Road Bike Racing - Are my worries about riding in my first crit reasonable or not?

I want to ride in my first crit this coming May. My only concern is if I get in a crash, I don't think I'd be able to financially afford replacing my bike, or any of the major components. I won't have a job after May 31st, and am starting graduate school in the fall, so financially I'm a bit strapped, and definitely can't afford another road bike. Is what seems like more fun and excitement in riding in one of these things worth the potential financial costs? Are my fears irrational or unfounded? I keep hearing about Cat 5 crits being for those with a death wish, etc.

crashing happens. it's rare for it to ruin a bike, although the chance is there.

it's your choice.

How's your health insurance? Health care expenses from an accident can dwarf bike repair costs.

You're the only one who can answer the "is it worth it" question.

See, the fact that you say "bike repairs? your main concern should be health insurance" makes me think it might be a bad idea.

But then again, I could have a plane land on my head on my way to the car tomorrow morning... my house is directly under the landing pattern for the airport...

So what are the chances? I did a road race a few months ago and had a blast, but wasn't near any real close action after I was dropped about 10 miles into the race, so I don't have any experience as to how perilous it can get.

The reality of bike racing is that it is a matter of when, not if, you will crash.

I didn't crash at all last season. During races, that is.

I'm due.

The reality of bike racing is that it is a matter of when, not if, you will crash.

I didn't crash at all last season. During races, that is.

I'm due.

Like many BF members, I've raced a couple of hundred times. I've seen plenty of crashes. I've seen broken components, even pretzeled rims. No broken bikes. The chances of 'wrecking' your bike in a bike race crash are exceptionally slim, and if you do, my guess is you'll have bigger issues to concern yourself with. Like regaining the sensation in your friggin legs.

STFU and race your bike.

you will see a crash, you may caught up behind one, you may cause one, or you may even go down in one. Sometimes people will ruin bar tape, scrape a derailleur, bend a chain ring or D-hanger, or snap all sorts of pretty carbon parts. Chances are, you will see all of this sooner or later, but to not race because of fear of these outcomes? Tell you what. You end up crashing, I will toss the cash your way for the new bar tape.


Go race.

im going to have a good amount on the line when i do my first few races (im not talking from a money standpoint) but that wont stop me.

cat5 races arnt fast enough to wreck a frame unless maybe you go flying off a bridge.

and even then, i dont think the bike broke :rolleyes:

Bike racing will suck the cash right out of you! Regaurdless of whether or not you crash, you will be replacing parts. If it's not replacing worn out parts, it's driving 3 hours to a race, or entry fees, or licenses, or food after the race, or a new trainer...do I need to go on?

Bike racing with no job or income? I don't see how you'd do it unless, of course, you are a sponsored rider. Now if you're just planning on doing 1-2 races per season, that's a different story. Go ahead and race your crit. If you only race 2 races this summer, 50:1 says you wont crash, or even break anything. But who ever stops at one race? Like the others said, if you do any amount of racing, plan on crashing and plan on dropping some cash. It's the sad truth.

If you feel comfortable in a big group ride (20+ riders) where at least a bunch of them are racers, then you'll be fine.

If you don't know what riding comfortably in a 20 rider group feels like, then you're probably not ready to race.

Racing is like a performance where you use your known bike skills (like playing a violin at a recital). You don't play the piece you're learning, likewise you don't ride at your absolute limit of bike handling (except in emergencies - but hopefully even then you're within your comfort range). When you select a piece for a recital, you play a piece that you play extra fast because you've played it so many times it's boring. When I played violin I was performing pieces that I'd finished learning a year or two earlier. I never performed the last couple pieces I worked on because I never got super comfortable with them - and since they were the equivalent of, say, time trialing at 27 mph (i.e. Cat 2 level), I realized I lacked something in violin playing. I struggled to learn the first 1/3 of the last piece for a year and never mastered it. So I stopped taking lessons because they cost a fortune and I didn't want my parents paying for them. My sister blew through those same pieces when she was 12 or so, to give it some perspective, and she studied pretty consistently for another 12-15 years. She's probably a domestic pro level violin player.

Bike racing is free relatively speaking so I kept racing :)

So check out how you ride, decide for yourself.

