Snapperhead

Any clyde racers here? I've been thinking about trying my legs at racing (at 45). Is it too late for me? What can you tell me about it? I'd post this in the Road Racing forum. But those little guys can be harsh.

evblazer

Are you talking criterium, road races, time trials or less likely track rides?

I've ridden in a few time trials and mostly get stomped but well I almost caught someone once I might be riding in a criterium this year on a .8 mile loop. Should be interesting and I might even do it on my recumbent in an all recumbent class in addition to doing it on my road bike, a merlin road with a rack

I'd be worried about being in Masters depending on the area you are in.. I hear some of those masters are some serious stuff.

Snapperhead

I have no clue. I'm thinking most likely road races and/or time trials. I ride a 2008 Tarmac Expert. I'm 6'3" (6'4" if you ask my wife) and about 225 ( Hopefully down to 220 or less soon). I teach spin class at our local gym and hopfully bodypump soon as well. I have no upper body strength though so we'll see. I just really don't know anything about racing, but I like to have goals and to push myself.

mkadam68

I regularly race. 41 yrs old, 6'3", 255+ lbs.

I only do criteriums. Road races would be a waste of my time and money. I'm a cat 3 rider. I race Master's pretty regularly, and yes, I get to compete against former Olympians, ex-Domestic pros, and even the occasional ex-European pro. It is killer (understatement).

If you want to get good, race masters level. If you want to have a chance of a top placing, race regular categories.

As a new racer, however, you'll be a cat 5. They don't (well, not out here anyway) do cat 5/masters races.

What else ya wanna know?

Snapperhead

WOW! Thanks for the reply mkadam. I appreciate the info. I guess I’m just going to have to look into local races and figure how to get involved. Just do it, as they say at Nike.

Why are road races a waste of time and money?

jesspal

How do you place during the races? I would love to ride crits when i get down to like 200lbs. I figure i'll be a big guy but fit enough to keep up.

mkadam68

As a clyde, I cannot climb to stay with the pack, let alone do anything in the race. Out here (SoCal), every road race has some serious climbing. For instance, Boulevard RR this Saturday has like--I don't know--4,000 feet per 30-mile lap or something outrageous. I'd be off the back within a mile or two and have wasted my money. If I want to ride alone, why pay for it?

Look up Botto's steps to racing. It's stickied on the first page of the racing sub-forum. It's really spot on.

mkadam68

I usually get a top-20 without killing myself. I try to stay near the front (5th--20th place) of the pack. Master's races: I can't do that yet. I'll improve as the year goes and stay closer to the front. My goal is to try small-group attacks, so I'm focusing on my steady, time-trial type power. I'm thinking I don't have much of a sprint, which is what most of the crits come down to.

My best result was 2nd in 2007, and a 6th last year.

There are a small handful of us big guys (overweight as well as tall) out here who do the races.

Scummer

See if you have some local group rides you can go with or even weekly training rides where you learn how to ride in a larger group.
Also, if you can hang with a group going at 24-26mph for about 30 min. without too much trouble you have a good chance of placing well in the cat5 races.

I've raced 6 times last year and every race was pretty darn fast for a cat5 race. It's pretty much balls to the walls.

Thomas

mkadam68

+1

The lower categories (4s & 5s) are like: super fast between corners, slow down going into the corners, and accelerate out of the corners. So, on a 4-corner crit, you can get easily a couple dozen intervals in a race. The constant slow-fast can be a killer. First-time racers are almost always advised:
The master's and the elite cats (1, 2, & 3) are much smoother. There's usually not as much deceleration/acceleration in and out of the corners. So even though you're going faster (avg speeds 1+ mph more than 4/5's), it sometimes isn't as hard. Of course, when they do accelerate/attack, it's much, much faster, longer, and subsequently harder at that point.

chipcom 

I'm 240ish and started doing a few races a year at 48. Just do it.

Snapperhead

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I guess I'll just do it!

DieselDan

I've raced a few times, once just to help one fellow club rider not finish last. chipcom, you should have seen the CO at MCAS Beaufort when I got 3rd in a circuit race at his base. Starting field was 160 and was open to civilians.

chipcom 

Knowing how the Corps was getting when I got out, all the active duty cyclists are probably totally fredified and loaded down with protective gear.

grimace308

this is just the thread i was looking for. its good to see heavier crit riders and people who dont mind going otb, once in a while. 18 years and 80lbs later, it should be an interesting season.

good luck, yall