Originally Posted by
gregf83
Take a look at the results from a decent sized 10k run in your city. There's no shortage of guys running under 36min. Anyone who's fit and fast and decides to start riding a bike can progress through Cat 4/5 in short order.
There's a little more to it than that. Unless you're just off the charts fast, you've got to have some race craft. And you need to have the ability to go very fast in short bursts, recover, and repeat.
Some very fast runners don't succeed as bike racers, even in the 4's.
Couple of examples from my experience. Used to do training rides with a guy that was extremely fit; elite level triathlete, had a world record for rowing on a Concept rower. Could easily out TT me, and many others, never got results in Cat4 because his solo breaks always got covered, and he didn't have a burst.
Another example, a friend who is a sub 3 hour marathoner, could never finish a crit because he didn't have the power to avoid geting dropped when the pace surged. Could TT at 25mph plus, but always got dropped racing.
Obviously having the fitness to be a very fast runner helps becoming a bike racer, but it's not a guarantee of success.