You steer with your hips? (Aero wheels require a smidgen of bar input in addition to hips)
You coast when you need to ease, not brake?
Can you regularly get within 3-6 inches of a rider you know?
You hold a straight line when you look around?
You look down to look back when you're in tight company?
You understand you cannot choose your line when you're in a field?
You understand the difference between riding on the hoods and riding on the drops? Implications regarding braking, accelerating, turning?
You feel comfortable bumping someone?
You rarely (if ever) bump someone except in drills?
You check your rear quarters before you move laterally?
Can you ride out of the saddle and have your *torso* follow a straight line?
Can you do that without thinking about it?
Can you avoid being near riders you want to avoid?

If you answer affirmative to all these things then you should go race. If you don't, I'd consider doing more group rides, doing drills with someone more experienced, etc etc.

Almost all crashes are caused by lack of group riding skills. A decent percentage of them are caused by inferior mechanical work (typically poorly installed chain, poorly installed tire, or lack of general maintenance). A few are helped by conditions (wet pavement, everyone trying to get to the front for a critical turn, super fast down hill with a pothole, etc) but pretty much every single close call and every crash that I've seen this year has been due to poor riding skills. Any and all bumps I've seen have been due to the same.

I think a lot of Cat 5 crashes are caused by riders who do not take into consideration those around them. It's driving vs operating your bike or a car. You might be able to drive a car and turn left and right and stop. But can you do the same thing on a public road without bumping into things? How about a race track with no lane stripes, no signals, no stop signs? It becomes very, very different when you're driving a car and there is no line separating you from another car. Now it's up to both of you to keep your tires out of each others' cars.

One guy (got second in the P123 race one week) passed me so closely his elbow ended up inside my arm-chest-thigh triangle. But no contact, not one iota. He knows how to ride in a group.

I know a lot of Cat 4s and 3s can't answer affirmative to all these questions, but I think these are basic group riding skills that everyone who races should know. I'm sure there are more but these are at the front of my mind.

If you have decent group skills, you won't worry about crashing.

cdr

cdr, thanks for that in depth response, that helps a lot. I ride on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a bunch of guys that go ~24 mph around a 25-30 mile loop, and I have no problem riding 3-6 inches away from their tire... but it's usually in a paceline, not a pack. I handled myself pretty well when I was in a pack in the one race I did, and also found myself getting pissed at other people for (incorrectly) doing some of the things you mentioned, such as braking and wobbling when they looked around. [pcad, is me getting pissed at them a sign of my progress as a cyclist?;)] There's one road race on May 3rd before the crits start up here in Houston, so I think I'm going to do that first and see how I handle it... I think I've improved a lot since my first race in February.

Mt. Mike: I'd like to race enough each year to make the annual license worth it... that should sate my competitive genes enough each year to keep me going.

in the meantime, I'll work on being aware of the things you mention, cdr, and evaluate how I am at those. The first crit that I could register for is May 4th, and May 17th after that, so I've got some time to figure it out.

Thanks for the advice.

Another long and quite worthy post from CDR.

OP, read that again, I can't improve on it.

i know it's rare to lose a frame in a crash, but...
i've raced 15 times this year and have seen and ridden by lots of crashed bikes and people. i have also seen three separate bikes broken in half. it happens. but it shouldn't scare you out of racing your bike.

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/1/12/225px-Dot004.jpg

he didn't slam into you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you, he "rubbed" you. And rubbing, son, is racing.

i know it's rare to lose a frame in a crash, but...
i've raced 15 times this year and have seen and ridden by lots of crashed bikes and people. i have also seen three separate bikes broken in half. it happens. but it shouldn't scare you out of racing your bike.

That sounds like Cat 6 racing to me.

That sounds like Cat 6 racing to me.

correct.

I want to ride in my first crit this coming May. My only concern is if I get in a crash, I don't think I'd be able to financially afford replacing my bike, or any of the major components. I won't have a job after May 31st, and am starting graduate school in the fall, so financially I'm a bit strapped, and definitely can't afford another road bike. Is what seems like more fun and excitement in riding in one of these things worth the potential financial costs? Are my fears irrational or unfounded? I keep hearing about Cat 5 crits being for those with a death wish, etc.

Here's a newsflash - crashing can happen anytime you ride your bike, even when you arent racing.

Example - my team mates and I joined up on a group ride this past weekend, it rained just enough to make the roads slick. There was a pileup on the group ride, then after we peeled off to ride home, 2 of my team mates went down when overcooking a wet off camber corner on the road.

