"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Another-What to expect at my first crit.

Here's a quick bio-
Last year I raced Mountain XC NORBA and Boulder Short Track Series C Flight. I decided to get a road bike in order to train for having to move up in class for mountain. In any case, left my old team, joined a new one, and now I'm about to race my first road race. Still going to do the Mountain thing, but being a roadie has been fun so far. Provided it's a "practice race," but from what I can see from a previuous post "My 1st Crit" it looks like it is going to be on.

So what to expect? At least I have a little experiece with XC Short Track Suffer Fests. From what I can tell, a road crit looks like more of the same, just a lot more strategy and such going on. Overall, my goal is to finish. I am expecting to get dropped, but hope to do at least respectable, and NOT Crash!

Feel free to give whatever advice you might have. Looks like the weather should also be a factor this weekend.

Cheers and be safe!

I just had my first crit (author of one of the stated threads). Have you ever seen a criterium? The best way for me to expain it is to say that a criterium is bascially a small road course style event with fast corners and lots of sprinting. I would expect alot of sprinting out of corners, close work in a pack, people not holding their line etc. I am not quite sure what an XC suffer fest is in regards to a crit but you will have to keep small distances between yourself and other riders... hope you have some road group riding experience under your belt...

Good luck!

if you are in shape you should be fine, crashes will happen but thats just how bike racing is. the only way to know how they feel is go and do one. its impossible to translate the feeling of flying into a corner going 30mph surrounded by people in words.
have fun

Are you going to the ACA March Training Criteriums at the Denver Federal Center?!! Thats the one I was at - I posted a thread about it. PM me and I can give you some details about the course and what not. Make sure you get a good warmup... Also, there will be lots of sprinting out of the corners - especially on this course, as the corners will be taken pretty slow. I assume you'll be in Cat4, so the corners will for sure be really slow: in the better cat's the peloton will organize into a single file line before the corner, or maybe double for 2 of the 4 corners on this course (if its the same one).

I'm sure other people will have great suggestions...

Are you going to the ACA March Training Criteriums at the Denver Federal Center?!! Thats the one I was at - I posted a thread about it. PM me and I can give you some details about the course and what not. Make sure you get a good warmup... Also, there will be lots of sprinting out of the corners - especially on this course, as the corners will be taken pretty slow. I assume you'll be in Cat4, so the corners will for sure be really slow: in the better cat's the peloton will organize into a single file line before the corner, or maybe double for 2 of the 4 corners on this course (if its the same one).

I'm sure other people will have great suggestions...


They are changing the course weekly I believe.

OH. I didn't know! It seemed like one of the guys on the Schwab team was talking as if the course would stay the same.... I dunno thoughh, the guy was talking a lot of crap too.....

A cyclist? Talking crap?

Get out!

One good thing to remember about Crits is that crashes frquently happen in the corners. Centifugal force sweeps them to the outside of the turn. Therefore, if you put yourself on the INSIDE of the turn, you will be less likely to be swept up in a corner crash.

Though this helps in the corners, this doesn't protect you in a straight-line crash. There, the key is to NEVER overlap your front wheel with the rear wheel of the rider in front of you.
Don't make any sudden changes in direction.
Get ready for constant speed changes.
Pin your number on right-side-up.
Never forget your alma mater.
Good Luck.
Go forth and race.

A cyclist? Talking crap?

Pin your number on right-side-up.


Uhh, which side does my number go on???? :D

Uhh, which side does my number go on???? :D

Depends on the location of the officials at the finish line. They should tell you when you go to register. If not, ask. It's a pain in the #$@%$! to have to change at the start line ;)

Depends on the location of the officials at the finish line. They should tell you when you go to register. If not, ask. It's a pain in the #$@%$! to have to change at the start line ;)

Good answer, used to love being asked that question ;) More fun than changing it at the line was arriving so late that your teammate is putting it on for you at the line. Then there's the dude who uses about 10 pins so his number is more aero. :lol: