Road Bike Racing - How old were you...

... when you entered your first race?

The reason I ask is, I'm 29 and will be racing for the first time this Saturday and wonder if I am in a minority. Are there a lot of people who never race until their late 20's early 30's or do most people begin racing in their teenage years?

Wish me luck this Saturday. Thanks!

... when you entered your first race?

I've got you beat, I was 33 :eek: though, I did my first RAGBRAI when I was 16. My thought was I didn't want to get serious enough to race...and I still don't. I did quite a few races in '99, but I only do a race every year or two now. Our club rides are enough taste of racing for me.

-murray

I started racing 2 years ago at 40 yrs old. Boy, I wish I started twenty years ago, I love it. I can't get enough. Consider yourself lucky because you have a lot of years of racing ahead of you. Enjoy them.

33 for me too. I started cyclocross racing last year and now am doing cat 4 road. Now I am 34. My goal is to start placing in races soon. So far I always make the final field sprints but end up outside of the money but close. I met a guy who was 43 a few weeks ago doing his first cat 5 race. So at 29 you should be fine as long as your training is good your age within reason won't matter. You may be surprised at how fast your group is.

I did my first "real" USCF-sanctioned race this year at the age of 53. I had done a couple of citizen races about 20 yrs ago and a lot of fast club riding but nothing official. Anyway, I figured what the heck, I might as well give it a go. So, I've been getting my lunch handed to me in the Masters 45+ Open category. I decide on the Masters 45+ as I thought it would be less sketchy than the Cat 5s and have fewer crashes. I also decided to stay away from crits and do only road races.

Kent Bostick made his first Olympic team at age 43. He earned a spot by beating the reigning 'World Champion' at the Olympic trials in the Individual pursuit. The World Champ(rainbow jersey) was Mike McCarthy..and he was in his 20's at that time when Kent kicked his butt.

Don't worry about your age...you have many years ahead to get strong and fast.

Jeanne Longo of France is still kicking arse against the world's best women cyclists...and she's 46.

Andy Bishop was an amateur cat 4 cyclist(there was no cat 5 back then..so cat 4 was the lowest).........and just two years later he was racing in the Tour de France with team 7-11 back in the 80's.

Many times the mind becomes fried long before the body. Since you are just starting...your mind is much fresher than say someone who has been racing for 10 years already. Competitive cycling is hard..so it does fry the mind over time.

"Many times the mind becomes fried long before the body. Since you are just starting...your mind is much fresher than say someone who has been racing for 10 years already. Competitive cycling is hard..so it does fry the mind over time."

I can see why. This weekend's race is all I've been thinking about. I'm just anxious to cross the finish line and hopefully use what I learn Saturday to improve my training. I have been training alone so it is sort of hard. I do some fast club rides when I get a chance but 85% of my riding is done alone.

It is good to know that so many of you got into racing when you were 30+. I was wondering if I was going to be going up against a bunch of youngsters or folks who are closer to my age.

I was 29, now 31. Don't worry. Is not your fault starting late. Cycling isn't popular in the US. You know nothing about cycling or racing until later years. probably until you have some cash for a nice bike and time to dig around the web for cycling info. That's how I started. :D


... when you entered your first race?

The reason I ask is, I'm 29 and will be racing for the first time this Saturday and wonder if I am in a minority. Are there a lot of people who never race until their late 20's early 30's or do most people begin racing in their teenage years?

Wish me luck this Saturday. Thanks!

"Many times the mind becomes fried long before the body. Since you are just starting...your mind is much fresher than say someone who has been racing for 10 years already. Competitive cycling is hard..so it does fry the mind over time."

I can see why. This weekend's race is all I've been thinking about. I'm just anxious to cross the finish line and hopefully use what I learn Saturday to improve my training. I have been training alone so it is sort of hard. I do some fast club rides when I get a chance but 85% of my riding is done alone.

It is good to know that so many of you got into racing when you were 30+. I was wondering if I was going to be going up against a bunch of youngsters or folks who are closer to my age.

Again at your age, age has nothing to do with it. It is your training and dedication to the sport. Don't expect to go out and win your first races but also don't give up. Make it to the final sprint and even if you are last in the field get up and go. Races are training rides as well. I had a coach recommend to me that you don't leave cat 5 till you get some wins. Getting wins lets you have a taste of victory. A little taste will carry you further into cat 4 and so on.

I was 29, now 31. Don't worry. Is not your fault starting late. Cycling isn't popular in the US. You know nothing about cycling or racing until later years. probably until you have some cash for a nice bike and time to dig around the web for cycling info. That's how I started.


