Living Car Free - Car-Free Bike Racing

Wondering if there are any other anti-car bike racers out there. My passion for cycling, which started as an alternative to driving, has now evolved to the point where I've just begun road racing. I'm having a blast, but ironically, finding it a challenge to race as much as I'd like without needing to drive. Of the six races I've done so far -- all within the span of a month -- I drove to one because it was rather special (Mt. Evans hillclimb). I've opted out of a few others soley because they would have required driving.

Now I'm looking at several races that I'd love to do, but will have difficulty getting to without a car. For instance, one is a crit this weekend that's about 40 miles away and would require pedaling through denver if I bike to the race -- and my catagory goes off at 8am. (One flyer for a crit in Denver earlier this month specifically stated that there would be nowhere to warm up, so stationary trainers were highly recommended, which presupposes that everyone will be driving to the race. I skipped it.) Another is a few weeks later about 90 miles away. I've thought about riding to the town the day before with a small backpack, and staying in a motel, then racing 40+ miles in the morning and riding home in the afternoon.

Some of my options as I see them:

Skip races I can't easily ride to. :(
Drive only to the big or special races. (slippery slope and rather ironic given how I got into cycling)
Try carpooling with other racers. (probably the best compromise, but I'm kind of an uncompromising sort)
Ride to any race I can even if it means taking an extra day or two and not exactly being perfectly prepped for the given event (i.e., tired).

Looking at next year, there are so many races I want to do, and some are hundreds of miles away.

Just wanted to see if there are any others on this forum trying to sort out the same dilemma.

BTW, I fully recognize how fortunate I am to be able race at all without needing to drive. Boulder's a great town in that regard, but there aren't a lot of long road races nearby, and no stage races.

Wondering if there are any other anti-car bike racers out there.

Looking at next year, there are so many races I want to do, and some are hundreds of miles away.


If you're looking to do races which are hundreds of miles away, I suggest just renting a car for the weekend. I'm car-lite, not car-free, but I've noticed that for situations like the one you're in many of the car-free members of this forum suggest renting a car. I suppose it depends on the individual, though. There's a difference between car-free and anti-car.

There's a difference between car-free and anti-car.

Yeah, I suppose there is, and I guess I'm in the latter catagory since I'm certainly not car-free -- our family owns two vehicles. Access to a car isn't the issue; it's my scruples. I've recently been able to eliminate nearly all my discretionary driving (which I'll define as driving when there's a viable alternative like bus or bike, or when it's purely for a non-essential/recreational purpose). My recent interest in road racing came about because I've all but given up rock climbing, which almost always involves driving, but I don't want to give up the excitement/intensity/endorphine rush.

I'm starting to laugh at myself thinking about logging hours behind the wheel in search of my next "fix" when this whole road racing thing is an outgrowth of my attempts to reduce my carbon footprint.

I realize that dedicated car eschewing bike commuters are a whole different cycling subculture from roadies, which is why I posted in this forum. Figured I'd get a bunch of virtual blank looks in the road racing section.

Sounds like with cutting out driving in nearly all other aspects, it shouldn't weigh too heavy on you to drive to an event every once in a while. Maybe talk to other local racers and see about carpooling.

I understand about wanting to cut back on the driving. I ride for as many things as I possibly can, rather than taking my car. At least for me, commuting the 100+ miles per week by bike makes me feel a little better about the times when I drive 90 minutes to get to a trailhead for a backpacking trip or a summit hike.

Unfortunately, absolutism only works if you're able to live with the strictures you've put up around yourself. And the unfortunate reality is that the United States is a pretty big place, which is the whole reason that cars became so mandatory in the first place.

Well, stay uncompromising and pure. You can happily sit at home the Saturday of the race you really would have enjoyed taking part in, smug and (hopefully) happy that you didn't compromise your principals in the slightest.

Or you could be enjoying taking part in the race.

All depends on which is more important to you. And physical reality says that you attendance at a race that is farther away than you can walk or pedal in the amount of time you have available for travel, means you're going to have to depend on some form of internal combustion engine. Period.

(Funny: I always thought that the uncompromising types were right-wing Christian moralists who were desperately afraid that someone, somewhere, is having fun.)

