Road Bike Racing - first race - last minute tips?

I will be riding my first race on saturday. Does anyone have any last minute tips?

My goals for this race are:
primary - don't cause any crashes
secondary - hang on at least for duration of the initial surge

It is a 50 mile road race in a 4/5 field of about 75.

Tips on warming up, lining up and the start would be especially appreciated.

thanks

Get to the line early, hide in the pack. Have fun.

For a 50 mile road race it probably won't make a damn bit of difference where you line up. 4/5 road races don't usually have a hard surge at the start.

Tips on warming up, lining up and the start would be especially appreciated.

Do some easy spinning combined with about 2-3 minutes of hard efforts with a couple of sprints before the race. 20-30 minutes total would be sufficient, as another poster pointed out that there probably won't be a big surge in the beginning and you'll get to warm up a little during the race.

Do some easy spinning combined with about 2-3 minutes of hard efforts with a couple of sprints before the race. 20-30 minutes total would be sufficient, as another poster pointed out that there probably won't be a big surge in the beginning and you'll get to warm up a little during the race.

Definitely a good idea, especially for crits. Try to come to the line sweating. You should also consider throwing in a few hard efforts the day before the race. Not all out, but enough to get yourself heart rate up. It helps open up the legs and keep loose.

Stay at the front of the pack as much as humanly possible, if you end up pulling take a 30 second pull and get back in the draft.

Hold your line and don't freak out if someone bumps you, it happens.

If you feel good try to attack once or twice, most likely it will not stick in a 4/5 race but it sure does feel good.

Have fun with it, if you go into it all stressed out it is going to affect your riding negatively.

Follow me.

damn I'm ready to do some racing, not just reading about it!

Guess I'll go ride the trainer, again :mad:

Pedal fast. Let us know how it goes, and apologize to YMCA in advance for another Cat 5 report.

Don't adjust your bike tonight, or tomorrow before the race.

For a 50 mile road race it probably won't make a damn bit of difference where you line up. 4/5 road races don't usually have a hard surge at the start.

My very first race, I lined up wherever I could find a spot, rolled out with what I thought was the main pack, felt pretty good and decided to move up toward the front and when I got there I saw the winning group recede into the distance. I tried to bridge up but I couldn't get anyone to work with me. Only one person came with me and just sucked my wheel instead of helping, the idiot. We never bridged. You never know when there is going to be an early surge.

-soma5

My very first race, I lined up wherever I could find a spot, rolled out with what I thought was the main pack, felt pretty good and decided to move up toward the front and when I got there I saw the winning group recede into the distance. I tried to bridge up but I couldn't get anyone to work with me. Only one person came with me and just sucked my wheel instead of helping, the idiot. We never bridged. You never know when there is going to be an early surge.

-soma5

Actually, I'm not sure that he was the idiot...But don't worry, I have made the same mistake.

Good luck at Copperas!

Good luck at Copperas!

Thanks.

Are you going?

Probably too late, but figure out who the strong dudes are. At least figure out who the strong teams are.

That will be a clue as to whether a break is worth chasing or not. If more than a couple of the strong dudes or strong teams are on a break, you better be there as well.

Team tactics in the classic sense are basically nonexistant at this level. You won't have to worry about a strong team sending out flyers just to weaken the field. If someone goes away, they are trying to get away.

-Z

Thanks.

Are you going?

No, I'm just going to do a few local races. I don't have the time budget for a full race calendar. I'll probably do Pace Bend, one day of Lago, and Beltera. We'll what my wife's calendar thinks -- could be Walburg and Cele instead -- or maybe even Fayetteville. If I get three in by March, I'll be happy.

I'll be at the Tuesday Nighter a lot though, and hopefully some Kenny Hill Crits. You?

Have a great time, you're going to learn a lot! Be patient...

Don't pin your number through your bibs.

Bob

click on the "search the forums" tab above and search for 1st race, any tips. You'll have enough threads to spend all day reading.

Off the top of my head - for a 50 mi. RR.

1 - make sure your equipment is in proper working order. Dont adjust positions or make changes, just make sure that your chain is lubed, brakes and shifting components are properly adjusted, that your tires are in good condition and properly inflated.

