Aspiring racer Philadelphia PA
08-18-05, 01:56 PM
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Aspiring racer Philadelphia PA
Hello All,
I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks and have learned much from the discussions here. I am fairly new to cycling, but I have quickly found myself hoplessly addicted to this sport. Earlier this summer I did a 600+ mile tour of northern California, and I'm hooked on tourning now. When I'm at home in Philly I usually ride about 200 miles a week or so. I do a mix of interval training on the drives, long distance riding out to the countryside, and hill training in Chestnut Hill and Manayunk.
I'd like to hear some advice from anyone who has made the jump to class 5 racing. How did you do it? Did you have to join a team first? Do you need a top-of-the-line racing bike in order to seriously complete? Does anyone know of any upcoming races in the Delaware Valley?
Thanks,
Alex
I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks and have learned much from the discussions here. I am fairly new to cycling, but I have quickly found myself hoplessly addicted to this sport. Earlier this summer I did a 600+ mile tour of northern California, and I'm hooked on tourning now. When I'm at home in Philly I usually ride about 200 miles a week or so. I do a mix of interval training on the drives, long distance riding out to the countryside, and hill training in Chestnut Hill and Manayunk.
I'd like to hear some advice from anyone who has made the jump to class 5 racing. How did you do it? Did you have to join a team first? Do you need a top-of-the-line racing bike in order to seriously complete? Does anyone know of any upcoming races in the Delaware Valley?
Thanks,
Alex
08-21-05, 06:52 PM
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Alex,
You can register on line to race Cat. 5 at USAcycling.org. I raced about 10-12 years ago and am thinking about doing it again next year. I think some races still allow you to register at the race but I'm not sure on that one.
By the way. I'm right out here in Skippack, about a 45 minute drive from the center of Philidelphia when there's no traffic (So at like 4:30 AM).
About the bike. Remember. It's not about the bike. Riders win races not bikes. Yea, you can gain a little advantage in a road race with a high tech bike. But you can win races without it as well. So I'd say if your making a lot of money and a nice bike makes you feel good and you are looking for every advantage you can get, then get a good bike. The other extreme is your a college student and have no money - then race whatever you're riding now. On my first Cat. 5 race, some guy showed up on a mountain bike with slicks. He actually did fairly well!
You can register on line to race Cat. 5 at USAcycling.org. I raced about 10-12 years ago and am thinking about doing it again next year. I think some races still allow you to register at the race but I'm not sure on that one.
By the way. I'm right out here in Skippack, about a 45 minute drive from the center of Philidelphia when there's no traffic (So at like 4:30 AM).
About the bike. Remember. It's not about the bike. Riders win races not bikes. Yea, you can gain a little advantage in a road race with a high tech bike. But you can win races without it as well. So I'd say if your making a lot of money and a nice bike makes you feel good and you are looking for every advantage you can get, then get a good bike. The other extreme is your a college student and have no money - then race whatever you're riding now. On my first Cat. 5 race, some guy showed up on a mountain bike with slicks. He actually did fairly well!
