Road Cycling - Am I ready for a Cat V race? newbie question

Greetings,
I was wondering if the more experienced riders could give me some advice as to weather or not I am ready to start racing. I have been riding continuously for 7 months in which time I have done one century in a bit less than 6 hours. I now am training for another century and i am riding 120+ miles per week. I can fairly easily average 20mph, and can pick up the pace when I see someone to chase. My lung capacity feels great, and I only get winded during intervals and sprints. There is a local race event by my house that starts next month and I was hoping that one of you could suggest if you think I am ready or not to race CAT V. Thanks for your help.

P.S. the race event is the twilight series at el dorodo park in Long Beach.

A crit or road race?

Expect to be racing at 27-28 mph. A road race you should probably be able to sit in the pack, if there are no major climbs that is. Crits require more work as you're constantly accelerating out of corners.

Go out with a group of stronger riders and see if you can hang with them at those speeds.

You'll be surprised at how fast the race is.

The race is a Crit. I beleive it is a 1.3 mile loop with 4 left turns and one very mild climb. The flyer said that it is a 1 hour + 5 lap race, however talking to others who have road in this race, they claim it never goes as long as one hour. Thanks again for your replys..

Sure you're ready; just go out, pay your fee and give it a try. When I was doing CatV series 10-12 years ago, we only went for 20 minutes, plus 3 laps. Our course was very similar to what you've described.

I'd say try to hang onto the main pack as long as possible. Even if you blow up the first few races, you'll have fun and get faster in a hurry. Just be careful to hold your line in the corners....and watch out for the other new guys you'll be riding with.

Don't get squirrely, dont worry bout the speed (drafting makes things easy), attack as often as possible

Don't get squirrely, dont worry bout the speed (drafting makes things easy), attack as often as possible


HAHA! And try and lead the first few laps, just to let everyone know you mean business!



Seriously though. You're going to be surprised at the speed, and you may find yourself in difficulty sooner than you imagined. Riding 120 miles a week is OK, but try and get some speed work in. If you have a buddy with a scooter or motorcycle draft him at 26mph, practice coming around him etc. If your riding 20mph all week long 27-28 will be hard on your legs after a while. Even in the draft.

Do longer, harder intervals, as it's doubtful your doing race level intensity without knowing what it really is.


This is what I remember from Cat V crits. (oh so long ago)


Try to stay in the front third of the field. If you get too far to the back you will have 2 problems:

You get the "slinky effect" and have to sprint out of almost every corner to stay in the draft.

When the crash happens (they always do) you will either be involved in it, or stuck behind it. It will probably be some bonehead hitting the curb on the INSIDE of the corner. All the hotheads up front will jump hard when they hear the crash behind them.


If you are in the front, don't do any work, seriously. Why bother! there will be plenty of hotheads who will be blowing themselves to pieces way to early. If you find yourself in a long strung out single file paceline and your turn is coming up either pull off as the guy in front of you does and stay behind him, or take a quick short pull.

If you go to the front for half a lap and then pull off, you will find yourself "soft pedaling" @ 26mph drifting farther and farther back, looking for a gap in the line that probably won't be there. (thats why its nice to have teamates) If you see guys coming back from the front, and its all strung out still, ease a bit to let a gap open and let them take it. They'll pull again and it's less work for you!! They'll be happy to take the spot, thinking that they are still "beating you" becuase they are ahead of you. Ignore them.

From what I remember, and I doubt it has changed. None of the early breaks will last. The above mentioned hotheads will be killing themselves to close 5 second gaps on 3 men breakaways when there is still 45 minutes to go. It's like they can't stand having someone in front of them. Sometimes its better just to let those little ones sit out there and fry, but their overinflated ego's won't let them do it. Ignore them.

Cat V races always have a bunch of hotheads who will be riding too close to each other for their own abilities, dropping water bottles in the middle of the field, and blowing themselves to pieces, while at the same time telling everyone else to watch their line and complain that no one else is working. Ignore them.


Back to the not working part;

It's a war of attrition, and you want to save as much energy for the end as you can. So don't do any work in the beginning if you can help it. There will always be people willing to chase every little breakaway, don't let it be you.

When the pace really gets high, do whatever you can to stay in touch. If you are hurting, others are too. Some times it will go hell bent for leather from the gun. It will soon drop back down, It's done on every level to get rid of those who don't belong, basically getting the Squids out of the way. I have a friend who used to hold a Pro license, they would ramp it up to get rid of the slower/less fit riders too, but they do it at 38mph.


When to work:

This is pretty good sized crit couse, if its square you have about 500 meters per side. If there is a break up the road and it is almost out of sight around the next corner then you might want to get in the mix and help bring it back. If they are farther up, then you'd better get to work. Now if you are in said breakaway 500 meters clear,do your fair share to keep it going, or more if you are strong and/or it appears to be the race winning move.


This is where experience comes into play. If it looks for certain like your breakaway will be caught, stop wasting energy on a lost cause. Shorten up your pulls, or simply sit up and wait for the group, and the insuing counter attack.

Since the breaks rarely stick in the V's it will usually all come together near the end. Hopefully you will still be there. There will be guys there that got their ticket punched a while ago, but somehow are still hanging on. I saw a guy ride off the road into a ditch in front of me once, and this was on a straight section. He just zoned out.

The last lap will be a jostle for position, you should be taking into consideration the wind, the slope, the distance to the line etc.. But since this is your fist race, you either stick to the wheel of the guy you think is the strongest, or you attack and make everyone else race on your terms. If the group is big, get out of the middle of it, and get to the edge. If you are boxed in, you'll only get to watch as the moves are made up the outside. If you're in the group, be careful in the last corner.

If you get in a move or start a move with 1/2 a lap or less you should consider yourself commited. Don't be the first guy around the last corner unless the line is within 100 yards or so


Let us know how it turns out, Do BikeForums.net proud, post some pics, and don't get whistled out of contention

boostedsteve,
El Dorado series is FAST. Is there a seperate CatV only race or are you lumped in with other Cats?

Alot of local pros do that series and it can get brutal. I wouldn't get down on yourself if you don't do well there. The only way to see how you do is to try it.

Sounds like you have a great base. You could get really fast with all the riding you have been doing. You will need more intervals and sprints-but that will come with time, it's still really early. Go ahead and start doing group rides like Como or Food park and get yourself anerobic.

Here is the key;
1. Stay in the top 1/2 of the pack always.
2. never lead the pack.
3. watch to see who is fresh, use them as a leadout at the finish

There are breakaways at El Dorado so if you feel good, go for one. It's good because people just don't know how to ride breaks- it's good experience.

Good luck!

Great reply guys!!! I feel much more comforatable about giving it a shot now. To answer one of the question I belive I will be racing in the group with CAT V's and IV's, so luckly I will not have any pros in my group. Also, im sure this has been posted a million times but when I am training and I do intervals I heard it is best to hold 23-25 mph for as long as I can. Does this sound right for the type of race I am training for. I have done this type of intervals several times and I manage to hold this pace for about 2-3 laps (by my self) at the race course I discribed. Also, im sure this is another annoying newbie question but the last post mentioned getting "anerobic". Can some one please explain what this means. Thanks for your help....

steve,
Don't go by mph. What's going to be key is not how long you can hold 25mph by yourself.
The key is how many times you can accelerate from 23-30mph full-bore, recover and accelerate from 23-30mph, etc, etc. If you are a rocket but can't recover and cope with speed changes, you will get dropped.
Cat 5's and 4's--there are some fast 4's so you will get a bit punished out there, keep your wits and stay calm.

Anerobic is when your legs and lungs are burning, you can't breath and you start pedalling in squares. You need to be able to go anerobic, recover and go again fast.

Don't worry about all that, racing is the best training. You will see how your body responds and you can train accordingly.
You have a good base so with some specific intensity, I'm sure you will do fine.

Go to socalcycling.com and look for the group rides listed. Ride with one near you and you will get an idea of the speed, pace and riding in a pack.

good luck.

Smoothie104: whooo! great play by play action there.

boostedsteve:great question.
I too plan on some cat v crits this year on the 'Right Coast' and have never raced road before. I started racing cyclocross this year in mens C which I guess is equal to cat v road. But I found that there were basically two kinds of people in this beginner category. Those that were out just for a fun good old time and those that want to win and move up to Mens B. I wanted to win so right of the start there was just all out and the slower folks were immediatlly dropped. In fact in one race I came back around and lapped a few guys. Anyway I guess it sounds like the road racing may be more compettive even in the cat V but by all means go for it.