2 - after ensuring that your equipment is in safe and proper working order, pack your race bag and car the night before. take your racing clothes, I dont know your weather forecast, but this time of year is variable so take some extra layers (arm warmers, knee/legwarmers, an extra pair of socks, cap, long and short finger gloves), a towel to use for changing privacy, shoes - dont forget your shoes, and nutrition )(something for the ride, warmup, on the bike, and post race - I'm a peanut butter and honey on wheat bread guy, but take what you eat in training - dont experiment now.)

3 - Depending on how far you have to drive to the race, take 6 water bottles. 1 for the ride to the race, 1 to sip while registering, 1 for WU, 2 for race, and 1 for post race. Fill them with what you drink during training - dont experiment with something new!

4 - get to the race a minimum of 1.5 hrs. prior to your start time so you can find out where to park, register, pin your # on, get dressed, change clothes, warm up, and be at the start line without any added stress that you can minimize (like running late).

5 - line up wherever, starting position is the most over rated priority that folks on BF seem to have. I won a crit - a very technical one with a field of 125 - starting in the back and actually having to push the guy in front of me along to get moving as he couldnt get clipped in.

6 - during race, ride predictably, courtiously (is that a word?) - there is time in your racing future for holding your ground and being a tool in the peloton, not in your early racing career, no sudden movements, and try to stay in the top 5 to 15 positions so you can monitor what's going on up front and at the same time staying out of the wind.

7 - if your in the top 5 to 15 or so positions when the finish line is approaching, stay there until about 200M (should be a sign - look for it on prior laps through the start finish area). Then at 200M unleash hell on your sprint until you're through the line. Sprint with your head up so you can see what's happening in front of you.

8 - if you arent in the top 5 to 15 or so, dont sprint at all, just ride holding your speed and line through the finish. Sprinting for 20th+ place is a good way to crash.

Have fun. Racing is awesome.

Actually, I'm not sure that he was the idiot...But don't worry, I have made the same mistake.

Point taken. :o However, without help from him, our race was over. Finding myself out of contention so early was a great lesson for me in my first race. That's one mistake I never made again, although I made plenty of other, better ones... :)

-soma5

Sleep. If your race is on Saturday, Thursday night is the night you need to make sure you get a solid, restful sleep. Friday night you may be traveling or to stressed to get proper rest.

As soon as you are finished racing Consume a simple sugar (I use a can of coke), get cleaned up and changed. Then eat again. Fruit and baked goods are easy. Don't hang around in your kit, chatting for hours. Get cleaned, fed, THEN socialize.

During the race follow wheels, keep your head up and stay off the binders in the corners.

I always ride the last km or a course a few times so I know it when it matters.

Have fun and stay upright.

Adopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor twisted. Your forehead and the space between your eyes should not be wrinkled. Do not roll your eyes nor allow them to blink, but slightly narrow them. With your features composed, keep the line of your nose straight with a feeling of slightly flaring your nostrils. Hold the line of the rear of the neck straight: instil vigour into your hairline, and in the same way from the shoulders down through your entire body. Lower both shoulders and, without the buttocks jutting out, put strength into your legs from the knees to the tops of your toes.

if it's hilly look for pack separation early. if it's flat and windy look for 2-3 man break late in race to stick. in the 5's it seems that after chasing (successfully) dozens of breaks down early in race the last 5-8 miles the pack always gets real lax and lets one or two go thinking they'll be reeled in easily. that's the one or two man break that gets away. unless you can tt off the front for 50 miles (or someone else has), be really aware the last 10 miles there is one or two guys ready to make one stick off the front.

Adopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor twisted. Your forehead and the space between your eyes should not be wrinkled. Do not roll your eyes nor allow them to blink, but slightly narrow them. With your features composed, keep the line of your nose straight with a feeling of slightly flaring your nostrils. Hold the line of the rear of the neck straight: instil vigour into your hairline, and in the same way from the shoulders down through your entire body. Lower both shoulders and, without the buttocks jutting out, put strength into your legs from the knees to the tops of your toes.

wow. wowee.

Adopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor twisted. Your forehead and the space between your eyes should not be wrinkled. Do not roll your eyes nor allow them to blink, but slightly narrow them. With your features composed, keep the line of your nose straight with a feeling of slightly flaring your nostrils. Hold the line of the rear of the neck straight: instil vigour into your hairline, and in the same way from the shoulders down through your entire body. Lower both shoulders and, without the buttocks jutting out, put strength into your legs from the knees to the tops of your toes.