If you're too worried about crashing because of financial concerns, stop riding your bike and take up running.

Stay up front if possible. I have been in 3 crits and there were minor crashes in all three. All three of those crashes happened midpack and back where lots of guys were bunched up.

Here's a newsflash - crashing can happen anytime you ride your bike, even when you arent racing.

Example - my team mates and I joined up on a group ride this past weekend, it rained just enough to make the roads slick. There was a pileup on the group ride, then after we peeled off to ride home, 2 of my team mates went down when overcooking a wet off camber corner on the road.


sounds like an example of guys who lack bike handling skills/wet road smarts. oy

sounds like an example of guys who lack bike handling skills/wet road smarts. oy

one guy who fell is primarily a triathlete and beginner road racer, who does lack bike handling skills. for the others you're incorrect. oy.

Section 8 (http://www.amazon.com/Roadie-Misunderstood-World-Bike-Racer/dp/1934030171) covers this topic.

A couple things on crashing.

Yes, crashing on training rides can happen and often do happen. But on a training ride you can adjust your pace to your comfort level.

For example, if it rains on a training ride I ease up a bit. Yes I've gotten scared unexpectedly (bridge covered with greenish mildew stuff at 45 mph on a sharp descent which turns left and right before and after the bridge) but generally speaking you can adjust your speed downwards. No pressure. Group ride? I'd just as soon drop off the back if the riding gets squirrelly, even on a dry day.

In a race you really can't do that. And in virtually all rainy crits (real crits - hard turns) I've done I've gotten taken out in a turn. I guess I take after the Eddy Merckx philosophy of cornering in the rain - in slow, out fast. He did it because he was so strong he could do it. I do it because I get leery going into the turns (plus I could jump hard coming out of the turns). But then other guys think they can go faster into the turn (fatal mistake), pass me, fall over as the bike doesn't turn in, and I find myself sliding on my butt across the street.

Because I contest rainy crits only when I'm in serious contention (either really strong or it counts towards an overall and I'm in it), I've been taken out most of the time while sitting in the top 20 (of fields up to 125 riders), usually between 3rd and maybe 10th. Field is single or double file and some yahoo goes up the inside and wipes a bunch of riders right out of the field. Therefore being at the front is of no use. In fact, at one of the races where I fell, my rear wheel got taken out from under me in Turn 1 when I was sitting perhaps 4th or 5th with 5 or 6 laps to go (an unusually high field position for me at that stage of the race, but it was really wet in a downtown crit). The winner soloed away, won, fell over in the first turn after he won. Field sprinted in, guy who won the field sprint fell over in the turn too. Everyone stacked up into him. So the winner and the first position rider both fell over. Being up front? No advantage.

Brings me to the second bit - Front vs Back of field

Also, realistically, it's very, very, very hard to stay up front without doing tons and tons of work. So you need to move back 4 or 5 rows, but that puts you square into the danger zone, the meat of the pack. If you're sitting in the meat of the field, 4 rows back, with guys on one or both sides of you, then you're really stuck. You can't observe anything because you're focused on the guys directly in front of you (probably a 10-2 o'clock span, maybe 3 to 6 riders out of the field). You absolutely must respond to almost all pace changes immediately, no matter how tired you are, because if the 8 guys in front of you jump and you don't, you'll leave a gap or potentially get slammed from behind. Or at least someone yells at you.

At the back, you can watch the field stretch out, get ready to go, take a few extra deep breaths, and then go as the field slowly stretches out. I tell new riders that they should sit at the back. You get some shelter even 10 feet off the back of a 40 rider group, you can observe who is doing what, and you have a lot of escape avenues (left and right). If there's a "minor" crash (i.e. not a field stack up) you can usually find a way around, sometimes without even braking. When you approach turns which require braking, you can start coasting 50-100 meters before the corner, not brake, and coast right up to guys accelerating furiously out of the turn.

If you watch the smartest of racers, even if they're strong, they spend time either at the back or at the front (or on their way to one end or another). I've often found myself sitting at the back, wondering if maybe I'm leaving the moving up a bit late, and then realize I'm next to the guy that I wanted to mark for the finish, i.e. one of the favorites that I need to beat to win. If they win so often and they're with me, then there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, more often than not, I watch the guy win later.

