Road Bike Racing - Raced My First Crit tonight!!! I'm pumped

Hey guys....I raced my first crit tonight and I'm totally hooked. It rained all afternoon so the course was super slick but no one crashed and I didn't finish last!! I'm 240lbs so not finish last is a big thing for me.

here are my stats:
30.04 minutes
10.08 miles
Avg speed: 20.1 mph (riding by myself I average about 15 mph)
Avg HR: 178
Max HR 191
Avg Cadence: 81

so I wasn't used to having my HR so high but by the end I was fine...also I think i need to work on my cadence...

woohoo!!!

Hey guys....I raced my first crit tonight and I'm totally hooked. It rained all afternoon so the course was super slick but no one crashed and I didn't finish last!! I'm 240lbs so not finish last is a big thing for me.

here are my stats:
30.04 minutes
10.08 miles
Avg speed: 20.1 mph (riding by myself I average about 15 mph)
Avg HR: 178
Max HR 191
Avg Cadence: 81

so I wasn't used to having my HR so high but by the end I was fine...also I think i need to work on my cadence...

woohoo!!!


Congrats! The first step for me was not to finish last too.

I would agree that you need some work on your cadence. I've found that if I stay around an average of 95-105 I can respond better to accelerations and breakaways.

Yeah my cadence needs serious work....but my avg cadence for the year is sitting at 66 right now so 81 is much faster than my avg although the avg is skewed by my slow climbing abilities in which I feel best climbing in the 50-60 range...and flats I'm normally in the 85-95 range

congrats :beer:

that first one is pretty exciting isn't it?

congrats :beer:

that first one is pretty exciting isn't it?

it would've been more exciting if I would have started at the front of the group and been able to hang on..but I started in the back so I stayed in the back...plus they were flying...the lead group probably averaged in the 24mph range

Congrats! It's fun, ain't it? I did my 4th crit on a very technical course a week ago and averaged 25.5 in cat 4/5 with eight sharp 90's per lap. Man that had to be the funnest 45 minutes on a bike EVER. Can't get a top 10 to save my life though.

sweet. good job. i dnf my 1st crit

Congrats! It's fun, ain't it? I did my 4th crit on a very technical course a week ago and averaged 25.5 in cat 4/5 with eight sharp 90's per lap. Man that had to be the funnest 45 minutes on a bike EVER. Can't get a top 10 to save my life though.

it was a blast...too bad I'll be out of town for the final two crits of the series. 25.5 mph is blazing..you'd have one tonight...however the course was wet...Personally i'd like to see a 22 mph average...baby steps right?

Great feeling eh. Way to go:beer:

I actually raced against you last Wednesday. Good job! Were you wearing a yellow jersey? Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself and stayed upright on a pretty wet course. Those Wednesday night crits have been a great addition to the Middle Tennessee racing scene.

How much training did you do before racing this crit?

Congrats. Now you're hooked.

I just wish there were some 20.1mph crits around here.

Congrats. Now you're hooked.

I just wish there were some 20.1mph crits around here.

well 20.1 mph was finishing like 3rd to last...the leaders lapped me twice I think...they were probably closer to the 25mph range

How much training did you do before racing this crit?

didn't really actually specifically train for racing. I've put 1700 miles in the season already but I slacked the whole month of July doing 150 miles last then June. I've had lower back issue so I haven't been riding as much. I just thought it was something I'd like to do. Honestly I had alot in me still but I wasn't used to having my heartrate up so high for an extended period of time (178 avg).

I actually raced against you last Wednesday. Good job! Were you wearing a yellow jersey? Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself and stayed upright on a pretty wet course. Those Wednesday night crits have been a great addition to the Middle Tennessee racing scene.

no actually, i saw the guy in the yellow and he finished behind me...I was a big guy in a white Descente Jersery on a Black Pegoretti Marcelo. Probably the only one with a triple out there.

well 20.1 mph was finishing like 3rd to last...the leaders lapped me twice I think...they were probably closer to the 25mph range

Yeah, the last Cat 5 crit I did on a flat course with 6 90's was exactly 25.0.... Those are fun :D

BTW, here's something that might help a little... I've started using the online version of the Cyclist's training bible at trainingpeaks.com, and one workout that's relatively low-key and fun to do is the "cornering sprints" workout. Good one to do on pre-race days. Here's the quote (hope the copyright police don't track me down):


Bike 1:03 S3b
Warm-up well. Then on a curbed course, sprint in and out of corners several times. Work on body and bike positions for different scenarios--dry (lean bike, not body) and wet (lean body, not bike). If possible, also do some off-camber and 180 degree turns. Each cornering sprint should last no longer than about 8 seconds. Long recoveries between corners--3-5 minutes.

I found this little drill very helpful because maintaining speed in/out of corners isn't something I really worried about when riding recreationally, but this workout has really helped hone my technique in the corners. Your results may vary :)