To address the OP, I don't think you're an annoying fundie, btw. But I do think, as others have pointed out, that you'll need to decide whether your anti-car absolutism comes before your desire to participate in said bicycle race. If you're unwilling to compromise, then it looks like you've made your decision.

Jeez, I just said I'm trying to cut out discretionary driving. Never claimed I'd absolutely never drive. Certainly never said I'd be sitting home feeling smug and righteous because I skipped a race. Just trying to strike some sort of balance between a principle (excercising restraint and not driving hither and thither any time I feel like it) and my desire to recreate/compete. I certainly do drive sometimes -- can't always get the kids to a 9am soccer game five miles away on time pulling the Burly. When I say I'm uncompromising, I mean that it's easy to say "I do my part in other ways," or "my car gets over 30 mpg," or whatever. For me, personally, that would be a bit of a cop-out. For someone else, perhaps not.

Maybe I should be more specific: When I look at the racing calendar, I see all these races that look really cool, and would be really fun to do. Some are a couple of hours drive from home, while others are 6,8,10 or more hours away. I feel like if I did all of them -- carpooling or not -- I'd be excersizing very little restraint and putting my own personal pursuits/aspirations ahead of the greater good.

From what I've read and heard, everyone in China wants a car -- it's a very important status symbol, sort of the litmus test of whether one is "successful". We all know that if there ever are close to as many cars per capita in China as there are in the U.S., then our world's going down the drain fast (as if it isn't already). For me this puts personal sacrifice into perspective a little, and makes bike racing seem pretty trivial. But I happen to love it. Just trying to find a balance that feels right, and wondering if anyone else is thinking about the same thing.

Sure. It's all about balance. Here's an anecdote: in the summer before grad school (this past), I didn't want a car. Not one. Wanted to bike everywhere. Was 100% sure I could do it.

My parents? They were completely in the opposite. They wanted me to have one. Wanted to get me one. The bicycle was a joke to them. They felt I needed the car, and were as sure of it as I was of the bike.

The result? Compromise. They got me a car and a bike. I mostly use the bike. In fact, I've only made one trip in the car so far. But you know what? I've come to be grateful for their leaving me the car. Because although I could conceivably have utilized the bus, plus walking, plus cycling, it's much more convenient to be able to know there's a car available, on demand, for the occasions when I do need one.

I thought I had to choose between the two. One or the other. The bike or the car. That the person I wanted to be (the one on the bicycle) couldn't exist in any shape or form with the version of me in a car. But I've come to understand things aren't that black and white.

My point is that, too often, we tend to veer from one extreme to the other--from opulence to ascetism, from decadence to self-starvation. Too little is just as bad as too much. I'm slowly coming to realize that simplicity, downsizing, etc, doesn't necessarily mean getting rid of everything, or denying myself as much as possible. Instead, perhaps it means something closer to reducing one's wants without neglecting one's needs. Something to keep in mind.

Jeez, I just said I'm trying to cut out discretionary driving. Never claimed I'd absolutely never drive. Certainly never said I'd be sitting home feeling smug and righteous because I skipped a race. Just trying to strike some sort of balance between a principle (excercising restraint and not driving hither and thither any time I feel like it) and my desire to recreate/compete. I certainly do drive sometimes -- can't always get the kids to a 9am soccer game five miles away on time pulling the Burly. When I say I'm uncompromising, I mean that it's easy to say "I do my part in other ways," or "my car gets over 30 mpg," or whatever. For me, personally, that would be a bit of a cop-out. For someone else, perhaps not.

Maybe I should be more specific: When I look at the racing calendar, I see all these races that look really cool, and would be really fun to do. Some are a couple of hours drive from home, while others are 6,8,10 or more hours away. I feel like if I did all of them -- carpooling or not -- I'd be excersizing very little restraint and putting my own personal pursuits/aspirations ahead of the greater good.

From what I've read and heard, everyone in China wants a car -- it's a very important status symbol, sort of the litmus test of whether one is "successful". We all know that if there ever are close to as many cars per capita in China as there are in the U.S., then our world's going down the drain fast (as if it isn't already). For me this puts personal sacrifice into perspective a little, and makes bike racing seem pretty trivial. But I happen to love it. Just trying to find a balance that feels right, and wondering if anyone else is thinking about the same thing.

