El Diablo Rojo

Well it looks as though we might be moving back to Cali. I checked Bikereg.com and it doesn't look like there is much in the way of RR's, just crits. Is that the state of affairs in So Cal?

esammuli

Most of the major So Cal road races are in the spring. Try socalcycling.com

redal

There are certainly more criteriums in SoCal than road races. The previous poster was correct, socalcycling.com is a better choice for information than Bikereg.com. Socalcycling.com lists all of the races in SoCal including the ones that Bikereg.com is handling the registration for. Off the top of my head I can count six or seven road races since February. A few of those road races are stages of stage races. The state championship road race is next month and there is another road race on the schedule after that. There are also a few circuit races and some of the criteriums have decent climbs to weed out the field sprinters. If you don't mind driving a few hours you can definitely hit Central and Northern California for plenty of road races.

Vinokurtov

Come north my friend.

voltman

Welcome (back) to the madness.

celticfrost

I checked https://scnca.org/ and it seems like there's not as many RR's this year as last -- weird.

Try pm'ing OCRoadie?

waterrockets 

Man, sorry to see you go! Any chance I'll see you at the crits or Tuesday Nighter?

urbanknight

That's how it seemed to me since I started racing in 1993. Even the few "road races" they have around here seem to be 4-7 mile loops which would be called circuit races in other parts of the world. I think they still have some nice road races in Central California. Velo Promo used to put them on.

El Diablo Rojo

Well looking at SoCalcycling it does seem that the RR's are more like a circuit race. I'm not a big fan of the 'industrial park' crit but I guess I'll learn to like them. Coming back is bittersweet, my friends and family are there but I really love Austin

urbanknight

Sorry to say, the industrial parks seem to be the only places we can get permits anymore. Even the Conquer the Canyons, a new race in the Santa Monica Mountains, had to use a short, annoying circuit with no real climbs to speak of.

blue_nose

I'm afraid so.

Crits are the dominate form of racing here in So Cal. Personally, I don’t think going round a small loop 40 times constitutes a real form of cycling racing, but I guess you have to take what you can get. As others have mentioned, there are a sprinkling of actual RRs in the area.

Another option is to participate in some competitive centuries. You may want to check out Planet Ultra (www.planetultra.com) events. They host a series of event throughout the year, mainly 100 and 200 mile treks through the mountains of So Cal. They are not classified as races and do not have a mass start. However, they are timed events and quite competitive. I use these to supplement my RR fix.

Cheers

GuitarWizard

Could always move to New England . Seems to be plenty of road races around here....

Just the weather sucks from like October until April.

zzzwillzzz

i guess i won't see you at the velodrome...

urbanknight

Good idea. My uncle does many of those events and loves them. They have that Mulholland Challenge, Death Valley, Furnace Creek, etc.

Boo to the circles comment, though. Crits are often fast and exciting, both for the spectator and the racer, and velodrome is even more interesting with the different rules and tactics. It's different types of racing, but both require excellent physical form and a well tuned mind.

Snicklefritz

You beat me to it. I was going to suggest he team up with you and kick even more @$$

El Diablo Rojo

I think it would be more like he would be kicking my arse!!! I do plan on making a few trips up north for some real RR's during the season next year. I'll also come back to Texas to do the Ft Davis stage race, should really be able to beat up on all the Texas boys with all the real climbing I'll be getting in back in Cali. Now I've to find a new team....anyone got some suggestions?

Greko

Join my team: https://www.lagrange.org/raceroster.htm

urbanknight

La Grange, South Bay Wheelmen, and Helens have all been prominent teams since I raced as a junior 13 years ago, and are still at it today.

OTB

I've been seeing and hearing that people don't think SoCal has "real" road races. Let me tell you, that is not the case... there are some very good and challenge events here. And I've done most all of the ones both down south and up north. SoCal road races like Boulevard, Devil's Punchbowl, Acton, and San Luis Rey are every bit as challenging as the classics up north.

One thing certainly is true however... NorCal has more road races, and it's well worth the trek up there to do some of them, but the ten or so annual rr's down here will test your limits as a bike racer. Don't sell them short!

Here are my race reports from a few over the last month...

https://marcofanelli.blogspot.com/200...suffering.html

https://marcofanelli.blogspot.com/200...-tuco-and.html

https://marcofanelli.blogspot.com/200...e-or-what.html

blue_nose

Good point - I was referring to road cycling.

Greko

Crit racing is sorta like the NASCAR of cycling. Yeah it's a circle, but that circle packed full of adrenaline and excitement.

There's also good circuit racing around here - more turns, longer distance, climbing, etc.

-Greko

urbanknight

^ Gotta be careful when selecting a circuit race, though. I went to one in Los Angeles (by LAX) without reading the course description. It was something like 1.5 miles which went over a bridge, U-turn, back over the bridge, U-turn, finish. How 1.5 miles counts as a circuit, I don't know, but I do know that making a U-turn in a pack every 4-5 minutes was a majpr PIA!

Greko

^ I did it too - The LA Circuit Race. It is hard to classify exactly what that was. ???

LT Intolerant

Your post got me thinking Mark. Having lived and raced in NCal from '89-'00 I was pretty down on the Scal RR scene when I moved to S Barb. But there are a # of great RRs in SCal as you mentioned. The big issue I have w the SCAL race scene is the consistent lack of a 35+ and/or 45+ Masters 4/5 race. For no talent slow guys like me its REALLY hard going to the average SCal RR and teeing it up in the Masters races against guys like, uhhhh, YOU!

Now I know you mostly race in the P/1/2 races but going against the Lindsays, KKs, and Stetinas (genetic freaks and ex-pros) every weekend fora career cat 4 is tough, and there is no way I'm gonna race 4s as I approach the ripe ole age of 50.

In NCal most every event, road or crit has a 35 or 45+ 4/5 and they are the first races to sell out. I think SCal promoters need to wake up (excluding the Punchy Bowl promoter and CBR) and offer this demographic a race. I think they'd be surprised at how many more riders they'd attract if they followed Velo Promo's lead given how the members of the district are aging and given the number of Cat 4s.

gene r

El Diablo Rojo

Thanks for the suggestions, we are going to be moving to La Canada so I'm thinking I'd like find a team in that area. Do Bicycle Johns or Pasadena Velo have teams?