Gold!

Above all this gibberish... Have fun

other than normal group ride "rules" have a good time, and let 'er rip.

No, I'm just going to do a few local races. I don't have the time budget for a full race calendar. I'll probably do Pace Bend, one day of Lago, and Beltera. We'll what my wife's calendar thinks -- could be Walburg and Cele instead -- or maybe even Fayetteville. If I get three in by March, I'll be happy.

I'll be at the Tuesday Nighter a lot though, and hopefully some Kenny Hill Crits. You?

Have a great time, you're going to learn a lot! Be patient...

I'll see how Copperas goes first. If it goes well i may go to ToNB and/or Alsation. More likely i'll find i need more solid training time, and not try again until Walburg or Pace Bend. Past that i'll just try to make it to one race every four of five weeks until i think i can handle more.

Will try to come out for the north version of the Tuesday Nighter if it is on this year, as the south one is too difficult for me to get to on time.

-----

Thanks for all the tips, guys. You've given me some much needed info.
I'll let you all know how it goes.

Good luck at Copperas tomorrow. It will be cold, so bring lots of clothing options. Get in a good long warm up and then decide what to wear in the race. I was at Lago Vista last year when the cold front blew in the night before the race. It was very windy and very cold and I didn't get a very long warm up. I overdressed for the race and was burning up within 20-30 minutes. Moral... it's hard to concentrate on the race when you are too hot or too cold.

Oh yeah, and get there way early to get your number, warm up, bathroom, etc. Figure out how much time you need and then add an hour.

I will be riding my first race on saturday. Does anyone have any last minute tips?

My goals for this race are:
primary - don't cause any crashes
secondary - hang on at least for duration of the initial surge

It is a 50 mile road race in a 4/5 field of about 75.

Tips on warming up, lining up and the start would be especially appreciated.

thanks

Give us the report... how was Copperas today?

come on...don't keep us in suspence... SITREP!!!

Give us the report... how was Copperas today?

It was a gorgeous sunny day, low to mid 40's, stiff north wind.

As for the race, well, i can summarize by saying nothing bad happened. I didn't crash, i didn't cause a crash, nobody had to yell at me for doing something stupid, and i successfully avoided several riders who were even squirrlier than myself, so i consider this a positive outing.

As for performance, i hung on for the first 40 miles. I found i was not able to move around in the pack very well, and spent the entire 40 from 1/2 to 3/4 back in the pack. Not that i would have lasted much longer, but the last straw came in a turn when a rider half a bike in front of me entered a turn on the outside and came all the way to the inside at the apex. I was on the inside. I had to veer a few inches onto the dirt and feather the brake to avoid him. The rest of the pack came around me, and i wasn't able to close the gap.

After a couple of miles riding alone (with the pack about 100 yards up), i started to suffer the effects of not being able to eat enough when i was in the pack. I ran completely out of energy, and the last 8 miles seemed to last a long time.

well you RACED today :-) January 19th... it snowed here ... so all I got to do was ride the trainer YUK

It was a gorgeous sunny day, low to mid 40's, stiff north wind.

As for the race, well, i can summarize by saying nothing bad happened. I didn't crash, i didn't cause a crash, nobody had to yell at me for doing something stupid, and i successfully avoided several riders who were even squirrlier than myself, so i consider this a positive outing.

As for performance, i hung on for the first 40 miles. I found i was not able to move around in the pack very well, and spent the entire 40 from 1/2 to 3/4 back in the pack. Not that i would have lasted much longer, but the last straw came in a turn when a rider half a bike in front of me entered a turn on the outside and came all the way to the inside at the apex. I was on the inside. I had to veer a few inches onto the dirt and feather the brake to avoid him. The rest of the pack came around me, and i wasn't able to close the gap.

After a couple of miles riding alone (with the pack about 100 yards up), i started to suffer the effects of not being able to eat enough when i was in the pack. I ran completely out of energy, and the last 8 miles seemed to last a long
time.

Sounds like yo were racin'! Excellent job for your first race. You checked out your skills in the group and they seemed fine. You learned the very important lesson of eating. You almost got stuffed into the dirt in a corner. You chased. You got dropped.

All of those things are valuable. Learn from them. Make getting those right part of your objectives next time.

