"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Thinking about racing...

im thinking about racing but the one thing that's stopping me is my bike. As of now i have a Specialized Tarmac that it my baby, i could never fathom crashing it. I'm not a strong rider so i would not be racing cat 5's, but i hear a lot of crashes still happen at the lower levels?

would it be a waste of time to get myself a caad9 with 105? It's within my budget to do so, and it's another bike :)

or am i just wasting money and i'm being too negative about the situation when i could put that towards a set of zipps ;)

I'm not a strong rider so i would not be racing cat 5's,


What do you mean?

LI,
I just did exactly that. Except mine was not to protect any thing more than my dignity. My road bike is 9 years old with a flexy TI frame so I thought I wanted something stiffer. Note I didn't say need.
Anyway here she is. I got Ksyriums for stiffness as well. Good luck racing.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee303/ivanhoe_martin/sm00021.jpg

im thinking about racing but the one thing that's stopping me is my bike. As of now i have a Specialized Tarmac that it my baby, i could never fathom crashing it. I'm not a strong rider so i would not be racing cat 5's, but i hear a lot of crashes still happen at the lower levels?

would it be a waste of time to get myself a caad9 with 105? It's within my budget to do so, and it's another bike :)

or am i just wasting money and i'm being too negative about the situation when i could put that towards a set of zipps ;)

yea i'm confused about not racing the cat 5's because you're not a strong rider as well......thats what cat 5 is there for?

sure get another bike......or stop being a baby and ride the one you have...and why get zipps if you won't race them? if you're going to race you have to accept the fact that at some point you may (odds are will) destroy some equipment. If you're not ready to accept that then why buy racing gear?

you will be racing cat 5s, unless you a woman or junior.
if you're worried about ruining your baby don't bother racing, it's not for you. do not buy another bike to race on, that's lame. use your brain, have some experience riding in a pack, and some decent fitness to keep you out trouble and you'll be pretty safe
cat 5s are not the demolition derby, yes you might crash, but it's not as bad as some make it out to be. i.e. you won't win because you were the last one riding

zipps for racing:D

zipps for not racing:cry:

Race the Tarmac , that's what it was built for. Buy yourself another bike to baby.

im thinking about racing but the one thing that's stopping me is my bike. As of now i have a Specialized Tarmac that it my baby, i could never fathom crashing it. I'm not a strong rider so i would not be racing cat 5's, but i hear a lot of crashes still happen at the lower levels?

would it be a waste of time to get myself a caad9 with 105? It's within my budget to do so, and it's another bike :)

or am i just wasting money and i'm being too negative about the situation when i could put that towards a set of zipps ;)

If you've not raced before, you'll be racing cat 5. That's the entry level category.

I'd race the Tarmac, you already have it, I assume it fits, and as someone once wrote "it's a tool not a jewel." Very few crashes that I've been around have actually broken frames, but it does happen. Take the $$ you'd plunk down for a new caad9 or for zipps, and either put it toward coaching so you can become more fit, or put it into a savings type account so you're self insuring your tarmac should a frame damaging crash happen.

most cat 5 crashes i have seen have been the fault of the guy going down...not caused of someone else....there are times when someone in front of you crashes and you go down with him...learn to bunny hop...i seen guys bunny hop bikes and crashed riders and make it out ok.

it's scary....but damn is it fun man!

Psssst. You can crash your bike even if you're not racing it. Really.

Bob

Yeah, race your bike. Don't buy a bike because you plan on crashing. I didn't crash in a race until I'd been racing 5 years, and I've still only crashed in that one race, back in 1996.

To be clear, you will be racing Cat 5, as that's where you start. Stay in the front 10 in the race until you either get shelled out the back or finish there. Lots less crashing up front, and it's less work as long as you stay out of the top 3 or so.

my bad everyone, i meant i'll be racing cat 5's not any higher

Thanks for all the replies so far!!!

If you are thinking of buying another bike, why not put the money aside, wait to crash your current bike, then fix the damage there?

Enjoy your races. It's addictive.

