"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - How fit does one have to be to participate in a CAT5?

I'm am beyond scared of competing in any sort of bicycle race, but I really want to try it out - and soon! I was never much of a competitive sport fellow, and I have no idea what sort of skill level to expect riders in the 'starter' category to have.

For that matter, what is generally the average length/speed of a cat5 race?
What are some red flags to look out for before I decide to participate?

:sigh:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=380788

Buy a beater :)

Find a race.

Buy a 1-day license.

Race.

To participate and to compete are two different factors. Anyone can participate, ofcourse, but unless you're relatively fit you'll probably get dropped.

I have no idea what sort of skill level to expect riders in the 'starter' category to have.



You should be able to reach down, take a bottle from its cage, drink, and return the bottle to its cage all while riding at a good speed and maintaining your line.

one way to see how you stack up (on paper at least) is to get a PT & WKO+ and find your places on the e-wang chart.

You should be able to reach down, take a bottle from its cage, drink, and return the bottle to its cage all while riding at a good speed and maintaining your line.

You are fooling yourself if you expect everyone in a cat 5 race to actually be able to do that. The question wasn't what skill level should he have, it was what to expect. I wouldn't expect most people do be able to hold their line let alone do it while futzing with a water bottle.

one way to see how you stack up (on paper at least) is to get a PT & WKO+ and find your places on the e-wang chart.

based on my e-wang extrapolations, I have yet to acheive the power of an untrained female.

go race.

I'm am beyond scared of competing in any sort of bicycle race, but I really want to try it out - and soon! I was never much of a competitive sport fellow, and I have no idea what sort of skill level to expect riders in the 'starter' category to have.

For that matter, what is generally the average length/speed of a cat5 race?
What are some red flags to look out for before I decide to participate?

Take a pic of your guads and we'll tell you if you're ready.

This is my first full season on BF. Is this what it's like for the rest of the season?

This is my first full season on BF. Is this what it's like for the rest of the season?

It has its cycles.

Good helmet + bike you don't care about = ready to participate

You are fooling yourself if you expect everyone in a cat 5 race to actually be able to do that. The question wasn't what skill level should he have, it was what to expect. I wouldn't expect most people do be able to hold their line let alone do it while futzing with a water bottle.

Well one could always hope all the cat 5s could handle that ...... but sadly, you're probably right.


How about just being able to ride in a straight line?

I'm am beyond scared of competing in any sort of bicycle race, but I really want to try it out - and soon! I was never much of a competitive sport fellow, and I have no idea what sort of skill level to expect riders in the 'starter' category to have.

For that matter, what is generally the average length/speed of a cat5 race?
What are some red flags to look out for before I decide to participate?


The best advice I can give is that no matter how ready you think you are, you still may not be ready.

The only way to find out for sure is to grip it and rip it.

Have fun and be safe.

Good helmet + bike you don't care about = ready to participate

Bike I don't care about? Are crashes really that common?

Well one could always hope all the cat 5s could handle that ...... but sadly, you're probably right.


How about just being able to ride in a straight line?

Still a bit optimistic. And I'm still a Cat 5, so I should know.

I ride rollers a lot and have pretty decent bike handling skills, but there are sketchy riders in 4/5.

Mostly it's people not holding their line going into/out of corners. Some guys weave just from poor pedal stroke.

That being said, I've bumped shoulders, jumped rear wheels, touched hands, and haven't wrecked in a race yet. I took an inside line a couple weeks ago and bounced off a rider who cut me off, bounced off the curb, and then back into the pack, and nobody went down.

My friend in a 4/5 race locked handle bars with another racer, his front wheel went completely sideways, his whole bike hopped off the ground, and then he landed without crashing or anyone behind crashing.

It has its moments.

Well one could always hope all the cat 5s could handle that ...... but sadly, you're probably right.


How about just being able to ride in a straight line?

Not that either

Bike I don't care about? Are crashes really that common?

Crashes happen at every level of bike racing, but most of the time they're not too serious (of course, sometimes they are serious...and that's unfortunate). Look, the best thing you can do is work on your bike handling skills, protect your front wheel, and stay away from sketchy riders.

I don't know what your cycling experience is, but you should be more concerned about pack riding skills and bike handling then fitness--nobody will care if you go off the back because you're not fast enough, but they'll be p1ssed if you make them crash.

Bike I don't care about? Are crashes really that common?

Yes.

Bike I don't care about? Are crashes really that common?

:roflmao2:


Give Blood: Race Cat-5

It's just like a fast group ride, with more carnage. Unless you're out front, be prepared for a lot of unexpected slowing and accelerations. Bumping of elbows and bikes. Don't freak when you hear the bikes crashing aside of you and you'll be all right.
I'd leave the Pinerello at home and go with the Caad9.

Edit: if you can keep up with a decent B ride, you should have the fitness to do a Cat5 race.

Many threes can't ride in a straight line.

I don't know what your cycling experience is, but you should be more concerned about pack riding skills and bike handling then fitness--nobody will care if you go off the back because you're not fast enough, but they'll be p1ssed if you make them crash.

My handling isn't too bad, but I have no experience with pack riding. Which I guess just occurred to me as being pretty key haha.

Would I gain these skills from club riding or something? Cause that's another problem of mine. I'm having a hard time finding a group to ride with.

Not to mention I'm afraid of that too haa

god im a wreck

I'm am beyond scared of competing in any sort of bicycle race, but I really want to try it out - and soon! I was never much of a competitive sport fellow, and I have no idea what sort of skill level to expect riders in the 'starter' category to have.

For that matter, what is generally the average length/speed of a cat5 race?
What are some red flags to look out for before I decide to participate?

Always faster than you think, but you'll never know until you try...

Race and find out...........it will motivate you to ride more :thumb:

I'll be in my first CAT race next weekend.... doing this for the experience.... hoping not to get smashed... just going to go out there... try to keep in the pack and have some fun!

http://tampacrit.com/

First cat race I went to, mine got a hairball and DNF'd.

anyone else notice the ever so present amount of newbs?

Join Date - Feb 2009

Moved from Road :)

Join Date - Feb 2009

+1

but then again may 2008 cant talk a whole lot

I'm am beyond scared of competing in any sort of bicycle race, but I really want to try it out - and soon! I was never much of a competitive sport fellow, and I have no idea what sort of skill level to expect riders in the 'starter' category to have.

For that matter, what is generally the average length/speed of a cat5 race?
What are some red flags to look out for before I decide to participate?

They have training crits near me, you should see what is available in your area. One of the classifications is called "freak"...single speeds, mtn bikes and road bikes together. Your fear is very common, so don't sweat it too much, just get out there. I would get the cyclist training bible by Friel, this should help I think. The advise I was given was to join a local team accepting beginners, this was great advise...user on BF was Merlinextralight, or something like that.

good luck and let us know how your first race goes.

They have training crits near me, you should see what is available in your area. One of the classifications is called "freak"...single speeds, mtn bikes and road bikes together. Your fear is very common, so don't sweat it too much, just get out there. I would get the cyclist training bible by Friel, this should help I think. The advise I was given was to join a local team accepting beginners, this was great advise...user on BF was Merlinextralight, or something like that.

good luck and let us know how your first race goes.

I would advise against this at early stages of racing. Friel's book is very overwhelming when you're just getting started. You can make big gains by just following the "training status" thread on here, without having to wade through all of the (great) info in his book. I have it, but I barely read it. I plan on using it more in the future to make full training schedules and such.

My handling isn't too bad, but I have no experience with pack riding. Which I guess just occurred to me as being pretty key haha.

Yeah, you might want to do a little bit of that before racing.

I'm a Cat V in Cat IV 35+ Master's clothing.

It's silly, but it's fun.

:sigh:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=380788

+1,000,000

Cause that's another problem of mine. I'm having a hard time finding a group to ride with.


You live in Emmaus...and you can't find a group ride? Have you looked?

For some reason I thought this thread was 4 pages just a second ago...

For some reason I thought this thread was 4 pages just a second ago...

It was cleaned a bit. It had gotten a touch out of hand and off track.

Good.

I'd like to do the whole fast group ride thing first, but it seems like there haven't been any fast group rides in western Massachusetts in February...

First crit is in a month, I think I'll be able to hang on.

You live in Emmaus...and you can't find a group ride? Have you looked?

That's the thing. I don't know where to look. I guess my at my LBS, but other than that I have no idea.

Good.

I'd like to do the whole fast group ride thing first, but it seems like there haven't been any fast group rides in western Massachusetts in February...

First crit is in a month, I think I'll be able to hang on.


There will be in a few weeks. Do you ride with the NCC. Plenty of hammer heads in that group. If you want training go to Joe's bike garage and do the comptrainer rides. Plenty of action in WMA if you know where to look.

That's the thing. I don't know where to look. I guess my at my LBS, but other than that I have no idea.

If you are not already doing fast group rides, you will not be able to hang on in a CAT 5 race. You should be comfortable doing A rides if you want to finish with the pack in my experience. Once you get some fast group rides under your belt, race! Getting dropped is just part of the initiation into bike racing. If you're always at the front, then it's time to find a faster group. Don't take this to be discouraging but you can't just come out of nowhere and be hanging with the pack. I hope this actually answers your question. And people hate to talk about avg speed in races but expect 23-26 in a flat CAT5 crit.

Most threes can't ride in a straight line.

:twitchy:

Too bad all the fun throwdown was cleaned up... ;)

More like too bad I didn't get the chance to see it hah

That's the thing. I don't know where to look. I guess my at my LBS, but other than that I have no idea.

You're getting warmer.

LBS, lehigh wheelman....IIRC there's a weekly Thurs night crit at Rodale park by the velodrome.

I can't believe I'm the first to say this. Absolutely do not race. Yet. Go find a LBS ride, do that until its boring, then race. Otherwise you're spending $30 to ride with people way faster than you when you could do that for free every saturday morning. Not to mention if you have fears of riding in a group, you'll be a hazard to everyone in a race.

I'm not trying to be mean, but seriously. Don't race yet.

My handling isn't too bad, but I have no experience with pack riding. Which I guess just occurred to me as being pretty key haha.

Would I gain these skills from club riding or something? Cause that's another problem of mine. I'm having a hard time finding a group to ride with.

Not to mention I'm afraid of that too haa

god im a wreck

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree...if you've never ridden in a pack you might not want to jump straight into a race.

I started riding in May of '05 with my first group ride in July of '05. I've been doing group rides ever since going with faster and faster groups. Some of the group rides were training rides where I was eventually dropped. Last year I did my longest ride yet...150 miles with nearly 8000ft of climbing.

Next weekend will be my first training crit and I'm stronger now than any previous year. Yesterday I did 4x5 minute intervals at 294w each; I'm sure there will be Cat 5 riders who are much stronger.

This should put things into some sort of perspective.

Down here in south florida, to compete in cat 5 you'll need to be very fit. You'll have to be able to handle a race length of approx 50 minutes at an average speed of 25 mph with constant surges, accelerations, and high speed / tight corners. clicking the 30 mph mark many times during the race is normal.

=)


To get a feel for criterium racing without actually being in one, I suggest you try out the training dvd named " Race Day " (http://www.realrides.tv/).


This is an on-bard camera training dvd with a virtual dashboard that shows you what cadence and effort you should be applying and it is the full length of a typical criterium race. It helped me a bit and it should be of some use to a beginner to get an idea of the demands of racing.