Can't overestimate the importance of getting food right. How many hours before the start did you eat? When did you eat in the race? And what? What did you have after?

Sounds like yo were racin'! Excellent job for your first race.

+1 for the same reasons. Excellent, excellent job. 50 miles is a long, long first race and you should be proud that not only did you get that far, but you could also analyze what happened after (the fatal gap, the lack of food/energy). Very perceptive, with potential solutions that you can work on trying.

Hint on gaps - although it may kill you later (or at that moment), it's easier to fly across a gap than to TT across it. Sean Kelly once did this in some race, maybe Paris Roubaix, and said it's easier "sprinting" for a kilometer than time trialing for 5. After I read that I filed it away as a "rule". Since I can't TT anyway, it's worked for me. However, in your case, it seems like you were on the edge as it were, and the corner thing just finished the job.

On sitting back in the field - not a problem. You didn't mention any breaks. But for a first race, it's very, very hard to get to the front. I used to use all my reserves to try and get to the front because that's what everyone told me to do. I'd kill myself to get there, stay there, and then I'd blow and get shelled. Then, during a very tough year (I thought I would "transition" into the Senior age group by doing mega miles and wanted to win the 124 mile state championships, which didn't happen), I learned that sitting at the back is not nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be.

Later, I realized some of the best racers were back there with me. So sitting at the back, as long as you don't get gapped off, is fine. This is my standard modus operandi - start at/near front, hold position till the first serious moves go (and pace sky rockets), then maintain my relatively steady effort and filter back through the field. At 5-10 to go (10 if I'm good, 5 if I'm bad, and if I'm really bad I've waited for the bell lap) I move up. I've won coming from the back of the field at the bell so it's possible - I only had one card to play so I gambled everything on my ability to move up quickly/efficiently and sprint.

Sitting at the back also allows you a bit of leeway to get squirrelly when you're trying to unwrap that stubborn energy bar.

As Bob asks, what you ate and when is critical. You can experiment and see what you need to eat when to make it through various length rides, then try and stick with what works. Using a HRM/wattage meter is good on long rides, you can see the effects of eating/not-eating on your heartrate (drops significantly as you tire) and power (ditto). HRM is relatively cheap and easy to check.

One time I was at a race and was starving right before the start. I had to choose - eat again or bonk during the race. I decided to eat, and the only thing around was a hot dog stand. So I had two gross hot dogs, as did my teammate. He pulled off and started getting sick a few laps in. I dropped both my bottles in the first two laps and raced the rest of the race wondering when I'd cramp in the 85 deg 85% humidity. At a couple laps to go I was still there, and on the last lap I managed to move up pretty significantly, enough that I watched the winning move go. He was a friend and I thought "Oh, cool, Steve will win." Then I realized, wait, I can outsprint him! I went after him, caught him at the line, photo finish, he won. Arg. But the moral of the story is that when I'm hungry, I eat, because it certainly beats bonking.

Good luck with your next race and welcome to the racing club,
cdr

Great job! Congrats. Advice in above posts is great. You will learn more and more each race.

so I just read part of the manual someone posted, and read this regarding jerseys:
"1L2. Rider uniform advertising.
Advertising may appear only on the uniform, including caps,
shoes, and helmet of riders who are racing members of
sponsored clubs [disqualification for other advertising]. The
club's name must appear on the front and back or two sides
of the jersey. The name may be abbreviated."

Does this mean that you're not allowed to wear a jersey with any logo or advertising on it at all? I have a Cannondale jersey that says Cannondale down the sides real big... is this not allowed? (I'm riding in my first race ever on February 3rd, and I'm not with a club, so I was just going to wear one of the jerseys i have already)

Sounds like yo were racin'! Excellent job for your first race. You checked out your skills in the group and they seemed fine. You learned the very important lesson of eating. You almost got stuffed into the dirt in a corner. You chased. You got dropped.

All of those things are valuable. Learn from them. Make getting those right part of your objectives next time.

Can't overestimate the importance of getting food right. How many hours before the start did you eat? When did you eat in the race? And what? What did you have after?

Thanks for the encouragement.

