Originally Posted by jazzy_cyclist
I've looked at this a little bit, and I think it's a great idea. I've been toying with the idea of trying some racing, and this seems a good way to break in.
Yeah jazzy, if the whole idea has been pickin at you for a while, give it a go. One thing to be said about senior racing is that most riders will defer on the side of 'safety'. The level of testosterone is stil quite high, except it usually aimed at the road more than other riders. You do get a broad mix of racing 'skill', but that usually sorts out nicely and 'offs' are much rarer than in the younger classes.
The racing experience is great and it does allow better 'focus' for those high energy training rides many of us still do. Hammerfests also find new meaning and purpose. Its no longer just hangin on, but using them for real objectives becomes a major aim. It may no longer just be 'hangin' in on that hill everyone jumps on, but becomes "how hard can I go before I blow up?", "how do I best recover after a hard effort". We find out if it might be better to just hang in the pack up that hill, rather than blast up on the front and then throw out a grappling hook as the group sails by. There's a lot to learn about ourselves with these 'tests'.