Greetings,
I was wondering if the more experienced riders could give me some advice as to weather or not I am ready to start racing. I have been riding continuously for 7 months in which time I have done one century in a bit less than 6 hours. I now am training for another century and i am riding 120+ miles per week. I can fairly easily average 20mph, and can pick up the pace when I see someone to chase. My lung capacity feels great, and I only get winded during intervals and sprints. There is a local race event by my house that starts next month and I was hoping that one of you could suggest if you think I am ready or not to race CAT V. Thanks for your help.

P.S. the race event is the twilight series at el dorodo park in Long Beach.

Yo Boosted...

A couple guys I ride with race in the crits at El Dorado... they are pretty fast.. but I wanna say they are Cat 3's... they say the races are pretty fun... if anything, go out, and ride one race.. see how you do... then gauge it from there

jeff

It's not on your side of town, but there is a fast group ride in Pasadena on Saturdays. Some teams are in it for a training ride. They will give you all the 25+ you can handle. Let me know if you want details

Also, El Dorado is considered a training race.....if you get dropped you are allowed to hop back on the back of the group to continue your training but you are not allowed to contest the sprints since there are points up for grabs. It's a great place to try racing for the first time.

Last year there was a beginner racers workshop that covered some useful topics like protecting your wheel, cornering in a pack etc. You can check here for details on the upcoming series: http://www.californiabicycleracing.org/

There are 3 groups: Pro/1/2/3, Masters40+/women and Cat4/5.

For local training rides check here: http://www.socalcycling.com/Group%20Rides/frGroupRides.htm

Thanks for all of the great advice!! This seems to be a great and informative website with lot knoledgable members. I guess from hearing all of the feed back I have nothing to lose but every thing to gain. If I get dropped the first few time - WHO CARES - it will just make me want to train harder for the next week’s race. I would assume that by the end of the series I will be very comfortable riding in the pack, and who knows maybe I will be able to score a few points. I also will attend the beginner’s clinics before the race which will also be to my benefit. Hey if there are any other beginning riders out there that are going to do this race drop me a line so I can show up to the race with someone other than myself. I’m guessing for my first race this will make me feel a bit more comfortable. Thanks again.

One thing people didn't mention: are you used to riding in close quarters? Try riding with you local "fast" group before racing. When racing, you sort of have to be hyper aware of your surroundings...it's taxing when you're already used to it, I'd say unbearable if you've never ridden *close* to others at race speed.

Good question.

Riding in close quarters at speed around corners is a whole other thing.

One other thing to keep in mind, and it has already been referenced, is to get comfortable in pack riding. In a crit there will be some pushing and shoving, you will rub elbows and knees. The key is not to panic. If it happens, no matter whose fault, someone will yell at you. Don't let it phase you. Your ability to tolerate and control getting brushed or jabbed is one of the skills you need for a crit. I agree with the reply about average speed. Don't let that fool you. A cirt isn't about average speed its all about burst speed and recovery, and all of the tactics mentioned above. If you are serious about racing crits, you have to condition your recovery system and learn when to use your energy reserves. Oh, and the first time or two, don't go for the win - it probably won't happen - but do try for one of the primes. It is a good way to have some sucess on your way to learning how to win.

Great advise guys! Now for another question: I currently do spints once every other week where I will sprint for 30 sec. and then take it easy for about 5 minutes and then hit it again. With all of the talk about quick recovery should be change my sprinting routing to some other form of quick recover training? If so how many days a week should I do this new training ride. Thanks

boostedsteve: The quick recovery is more about handling surges. Do you do other intervals apart from the sprints you mention? Pyramids are a good place to start.