Yeah, race your bike. Don't buy a bike because you plan on crashing. I didn't crash in a race until I'd been racing 5 years, and I've still only crashed in that one race, back in 1996.


well, now you've gone and jinxed yourself. maybe you should tell everyone that you cant even remember the last time you had a flat it was so long ago.:p

well, now you've gone and jinxed yourself. maybe you should tell everyone that you cant even remember the last time you had a flat it was so long ago.:p

No, according to the great cosmic deity that governs bike races, you only crash as result of talking about crashes on RACE DAY. From midnight onwards till the end of a race, it is forbidden to talk about crashes. Cooldowns are fine, even if you're still on the course. Crashes can also be talked about on training rides, or teh intranets.

But never, ever on race day. You'll eat it hard if you do that. I've had to walk away from my mom when I only had a towel on (changing before race) because she wouldn't stop talking about crashes, and I refused to absorb any of her bad vibes.

No, according to the great cosmic deity that governs bike races, you only crash as result of talking about crashes on RACE DAY. From midnight onwards till the end of a race, it is forbidden to talk about crashes. Cooldowns are fine, even if you're still on the course. Crashes can also be talked about on training rides, or teh intranets.

But never, ever on race day. You'll eat it hard if you do that. I've had to walk away from my mom when I only had a towel on (changing before race) because she wouldn't stop talking about crashes, and I refused to absorb any of her bad vibes.

I'm not buying it. I'll talk about crashes, even discuss ways to minimize the odds, but I wont dare utter the words "I havent crashed since ..." even on teh intranets in late november!

well, now you've gone and jinxed yourself. maybe you should tell everyone that you cant even remember the last time you had a flat it was so long ago.:p

That would be this Monday ;)

You can search for "waterrockets" and "crash" and see that I've been saying this all season, through several crits :) I've had two crashes in front of me, one right behind me with a broken hip, and a crash beside me where I swear the guy's upside-down bike kept up with me for 20 meters. I've been off the course three times, slid my rear wheel, crashed in training twice, but kept it all good in races.

Race your bike. Stay away from Crits until you are comfortable racing and you will be fine. Most CAT5's that are not running single day licenses are fine. It's the guys that have never gone into a corner in a pack that tend to cause the most crashes.

Yeah, race your bike. Don't buy a bike because you plan on crashing. I didn't crash in a race until I'd been racing 5 years, and I've still only crashed in that one race, back in 1996.

To be clear, you will be racing Cat 5, as that's where you start. Stay in the front 10 in the race until you either get shelled out the back or finish there. Lots less crashing up front, and it's less work as long as you stay out of the top 3 or so.

Yup.

Psssst. You can crash your bike even if you're not racing it. Really.

Bob

Proof positive of that--did this on Turkey Day; wet wooden bridge at the bottom of a descent @ ~20mph:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/BBC20071122/1122071026.jpg

Yeah, race your bike. Don't buy a bike because you plan on crashing. I didn't crash in a race until I'd been racing 5 years, and I've still only crashed in that one race, back in 1996.

To be clear, you will be racing Cat 5, as that's where you start. Stay in the front 10 in the race until you either get shelled out the back or finish there. Lots less crashing up front, and it's less work as long as you stay out of the top 3 or so.

+1. And if you want to be extra safe, make your first few races some out-of-the-way road races with few competitors. And do start and stay near the front of the pack, as the yo-yo-ing is much more severe (and risky) towards the back.

sounds good, ill try to keep these in mind

sounds good, ill try to keep these in mind

A couple of things to think about, that I forgot earlier, and others have mentioned:

1) You're far more likely to break a carbon wheel in a Cat5 race than you are a frame.

2) Stay towards the front. Easier said than done, though, as EVERYONE wants to be there. You should see the up-the-flanks swarming that happens in Pro/1/2 races and some Cat3 races. In my limited experience, if the pace lets up for 5 seconds, in the slightest amount, you aren't safe in 15th position in a 125 rider field, because after you get to the end of that long straight, you'll have lost 20+ spots. Head on a swivel at all times, and pay attention to what is going on several riders ahead of you as well as at the front of the race.

'Crash' sounds so extreme. So does 'fall'. I prefer 'touch down' or 'losing some bark'.

'Crash' sounds so extreme. So does 'fall'. I prefer 'touch down' or 'losing some bark'.

I have a friend who races motorcycles, and he says anything under 75mph is "stepping off."

