Originally Posted by
merlinextraligh
Obviously the bike leg of a triathlon, or a TT are races in the sense that they are timed competitive events.
However, they are very different events from mass start bicycle races.
When one thinks of bike racing, its usually in the context of mass start, head to head racing.
Notably, Time trials do not count as races for the purpose of earning upgrade points under USA Cycling Regulations.
If you think of your self as a bike racer because you've done a triathlon, or a few tt's, you're going to be in for a surprise in your first crit.
Not to be confrontational or anything but the bolded part makes sense though...it's not like racing a TT is giving you experience riding a mass start road race and that is where the categories make a difference...right? But, that doesn't make TTing any less of a race or those who compete at time trialing any less of racers; it just says it's not a mass start road race sanctioned by USA Cycling. Mass start racing is only one form of bicycle racing and one that plenty of " bike racers" don't participate in. This thread is starting to sound like you can only be considered a bike racer if you regularly participate in some sort of mass start road race, and that just doesn't seem true.
Think of it this way...mountain biker racers are still racers even though they aren't competing in mass start road racing...and then you have the difference between downhill racers, XC racers, enduro racers.