On a separate note, I did a Cat 5 crit today. My average speeed was 24, but within the first 30 sec I had a peak of 27.8 (it helped that the start line was on a slight downhill slope). There were a number of peaks (surges) of 30 mph througout. My HR was in zone 4 (Friel's zones) for 70% of the race, and looking at the chart I was near the top of zone 4 for most of that time. I was in 5a for 20% and 5b for 1%. I didn't contest the sprint, backing off in the last lap. The pace wasn't as intense as I was expecting it to be though. There's another Cat 5 crit at Dominguez Hills, not far from El Do next Sunday. You should come out and watch.

I would advise you to absolutely not get into a race until you get some experience at very high speed paceline riding. It is one thing to have the strength and stamina to ride at the pace of a race. It is a whole other thing to do it in a group that is riding bunched together and screaming round corners at top speeds. Someone who can not do that is a danger to himself and other riders.

Also bike races are a whole different thing then triathalons and running events. In triathalons and runs, recreational atheletes can mix in with the pros, they just start the pros at the front. In cycling there is a limit to the number of people who can ride at a given time in a race so they have the classes. Also even class IV and class V races attract riders from all over the state (maybe not in CA but in FL and MI they do). So you are riding against the best riders not in the local area but across the whole state. It is a pretty daunting thing for someone who is merely fit and strong. I think to be successful at racing even at the lowest level, you have to have some physical talent above the ordinary for cycling. Just being fit and strong isn't really enough. This is not said to discourage you but to let you know what to expect. Remember talent is a funny thing. The first really good triathelete (wasn't his name Jake Scott?) was a rather mediocre competetive swimmer. However he could go out and swim as hard as he could as far as he could every day. That didn't cut it for swimming because the events were too short for his great endurance and recovery to help. But then he got into triathalons and suddenly the endurance and recovery were vital. Also Michael Jordan was a great basketball player and even all that talent wasn't enough to help him in baseball.

I think to be successful at racing even at the lowest level, you have to have some physical talent above the ordinary for cycling. Just being fit and strong isn't really enough. This is not said to discourage you but to let you know what to expect.

This kind of stuff pisses me off. No one I know that races shares this point of view. I will say this is a total crock.

Racing isn't some elite activity. Racing IS for "fit and strong ordinary cyclists"!! Racing is for everyone! It's a learning experience and fun activity, especially at the club level!

Sure there is TONS to learn, putting in time and energy, etc but it all starts somewhere and that's what CAT5 is for! There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING to keep ANYONE from being successful in bicycle racing! I want everyone reading this to know and believe it right now!

I am not saying you will win out of the gate but I've known people that have totally surprised themselves and won on their first try.

Go out there have fun, learn, enjoy, meet people. Racing is something everyone in cycling can enjoy.

Hello again. I have been doing some searching and I found the below quote on suggested training rides for Crits. Does everyone think this looks good? Also on my normal training rides I try and pick up the pace every time i exit a tunnel on the flood control I ride on. I crank it up for about ten seconds and then back down to my normal pace. So as far a surging goes a have a little bit of experience, but still need much more.

"start with a workout of ten to thirty 5 second sprints (depending on your fitness level). Now further break up those sprints into sets of 4-6 sprints each. Once again start slowly and work your way up in intensity and number of sets. But you can do it; its just all out for five seconds followed by 15-30 seconds of rest and repeat. Break up the sets with 2-3 minutes of rest and you have yourself a great criterium specific mid-week workout."

I have to agree. Running and Tri's are not elitist, in fact the bigger the race the better. How many marathon runners do you know that stopped competing because the aren't finishing on the podium? None, the runners that I know are happy to have competed and usually don't care how the winner did. In fact, I have a friend who finished one of her worst times in the Boston Marathon. Was she disappointed? No, she was just proud to have competed in the Boston Marathon.

Now if you ask me, I would rather encourage all of the newbies I know to get out and race. Since I know I am not going to podium, I would be much happier to have some company and maybe some competition to form that rear eschelon.

I just read somewhere that the person with the genetic potential to be the world's best cyclist may be sitting on the couch somewhere, overweight, smoking a pack a day. You just don't know your potential, until you get out there and try. Then try again.

i hate to be trite, but the superior mental aspects of athletes determine success more often than superior physical talent.

First off let me say how jealous I am of those of you who can even get on your bike with out freezing your arse off this time of year? Sounds like So Cal has a great racing sceen. I just want to say it again but from my intro to racing cylocross this year I found that it was all about fun in competition. Guys who knew they were not going to win had just as much fun and competition as those who won. If your at the end of the group in a race than you are competing to get ahead of the guy in front of you. You still sprint to the finish to get 10th place. It's exciting and fun and you will meet people that have the same interests as you. You will learn from these people and perhaps in time teach them as well.

And sure you have to really want to win to win. You can beat someone who is more fit than you but don't forget they want to win too. If you are competing w/ someone who wants the win just as much as you do and you don't have the same fitness level you lose. A great fitness level keeps your mental powers from wearing out sooner.

I have to agree. Running and Tri's are not elitist, in fact the bigger the race the better. How many marathon runners do you know that stopped competing because the aren't finishing on the podium? None, the runners that I know are happy to have competed and usually don't care how the winner did. In fact, I have a friend who finished one of her worst times in the Boston Marathon. Was she disappointed? No, she was just proud to have competed in the Boston Marathon.

Now if you ask me, I would rather encourage all of the newbies I know to get out and race. Since I know I am not going to podium, I would be much happier to have some company and maybe some competition to form that rear eschelon.

I just read somewhere that the person with the genetic potential to be the world's best cyclist may be sitting on the couch somewhere, overweight, smoking a pack a day. You just don't know your potential, until you get out there and try. Then try again.

Well said; agree with you that this focus on winning is counterproductive. Just get out and try the racing to see if you like it. A guy is just asking about starting racing, and people are posting him about what it takes to win crits in a highly competitive arena. That's just setting up a false expectation. Goals for the first season need to be realistic.

I'm also thinking about trying some racing this year and have a question about which category would be best to enter, since I'm over 35 years old. Is it smarter to enter in the Cat 5 or 35+ group? I'm also trying to start with "road races" on longer courses, as opposed to crits, thinking these might be safer. The first one I'm trying is a 44 mile race, two laps of a 22 mile course. BTW, I did my very first competitive event yesterday, which was unusual - it was a half-mile time trial up a big hill (check out KingofJester.com). The course averaged 14% grade and peaked for about a tenth of a mile at 20%. The winning time was 2:26. I did 3:45 and this was right in the middle of the pack out of 120 participants. Great event, but I think I turned one a lung inside out.

I'm also thinking about trying some racing this year and have a question about which category would be best to enter, since I'm over 35 years old. Is it smarter to enter in the Cat 5 or 35+ group?


I'm no expert at this, but it seems to me like Cat 5 would be the way to go. There are some really strong riders past 35 years old, like Cat 1, 2 and 3 riders! So it seems like you'd be better off riding in cat 5 to me, even if some are quite a bit younger, you'll all be "beginners". I'm trying to make this same decision, so comments by others more experienced would be appreciated! I guess it all depends on exactly who will be there racing too.

Tom

If it is a 35+cat 4/5 race, than do that.

If it is a 35+ race (no cat restriction) than it will be a fast race since former cat 1,2's often race Senior races.

It also depends on the area. Maybe in your area, a 35+ race is basically made up of CAT5 guys.

One thing people didn't mention: are you used to riding in close quarters? Try riding with you local "fast" group before racing. When racing, you sort of have to be hyper aware of your surroundings...it's taxing when you're already used to it, I'd say unbearable if you've never ridden *close* to others at race speed.

This is GOSPEL. If you have not ridden in a mass pack before, or have not ridden in a mass pack very much, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do so before you enter into a Crit race.

There is nothing more dangerous to yourself and the other racers as someone who is new to pack riding jumping into a crit race to "see what it's like".

You have to understand the dynamics of riding in a large group. How will you react when you are doing 30+ MPH 1/2" off of someones back wheel and they swerve to miss a pothole? Or they swerve to shake you off of their wheel?

What will you do when you get elbowed while going around a corner at 20+ MPH? Or someone blows a tire right in front of you?

Do you understand the do's and don't's of riding so close? Do you know not to cross wheels, or hit your brakes or how to "lead out" a sprint or how to get out of the way once you have blown in a sprint?

Do you understand how to properly communicate to the other racers while riding?

