Road Bike Racing - Do you race with a team?

Do you race on a team or enter solo?

team

Team, because here in michigan at least, if you're not on a team or affiliated, you have to pay an additional small fee to race..

Benjamin
in michigan

team

Team, In CA, and most places you pay an extra fee for being solo.

Is it pointless to enter a cat5 without a team?

Originally posted by flyefisher
Is it pointless to enter a cat5 without a team?

No, not at all. A 5 race is the best one to enter unatached, actual. You don't need to be on a team. Try it out yourself, first.

I just started racing Cat5 wihtout a team, and it's a lot of fun. I did the Stuart road race in Florida, and I hope to be at the West Palm Beach Cycle Fest next weeknd. Also, the FL state championship is coming up shortly as well. The best thing to do in Cat 5 is entering it with some of your friends to lookout for each other. Does anyone have experience in different categories? Just wondering how much more difficult Cat4 or Cat3 are vs. Cat5.

Cheers

Used to race with a team. Don't race anymore.

Team....the ACA typically charges a $5 unattached fee for races if you are unaffiliated.

Yes, race with a team.

Racing Cat5 without a team isn't pointless as most team riders at that level have no idea how to work together anyway. Add inexperience to the fact that most 5s haven't spent a lot of time riding together and you may not be much better off riding with a team at that level. Even at higher levels the team concept is lost on some. I've been in road races where one team had the numbers to devastate the field. In one case it turned out the one team with numbers really had no idea or plan on how they were going to work the race and none ended up in the top 5 places even though they had 8 of the 25 riders entered into the race. Their one tactic was to send a lone rider off the front, who would dangle out there for 5-10 minutes frying himself, only to be pulled back in by the peloton. I had only one teammate, but one who was willing to share the chore of chasing breaks that looked like they could stick. We ended up placing 3rd and 4th.

http://www.spbrc.org/ AKA - Bianchi/Grand Performance

Adam Bergman, one of the SPBRC Elite Team members, just made the jump this season to D3 Pro and is currently riding with Team Jelly Belly.

To add to BikeinMn, it isn't pointless to ride without a team but I enjoy it more and do better if I am riding with a "team". By a "team" I mean (as mentoined above) a group that works together and is somewhat equal in ability. I enjoy immensly getting pulled along by much better riders but inevitably they will drop me on hills. Then to have that "team" to try to bridge up on a downhill makes all the difference. No better feeling , in several ways, than to have someone slow up for you knowing that together you will do better.

Erik

Is actually pointless to race under cat5 with a team. In cat5, there is no team work or tactics. I am sure someone would have said this if you need a team to race under cat5, you won't survive cat 4 or 3.

Yeah I raced in Cat 4 befor I gave racing up for good, and I noticed that in cat 4 the guys are stronger and can make breaks last for a longer time than the cat 5s, so in that manner it is different in cat 4 and I'm sure for cat 3, then you're starting to get up there, because in some races they combine the cat's 1 with 2 and 3, so you have to have some talent when you get that high..


Benjamin

privateer, but only cyclo-cross.

solo now, though hopefully come March my college buds will put their mtn bikes down and race with me.
Re: Cat 5/Teams
You don't need a team for Cat 5 racing, however having a friend to race with makes a big difference both in how you place and how much fun you have (then theres that whole issue of being able to trust your friend on a break as opposed to that guy that offered to go and then refused to pull, then used me to lead him out and win...)

I race with a team.

solo now, though hopefully come March my college buds will put their mtn bikes down and race with me.
Re: Cat 5/Teams
You don't need a team for Cat 5 racing, however having a friend to race with makes a big difference both in how you place and how much fun you have (then theres that whole issue of being able to trust your friend on a break as opposed to that guy that offered to go and then refused to pull, then used me to lead him out and win...)

You are correct in that you do not need to be on a team to race at the CAT V level. But...

If you want to learn how to race, you need to join a team and let experienced riders teach you how to race (so you don't get screwed like you indicated in your post). And how to properly train.

On that break, why did you keep going?

Or...you will always be a CAT V.

This depends....... Dose a school team count??if not when no...
Marie

Team...race Cat 5 solo until you find a bunch of like minded folks to ride with. Hang around and watch the other Cats...go to team meetings (usually open to all) to find the one that fits you best. Most Amateur teams do a lot of community stuff as well (at least ours does) such as develope Junior teams, host beginner rides, etc...