Road Cycling - How fast are junior racers?

Let's take this scenario:

Junior category who races, and is a male. An average racer. He is on a training ride for 20 miles. Not time trialing or anything, just training. It's a flat out and back on a bike trail, 10 mi down and 10 back. There is a 12 mph wind that doesn't change direction. He isn't using aerobars, or racing wheels, or anything but his training road bike. Just training. What type of average speed would he go?

Anyone got just a ballpark estimate?

EDIT: Oh, and this is solo, no group.

umm how old is he?

Probably somewhere in the area of 22-25mph depending on his fitness level.

16-18 age category

In my 20's with a heavy 25lb road bike (27x1/4 w/steel wheels) my brother and I would easily do a 20miler in an hour. Then we'd get an ice cream cone, drink of water and ride back.....fighting to see who'd draft.

With a modern bike and good training miles under him.......I'd have to let someone else say for sure.

Depends...

Some of the top juniors in our area are really fast. They're riding against the top euro Jr teams at the Tour de l'Abitibi up in Québec right now and holding their own quite nicely.

Juniors can and will be all over the board. You'll have plenty of Cat5 riders along with a good number of Cat1/2/3s. One of our top juniors just turned 16 and he places consistently in the top 5-10 in the local Cat1/2 fields.

As for your test, the rider I mentioned above could probably average 27-28mph, maybe more. Some of the other riders could probably do anywhere from 23-25mph.

Yowzer, looks like I have some work to do...but I've only been cycling for 4 weeks, maybe 2 or 3 times per week.

my son is 11 years old, he can ride a 20 mile route at an avg speed between 17 and 20 mph on his road bike.
He has been cycling for a year now.

my son is 11 years old, he can ride a 20 mile route at an avg speed between 17 and 20 mph on his road bike.
He has been cycling for a year now.

Dang man wtf? I must be REALLY slow if I'm only as fast as your 11 year old...how much progress can be made in a year?

11yrs old....?



Olds

Yowzer, looks like I have some work to do...but I've only been cycling for 4 weeks, maybe 2 or 3 times per week.

Don't be too hard on yourself and don't worry about comparing yourself to juniors who've been training and racing for years. Everyone at one time or another was in your shoes. Keep riding and the speed will come. Just be glad you've started now as I know there are plenty of people on this board who wish they got the cycling bug at your age.

Good luck

So the fast juniors who are fast enough to race in cat2 and 3, they have to work their way to that category right? So does that mean they could have won money when making their way to that category? Local races that are around here this month have category 5 races with a $700 prize purse. So if there are juniors that are good enough to race in cat 2 and 3, couldn't they win cat 5 at a local race like that?! That seems unheard of to me!

So the fast juniors who are fast enough to race in cat2 and 3, they have to work their way to that category right? So does that mean they could have won money when making their way to that category? Local races that are around here this month have category 5 races with a $700 prize purse. So if there are juniors that are good enough to race in cat 2 and 3, couldn't they win cat 5 at a local race like that?! That seems unheard of to me!

So the fast juniors who are fast enough to race in cat2 and 3, they have to work their way to that category right?

Yes, juniors earn points in qualifying races just like everyone else.

So does that mean they could have won money when making their way to that category?

Yes but compared to the investment in equipment, the prize money is minimal.

So if there are juniors that are good enough to race in cat 2 and 3, couldn't they win cat 5 at a local race like that?

They wouldn't be allowed to race in the cat5 race but I'd assume they'd have no problems winning it.

So the fast juniors who are fast enough to race in cat2 and 3, they have to work their way to that category right?

Yes, juniors earn points in qualifying races just like everyone else.

So does that mean they could have won money when making their way to that category?

Yes but compared to the investment in equipment, the prize money is minimal.

So if there are juniors that are good enough to race in cat 2 and 3, couldn't they win cat 5 at a local race like that?

They wouldn't be allowed to race in the cat5 race but I'd assume they'd have no problems winning it.

But they have to do a cat5 race SOMETIME right? In order to get up to cat 2 and 3 or however far up? How many cat 4 and 5 races can they do before having to race in cat 3?

yep he is 11, and that is his avg speed on a 20 miler..
I started him last year, his first 20 mile ride we kept a pace of 15 mph, he would drop off every now and then but I would pull him back.
Last year we rode the same trail (20) miles about 4 times a week and he continued to improve. When we ride organized rides he keeps up with me for the most part, every now and then I have to pull him back.
His goal is to ride the Tour and or go to work for nonstopciclismo giving tours...
He is a natural, needless to say I hope he does make the Tour some day :)

wow thats great bianchi! btw how tall is he? what size frame does he ride?

But they have to do a cat5 race SOMETIME right? In order to get up to cat 2 and 3 or however far up? How many cat 4 and 5 races can they do before having to race in cat 3?

They all had to do 10 cat5 races and it goes by points from that point on. One of our juniors this season went from 5-2. It just depends...
Some people are cat4s for years for one reason or another. Others move up quite quickly if they're fast enough. Someone with lots of talent should move through cat4 (and 3s for that matter) quite quickly. It's not unusual to see guys who know what they're doing and have big engines to move up after 6-12 races as a 4.