knoxtnhorn

I know this sounds like a dumb question to most on this board but I've only been on a bike for a year and am at a loss as to what to do next.

I got my first bike last Spring. I participated in several touring events which I treated like a race because I don't particularly find riding 30+ miles at 8MPH very fun. So, I would start at the very back or even several minutes behind everyone else and "pretend" as if I was in a real race and hammer all the way to the finish. Lame, I know. But it's the best I could come up with last year as it was my first Summer of bike love.

So, now I'm killing it on the trainer in hopes of upgrading my biking goals for this coming Summer. What, exactly, would be the next step? Is there such thing as a non-competitive racing event? I just want to see where I stand before I get into something like a criterium and foolishly finish 10 minutes behind the next rider. I guess what I'm looking for is something above a touring event that is timed that might have great, good, average and crappy riders so that I can see where I stand. For example, any sprint triathlon will have a makeup of contestants where some are setting records while some are just trying to finish without dying. I'm looking for a road event with this criteria. Does it exist?

FunkyStickman

Try Randonneuring. See how you stack up against guys who ride 3-400 miles... every weekend. It's sort-of timed, but you can still "compete" against them in your mind.

gregf83 

Start here: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...s-a-tip-or-two

hairnet

+1
There is a 400km winter solstice ride coming up here and I am sort of tempted

hhnngg1

Most of the century rides I know if in Norcal are timed events but without being an actual 'race' with prizes or requiring USA cycling membership to participate. They have all distances from short <20 mile jaunts to metric centuries and double centuries all on the same day for most of these events, so if you wanna hammer with the front guys, feel free to do that. There are often a bunch of racing club guys who get together and kill it in the front on these rides, but the vast majority of folks are not out to hammer it.

merlinextraligh

Major plus 1 on the sticky thread in the RR sub forum.

Ask around your LBS and find out where the local fast group rides are, and follow the progression suggested in the thread.

Also doing a time trial is a pretty easy introduction into competitive cycling; low risk, and no one other than you will notice or care what your time is.

Homebrew01

Find shop/club rides in your area and work your way up to the 'A' group.
Put a location in your profile so that people in your area can give specific advice.

Creakyknees

If you want the "fast pack" experience but not the full USAC thing, most rallies / charity rides have a group of hammerheads at the front. See if you can hang with them for 100k or so.

But be advised... they can be quite sketchy in bike handling, crashes happen.

grwoolf

+1 on finding a local club or informal group ride. YOu'll want to do that anyway before doing any real racing in a group. I'm not sure where you live, but around here you can find anything from that 8mph pace you mentioned up to group rides that are similar to an organized race (lots of testosterone and a-types that can make things faster and more dangerous than actual races). You should be able to find something in the middle and once you start making some connections, it's much easier to find the slower or faster groups. Try the local shops as a starting point.

Oh, there's nothing wrong with making a charity ride a race in your mind, you are not alone. Just keep it safe.

DScott

Strive to be King of the Freds. It's really all that's left, since the Pope's spot is already taken.

thump55

Find an event like a Gran Fondo or individually timed race that you can enter. We have a 90 mile road race in our area with 1500 entrants that is chip-timed and can be as much or as little of a race as you want it to be. We have everyone from semi-pros to 70 year olds.

knoxtnhorn

I'm interested in the time trial. My ADD does not serve group rides very well. I'm not very good at the etiquette part of group riding as I don't ride straight very well, I forget to point out road hazards or, if in the back, oncoming cars. I guess this is why I'm not so big on the criterium events. There's no way in hell I can survive being in a pack and riding balls to the wall. I'd kill everyone around me.

Thanks for the advice. I'll check around the local shops. I'm in East Tennessee (Knoxville) btw. I have a really weird riding style in that I'm an excellent climber and excellent descender but not as good on the flats - comparatively speaking.

pdxtex

dont overlook time trials....you wont be racing directly with other riders but against the clock and their repsective times....good way to get your feet wet.....

Terry66

Time trials are a great way to get started. The cool thing like others have said is that you are really competing against yourself, but you can also compare times, brag, etc with your buddies after you're done. They can be as competitive as you want them to be. You would probably be surprised how popular they are. I know here in the Dayton/Cincy area, we have a TT just about every week.

Machka 

+1

I went the other way ... I raced for 3 years and then wanted to try something else. But I didn't really want to join a touring club and do that either. So I looked around at what else was out there, and discovered the Manitoba Randonneurs ... and I've been randonneuring for 12 years now!

caloso

Time trials and hill climbs.

Fedor

Riding straight is overrated.

popeye

That could be taken several ways.

BrainInAJar

Well, you'd get lapped by the field before that happens but do it anyways. Get lapped, several times. Then go back next week and do it again. Repeat until you don't get lapped, and then repeat until you win.

Besides that, Fondos and such you don't get draft effect the whole way through, racing is much easier than you think

Fedor

Which way do you take it?

jmio

that u don't like the opposite sex.

Fedor

Who? popeye?

Vaportrail56

Like maybe doping. I don`t think Lance did though.

david58

Careful....

Falchoon

At least you're honest but you really should try and address those issues. You aren't always going to be riding alone.

I'm a bit the same way, though I wouldn't say excellent climber, just better at climbing than riding on the flat.