There are a lot of variables to riding in a group and it gets VERY dangerous when you have a bunch of people all riding in oxygen debt thinking that they are the second coming of Eric Zabel. Cat V is about as dangerous a group of riders as there is for this exact reason.

I race in a 10 race crit series every year and every year the guys from cat V get killed out on the course because someone jukes when they should have jived! Broken collar bones, broken legs/ arms, road rash galore and a lot of broken bikes are the result. Keeps the local ambulance crew quite busy, I assure you.

Please do yourself and your fellow racers a favor and practice group riding first. Then give your luck a shot at a local Crit.

Good luck and keep the rubber side down!

mjolnir2k
I have done several club rides where I have been riding two abreast in relatively tight quarters. However, I have not ridden in close quarters in a racing type situation. I understand your concern, and I defiantly do not want to get hurt. You brought up some interesting points about what to do in specific situations, and due to my lack of experience I do not know the answer to any of these questions. Since it seems that you have many more years riding experience than a lot of us newbie riders, can you please answer your own questions so we can benefit from your experience. I think this would be appreciated not only be me but by many others. Thanks,

You need to do some riding where you are completely surrounded by a mass of riders. In other words, you need to get used to being smack-dab in the middle of a pack while riding straight and while cornering.

mjolnir2k
Since it seems that you have many more years riding experience than a lot of us newbie riders, can you please answer your own questions so we can benefit from your experience. I think this would be appreciated not only be me but by many others. Thanks,

Hi boostedsteve,
Didn't mean to come across too stern, just have seen a bunch of riders hurt over the years and woul hate to add you to the list.

Ok, for starters it sounds like you have a bit of experience riding in a pack. You know the regular pack rules about calling out road hazards etc, so you probably have an understanding on "in pack" communications.

The most important lesson on group riding is holding your line. In other words don't weave around while you are riding. Concentrate on following the wheel in front of you.

Here's some info for taking that riding experience into a race situation:

"Leading out" on a sprint:
This is when a rider is the first to go on the sprint (typically on the last lap, or any lap that offers a "prem" or bonus). The first rider to lead out generally will not win the sprint unless he/she is far stronger than the rest of the field. What will happen is that the "lead out" rider will take off and several other riders will follow in their wake. This is called riding the slip stream as the trailing riders are using as much as 25% less energy. When the "Lead out" rider begins to tire and slow down, the other riders will slingshot past him/ her.

You DO NOT want to be the lead out guy unless 1. you are leading out a teamate, or 2. You think you can outsprint everyone to the line (good luck!)

Now the important part is that MOST of these Cat V crits come down to a bunch sprint. This is the truly dangerous part b/c you don't realize how far 500 meters REALLY is after you have been on a bike for ~1 hour doing an interval style workout. You would be shocked at how quickly your legs lose their abilty to maintain a sprinting cadence and what happens then is called "blowing up" which is a DRASTIC reduction in speed. Basically you just can't pedal anymore.

If you do this in the middle of a bunch sprint it can cause some serious accidents. Picture that you are on a busy freeway in bumper to bumper traffic at 65 MPH and you slam on your brakes....Not a pretty picture.

You must be on the lookout for this to happen and guard against it happening to you.

Next up is the popular tire blow out. There is not a whole lot you can do to prepare yourself for this. It will sound like a gunshot. You just have to be calm and if it's your tire, HOLD YOUR LINE, let the riders work their way around you and when everyone is past you, pull to the side. I have seen people blow a tire and immediately veer to the side of the road...bad things tend to happen that way!

Communicate to the riders around you. Typically in a race you will hear people yelling "hold your line" etc. You know that term now, but also it is a good idea to let riders know your intentions before you act. (obviously not about when you plan to make a break, or start your sprint for the win etc) but if you are trying to get back in line, signal the rider behind you or beside you with a finger point to let them know you are coming over. This doesn't happen much in the higher Cat's as they are more accustomed to merging in and out of the pace line, but it's a good habit for a cat V or IV racer to practice.

Then you have to be prepared for people "touching" you while riding. Don't get freaked out if someone leans against you when going into a corner and have a firm grip on your bars when sprinting in case someone bangs against you.