I have a friend who races motorcycles, and he says anything under 75mph is "stepping off."

your friend lies trust me....i've gone off a couple of times racing bikes and my slowest, about 25ish hurt the most....well except for running into a truck at 55..that one really sucked.

I believe crashing a bike at any speeds sucks... unless you get paid to do it

'Crash' sounds so extreme. So does 'fall'. I prefer 'touch down' or 'losing some bark'.

Maybe just "applyng the epidermal braking system".

Maybe just "applyng the epidermal braking system".

I hear that in North Carolina, they call it a "high-speed get-off."

Race with what you have. But go in the mindset that you are there for fun and to learn.

Race with what you have. But go in the mindset that you are there for fun and to learn.

...and suffer.

...and suffer.

That's the fun part, I thought.

I hear that in North Carolina, they call it a "high-speed get-off."

If it's done in the front yard with a cinder block underneath it, it's called "parking".

When I started racing, everyone and every book told me to "stay at the front". But it's really hard to do this and I spent a lot of energy trying to move up. When I'm really fit I follow this tactic but it's been forever since I've felt that good. Normally I see how the race goes for the first few laps - and if everyone is chasing everything, I drift to the back and hang out with some current and former National Champions and other very strong riders who do really well around here. With 5 or 10 laps to go we all migrate to the front. Beats fighting for position for all 30 or whatever laps.

I get to watch a lot of Cat 5 races (I promote a race series that has two Cat 5 races a day) and what I found was that, unless a ringer got into the race, the fields were pretty mellow. Yes, there'd be a crash, maybe once or twice in 12 races, usually caused by improper or lack of bike maintenance (improperly installed tires/chain, loose bar/stem/crank/pedal) or by an over enthusiastic racer. Once a racer stood up and started sprinting - in the middle of the field. He rammed the guy 3 or so feet in front of him and fell.

The huge crashes happen in the Cat 3/4 fields where everyone is tightly compacted, thinks they know how to ride, and then someone makes a mistake.

I'd do the following, and yes, I'd use your Tarmac:
1. Ride with a group, learn how to sit on wheels yada yada yada. You probably know this. Make sure your bike is in good shape and after your easy ride the day before the race, don't touch it! I once made the mistake of deciding I could go faster if I overhauled my hubs the night before a race.
2. When you first start racing, don't worry if you end up near the back. Just don't be in the last 4 or 5 - 10-15 from the back is okay. Since Cat 5 field limits are 50, if you have 10-15 guys behind you, you'll be 35-40 from the front - and in a Cat 3 race, that's about the same as being in the top 1/3 of the field.
3. When things get exciting/fast, hang on to the wheel in front of you. Try and find a nice stable wheel, don't go marking the guy who rides chaotically.
4. If you get to the finish, well, try and beat everyone. Sprint on the drops. But your first few races will simply be learning that racing isn't as scary as you might think it is.

After you've done a few races, think about a second set of wheels. The second bike can come later.

Good luck,
cdr

I'm not buying it. I'll talk about crashes, even discuss ways to minimize the odds, but I wont dare utter the words "I havent crashed since ..." even on teh intranets in late november!

I had an acquaintance friend (you know, one of the guys you see at the races and group rides for 10 or 15 years but you don't necessarily hang out with him otherwise) who refused to talk to me before races. I thought he was being a bit rude until my now-wife learned why - apparently whenever I get all excited about whatever race we're at, I talk about last year's big crashes. lol. "Man, last year, were you here last year? Oh man, there was this huuuuuuge stack up at 2 to go and... hey, where are you going?" My talk got him way too freaked out so he simply avoided talking to me until after the race.

I crashed regularly for about 10 years, the first five years in training learning limits, the next five years in races. The worst was 4 really big stackups in the big May-June "crit season" in NJ/CT. Then suddenly I stopped crashing. In the last 7 or 8 years I've fallen twice, both in races - once a topple over another guy and the other a 35 mph high side which hurt a lot. Tons of close calls, pedals or skewers in wheels, shoves, brake checks, sideways wheel swipes, etc etc but it seems I'm okay with that stuff.

cdr

That's the fun part, I thought.

i do not like the suffering....am i the only person in the world that doesn't have endorphins?