"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - getting involved w/racees?

Ive been a pretty avid road cyclist for a long time now but I've yet to been able to figure out how to get involved with races or road cycling clubs. It seems a lot have ended up in dead ends due to defunct websites or my lack of knowledge of terms used in this sport. I live in the Albany/Troy New York area and also right around the Berkshires in Massachusetts. Anyone have any suggestions??

-Matt

Check out www.bikereg.com to see where there are races. You'd be in cat 5 races to start out. Get your uscf road cycling license and then you can register for races at bikereg. You don't have to be with a club/team, though that is a good resource for learning the sport. Racing is very different than cycling alone, but it is something that will test your limits and make you a much faster and more skilled rider. I just started this season and have already been through some of the trials and tribulations.

Good luck.

Hi Matt, sounds like we are neighbors. I live in Cohoes.

A good road cycling club is the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club. Some of quick rides would be good training rides for racing. The web page is www.mohawkhudsoncycling.org. It's a nice club with rides at different levels. How ever at time it can be a bit cliqueish (sp).

RPI has a road bike club.

A strictly racing club is the Capital Bicycle Racing Club. I'm not sure of the web site. You can find it by going to the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club site, click on cycling links, then groups. This will give a link to CBRC site and also the RPI site.

There is a racing club in Pittsfield MA. Their site is www.berkshirecycling.com (or it might be .org). This site also gives a schedule of races in New England.

I used to be very active in the MHCC, not so much any more. If you have any other questions about cycling in the capital district, let me know.

Maybe I'll see you on the road sometime. :beer:

Barbie

Hey great, thanks a lot guys for all the info. Now I just have to get my bike put together. I bought an argon 18 frame and am building from there up. Wish me luck :)

Good luck with building your bike and good luck with your racing.

By the way, welcome to the forums.