I had a large bagal and 2 eggs about 3 hours before the race. 1 hour before i had a yogurt, and i had a couple bites of one of my cliff bars on the start line. I had 2 cliff bars and a gel flask in my pockets, but i had trouble finding time to eat. I only managed to eat half of 1 cliff bar, as it was not often that i both was comfortable enough in the pack to reach for food and had enough saliva in my mouth to swallow it. I completely forgot about the gel, as i do not usually carry it.

I had a large bagal and 2 eggs about 3 hours before the race. 1 hour before i had a yogurt, and i had a couple bites of one of my cliff bars on the start line. I had 2 cliff bars and a gel flask in my pockets, but i had trouble finding time to eat. I only managed to eat half of 1 cliff bar, as it was not often that i both was comfortable enough in the pack to reach for food and had enough saliva in my mouth to swallow it. I completely forgot about the gel, as i do not usually carry it.

The bagel and eggs got you to the start line. You did the right thing by allowing for digestion. I know riders who would STOP eating 3 hours before a race. Like cdr said, experiment (in training, only) and see what different foods taste like for you ON THE BIKE and how much go they really give you.

I like to eat muselli (sp?) with fruit and some bread a few hours before the start. Then I'll have an apple and hour later and a banana a bit before the start. I get a Powerbar in me within the 1st hour. I drink a carbo-protein drink as my first bottle. Then alternate between cytomax and water. If it's a longer race I'll eat another Powerbar in the second hour. Gel as needed (10 minutes before: a climb, at the beginning of what looks to be a long ass chase, coming to a sprint point, finish or a place where we'd planned to attack)

As you can see, I generally eat more than you did. With a short race you can scale back the on bike stuff. There just isn't enough time for it to get from your mouth to your muscles.

Gels for crits.

Does this mean that you're not allowed to wear a jersey with any logo or advertising on it at all? I have a Cannondale jersey that says Cannondale down the sides real big... is this not allowed? (I'm riding in my first race ever on February 3rd, and I'm not with a club, so I was just going to wear one of the jerseys i have already)

Usually officials will only make a fuss if you either have a pro jersey (i.e. Saeco or Mapei or whoever). I've seen many new racers race with an inside-out pro jersey.

A self branded jersey, like the one you describe, may be acceptable.

The best way to find out is to write your rep and ask. You can find the rep or the rep's "local association (LA)" on USA Cycling's site:
http://www.usacycling.org/la/
The local reps will have a better idea of what will fly in a local association. In fact they are a good source for a lot of racing info.

The idea behind the rule is that a club that doesn't put on a race cannot wear its jersey the following year. The rule prevents a "cheating club", i.e. one that doesn't promote a race, from flying their sponsors' colors during a race. I have to admit that there were years when I had to race in a generic jersey because our race/s didn't work out for whatever reason.

I think it's EXCELLENT that you read the rules before you actually went to a race. Most racers don't read the rules until they get caught (inadvertently) breaking one and then they try and justify what they were caught doing (or not doing). The most common one - "Wait, I'm supposed to wear a helmet whenever I ride a bike?"

good luck with your racing,
cdr

Adopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor twisted. Your forehead and the space between your eyes should not be wrinkled. Do not roll your eyes nor allow them to blink, but slightly narrow them. With your features composed, keep the line of your nose straight with a feeling of slightly flaring your nostrils. Hold the line of the rear of the neck straight: instil vigour into your hairline, and in the same way from the shoulders down through your entire body. Lower both shoulders and, without the buttocks jutting out, put strength into your legs from the knees to the tops of your toes.

I am going to ask my wife to recite this to me every morning...as I strike this pose.

I am going to ask my wife to recite this to me every morning...as I strike this pose.

It's not original; if you google search on a phrase from it, you can probably find the source.

Adopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor twisted. Your forehead and the space between your eyes should not be wrinkled. Do not roll your eyes nor allow them to blink, but slightly narrow them. With your features composed, keep the line of your nose straight with a feeling of slightly flaring your nostrils. Hold the line of the rear of the neck straight: instil vigour into your hairline, and in the same way from the shoulders down through your entire body. Lower both shoulders and, without the buttocks jutting out, put strength into your legs from the knees to the tops of your toes.

LOL. I thought I recognized that. (http://www.cyberpathway.com/musashi/water.htm)

"The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his useless actions."

"The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his useless actions."

That's a good quote
cdr

LOL. I thought I recognized that. (http://www.cyberpathway.com/musashi/water.htm)

Thanks for the link.