Did you actually read the thread? No one said that the OP shouldn't enter a race, nor was there a lack of tolerance for his question. Good advice was given by multiple people.

As for learning, a lot of people learn about bike handling in a group by doing group training rides. In my local area, there are at least 4 group rides per week that are fast-paced, aggressive, and simulate the kind of pack experience you get on race day.

Read the thread again. This never happened and the OP was given solid advice multiple times. He was never told to not race for any reason.

In the Bay Area, there is a series of "early bird" criteriums specifically for newbies, with drills and mentors. They were cancelled this year because of, you know, but that's a great option for Cat 5s. In fact, I think that if you attended these, you'd get double credit towards your upgrade to 4.

Also, many of the Cat 5 crits in NorCal have a mentor or two riding at the back and they'll do a post-ride debrief.

The difference being no matter how unskilled I am at baseball, I'm not likely to seriously injure another player or damage their equipment to the tune of hundreds or thousands of dollars.

I mentored at those for years, Larry Nolan runs a great program.

I can't give any advice​​​​​ but if it were me, I think I'd start as Cat 2, maybe in a Pro/1/2 race. Because that's easy to say when there's zero chance I'll ever enter a bike race.

And it's more impressive to come in DFL in a Pro/1/2 race than to come in 3rd in a Cat 5.

Problem is, they won't let a novice into a Pro/1/2.

I dunno. Finishing at the front of the herd in a Cat 5 race probably included dodging at least one pavement surfer, and at least 3 squirrels. Those moves can be pretty impressive.

Maybe I'll start with a Continental race then. It's still easy to say.

I signed up for a 4 hour workshop next week for new racers that has an on the bike portion. Looking forward to that. And I also registered for my first race in June as a cat 5. Thanks to all.

chris

Great! Have fun, and good luck. Let us know how it goes. :)

Well done!

Back in my road running days I used to think that when I moved up an age group the competition would get easier because there were fewer runners. What happens in reality is that the same guys who were winning all of the races in when they were 25 or 30 are still competing and winning everything in the older age groups. The people who dropped out were the "also rans" who used to make up the bulk of the field.

Keep those eyes peeled and head on a swivel on those Cat 5 races. Participants may have good power and mediocre bike handling skills or mistake riding recklessly for riding aggressively. Be alert on the turns and sprints, follow only the reliable wheels, and you'll be okay and have fun.

If I had it to do over again, I'd worry less about trying to win every crit and focus more on honing my ability to watch what other riders were doing, and learn who's safe to draft and who should be avoided. I learned that stuff quickly after my first crash on a final sprint. But after healing up and moving up a class it was more fun and the riders were significantly better skilled.

And -- not to be a wet blanket -- but work out well in advance your plans for an emergency room, contacting family, etc. If you get a concussion you may not remember that stuff and probably won't be alert enough to inform strangers or race organizers. Keep that contact info, ER and insurance info readily available in a jersey pocket -- not on the bike which might become separated from you in an accident. Been there, done that.