I can appreciate your scruples; I went car-free precisely because of my concerns about global warming, along with other environmental concerns, and got into bicycles only because I needed a way to to get around without cars. (Now I'm into touring as a result.) But put it into perspective. You're driving less. A lot less. Millions of Chinese who want a car, if they ever hear about your qualms and your efforts so far, will still want a car. Ride to races close to you. Carpool if you possibly can. If that's not possible, drive there. If the only driving you ever do is to go to a race once in a while, your carbon footprint will still be a tiny fraction of that of most people in this country, and you'll be happy, so stop beating yourself up over it.

(Edit: since you live in CO, your carbon footprint from using electricity and, if you're not a veggie, from eating meat, is possibly bigger than driving anyway...)

If you don't want to drive to the races, carpooling is your best bet. It's relatively inexpensive and it provides a social setting. Alternately, you could look into bus, train or air travel, but these can quickly become pricey, especially if you have to pay an additional fee for your bike. They also have an inconvenience factor.

OP, I had a similar journey to yours except my "sport" is paddling. I used to car travel about every other weekend one to three hours to paddle. Almost everything else in my lifestyle has been adapted to cycling. Same dilemma though because it was Katrina--Global Warming that prompted my swearing off discretionary driving. Now I will go canoeing about once every other month and only if a carpool materializes (my club has learned that I no show if no rideshare).

One of the tricks is to define "restraint". In my case, I still have my pickup truck because, living in the country, it's an absolute necessity. For starters, hauling two weeks garbage and recyclables to the transfer station on a Bob trailer isn't going to work, and I have no intention of trying to make it work.

My personal restraint is to allow one tank of gas (20 gallons) per month to that truck - and within those parameters I can do whatever I like, be it hauling bicycles to swap meets, hauling garbage, or just Saturday night cruising the main drag picking up chick (yeah, at my age - 58). Or not drive it, and allowing whatever I don't have to buy of that allowed 20 gallons to carry over into the next month(s) in addition to the next 20 gallons. Which gets me through January and February when the motorcycles, scooter and bicycles are flat out useless in 35 degree rainy weather, or snow.

As part of this effort, I bicycle to work (theoretically) every Saturday - 42 mile round trip. Yeah, I've missed a few. There have been a few mornings when I didn't feel physically adept enough to do the trip. So I used the scooter instead. I lived. The earth lived.

If you're going to set standards, don't micromanage yourself. Set them for a larger period of time, and allow yourself some leeway for the unexpected day to day needs.

My point is that, too often, we tend to veer from one extreme to the other--from opulence to ascetism, from decadence to self-starvation. Too little is just as bad as too much. I'm slowly coming to realize that simplicity, downsizing, etc, doesn't necessarily mean getting rid of everything, or denying myself as much as possible. Instead, perhaps it means something closer to reducing one's wants without neglecting one's needs. Something to keep in mind.

Amen. Hair shirts and self-flagellation went out of style after the Black Death.

(Funny: I always thought that the uncompromising types were right-wing Christian moralists who were desperately afraid that someone, somewhere, is having fun.)

Almost every ideology has that wing of it. There are the vegans, for example, who throw a fit at the sight of leather or wool.

Why not get ride of one of your cars, then you won't feel guilty when you have to rent one. Plus you'll be saving tons of money that you can use to buy cool racing stuff.

My personal restraint is to allow one tank of gas (20 gallons) per month to that truck . . .

I like that idea a lot. Perhaps I can figure out a reasonable quantity of fuel per month for my family, and then if there's enough in the "budget" to drive to a race, great.

Something else on the subject of absolutism/no compromise: Just because someone sets the bar relatively high for him/herself, doesn't automatically mean they are guilt-ridden, self-hating, extremist, moralizing, smug, righteous, etc. Nor does it mean he or she has some grandiose delusions of single-handedly saving humankind. Perhaps it's just a matter of what feels right or appropriate. For me, it was realizing one day that I could be doing a lot more, that I wasn't really making any significant personal sacrifices, nor had I changed my lifestyle in any fundamental way. Not driving has been a fundamental change that has opened my eyes to a whole host of other possibilities for living simpler with less impact. Occasionally, it has felt like a small sacrifice, but mostly it has enhanced my life. I've gotten so used to riding my bike everywhere that I've found I profoundly dislike the experience of driving -- particularly in traffic. I probably always did dislike it, I was just numb to it, so on the whole my life is better and I'm happier.

So if I don't want to drive, that's my choice, and I'm not telling anyone else whether they should or shouldn't.

The choice whether to attend a race that requires driving is simply a trade-off between the fun of the race and the unpleasant and destructive aspect of burning fossil fuels to do it.

We all view the trade-off differently, of course, and for some it seems a silly thing to even consider. I just figured there'd be a few sympathetic brains to pick here. Seems like I've actually offended some or stuck myself out to be ridiculed. Not that it matters much, just wasn't expecting that kind of response.

Well to be fair, your original post had a bit of "anti car fanatic" feel to it. In the way you phrased it etc. I thought most of responses were inline.
Driving to races is just the nature of the beast. The question for most people is "how far". Personally my limit is 2 hours, and its better be a good race or I can find a carpool.
As others, and you yourself actually, your choices are to accept it and drive to races, try to find carpool, or don't do them. There is no magical solution to this problem. Actually I am not sure what was the point of the original point since you stated your choices in your original point. Maybe you were really looking for a re-assurance nudge in to some kind of direction?


I like that idea a lot. Perhaps I can figure out a reasonable quantity of fuel per month for my family, and then if there's enough in the "budget" to drive to a race, great.

Something else on the subject of absolutism/no compromise: Just because someone sets the bar relatively high for him/herself, doesn't automatically mean they are guilt-ridden, self-hating, extremist, moralizing, smug, righteous, etc. Nor does it mean he or she has some grandiose delusions of single-handedly saving humankind. Perhaps it's just a matter of what feels right or appropriate. For me, it was realizing one day that I could be doing a lot more, that I wasn't really making any significant personal sacrifices, nor had I changed my lifestyle in any fundamental way. Not driving has been a fundamental change that has opened my eyes to a whole host of other possibilities for living simpler with less impact. Occasionally, it has felt like a small sacrifice, but mostly it has enhanced my life. I've gotten so used to riding my bike everywhere that I've found I profoundly dislike the experience of driving -- particularly in traffic. I probably always did dislike it, I was just numb to it, so on the whole my life is better and I'm happier.

So if I don't want to drive, that's my choice, and I'm not telling anyone else whether they should or shouldn't.

The choice whether to attend a race that requires driving is simply a trade-off between the fun of the race and the unpleasant and destructive aspect of burning fossil fuels to do it.

We all view the trade-off differently, of course, and for some it seems a silly thing to even consider. I just figured there'd be a few sympathetic brains to pick here. Seems like I've actually offended some or stuck myself out to be ridiculed. Not that it matters much, just wasn't expecting that kind of response.

Maybe you were really looking for a re-assurance nudge in to some kind of direction?

No, just wondering if there a many (any) other folks out there grappling with the same dilemma, and also I guess I'm just noting the irony that as more people get turned on to cycling as a way of life and a form of alternative transportation, more will also get turned on to racing and find themselves driving to races.

Also wondering whether there's any sort of anti-driving (please don't equate "anti" with fanaticism; I simply mean "not in favor of" or something like that) ethic developing with road racers. I know that in Boulder, more and more mtn bikers are embracing the don't-drive-to-ride ethos -- and there aren't actually a lot of easily accessible mtn biking trails here.

I guess I'm just noting the irony that as more people get turned on to cycling as a way of life and a form of alternative transportation, more will also get turned on to racing and find themselves driving to races.

I'm guessing that your ironic scenario is just your own wishful thinking. My guess is that is almost no chance of many "way of life" cyclists being conflicted in (or by) grappling with such a decision.

We all view the trade-off differently, of course, and for some it seems a silly thing to even consider. I just figured there'd be a few sympathetic brains to pick here. Seems like I've actually offended some or stuck myself out to be ridiculed. Not that it matters much, just wasn't expecting that kind of response.

