Dfrost 

I raced for a few years back in the early 70's in Colorado with a team mostly of work colleagues at Martin-Marietta Aerospace. My office mate was an Olympic hopeful named Jack Janelle, but I was never more than a Cat IV. My best finish (a close 2nd - started my finish sprint too early) was on the same course used a decade later in the bicycle racing movie "American Flyers" with Kevin Costner, Ray Dawn Chong and others. We didn't finish at the top of "The Wall" like they did in that movie (might have won if we had - I was a decent climber back then) but we did climb it twice - it really is steep! Some of my other teammates were the late, great Bob Cook, and Bob Shaver who founded Shaver Sports (clothing) about then. I clearly remember a weekend stage race in Aspen, one leg run in a spring snow storm, and a three-day stage race in Durango, when I finished second (again!) to the father of eventual Olympic Cyclists Alexi Grewal. Those were fun days, but I wanted more of a life than training after work every day and racing nearly every weekend.

Narhay

Just whenever I see another commuter on the way to work.

american psycho 

Reason to race - the babes are fit!

RobbieTunes

Getting ready to race next spring (crits and cross).

Never raced much other than triathlons and a couple of time trials (on road bikes).
Raced motorcycles, briefly, in those races you can ride your own bike to/from (WEIR)

Raced with my feet, for a couple of teams and briefly, Asics.
It was fun while I was fast, but it's like a maelstrom you need to avoid if possible.

I find the fun level varies across racing spectrums.
By far, bike racing where the bikes get dirty have the most fun folks.
By far, triathlon cyclists are, by and large, the least fun folks. Way too serious.
The lower-tier pro roadies are also pretty fun.

When the converstion gets to "my splits," "grams," "O2 uptake," "my IT band," etc, I look for a beer.

JReade

Raced one crit, one cross race, and a few alleycats. I'm not sure I would enter a road race right now, but I'd like to try a MTB race.

Oldpeddaller

Raced as a teenager early 1970's at club level in time trials (10 and 25 miles), occasional crit and road race (single stage events) also once or twice in audax events. A long time ago. It was part of the UK cycle club scene, nothing special at the time, we spent more time touring in groups and on training rides. But fun great cameraderie and some great memories.

With no car and both parents working shifts I'd get up in the early hours and ride alone to the start of a time trial. I remember I used to carry my lightweight (tubular) race wheels on slotted alloy bars each side of the front fork and had battery front and rear lights. The ride out was a good warm up.

At the start, put the race wheels on, strip off the lights etc on the roadside and leave the hack wheels with the starter. I'd do my best for the next half hour or hour, then swap wheels and ride home again. Carried a spare tub strapped under the saddle plus a frame pump - no spare wheels or team support to help with mechanicals. Nutrition? A fried breakfast when I got back!

Nowadays I'm just happy to ride my bike at my own pace (sometimes very fast), be able to stop when I want and to see the country I'm riding through. I would like to have a go at track racing though. Not sure I'd be any good at it due to my advanced years, but I hope to try it out next year - a 'bucket list' thing.

rhm

When I was in my late teens (1981-3) a friend got me to come to this high school in Rockville MD where they did a bike race one evening of the week all summer long. I signed up and entered. Never took it seriously. I believe I was Cat 3, but I don't know if it counted as a criterium or what. Within a few weeks I'd leaned that I'm way too claustrophobic to hang out in a pack. I'd just hang out in back. I also learned that these guys don't believe in going very fast if they could avoid it, and they could usually avoid it. They'd pick up the pace in the last lap or so, but until then it was all jostling for position. Duck that, thought i. So I'd pick a moment way way before the last lap and just shoot past the pack. I could do this so fast that they didn't take me seriously. It took my winning two or three races for the other guys to realize that, if they let me go, I could get far enough ahead that they could never catch me. Then they changed the tactic and it wasn't much fun anymore. They'd stick to me like glue, draft me until nearly the finish line, then pass.

So yeah, i did some racing. I even won as few times. But I never took to it. I had the body for it but not the competitive drive. There's more to it than riding your bike, and I'd rather ride my bike.

noglider 

A hundred years ago, when I was 21, I was head mechanic in a bike shop that sponsored a successful racing team. The co-owner decided to start up yet another team, for common folks, so to speak. We had three club races in Prospect Park, all time trials. I didn't do so well. Then I went into one of the first open races of the year, in Central Park. It was also a time trial. I got a flat and was out. I found that racing was just too painful and not fun enough, so I decided not to race any more.

This year, I decided to give track racing a try. I resolved that I would enter at least ten races and come in last every time. I achieved my goal! I think I'll do it again this year, and this time, I'll train more than two or three times. It's still painful. I just can't breathe deeply enough. After a race -- and track races are very short --, I'm gasping for a long time. Obviously, training is in order. Anyway, the folks at the track are awfully nice. Maybe they have pity on this 121 year old slowpoke, but whatever. I'll take whatever kindness I can get. My goal is to do better than last place in every race. Maybe I'll set it even higher than that.

As a result of entering over 12 races, I got upgraded from Cat 5 to Cat 4, on the track only. It sounds pretty fancy that I'm a Cat 4, but getting there was not glamorous.

Bandera

I raced in the ABL of A, USCF and NORBA "back when".
The influence of my 1st coach to develop a supple high cadence pedaling style and compete in every cycling discipline from track to 'cross has paid off long term in confident bike handling and efficiency even long after in retirement.
The old race bikes of that era are still great fun to ride today if one puts in the seat time to master the shifting and get the legs to hack the gearing.