Bottom line, the crit race is more mental than physical (although your legs might argue this point) so it's not always the fastest/ strongest who will win.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
mj2k

You need to do some riding where you are completely surrounded by a mass of riders. In other words, you need to get used to being smack-dab in the middle of a pack while riding straight and while cornering.

For some reason, I can't see myself being able to handle that at all. I admire those who can ride like that in a relaxed manner!
My bicycle handling skills are definetly above average, but for some reason, the idea of riding in a tight pack makes me feel really edgy.

(I haven't even been on a group ride before though)

For some reason, I can't see myself being able to handle that at all. I admire those who can ride like that in a relaxed manner!
My bicycle handling skills are definetly above average, but for some reason, the idea of riding in a tight pack makes me feel really edgy.

(I haven't even been on a group ride before though)

It's a learned skill and as mentioned in this thread a mental activity as well as a physical one, but once you get accustomed to it it can be great fun. Try riding for 50 miles at +/- 25MPH average by yourself (which would be pretty hard to do), then do the same with a group of 20-25 other riders (which is still a challenge but suprisingly do-able). It's quite a rush!

You definitely should give it a try at least once. Find a group of riders that share your physical skills and then join them on a ride. Watch how the rest of the guts/ gals act while riding and pay attention to their form when in a paceline.

Johnny Texas, I am in the very same situation. I'm 36 and just did my first Cat5 crit a couple of weeks ago. It was a little intimidating to realize that I'd be racing against 19yr. olds. But I was able to hang with the group, nearly won a prime, and finished in the top 10. I made sure to stay in the front 1/3 of the pack the whole time, which saved me from the crash that took a couple of guys out.

But if I knew what the heck I was doing, I probably could have won the dang thing. I did way too much work and pulled the field around the course a couple of laps. Stupid. I'm not much of a sprinter anyway and when the final sprint came, I just didn't have it. When I race this course again in March, I'm going to stay up front and try to do as little work as possible.

Johnny Texas, I am in the very same situation. I'm 36 and just did my first Cat5 crit a couple of weeks ago. It was a little intimidating to realize that I'd be racing against 19yr. olds. But I was able to hang with the group, nearly won a prime, and finished in the top 10. I made sure to stay in the front 1/3 of the pack the whole time, which saved me from the crash that took a couple of guys out.

But if I knew what the heck I was doing, I probably could have won the dang thing. I did way too much work and pulled the field around the course a couple of laps. Stupid. I'm not much of a sprinter anyway and when the final sprint came, I just didn't have it. When I race this course again in March, I'm going to stay up front and try to do as little work as possible.

Right on caloso! This is what it's all about. You go out there, you have fun, you learn and you do better next time.
Racing is all about hitting goals and having a good time. That's why it's fun!

Go out there and do it! Everyone is going to say "do this, don't do that, why race at all, you can't, you won't, you shouldn't". BS!

Just go out there and do it! Have fun, learn, ask questions, be a sponge, do something out of your comfort zone! Go go go!!

Something many of you are not aware of or are over-looking (it was mentioned earlier).....the specific crit Steve wants to race in is a training race. It is exactly the place a new racer who has ridden with his club in small to medium groups should go to learn how to improve. There are clinics run for beginner racers before each race, each clinic covers a different topic such as: cornering, front wheel protection, group riding, drafting, bike handling, sprinting and strategy. The refs out on the course on motorbikes also keep an eye on beginners and will keep them at the back of the pack or even pull them out of the race if they believe they are not ready for that level of riding. The course is also not a technical course. There is one real corner, the rest are very gently sweeping.
This series has been running for 20 years and the current organizers have spent a lot of time and effort to make the races the place for all levels of racers to come to learn more about racing or just get a good race workout. If a new racer can't race here, where else should he or she go?

I completely disagree with the idea that you should just "go out and do it" with no training, because it's precisely that attitude that gets people hurt (and it's usually NOT the newbie that goes down, but someone trying to avoid the newbie). It's just plain stupid to put yourself (and more importantly others) at risk because you are too impatient to learn the skills required to do something properly. We're not talking about needle point here, we're talking about a race that will be fast, tight and edgy where people can and DO get VERY injured.

The people who say to "just do it" are typically the knuckleheads who blow themselves up in a race and then blame others for their misfortune.

