"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - First race around Boston in September?

I've been working my butt off all summer, I've read all the race threads and I'm ready to enter step 7 in the botto "Bike Racing for Beginners" guidelines.

The problem is I'm having difficulty finding a race. I'm looking for something in September or early October after labor day weekend. It needs to be around the Boston, MA area and it needs to be on a weekend. Anyone know of anything that would work well for a first race?

A few questions:
1) I've found a few races that don't have a CAT5. Can I just enter the CAT4 or is that not allowed/recommended?

2) Should I try and find a first race that has a separate CAT5 field or is combined CAT5/4 okay?

http://www.bikereg.com/events/default.asp?p=16&ne=15&et=1&ns=&rg=8&s=&states=

1) Not allowed.
2) Doesn't matter, you will probably get dropped in either.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/default.asp?p=16&ne=15&et=1&ns=&rg=8&s=&states=


I've looked at BikeReg. None of the rides on their apply. I would love to do the Smuttynose (I love their beer!) but there is no CAT5 field.

It seems like the race organizers try to make it hard for a n00b to get into bike racing. CAT5's really only seem to be available on 50% of the races or less.

Hit up Wells Ave already?

Hit up Wells Ave already?

NICE!! Something like this was exactly what I was looking for!
Thanks

I believe that Wells Ave last race of the season is on September 20...

deltat...its not that organizers are trying to make it hard for new riders, its just that the road season in new england all but ends at the beginning of September, as it begins in February or March for most of us. If you want to race at that point in the season, welcome to cyclo-cross. And as an added benefit you can suck at more and people will notice less. That said Wells would be the place to start, though why not say, this weekend?

+1

Or travel. There's still racing in the NY area that time of year.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=8521

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=8521

Looks good, but it's on a Monday. I said it has to be a weekend.

That's Columbus Day for what it's worth...a 3-day weekend for most of us...

As a bonus, the fishing should be really good in the area right about then, so you could make it a two-fer...bike race in the AM, fish in the PM....that's my plan anyway.

That's Columbus Day for what it's worth...a 3-day weekend for most of us...

As a bonus, the fishing should be really good in the area right about then, so you could make it a two-fer...bike race in the AM, fish in the PM....that's my plan anyway.

Oops, didn't realize that was Columbus day. Either way, I don't get that day off :(

Agreed, not many racing options this time of year.

I'll actually begin to shut the intensity down come mid-September while mostly cross training/recovering through October.

Racing Wells before the end of the year will give you a fairly good idea of how much work you'll need to do over the winter; assuming you're going to race next year.

Oh Yeah!...Hold your line!!! I saw two very nasty crashes at Wells last weekend. One was Cat 5, the other was Cat 4, both were a result of people not holding their line. The Cat 4 crash happend right in front of me, the rider was out cold :eek:

-Fbmxer

Everything except (most) training races are on bikereg for the NE. If you can't figure out how to use bikereg...you'll make a really appropriate cat 5. Otherwise Wells on Sundays (boston road club website), plus Wednesday evenings at Wompatuck (its not a weekend), also track racing at the NE Velodrome that nite as well, and you can rent a bike.
Otherwise, find other riders, talk, learn, and try not to kill anyone. Good luck.