elementary

can someone outline how these races work?

bart

Hitchy

Crits are run on a short course of beween about 800m & 1.5km around a closed street circuit. They are usually run over a 'time', so a crit maybe said to be for say, 1hr & 3 laps. This means that you race around the course for 1 hour & then the commissaire will inform the bunch (usually by holding up a sign at the start/finish line) that there is 3 laps to go. The last lap is known as the 'bell' lap ( as the name suggests, the commissaire will ring a bell to signify the last lap)...first over the start/finish line wins!. Often there will be a number of sprint prizes awarded during a crit. At different times the commissaire will signal a 'sprint' & the first over the line at the end of the lap, will win the prize. Crits require some good bike skills as the racing is usually at a high pace & will require the navigation of some quite sharp corners. Very exciting to watch & take part in!,

cheers,

Hitchy

Hipcycler

Dangerous too!
I watched several in our area over the summer and it is really tight out there, wheel-to-wheel lap after lap. Crashes at every event, and they were nasty too.

But I went back to the course two days after I watched one, and I rode it with my bike. Wow. It is a whole different kind of riding, even by yourself.

First, it takes a special mind set. I counted down the laps one by one and found that it is very technical riding. You shift a lot, and like a race car driver, you start to find a good reptition, where you actually shift in the exact same places on each lap and try to run the same line at the same time.

My course was just about two miles, and hilly too, so some parts were very slow in the small chain ring, and some parts were very fast in the big chain ring. It's very different and a challenge. Try it some time with a course. This crit was 18 laps, or 30 miles total. I averaged 18 mph and was thrilled that I even completed it!

Maj.Taylor

I respect anyone who lines up for the start of a crit--if they know what they're getting themselves into. They are dangerous, very dangerous. I once saw 2 teammates go down and break collarbones in a single race. I once spent half the night in an emergency room with an ex-girlfriend who also raced, and had crashed badly. Road rash is a common affliction among crit racers. Criteriums require excellent handling skills, especially on the more technical courses. You must be very comfortable with five bikes often in a space that should have only three bikes there. It is in a crit that cycling becomes a contact sport. You will touch shoulders with other riders. You sometimes will be purposefully physical, or psychologically intimidating to get or hold the position you want.

The speeds are typically in the 25+ to 30 mph range. The finishing sprint will be in the 35-40 mph range in most amateur races. You will need to have done some interval training. Primes (pronounced "preems") are little races within the race where the first one across the finishing line on any give lap takes the stated prize. The start is furious. The better riders want to get lesser skilled riders out of the race immediately. It's much safer without them. However, after the first few laps, things calm down as one looks around and sees the garbage has been spit out the back of the pack.

Back to handling, you had better know how to take a 90-degree (or greater) turn at 30+ mph, with other bikes on your every side. Expect to damage your now perfect bike. (That's why I find so many postings here laughable.) A crit is not a place for someone who "worships" their bike. At the very least, plan on destroying at least one wheel should you crash. (That's why everyone takes an extra set of wheels.) Crashes are not infrequent. An ambulance carting off a rider to a hospital is not an exceptionally rare occurrence. (They're always standing by--waiting.)

All that said, they're a blast! You make certain you get to the front of the pack before the start. If you're smart, you'll stay there the entire race. At the front means somewhere in the top one-quarter of the field, or hopefully much better. I prefer not falling more than 12-15 riders back. You then remain in a draft, are riding with the better riders, and are much safer.

Referencing another thread, it's a lot like NASCAR. Go fast, turn left (or right), go fast, turn, go fast, turn, go fast, turn.... It's also like NASCAR in that other than the finish, the most spectacular moments are the crashes. That's why spectators often place themselves at the corners. And as I've said already, and like NASCAR, there will be physical contact and psychological intimidation. There is not a lot of room for gentleness in a crit. But when you finish even your first one with the main pack, you'll know you're a bike racer. And that's very cool. Now, wanna do one?

ewitz3

Most difficult part of crits after considering the bike handling skills is the explosive power required. After you slow down for the corners you have to bring it right back up to full race speed. Do that 4 times a lap for 30-40 laps and you'll know what I mean. So even if you ride with superb skills if you can't repeatedly accelerate you will never hang on. That being said if you are a strong rider but get dropped by the climbers in road races then maybe crits are the way to go.

Hipcycler

I forgot about the corners at speed!

Because I am on the radio here, I was allowed access to the pace car at a race this summer. WOW.

Tires screeching on the turns, and those leaders were just behind us.
Over 90 minutes going about 30 miles an hour on city streets.

They don't put that padding up on tree trunks and road sign poles for nothing!

jfmckenna

Don't let em scare you. Go out and do one. They are lots of fun.

Maj.Taylor

He's right. One of the most dangerous people in a field is the person who is afraid. (They use their damn brakes!) And, I did say they were a blast!

Xtrmyorick

There used to be a crit around a park right next to where I live. And I mean RIGHT next to me: the racers came around a left corner onto a street that goes along my yard. We had quite a few people crash right into our yard. Unfortunately for them, we also had quite a few rose bushes in our yard. Poor buggers.

elementary

wow, they sound like great fun...but at my current skill level on my bike, I think I would be a hazard. I will put a few more hours on the bike, watch a few races, then pray I come out in one peice.
Thanks for all the info.

bart

don d.

Not a bad idea to do 5 or 50 group rides before getting into a crit. Learn to hold a line, ride a paceline, and it is helpful to practice leaning on another rider and having them lean on you without going down. A friend in a grassy field works for the latter. Set up an oval course in grass and practice leaning on each other and holding each other up through the curves. Learn to be comfortable in close contact with other riders.

