 45' with a set of 4x1'on HARD/3'off or something similar so that when your race starts, youre good and ready to go.
-pin your # on before your warmup, 7 pins. get help from a pretty girl if needed.
-Do a couple laps of the course after the race preceeding yours to guage the corners and any rough patches on the pavement
-Dont worry about lining up at the front, it's completely over-rated and irrelevant. Just line up, say hi to those around you, and wish them a good race (note - dont tell everyone it's your 1st crit, that's a sure way to have everyone avoid you like you've got a dirty chamois).
-When the race starts, sit in the pack, follow wheels in front of you, and most importantly
have fun .
Good luck and safe racing to you.