Forgive me, but it seems to me that every response in this thread has been pretty supportive; where do you see offense and/or ridicule?

I like that idea a lot. Perhaps I can figure out a reasonable quantity of fuel per month for my family, and then if there's enough in the "budget" to drive to a race, great.

And along that idea if you carpool (whether in your car or someone else's) with other racers, then divide the fuel by the number of passengers (who are hopefully all chipping in for gas) so it won't take as much of the quota.

Also wondering whether there's any sort of anti-driving (please don't equate "anti" with fanaticism; I simply mean "not in favor of" or something like that) ethic developing with road racers. I know that in Boulder, more and more mtn bikers are embracing the don't-drive-to-ride ethos -- and there aren't actually a lot of easily accessible mtn biking trails here.

Although not a racer, I can understand the query and can probably best answer it in terms of the area where I live.

Montpelier is 33 miles northwest of Richmond, VA. 15 miles east of Montpelier, and 15 miles north of Richmond on I-95 is Ashland, a delightful small town that is the absolute hotbed of the area's cycling. Also, home to Ashland Coffee and Tea, the local 'biker bar'. Sunday's the place is a quiet zoo, cyclists coming and going all morning, pick up rides, high speed training runs. Oh yeah, part of the draw is that the town is where US Bicycle Routes 1 and 76 cross, and are the same route for about two miles through town - and, four miles west of Ashland is Poor Farm Park, one of three excellent mountain biking trailsets in the area.

Yeah, the place is cycling heaven.

What you've got here, though are some major terrain issues. North and south of Ashland it's rolling, but still doable for a tightly geared road bike. Go four miles west of town, however, and you're talking some serious elevation differences. If I'm going to ride into Ashland for my Sunday morning coffee and bagel, and the usual 50 mile Sunday mornings that are virtually religion to me, I'm taking one of my two touring bikes. Period. 3x7 or 3x5, extremely wide gearing, and one or two 'tree climbing gears'. And the panniers will be on it, as I'm probably going to be riding home wearing less clothing than I started out with in the morning.

If however, it's a Sunday where I'm in the mood to meet a few guys and do some serious stripped down road burning and practice what would probably be racing skills if I raced . . . . . I truck the road bike into town, unlimber and go ride. And while I'm at it, my only mountain bike is also locked into the truck rack, and once I'm done for the day on the road it's out for a couple of hours in Poor Farm Park. I probably alternate my Sundays between the two kinds of rides - it's the only chance I ever get to use the mountain bike, which is no real loss as I'm a roadie at heart. If I'm not in the mood to mountain bike, I'll lock my fixie in it's place. The hills around my house (starting with my driveway) make a fixed gear a virtually useless affectation. 99% of my work on those things is to build for sale to college students, so I have a source of income for more road bike parts.

Many of the road guys I ride with race, and none of them have shown any interest in cycling to a race to avoid using a car. For most of them, it's a matter of husbanding certain amounts of strength and energy for that race, with training carefully controlled, and the last thing they need to have to mess up their training is an unprogrammed commute.

Aside: This thead is an excellent example of one of the worst glaring weaknesses of internet communicaton - the inability to show inflection in one's submission. Having gone through the entire thread, I now realize that, having heard you SPEAK what you said it probably wouldn't have come off near as hard, if only through the tone of your voice.

I've known more than a few fanatics in my life (mostly, but not all, conservative). I've invariably found them extremely unhappy, unpleasant people. And I have a nasty habit of picking on them. Guess I like shooting fish in a barrel. :lol: And I'm FAR from being a liberal myself

Yeah, I suppose there is, and I guess I'm in the latter catagory since I'm certainly not car-free -- our family owns two vehicles. Access to a car isn't the issue; it's my scruples. I've recently been able to eliminate nearly all my discretionary driving (which I'll define as driving when there's a viable alternative like bus or bike, or when it's purely for a non-essential/recreational purpose). My recent interest in road racing came about because I've all but given up rock climbing, which almost always involves driving, but I don't want to give up the excitement/intensity/endorphine rush.


If you chose not to drive for any recreational purpose, you should probably not fly either (flying generates huge amounts of green house gases). This would imply that you should only take vacations in bus, bicycle or perhaps train (jury is out on that one) distances. Seems like a miserable way to live to me.

