Frames rarely get damaged in races. Wheels, shifters, pedals, rear derailleur get the brunt of it, and even then are often scratched but still useable. Put on cheap wheels & go race.
It has a replaceable hanger, right ? Buy a new one ahead of time if you want, or know where to get it.
From what I've seen, Cat 5 isn't any more dangerous than ather categories, maybe even safer since people don't ride as close to each other. The cat 3s around here are deadly.
Last edited by Homebrew01; 10-19-11 at 05:40 AM.