However, I did miss the part that the crit series proposed is a training series. In that case, absolutely get out there on the bike and learn on the course. If there are coaches etc. it will make it 100% easier to get the feel and understand the mechanics of the crit race.

Good luck and have fun!

This kind of stuff pisses me off. No one I know that races shares this point of view. I will say this is a total crock.

Racing isn't some elite activity. Racing IS for "fit and strong ordinary cyclists"!! Racing is for everyone! It's a learning experience and fun activity, especially at the club level!

Sure there is TONS to learn, putting in time and energy, etc but it all starts somewhere and that's what CAT5 is for! There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING to keep ANYONE from being successful in bicycle racing! I want everyone reading this to know and believe it right now!

I am not saying you will win out of the gate but I've known people that have totally surprised themselves and won on their first try.

Go out there have fun, learn, enjoy, meet people. Racing is something everyone in cycling can enjoy.

This was in response to my post about being just fit and strong is not enough to be successful in bicycling racing. This comes in part from my limited experience in bicycle racing. I was in this race. This guy shows up. He had run some local running events and thought a bicycle race was the same thing. Those of us in the pack lapped him on his first lap! It is a whole different ball game out there then people expect.

Sure a person of ordinary ability CAN race and CAN have fun. But they probably are never going to win anything either. The competition at the bike races I have been to is pretty impressive. It isn't just the guys in the neighborhood going out to have fun. You get that in club rides.

Here are some crit race training tips from the guys at PEZ Cycling:
There are two power zones critical to successful criterium racing that are often overlooked in a traditional training plan: power above your threshold and zero time (if that is even a zone). Often times comparison of files between the winner and a pack finisher in the same crit reveals that the winner spent more time at zero! However, when it really counted such as making “the break” or the sprint finish, the winner’s power output dwarfed the pack finisher. Why? Because the winner spent more time at zero, was more rested, and metered his efforts better than the pack finisher. This also goes back to that crafty crit racer thing.

Now this may not always be the case (or possible) so in addition to increasing your zero time in a crit, you might also want to consider training at the type of power outputs you’ll need to chase and drop your competitors. For starters, entering more crits is an ideal way to train which, again, goes back to the crafty crit racing experience thing. In addition, short intervals 5-20 seconds in length at power levels WAY above your threshold mimic criteriums the best.

Looking at an SRM file from a typical crit reveals anywhere from 10 - 80 spikes depending on the course, category, length, level, intensity, and terrain. Break that down into an interval workout and start with a workout of ten to thirty 5 second sprints (depending on your fitness level). Now further break up those sprints into sets of 4-6 sprints each. Once again start slowly and work your way up in intensity and number of sets. But you can do it; its just all out for five seconds followed by 15-30 seconds of rest and repeat. Break up the sets with 2-3 minutes of rest and you have yourself a great criterium specific mid-week workout. In total a typical workout may be only 2.5 minutes of intensity but its at an intensity much much greater than your power at threshold. We’re talking 300 -1000+ watts! The idea is to stimulate your body to be able to handle power outputs of this magnitude on a regular repeated basis. Just what occurs in a criterium.

As your training progresses, increase the duration of each interval eventually working your way up to twenty and thirty seconds. Similarly, increase the total intensity of the workout up to 10 or more total minutes depending on your fitness level. Decrease your work to rest ratio eventually down to a one to one 20 second on 20 second off effort, for example. Before long you’ll be that crafty crit racer coasting along, breathing easy and racking up zero time just waiting to make your move.

enjoy!

This was in response to my post about being just fit and strong is not enough to be successful in bicycling racing. This comes in part from my limited experience in bicycle racing. I was in this race. This guy shows up. He had run some local running events and thought a bicycle race was the same thing. Those of us in the pack lapped him on his first lap! It is a whole different ball game out there then people expect.

Sure a person of ordinary ability CAN race and CAN have fun. But they probably are never going to win anything either. The competition at the bike races I have been to is pretty impressive. It isn't just the guys in the neighborhood going out to have fun. You get that in club rides.

How does it feel being a naysayer?

El Dorado is a good course and anyone that doesn't know the course or racing in socal should not be talking like they do know.

I stand behind all my comments because they are true, they work and I have seen it and lived it.