Also, measure the distance between bar ends of two bikes with the bars touching, set poles in the grass this distance apart, and you and another rider practice riding through them without crashing. Increase speed gradually.

Practise riding with your hands on the other riders handlebars. Practice towing another rider with his hand holding your seat and visa versa.

Practice riding behind another rider with your front wheel overlapping his rear wheel, then touch his rear wheel with your front wheel. Learn to do this without going down. Slightly leaning your front wheel on his rear wheel is the trick.

Once again, don't try this on a chip and seal road.

Cheers

Maj.Taylor

Most excellent suggestions there, Don D.

matanza

Super thread... Wish I had thought of the question.

zensuit

One of the reasons I like road races...newbies there are far less hazardous!

Hipcycler

zensuit....
How much less hazardous?

I would LOVE to enter a race next season in my community. I know I could do it at a Cat. 5 level as a starter. I know the race...the course...but my coach tells me he really does not want me to race because it is too dangerous for me. Due to my hip replacement, I really can't afford to crash bad or I'll ruin the thing and be back to square one.
He wants me to enter a time trial to feel the experience of an organized event, but that doesn't seem like the same thing to me.

Hitchy

G'day,

If you really can't afford the possibility of a crash due to pre-existing conditions....a crit is probably the last place you want to be. As the others have mentioned, due to the speed, the short track & the intensity of the competition, crashes are more common in this type of racing than others. A time trial is a totally different 'kettle of fish'. For a start, there's no-one else to crash into!. I wouldn't get overly uptight about examining all the 'why's & wherefores' of doing a TT....the best laid plans are usually 'out the window' in the 1st few minutes of a TT when you're a newbie anyway. Just do the TT, you'll learn more in the 1st 5 minutes than anyone here acn teach you......just go do it!....you'll have a blast & I guarantee you, you'll be back for more!,

Hitchy

Avalanche325

I was watching one in West Palm Beach, FL. I set my wife and myself up at the entry to a turn. Most of the people gathered around the exit. Two riders got together in the turn and one rider went over the barrier and into the crowd. It was probably a softer landing for him.

Even as a spectator, you need to think about what will happen in a crash.

Maj.Taylor

Dude/Dudette, I've been looking at that x-ray for a while now. You do not want to crash with a hip replacement. The hips and collarbones take the brunt of 95% of crashes.

Road races are much less dangerous because the speeds tend to be a little slower, the field is more spread out, the distance is typically longer which means the racing and jockeying for position are not so intense from the very beginning, and you're not taking corners at 30 mph with other cyclists all around you every minute or so. That said, please (I'm begging you.) stick to ITTs. I've crashed only a few times in road races, but I have crashed in road races. I've seen others do something stupid and crash in an ITT, but the odds there are very slim. And, your life is not as much in others' hands as in a pack. Again, please do not do a crit or a road race. Please.

Hitchy

....and so say all of us!

Tommy Canuck

These do sound like a blast but I am just getting my wife and kids feeling comfortable that I am not going to get picked off by a car during my rides,the last thing they want me doing is taking my 45 year old butt out there and pretending I can ride "in the pack". Something about going around a sharp corner at 30 mph,touching shoulders with another rider, scares the hell out of me. Probably a lot of fun for the far more eperienced thrill seekers out there, but broken bones and old age is a combination I am trying to stay away from. Would love to watch one though.

Hipcycler

Maj.Taylor,

It's Dude by the way...
You sound a lot like my coach, and you make much sense.
I know you're right, but sometimes I try to forget about the hardware I have inside me all the pain and hard work rehab was to get to where I am now. No way I want to throw that out the window by doing something stupid on a bike now.

So,

Goal for next outdoor season will be this:
Enter my first time trial so that I can say I've taken part in an organized cycling race, albeit the safe version of one. I promise....no crits....no road races.

khackney

And, with many events, there is also a TT. Non contact, just you and the clock. No drafting, no team tactics. Pure ability.

elementary

Are these things that just happen accidentally during races or do riders deliberately lean their shoulder/wheel on others to slow them down??
What about the towing stuff? Do you sometimes work in a team?

Bart

don d.

Touching wheels is something you should expect to happen if you are really going to race. If you learn how to react to it ahead of time, you may be able to avoid crashing.

Riders will put their hands on your bars to intimidate you or to move you if you are in their way. An inexperienced rider often panics when this happens. Be prepared by practicing.

In sprints, riders will crowd you, lean on you, push you, and do all kinds of things that will make your mother cry for her poor baby. If you are unable to control your ride at those times, you will lose or at worse crash.

In corners, at speed, if you are on the inside, a rider to your outside may actually lean onto you as he leans into the corner. You should be able to support that pressure by moving into him slightly without crashing. If you move away from him, he may crash. If you react by moving away from him and you are on the inside, you may have nowhere to go and you may crash.

A real race is often run at very close quarters with frequent contact. Practicing ahead of time will prepare you for the real world.

Dchiefransom

Another suggestion would be to see if there are any clubs in your area with a race team. My club's race team stages time trials for their members, and the club is welcome to come out. The members that have had enjoyed it immensely. You can compare your time against the race teams, AND get some suggestions on your riding as well. The race team also has "Race Team Rides, and we are welcome to come, but be prepared to be shot out the back of the pack like cannon fodder!!
We also stage our own crit in June, and last year were asked to stage the Northern California championships. I was a course marshall at the first turn, and they went by like a semi-truck!!! Oyr course is in an industrial park, the road is VERY wide, and it's .81 miles per lap. They race for 45 minutes. It's worht every minute of your time to go see one.