I certainly do drive sometimes -- can't always get the kids to a 9am soccer game five miles away on time pulling the Burly.

So driving your kids to a recreational activity is not discretionary but driving yourself is? I commend you on your selflessness but I do think you might want to consider removing the hair shirt once in a while.

OP, I had a similar journey to yours except my "sport" is paddling. I used to car travel about every other weekend one to three hours to paddle. Almost everything else in my lifestyle has been adapted to cycling. Same dilemma though because it was Katrina--Global Warming that prompted my swearing off discretionary driving. Now I will go canoeing about once every other month and only if a carpool materializes (my club has learned that I no show if no rideshare).

Has anyone shown any evidence that Katrina was caused by Global Warming or people driving too much? Speaking of global warming, I am currently enjoying the coolest August in New York City since I moved here. It was in the low 70s yesterday.

Aside: This thead is an excellent example of one of the worst glaring weaknesses of internet communicaton - the inability to show inflection in one's submission. Having gone through the entire thread, I now realize that, having heard you SPEAK what you said it probably wouldn't have come off near as hard, if only through the tone of your voice.


This thread? I would argue at least half the threads on these forums can be used as an example. :thumb:

Well to be fair, your original post had a bit of "anti car fanatic" feel to it. In the way you phrased it etc. I thought most of responses were inline.
Driving to races is just the nature of the beast. The question for most people is "how far". Personally my limit is 2 hours, and its better be a good race or I can find a carpool.
As others, and you yourself actually, your choices are to accept it and drive to races, try to find carpool, or don't do them. There is no magical solution to this problem. Actually I am not sure what was the point of the original point since you stated your choices in your original point. Maybe you were really looking for a re-assurance nudge in to some kind of direction?

and i think that's really sad. if cars were totally gone tomorrow, people would still hold races, they'd just all be local ones. personally i think that'd be a good thing.

and not everyone drives to races. i heard about a guy who pedaled over a mtn pass or two, 100 miles away from seattle, won a cat 3 or 4 crit, and then rode back. i think it just comes down to how dedicated you are. in his case, he's probably training for RAAM or something.

some might say that driving to big road events/charity rides is also the "nature of the beast," and for most this is true. but i think lots of people could ride to more rides if they just had more patience, and didn't mind getting up earlier than everyone else.

i've ridden 40 miles to a 150 mile ride in the mountains, and then rode back. this weekend i rode 25 miles to a 250 mile ride. even with offers of a ride from friends. then again, i don't race, so maybe riding to a race is a bad idea for most people. but i try to ride to rides as much as possible.

OP, i think you should ride out the night before, do the hotel thing, and ride back. but if the race is closer, you should ride to it! imagine how it'd feel to win a crit and say "i rode here." and if you lose, you also have a good excuse..

and i think that's really sad. if cars were totally gone tomorrow, people would still hold races, they'd just all be local ones. personally i think that'd be a good thing.
...

I think this is one of the best ideas in the whole thread. As cycling gets more popular (again) we should be able to organize more local races. Big cities already have alley cat races, and I believe Portland has a lot of races for ordinary riders in different skill categories.

I race a lot with friends, and sometimes even with strangers on bikes. One race with four kids on bmxs was just as hairy as a sanctioned race, although not nearly as fast. (It sure felt fast while racing these kids on a narrow bike trail--especially when we all tried to squeeze through the trailhead posts that were our finish line. Knees and elbows were flying!)

I think this is one of the best ideas in the whole thread. As cycling gets more popular (again) we should be able to organize more local races. Big cities already have alley cat races, and I believe Portland has a lot of races for ordinary riders in different skill categories.

I race a lot with friends, and sometimes even with strangers on bikes. One race with four kids on bmxs was just as hairy as a sanctioned race, although not nearly as fast. (It sure felt fast while racing these kids on a narrow bike trail--especially when we all tried to squeeze through the trailhead posts that were our finish line. Knees and elbows were flying!)

at least in seattle, there are a good number of races in and around the city. the thing is, everyone that lives outside of the city ends up driving (solo, usually) to the event. but yeah in a car(e) free world people would just figure it out.

i'm still trying to find local races that are somewhere between the jockfest-crits, and the drunk-fest alleycats.. no luck yet

So i was looking at ebay, and for $1200 to $1500 you can get a 1.9 kilowatt-hour lithium/iron battery. Let's say you want to conserve energy so you're pedaling lightly. With a battery like this, you'll be able to go 150 to 200 miles before it needs recharging.

