nostromo

There's a club in another city that runs a Criterium race each week. I finally got a chance to go check it out.

It was exciting and I have a lot of respect for these people for doing this. Since I'm new to all this I expected a throng of people to be at the sidelines watching and taking photos. There was mabye a handful of people around watching. The rest were volunteers making sure no cars wound up pulling into the area as the cyclists ripped by.

I got there just as it started and was blown away. These folks go fast, the turns looked hairy, and I watched and learned. Looked like a very aggressive bunch of riders.

I spotted a bunch of Cannondale's, along with Treks and GIANT. There were a few Cervelo's, Pinarellos, some Bianchi's, Colnagos, KHS and a few TIME and LOOK bikes.

I also saw some cyclists worked in packs, maybe from other clubs or stores/teams. Guys would be yelling for certain moves to be taken at specific parts of the course. I walked the length of the course and stopped at certain points to watch the throngs buzzing around the turns or hill and then come flashing by like a swarm of bees. After an hour it was over.

I found the head of the club and asked about the classes they provide for learning how to race. I'm going to start my first class soon and see how it goes. It was a great experience and the people there were all easy to talk to and answered all my questions. Looks to be a fun summer ahead.

merlinextraligh

It's even more fun doing it! The class will be a great way to get started. Go for it.

Hipcycler

ooooo, that sweeping downhill turn looks fast!!!!!!

DrPete 

For maximum viewing pleasure, try to find a good downtown crit nearby. Those, while painful to race in, are fun to watch.

Welcome to the addiction.

nostromo

That's really the only word to describe it. And probably one of the best addictions you can have (except for the 'wanting a much more expensive bike' part)...