Originally Posted by
rsbob
In my 30s I was an aggressive wannabe racer type without the time to devote to serious training due to commitments, but when I rode, I rode hard and would chase down anyone I could, even momentarily just to catch them. Others told me I could have easily started at Cat 3, if that helps.
I have often out sprinted and out climbed national champions and record holders. Strangely, it never happened when we both had numbers pinned on. And despite what your friends might have told you, you would have started as a Cat 5 just like everyone else until you proved yourself in real competitions. Unless we're talking far enough back that Cat 5 hadn't been introduced in which case you would have started at the lowest level at the time.