The disadvantage of being at the back is you can't respond to breaks and if you have a temporary crisis (like you blow up) you have little margin before you get dropped. But you probably don't need to respond to breaks, not your first race, and you will think the whole race is a temporary crisis, so you'll end up back there anyway. Personally I trust/pray/hope that the field stays together and sometimes I have teammates that help make it so.

hope this helps,
cdr

snip

hope this helps,
cdr


hey melville,

how's the book coming along? ;)

A couple things on crashing.

Once again a awesome post from CDR.

Here's the thing...

If I were to crash my bike today, and were it to be a total write-off, I probably couldn't afford to replace it right now. If I had to, I'd sell my TT bike or something in the meantime.

Here's the other thing...

If I were to crash my bike, chances are that it wouldn't be a total write-off. I might have to replace the shifters, or the frame, but I'm not likely to break more than one or two things. I've crashed 3x myself, and seen people go down countless times, and I've seen a few broken wheels, 2 broken frames (out of literally hundreds of crashes), and maybe a broken derailleur here and there. Honestly, though, the people usually come out worse.

But, I race my bike up to 5x a week anyways. It's an acceptable risk in my opinion. If I go down in the absolute worst case scenario, I end up in the hospital and health insurance covers that. I may be out a bike, but I'll get another one soon enough.

It really depends on your level of risk acceptance. By now I've been at this a few years and my handling skills are such that I'm able to avoid crashes, and put myself in the front of the pack where my chances of going down are less.

....Just make sure you don't come up with your first major crash when your parents come out to see you for the 2nd time, ever. True story.

hey melville,

how's the book coming along? ;)

heh. Trying to condense it down to 200 pages without pictures or diagrams. I don't have a title for it yet. Been working on it for about 10 years now.

cdr

....Just make sure you don't come up with your first major crash when your parents come out to see you for the 2nd time, ever. True story.

I helped Yale hold a race. Some guy fell in the sprint. He got up, seemed fine, he wasn't really scraped up, lucid, etc, went to his parent's minivan. He started to "un-race". They came over to see how he was doing. He looked at them.

"Who are you?"

They took him to the hospital. I wonder if he ever raced again.

cdr

heh. Trying to condense it down to 200 pages without pictures or diagrams. I don't have a title for it yet. Been working on it for about 10 years now.

cdr

believe it or not, i'm a good editor. :D

Here's the thing...

If I were to crash my bike today, and were it to be a total write-off, I probably couldn't afford to replace it right now. If I had to, I'd sell my TT bike or something in the meantime.

Here's the other thing...

If I were to crash my bike, chances are that it wouldn't be a total write-off. I might have to replace the shifters, or the frame, but I'm not likely to break more than one or two things. I've crashed 3x myself, and seen people go down countless times, and I've seen a few broken wheels, 2 broken frames (out of literally hundreds of crashes), and maybe a broken derailleur here and there. Honestly, though, the people usually come out worse.

But, I race my bike up to 5x a week anyways. It's an acceptable risk in my opinion. If I go down in the absolute worst case scenario, I end up in the hospital and health insurance covers that. I may be out a bike, but I'll get another one soon enough.

It really depends on your level of risk acceptance. By now I've been at this a few years and my handling skills are such that I'm able to avoid crashes, and put myself in the front of the pack where my chances of going down are less.

....Just make sure you don't come up with your first major crash when your parents come out to see you for the 2nd time, ever. True story.

2/2 races that my parents came out for.. i crashed : ).. one was even an ER ride. I think they're bad luck

See, the fact that you say "bike repairs? your main concern should be health insurance" makes me think it might be a bad idea.

But then again, I could have a plane land on my head on my way to the car tomorrow morning... my house is directly under the landing pattern for the airport...

So what are the chances? I did a road race a few months ago and had a blast, but wasn't near any real close action after I was dropped about 10 miles into the race, so I don't have any experience as to how perilous it can get.

It's not a matter of IF you crash. It's a matter of WHEN.

The chances of a crash are 100%. Eventually, if you race long enough you will crash.

You don't get to pick the time or place. It picks you.

