Road Bike Racing - Is Cat 5 always this fast?

Entered in my first race this last weekend. (I am hooked!) It was a Cat 5 road race. The speed was consistently around 24-25mph with attacks at 30+. Of course I was quite humbled - was dropped on the last lap - about 28 miles into a 32 mile race.

Are Cat 5 races always this fast?

Well it depends on the course, but pretty much. In fact I've seen CAT5 races run a faster speed than higher categories simply because the Cat5 people generally chase down every attack and aren't very organized pack-wise.

Andrew

25+ avg is common for crits, road races the speeds slow down a bit but thats usually cause you are climbing. The 2 RR I have done have both been 23 mph avg with some decent amount of climbing. Cat 5 is known for going all out with no mercy. Fun hu???!!!

All the above is true, in addition I would like to add that when the average speed is higher than the other categories, it's often because the race is much shorter.

Again, what has been said is very true. The last two races I've done have averaged about 21-22mph with 28-30 on the last few miles of the course. I also notice that a lot of the speed comes at the expense of the sustainability. In saturday's race I made sure to help out in the first 3/5 of the race a bit, but watched myself and took shorter pulls at the end. Everyone was so intent on showing off their power that I was able to simply ride away from the group when the gradiant picked up (mind you, this wasn't attacking, just riding at a pace I felt comfortable with) since they had blown most of their energy keeping the speed on the flats high.

Again, what has been said is very true. The last two races I've done have averaged about 21-22mph with 28-30 on the last few miles of the course. I also notice that a lot of the speed comes at the expense of the sustainability. In saturday's race I made sure to help out in the first 3/5 of the race a bit, but watched myself and took shorter pulls at the end. Everyone was so intent on showing off their power that I was able to simply ride away from the group when the gradiant picked up (mind you, this wasn't attacking, just riding at a pace I felt comfortable with) since they had blown most of their energy keeping the speed on the flats high.

So you won?
If you did, congrats!!

There's not a lot of tactics in lower category racing....just a lot of testosterone. Which is why most folks never get out of the lower categories. It's not so much who is fastest as it is how you get there first. You pretty much figured it out...

Good job.

Keep all this info. coming. Thanks.

I'm actually riding in my first race (Cat 5) on Saturday July 3. It's a moderately hilly 19 mile loop which we will go around twice (total of 38 miles).

My goal is to just try to stay with the lead group, conserve energy, and not get suckered into reacting to attacks too early. I am very anxious for the race to get here. I have really been training hard getting ready for it but I really have no idea what to expect. Actually I just want to finish the race so I can use the experience and build on it.

Wish me luck.

Keep all this info. coming. Thanks.

One thing that's interesting, you can yell at people to do something ("Get up there and chase!", etc.) and people will do it :D

Also, there's no prize for doing the most work on the front or getting up the hill first.

-murray

My goal is to just try to stay with the lead group, conserve energy, and not get suckered into reacting to attacks too early. I am very anxious for the race to get here. I have really been training hard getting ready for it but I really have no idea what to expect. Actually I just want to finish the race so I can use the experience and build on it.

Stay enough riders off from the front that everybody else is breaking the wind for you, if they manage a paceline try and stay far enough back that you don't have to take a pull at the front, at least for the beginning/mid stage of the race. Don't worry about attacks, the group itself will respond to every attack so you're stuck with it (or you get spit out the back).

38 miles is a pretty good distance, around here Cat 5's usually get stuck with 20-25 mile runs, so that may work to your advantage if you can conserve energy while the guys at the front are busy blowing out there legs.

Oh yea, and have fun.

Andrew

We have the same problem on our group training rides. 55 miles to go and everyone is freaking out over one guy who has a 10 second gap off the front.

Well it depends on the course, but pretty much. In fact I've seen CAT5 races run a faster speed than higher categories simply because the Cat5 people generally chase down every attack and aren't very organized pack-wise.

Andrew

Ha!! I haven't heard this for a long time. When ever I said what you've just said, I would get laughed at.

Where I come from, club rides are graded: A, B, C, and D. I spent most of my time in B grade, but when I did do a few 'A' grade races, I'm sure the average speeds were slower (this was before the days of reliable speedometers, so I didn't have one); 'A' grade was more 'cat & mouse'. Like you more or less said, the lower grade riders aren't smart enough to not chase EVERYTHING.

So you won?
If you did, congrats!!

There's not a lot of tactics in lower category racing....just a lot of testosterone. Which is why most folks never get out of the lower categories. It's not so much who is fastest as it is how you get there first. You pretty much figured it out...

Good job.

The tactics were awful in the race. During a long stretch of flat road we had two guys that would take their pull, then move back to 3rd or 4th position. So by the time they came up to the front again they weren't fresh at all. I didn't see them, but I guess they just died on the final hill. But yeah, I ended up winning, which was refreshing after a disappointing 3rd place in my previous race.

I want to get into racing. I am new to road cycling, and don't have a USCF liscense. I am currently riding about 100-150 miles/week. Should I just join a club, get a liscense and enter or Just get a liscense and enter a Cat 5 race? And where can i find info about the whole "pace line, attack and packs" like when and what to do?

Keep all this info. coming. Thanks.

I'm actually riding in my first race (Cat 5) on Saturday July 3. It's a moderately hilly 19 mile loop which we will go around twice (total of 38 miles).

My goal is to just try to stay with the lead group, conserve energy, and not get suckered into reacting to attacks too early. I am very anxious for the race to get here. I have really been training hard getting ready for it but I really have no idea what to expect. Actually I just want to finish the race so I can use the experience and build on it.

Wish me luck.


Here's what I learned from my first race. It was the most fun I have had on a bike ever, for the first 28 miles.....after that it was a very long 5 miles to the finish. Stay in the middle of the pack to let them break the wind for you, and if there is a good breeze blowing, pay attention so you are not caught on the windward side. Let the stronger riders do their thing. There is time in the future to learn and get better!

One of my main concerns is the start and the first few miles. It sometimes takes me a while to get warmed up. I usually really start feeling good after about 10 or so miles. Should I take my trainer and spin my legs for 30 or 40 minutes before it is time to line up or is that a waste of energy?

I think if I can stay with the lead group and let them do most of the work for the first lap I will be able to make it to the final sprint. I just don't want to start off sluggish and get dropped right out of the gate.

One of my main concerns is the start and the first few miles. It sometimes takes me a while to get warmed up. I usually really start feeling good after about 10 or so miles. Should I take my trainer and spin my legs for 30 or 40 minutes before it is time to line up or is that a waste of energy?

I think if I can stay with the lead group and let them do most of the work for the first lap I will be able to make it to the final sprint. I just don't want to start off sluggish and get dropped right out of the gate.

Yes, a warm up is necessary. I never brought a trainer, rather I would ride out a couple miles and back. You do run the risk of a mechanical and miss the start of the race :(

-murray

One of my main concerns is the start and the first few miles. It sometimes takes me a while to get warmed up. I usually really start feeling good after about 10 or so miles. Should I take my trainer and spin my legs for 30 or 40 minutes before it is time to line up or is that a waste of energy?

I think if I can stay with the lead group and let them do most of the work for the first lap I will be able to make it to the final sprint. I just don't want to start off sluggish and get dropped right out of the gate.

I would ride at least 5 miles before the race especially for a crit. For a crit I even do a few sprints just before the start because they start real fast. A longer road race like 60 miles or something I just tool around on the bike before the race and make sure it's working properly.