Road Bike Racing - Who races just for training?

Hi,

I'm not talking about training races, I mean regular USA Cycling sanctioned races with normal race categories. The past two seasons I've been racing the 50+ races "for real" and then RIDING the 40+ or 45+ race the same day -- pure pack fodder. I figure that if all I do is the 50+ race that I don't get enough training, so for a few extra bucks I get the "thrill" of riding fast with younger guys and typically a number of Cat 1/2 and ex-pro not-so-old (and fast) guys.

I have a chance of doing something in the 50+ race but many times the average lap speed of a 40+ 1/2/3 crit peloton in SoCal is faster than I can think of holding in a small break. So I typically stay near or at the back and try not to get dropped. :o Sometimes I move up just to see what's going on with the big boys, but I never last too long up there. ;)

So does anyone else race for training or do you go for it every time you race?

I only race for training.

This early in the season I treat all the races as training/learning experience.

yeah, racing right now is for training for me, im nowhere near where i need to be.

That's essentially why I've always raced. Even when I was in my 30's I would only occasionally get a result. I'm not talented at this, I have no sprint, essentially I suck. But racing makes me much faster than I would otherwise be, and that makes the Nyack Ride (a competitive Sunday racer ride I often do) much more fun. Yesterday's experience was like my early days of racing. I knew I should be riding @ the front, but within 3 miles I realized it was going to be a challenge to hang onto these guys. Which I did manage to do. I got an AMAZING workout. I looked in the mirror today and I'm trimmer. You just don't get than intensity riding alone. I rode 57 miles yesterday and probably burned more calories than I do on a 110 mile day, in less than half the time.

Racers have always been faster than me. So what? They make me a better cyclist. Here's the other thing about racers: they know how to ride. They're not Freds. The only really bad thing about Freds is that many of them can be dicey to ride with. Racers put in a lot more miles and have lots more experience riding in tight packs @ high speed. It's not like racers don't do dumb things on bicycles @ times, but in 18 years on the Nyack Ride, we've had maybe 10 crashes, because they're 90% racers and they're generally safe in a pack.

+1 on race for training. Sometimes my one race is training, not just the second race (I rarely do a second race nowadays). Actually, except for a few races a year, all my races are for training.

Racing is the best training for me.

cdr

To me, B and C priority races are for learning, not training.

I'll take chances, and try out different tactics, but if I want to TRAIN I can usually get a nastier workout solo. That's the beauty of the power meter...it keeps me honest about how hard I'm working.

Race to win. Always.
Training is for non-race days.

Race to win. Always.
Training is for non-race days.

I would shoot you, but it won't be necessary. It's highly likely you'll commit suicide before I ever get to Orlando again.

What a great sport.

Race to win. Always.
Training is for non-race days.

That's my philosophy as well whether it be to help a team mate win or myself. I don't race enough to cough up gas/hotel/travel/entry fee just to go train which I can do in my own back yard.

During the cross season I race the Masters and then the Pro/1/2 race just for fitness (though I still try to place), but that is preparation for some big events like Nationals not to mention my training significantly decreases in the winter so I can use all I can get.

Who races just for training?

i am spartacus.

Most of my races so far have been for training. In training races i might practice 1 specific skill, like jumping or attacking and not care how i finish. Races where I'm out to win are much more structured, no stupid moves, position is more important, etc.

I have always approached it thinking that I have to pick the races I really want to do well in and set other objectives for less important races. This is true if the course is especially not favourable to me or I am riding way above my pay grade.

If I have a chance to win then the initial objective becomes plan B and I ride for glory. I have entered races with goals that didn't include a podium spot for me or a team mate. If I couldn't win I'd get the best work out of it I could.

When I have been in a situation where I have traveled a full day to do a 2 hour race and then another day to travel home again that's 2 hours of intensity in 3 days. I look for as much mileage as I can get here. I'll race anything. Let's line up!

So to answer the OP, yes and no.

i am spartacus.

i am suck@this.

I raced myself back into shape last year.

I'm way too competative to go to a race and not want to win/try to win, but there are definitely times when I do stupid stuff just to get some extra workout if I'm not really all that invested in going for the win. Plus doing stupid stuff is fun sometimes.

I would shoot you, but it won't be necessary. It's highly likely you'll commit suicide before I ever get to Orlando again.

What a great sport.

Huh? Did I say something off-color? Do you come to Orlando? It's 82 and sunny, slight breeze, you know, retirement weather.

My last 4 races this year I have raced to win. My training hasn't been on target, however. But after this next weekend I will get on it. So to confuse you, I guess my last 4 races were training even though I went balz out on my last race like it meant saving my kidneys.

my only goal for a race is to not be able to stand under my own power after it's finished. If cruise control isn't on on the drive home, i didn't ride hard enough. This means either i'll be the most aggressive rider (i.e. attack right off the bat, and when I get caught, I attack again), or I'll podium in the sprint

To me, B and C priority races are for learning, not training.

I'll take chances, and try out different tactics, but if I want to TRAIN I can usually get a nastier workout solo. That's the beauty of the power meter...it keeps me honest about how hard I'm working.

Hi,

I never got into formally setting priority levels for races, but I try all kinds of things at our weekly series race -- short of field sprinting (I like my skin ;) ). Unless I'm feeling poorly, Tuesday is for going hard to the point where sometimes getting dropped is a possibility -- though it rarely happens. :rolleyes: Definitely not just sitting in but trying different tactics and intensities to gauge my fitness.