Too bad my "nice bike" won't be ready until next week. :) And yes, I have actually got all of my training info. from forums such as this one.


I had a coach recommend to me that you don't leave cat 5 till you get some wins. Getting wins lets you have a taste of victory. A little taste will carry you further into cat 4 and so on.

I was actually told the same thing. From what I've been told a lot of people just get their 10 races in Cat 5 and move up to Cat 4 ASAP. I was recommended to wait until I can get a win at the Cat 5 level before going to Cat 4. Who knows? I guess I'll decide how far I want to take it after this Saturday. Can't wait!!!

36 years old when I did my first real bike race.

I did my first triathlon when I was 19 but got away from it for a few years. Got back into triathloning in my late 20's but didn't know anything about bike racing. Then last year I started training with a former serious (Cat 1) racer who wanted to get back into shape for Masters races. I started doing the local hard training ride and then got talked into signing up for a Cat 5 crit. I was a little freaked out racing against a bunch of 19 year olds but I got over it by the end of the first lap.

I've never done a road race but I think I'd like to give that a try.

good for you. hope you enjoy it. i did my first race this summer at 26 yrs old.

I mentioned this in another thread but I thought I'd post it here as well since we were talking about it last week.

I participated in my first race this past weekend and I loved it. The race was Saturday and was a 38 mile moderately hilly road race. Cat 5 was split up into two groups 35 and under and over 35, I was in the 35 and under category. Thanks to all the great advice I received here on what to expect and how to train for this event I actually placed 14th out of about 45 riders in the 35 and under Cat 5 race. I was pretty impressed with myself, as my goal was to just finish and get some experience to build upon.

The first lap (19 mile loop) I stayed with the lead group and felt really good. Then about 14 miles into the second lap the pace really picked up and I started to slowly drift back from the lead pack. I tried with all of my might not to let them go but my legs just wouldn't do it. I kept them in my sights for a few miles and pushed with all my might for the final 5 miles. A wreck in the lead group occurred in the final 1/4 mile and I was far enough back to not be involved. Only 1 rider was put out of the race with a mangled bike. I didn't get to sprint with anyone across the finish line because all the other riders who had been dropped by the lead group were too far back. All in all I impressed myself (and my wife :) ) and I can't wait till the next race in my area. Too bad I have to wait quite a while.

Thanks again for all the great advice.

Tennessee,

Keep checking http://www.springcity.org as they may yet organize a race before the end of the year. They're in Huntsville, AL.

i just turned 19... and i plan to ride till i die

My first race when I was 16. That was a small race in highschool with most of other racers were about the same of my age. There were only about 30-40 racers. My avatar is the picture of that race, road bike in dirt track.

I was 13 or 12 when I started doing road bike races.

My first race when I was 16. That was a small race in highschool with most of other racers were about the same of my age. There were only about 30-40 racers. My avatar is the picture of that race, road bike in dirt track.

so, that's the orgin of that avatar. mine is from my first race as well....just a photo i had to crop down immensley to fit. but it was taken as i crossed the finish line.

I was 14/15 when I did my first race, I enjoyed killing the 13 yr olds. Does that mean I was a bad person?

yesterday, woooohooooooo!
a Time Trial (got a thread about it running in the road forum)
I'm 34

I was 14/15 when I did my first race, I enjoyed killing the 13 yr olds. Does that mean I was a bad person?

15. 1988.

Geez that's a long time ago when you type it out!

thirty

8 years old..i won state championships (michigan) since i was 10 and i hope to keep that streak goin...and im 16

15 I think, It was a non-USCF event, so I thought I would be cool and wear a leather crash hat, instead of a real helmet. Crashed and rung my bell. What a Maroon.

I took 7 years off the bike, and raced again for the first time at age 33, this past year. Got 8th and 11th on the weekend. I forgot how silly fast it goes from the gun.

Then a month or so I took my Girlfriend to her first bicycle race, she had only watched the Tour on TV. I won the circuit race on Saturday, which was cool because it was our local event, and she saw it all happen, and got 2nd in the Sunday crit after lapping the field with 2 other racers.

It's tempting to move up after you get your 10 starts, but there is something to be said about learning to win. Granted Cat V maybe a little too hectic to learn, But if you find yourself to be a pretty good IV, stick around and win a few, cause once you start entering II/III or I/II/III events, It's faster and harder than you want to think about.

Congratulations on the win!

when i was 15, on july 25 off this year. it was a 20 minute and one lap criterium. and i got smoked and came in 2nd to last only becauase the guy who came in last had pedel problems.............i thought it was cool though because i was riding my first race at the same time lance armstrong was riding his last stage into pairs to take the 6th

12. That was 21years ago.