"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - help on competitive racing?

hello,
Im pretty new to road bikes but ive been passionate about cycling for many years now and have recently bought a Jamis Ventura Comp, is that a good start off bike for a bit of a beginner?
But also im pretty fit as well seeing as im a swimmer, will that help me much?
But my main question is what age should a boy start competitively start racing at?
id like to know this because im 14 now and im thinking its a bit too late.
thanks in advance..
daniel

14 is too late if you want to graduate from college at age 13. It's not too late for bicycle racing. 50 is too late for bicycle racing, as everyone here can tell you. At least it is for me.

That doesn't mean I don't try of course.

Sorry, I have to laugh about passionate for many years and aged 14. :)

That being said, you are probably still younger than 90% of this forum when we all started racing. 14 is plenty of time to get competitive. Go out, try a few races and see if you like it. Try to find a local club and have them take you "under their wing" and teach you the ins and outs of racing.

Good luck!

14 is a good age to start. But be patient. It's a sport in which it takes a long time for someone to develop.
That fact alone weeds out a lot of young riders.

And a bigger problem with young age groups like yours is that there aren't a lot of riders to compete against. You will have a hard time finding races with kids your age. But if you start now, you'll be on fire when you get into the 17-18 age group!

But if we're just talking about cool sports, then you got the right one. It's 100x cooler than any of the other choices.

Just stay consistent (i.e. don't jump onto a different sport every 6 months) rides lots and run a few races. At your age you can do well if you commit to cycling. Like others have said, try it out, make sure its the right decision, and then join a club and go from there.

Also be careful about burn-out. Parents and adults put a lot of pressure on kids when it comes to competitive sports. I've seen it happen to tonnes of my friends regardless if it's tennis, football, rugby, swimming, fencing, wrestling, etc. Remember to keep it fun and challenging. :)

I tried the whole racing thing at your age. I received no support from anyone. That makes it very hard to do. I highly recommend you find a good local club or team that has a junior specific program. If there is not one around try to get the support and committment of your parents or guardians.

Don't get discouraged when you lose. You will lose. Everyone does. Stick with it. Cycling is a sport where you definitely get better with more experience and get more experienced with age.

I think that if someone had told me the following when I was your age I might have stuck with the racing side a lot longer and have been better off because of it:

Bicycle racing is not about going fast. It's about getting over the line first.

Think about that. When you understand it you will know how it can help you.


....unless it's a TT of course....;)

Actually, I, along with experts such as Joe Friel, would strongly advise against training at such a young age. You should start specifying in cycling when you are 16. Until then, do full-body activities like soccer, football, basketball, etc, just to develop your body as you grow. Cycling is a very specific type of exercise, and should not be taken seriously at such a young age. That doesnt mean you can't ride around for fun and fitness, though!

My daughter is 14. Being 14 ROCKS. And no you can't date her. You're geographically unsuitable.

She has a boyfriend, he's a big football player. He's not riding any friggin bicycles. He pummels running backs.

Keep swimming if you can. My two son's both swam all the way thru college. They wouldn't ride with me when they were young but both started to cycle once out of college. One son is a killer road racer and hill climber while the other competes in triathlons. His most recent tri was a full ironman in Arizona a few weeks ago. Competitive swimming will develop your CV system as well as give you the dicispline needed to train for racing. Work yourself into racing over the next few years and you'll appreciate it more without getting burned out before you had a chance to really "have at it". Good luck.

Thanks for the advice..
but it wouldn't be the only sport which i do.
i swim every week and i also do judo, which have previously been champion of my region..
thanks again

My boy's ran track and cross country in high school in additon to swimming. Swimming paid most of their college tuition.

thats good..
I think im going to join a local club after Christmas some time..
ive been researching into them and found there is one with a good rep.