Bob

To add to the whole racing vs. training and crashing probability vein, I wouldn't worry about a crit any more than any other bike race. I've seen far more crashes, and bad ones at that at least in terms of injuries, in road races than I have in crits. There was one particularly bad crash fest crit that I participated in that took place in a major downpour (included flooded streets where storm drains couldn't keep up with the volume of water) and 4 90* turns. Most of the crashes were from poor cornering, but one happened out of the blue on a long straight. What kept me the safest was that all the crashing broke the field up so much that I wound up TTing somewhere in the middle of the remaining racers, and it's hard to take ourself out. ;) Some road races can get a lot more squirrelly, especially when you have a larger field and a yellow line rule. Bottom line, don't be more afraid of crit racing than road racing. If you're OTB in either, well then you're OTB and away from others. Just remember if you get lapped to move way out of the way. In a RR when you're OTB or even in a TT, then you've got to deal with cars. The worst near-catastrophic race experience I had this year was in an ITT, where several road marshals and a police officer were unsuccessful in controlling traffic for me at a turn, and I almost got taken out by a Suburban. In another ITT, a large deer jumped across the road a few feet in front of me.

I guess my point is that you can try to baby your bike and components as much as possible. You can decide to avoid higher risk situations with certain fields, courses, or weather conditions. Even so, sometimes ***** happens. Only you can decide if racing is worth the risk.

A couple things on crashing....

At the back, you can watch the field stretch out, get ready to go, take a few extra deep breaths, and then go as the field slowly stretches out. I tell new riders that they should sit at the back. You get some shelter even 10 feet off the back of a 40 rider group, you can observe who is doing what, and you have a lot of escape avenues (left and right). If there's a "minor" crash (i.e. not a field stack up) you can usually find a way around, sometimes without even braking. When you approach turns which require braking, you can start coasting 50-100 meters before the corner, not brake, and coast right up to guys accelerating furiously out of the turn.

hope this helps,
cdr

I did exactly this in my first crit two weeks ago (47 riders) and I learned a great deal. I had a bit extra room to ease the tension and I was still able to move up to finish 10th. I did sit in the thick of it and watched a crash happen. Next lap the guy was back up and with the pack; another crash, following lap he was back with the pack. It happens, but it was encouraging to see these guys 1) get up and finish and 2) not fret the equipment (no real damage). I've got my second crit this weekend. I'm nervous, but I had fun and enjoyed the event enough to do it again.

Though I've only raced twice (crit and rr) I feel like I enjoy road racing abit more...we'll see if that changes this weekend.

If you have a crash in that your bike needs replacement something tells me that will be the least of your worries.

It's not a matter of IF you crash. It's a matter of WHEN.

The chances of a crash are 100%. Eventually, if you race long enough you will crash.

You don't get to pick the time or place. It picks you.

Bob

+1, I just realized this the hard way, about an hr. ago.:mad: not even a race or group ride, a super yutzish solo overcook of a turn I take every time I ride.

+1, I just realized this the hard way, about an hr. ago.:mad: not even a race or group ride, a super yutzish solo overcook of a turn I take every time I ride.

I figure it's the only way to do it. I can't corner beyond my limits intentionally now, I get too scared.
http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2007/06/how-to-learning-to-corner-when-youre.html

disclaimer: "kid" = me in high school

cdr

I figure it's the only way to do it. I can't corner beyond my limits intentionally now, I get too scared.
http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2007/06/how-to-learning-to-corner-when-youre.html

disclaimer: "kid" = me in high school

cdr

ahh great stuff CDR, now i know what to do this summer when i go home.

I figure it's the only way to do it. I can't corner beyond my limits intentionally now, I get too scared.
http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2007/06/how-to-learning-to-corner-when-youre.html

disclaimer: "kid" = me in high school

cdr

Thanks for the link. I was doing the kind of practice you're describing, but took the turn too fast, and must not have had my front wheel weighted properly because I was paying more attention to traffic than technique - saw I had a wide open road to turn into, and all of a sudded I hear tires squeal (mine) and I'm skidding into a traffic island.

I fell on drivetrain side, everything is all fooked up now, looks I be racing steel this weekend.

I've always considered myself good at cornering, my only win came at the tour de altoona criterium because I was able to corner through the bottom of the course without exhausting any energy, and take the last corner tighter than a competitors leadout men and their sprinter - who was way faster than me - I was just able to accelerate through and out of the turn.

Damn, I'm sore today. Thank heavens no other cars around that would have made me a statistic. Be careful out there.

MDcatV