-Bandera

DiabloScott

Me in red. Note Campy Record hubs, Mavic tubular rims, Vittoria Corsa CGs, 13-18 6v freewheel, real leather chamois, Brancale Kangaru shoes with slotted cleats, Cateye Solar computer, and shaved sinewy legs

1985-1990 I raced collegiate Cat C (before they invented Cat D) and UCSF Cat 4 (before they invented Cat 5). Had absolutely zero success but it was exciting.

Oldpeddaller

Well done you, Tom!

I'm probably just a few years older than your stated 121 and I'm seriously thinking of trying track riding for the first time, maybe in the New Year. I've ridden fixie on the road so am OK with not coasting and back pressure to slow - any tips on technique for an old roadie? What do those banked curves feel like? (Not too bothered about winning anything, just mastering the techniques to ride competently without injury).

noglider 

I just remembered I was born in 1961, so I'm actually only 53 years old.

I could tell you a lot, but words don't teach you what you need to know. You have to be there.

The Kissena track is very shallowly banked, so the banks don't really feel like anything. I tried the Trexlertown track about 60 years ago, and it's quite steep. I felt as if I was going to slide down on my tires' sidewalls, but I'm told it never happens, even at low speed.

I took the clinic in May, and I was told that it's bad manners to slow with your legs. Do not put back pressure on the cranks to slow yourself. If you need to slow, do it gently by reducing the forward pressure. If that's not enough, move up-track (to the right). The lack of brakes is a feature, not a bug, and it increases mutual trust. Track racing is the safest form of racing.

There is a track racing forum here on BF. The folks there are very helpful. I learned a lot there.

fietsbob

My preference , touring. Each person is a winner.

that way I never have to compare my self [better/ worse] with others.. just enjoy a Post ride Pint with Friend

... or strangers

embankmentlb

Was that not the center of the cycling universe for America in those days? I imagine that was very exciting with the Red Zinger and all. Bob Cook is a hero of mine. He passed before his prime.

CroMo Mike 

For the past 15 years I've built and raced RC (radio controlled) model gas boats at the state, regional, and national level. These are handbuilt boats around 4 ft. long and powered by water-cooled high performance gasoline engines (think chainsaws on steriods?).

Wulf

I was i only one race. In 1979 Austin. I was in the cat 3,4 and open race; 3 laps around a 7 mile loop near Bee Cave road. The finish was a 300 yd uphill stretch and put everything I had left into it. Crossed the finish line 11th out of 33 and rolled to a stop before I realized I was still strapped in. Over I went; very embarrassing.

Giacomo 1 

Don't worry about the results Tom.

You will always win the "Best Dressed Rider" category! You were looking smooth and dapper at Kissena last weekend!

jgscisum 

A lot of memories. Some I'd like to forget. State Champ in Time Trial and Road Racing. Raced with USCF cat 2. Major Taylor Velodrome in Indy, Bike leg in triathlons for multiple teams. Racing to me was an absolute blast! I was the very aggressive rider most people didn't care for. Before the masters/seniors I found placing in the top 5 fairly easy. You just had to race smart. When I hit the senior age I realized the older guys were much better and knew how to race. It was tough. All came to screeching halt when I was run over from behind. Hit and Run.... and never did get the guy. Sever concussion, lots of stitches. Two cracked vertebrae and shattered discs. Permanent nerve damage to the left leg. I was in the hospital and darn if my wife didn't go into labor and delivered my son. The whole family was in the hospital. I had no memory of any of it and really didn't know who I was for almost a year. Now, I ride for fun and and love touring! WILL NEVER HANG UP THE BIKES FOR GOOD!

Bikegeek1968

I have been racing on and off since I was a junior in 1986. My latest stretch has lasted 8 years in the masters ranks. So I am carbon racer from December to August, and in the fall I ride my C&V stuff.

I even gave racing in Belgium a shot in the early 90's, but I realized I did not have the low ethics needed at the time to turn pro. I still think about that season all the time.

On the Supersix as an old guy


Ah, to be young and stupid, racing with a hairnet

YouthxCrew

Same. All three of my older brothers raced growing up, as did my father, I was never the fastest and never had the money for the nicer bikes (I'm the midget of the family- a full foot shorter, so no bike sharing) I did a lot touring in the woods and parks around the city and bike camping in summer, the one thing I could be good at.

thehammerdog

I raced Mt bikes , road bikes and tris

CliffordK

I raced as a Midget. I suppose I was very serious at the time I actually took second in the State road race championships.

I tried a DRT cargo race recently for fun. I don't know if I will choose to return to road racing, or perhaps road time trials.

dddd

Sounds like you were lucky to survive!

I had a neighbor in Sunnyvale who got booted off the road by an out-of-control car or truck while racing in Mexico for Team 7-11. Several riders were severely injured.
He had years of recovery to deal with, but last I saw of him before moving out of the area, he was still doing rides on his bike up in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Homebrew01

I raced as Cat 2 back in the 1980s on a frame I built (still riding it, see avatar), before joining a sponsored regional team. Took of 15+ years and started again in the 45+. Got a few medals in some local crits. Off the bike again.

JamesRL

Never officially....
I was that guy on the bike paths in Toronto, who would respond to any challenge. High Park, Waterfront trails, I raced a lot. But never formally. I did compete in cross country running in high school.

Back in the 80s there were a few races to watch in Toronto - some in High Park, some at Queen's Park, and one around St. Lawrence Market. The last one, I showed up early to watch, and ended up being recruited to be a race marshall.

I spent 10 years as a FIS (ski racing)official.