"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - What To Race

Last year was easy, race the race my teamates were in. This year so far no teamates. I could race,40+4/5, Cat 4, Masters 50+, 30+3/4. I have only raced in Cat 4 with disappointing results and a pretty bad crash last year. Would I be likely to be more competitive in an alternate category, or at least be less likely to participate in the carnage? My gut feeling is to race in cat 4.

Personally, I would do the 40+ 4/5. No telling what you might run into in the Masters 50+ (imagine waterrockets 15 years from now or Racer Ex a little sooner) The straight 4's would have the highest inexperience/immortality/over-enthusiasm factor.

Let us know what you decide and how it goes.

do you care about where you finish? I'd say the 40+ 4/5 is the easiest group there. But they usually have the lightest prize lists too.

No telling what you might run into in the Masters 50+ (imagine waterrockets 15 years from now or Racer Ex a little sooner)

300 days :mad:

300 days :mad:

I don't care for that whole "Racing Age" stuff myself.

Personally, I would do the 40+ 4/5. No telling what you might run into in the Masters 50+ (imagine waterrockets 15 years from now or Racer Ex a little sooner) The straight 4's would have the highest inexperience/immortality/over-enthusiasm factor.

Let us know what you decide and how it goes.

I don't know about that... I did a 30+ 4/5 and open 4/5 at the same event and the 30+ was far sketchier (and faster).

As for the OP, I enjoyed a 30+ 3/4 race far more than a straight 4 at the same event (different event than the one above). However, why limit yourself to 1? I saw do the 30+ 3/4 and straight 4 at least. Depending on how you feel and the order of events maybe do a 3rd for the training and experience.

Whichever one you pick, don't pick the straight Masters category. Those are never a good idea, unless you're fast. That's where the retired pros go when they get old, and then they spend their weekends ripping the legs off of people who think they're over the hill.

Whichever one you pick, don't pick the straight Masters category. Those are never a good idea, unless you're fast. That's where the retired pros go when they get old, and then they spend their weekends ripping the legs off of people who think they're over the hill.

I did a 30+ 1-4... that was fun

Get enough points to upgrade to 3's then do masters.

I guarantee you there are some seriously fast 40 plus bike racers out there, I hope to be one of them very soon :) It's really hard to say what is more competitive without giving it a try. In cyclocross I like doing the Masters races because for one reason I cannot compete in the pro/1/2 races, I just end up off the back and by myself. But in a masters field there is a good group of us that are neck and neck for the whole race and the race series. We see each other every week and it's generally a really good time.

So you really just have to try it out.

Trying to keep the legs from falling off now, so one event a day will be plenty. Thanks for the input.

Make one a priority and do the others for the experience.