Originally Posted by
Hermes
IMO, you will find the 55+, 60+ and 65+ racers in NorCal to be ridiculously fast. Most compete in the masters state and nationals championships. The masters who race are a completely different animal than the 50+ guys who do group rides.
True, dat.
OP, I'm not an American, still less from NorCal. But what Hermes says is true in the UK, too. The older guys who race are stupid fast. Some of them have done >200 miles per week in training for the last forty years, I swear. I'm 58, nearly 59, a lot of the guys I have been racing against in the 55-60 category could easily hold their own in Cat 1/ 2.
But don't be put off. The numbers thin out a bit past 70, anyway, and there's no reason you can't be competitive. Keep us posted.