Use an electric hub motor that's easy to remove, and bring a spare front wheel. Quick conversion between electric bicycle and race bike.

Now you just have to figure out where to leave the battery, and if the race is more than 80 miles away you might need to find a place to recharge near the race.

i'm still trying to find local races that are somewhere between the jockfest-crits, and the drunk-fest alleycats.. no luck yet

At critical mass some folks were doing an unauthorized race (with entry fee and a cash prize) in traffic on busy streets. Might have been a drunk-fest, but they looked pretty sober so i'm thinking they were just crazy... seems somehow between jockfest and drunkfest though.
Problems:
1. let's face it, those guys look fast. faster than me, anyway. Doubt I would have stood a chance.
2. call me crazy, but i don't want to be racing through red lights on busy streets. i have no problem with running red lights on a bike, but i ain't gonna make plans to do it in a race situation!

It seems to me that long distance riders are a little more welcoming of the "ride to the ride" ethos. But the ride start often will be far out, so that you're doing 150 or 200 miles just to ride a "century". And most areas don't have a randonneuring club, so you'd be pretty on your own.

To me, car pooling seems like the best plan. A minivan should be able to manage 4 riders, bikes and gear and they get fairly decent gas mileage. And if you ride to the carpool it will work out pretty well.

Problem is getting permits. Good luck trying to secure one anywhere near densely populated area for a road race. One of the reasons that road races are in the middle of nowhere. Also not all races can be "local" to everyone. So the choices are once again: do very few races or drive to a race. Best option of course is to carpool.
Also for some people riding 100 mile is a big challenge, so adding another 25-40 miles each way to ride to the event might push in to impossible category.


and i think that's really sad. if cars were totally gone tomorrow, people would still hold races, they'd just all be local ones. personally i think that'd be a good thing.

and not everyone drives to races. i heard about a guy who pedaled over a mtn pass or two, 100 miles away from seattle, won a cat 3 or 4 crit, and then rode back. i think it just comes down to how dedicated you are. in his case, he's probably training for RAAM or something.

some might say that driving to big road events/charity rides is also the "nature of the beast," and for most this is true. but i think lots of people could ride to more rides if they just had more patience, and didn't mind getting up earlier than everyone else.

i've ridden 40 miles to a 150 mile ride in the mountains, and then rode back. this weekend i rode 25 miles to a 250 mile ride. even with offers of a ride from friends. then again, i don't race, so maybe riding to a race is a bad idea for most people. but i try to ride to rides as much as possible.

OP, i think you should ride out the night before, do the hotel thing, and ride back. but if the race is closer, you should ride to it! imagine how it'd feel to win a crit and say "i rode here." and if you lose, you also have a good excuse..

Problem is getting permits. Good luck trying to secure one anywhere near densely populated area for a road race. One of the reasons that road races are in the middle of nowhere. Also not all races can be "local" to everyone.

but at the same time, we have a number of annual crits in seattle city-limits, and even some weekly ones during the summer (in a park). people even drive to those, and i'd bet that at least 50% of them live within 10 miles..

but yeah there are some stage races out in easter wa, and probably because of permit-related issues within the city.


So the choices are once again: do very few races or drive to a race. Best option of course is to carpool.

depends on your goals & motivations. if the goal is to burn less gas overall (e.g. car free/lite), then carpooling is good, but not doing it is even better. there are sacrifices to be made with the car-free lifestyle.

but if your goal is just to race, then by all means put the pedal to the metal! and yeah carpooling is then the best option.

If there's enough interest, another way to go would be to charter a bus to go to a race. And maybe rent a u-haul truck to carry bikes, gear, food, camping supplies, etc. While expensive, if shared by 20 or 30 riders, this would probably be cheaper than driving.

And a charter bus would be a lot more fun. You could even have a keg in the bus for the trip home.