renton

Your modesty is so refreshing.

DropDeadFred

nobody wins anything thinking they're going to lose! (except the lottery)

Commodus

Good luck on your race. I suspect you will learn much!

save10

I've been at 3 road races in the last 16 months that required helicopter evacuation and at the Kern County women's stage race this year a women was killed in a road race. And at the modesto road race year in the 123s a bunch of guys who were desperately on the limit didn't notice the race moto that had slowed down to neutralize a cat 4 field and the resulting crash was like a bombing going off. I got dropped about 30 seconds before that happened and I'm glad for it. bicycle racing (road and crit) is dangerous.

Also there is Cat 5 champion?

Homebrew01

That's not a good excuse.

caloso

Indeed.

renton

You can always just sit at your computer and play video games.

AMFJ

^ Carpal tunnel syndrome. Everything is dangeous.

caloso

See also: https://hcphoto.smugmug.com/DBC-and-N...1571149_B8dd7x

merlinextraligh

Also, no one wins anything in a Cat 5 race. All you can get out of it, other than experience, is one finish toward the 10 needed to upgrade.

More modest goals, such as hanging with the pack long enough to get some experience, and finishing the race upright, may serve you better. Too great a fixation on winning your first race can lead to problems.

And history tells us that the odds are reasonably good you won't win. Some people are naturals, are just stronger and motor off the front to win easily in their first race. Some people are just not fit enough to begin to be competitive and get dropped very quickly.

Then there's the middle group that struggle somewhat in their first race until they figure out a bit about how to read a race, and what to expect.

The odds suggest you're in the middle group, just by mathematical chance.

Farmer Dave

+1
Yes Mr Obi-Wan Kenobi... Seriously that is exactly the type of advice I wanna know going into my first race! No sarcasm even though it appears that way, in text, over the internet.

Ultraslide

FIFY

Don't be so concerned about crashes lest you cause one while trying too hard to avoid one. If you are as strong as you'll need to be, hang in the back of the lead pack and spot the squirrely riders. Then move up into the top 10 avoiding those squirrely riders. If there is a break and you have no team mates then go with the break if you're feeling good. Above all ... GO REAL FAST AND HAVE FUN!

fly:yes/land:no

Two standing orders in the peloton. One, take good care of your front wheel. Two, try not to do anything stupid, like getting yourself killed.

Farmer Dave

Sir, yes Sir!!!

robncircus

Worry about yourself too. It's your first race. FWIW, I did about 24-26 crits my first season and maybe 10-15 last year. No crashes to date. Have I seen them? Sure. But it's really not as bad as you think. Either way have fun.

merlinextraligh

At least not compared to Afghanistan

caloso

In my experience, crit crashes tend to result in road rash, torn bar tape, and perhaps bent RD hangers. RR crashes tend to result in the same, plus stitches, casts and slings, and frame replacements.

jfmckenna

I've seen cars on a crit course too

But they are typically always on RR courses though hopefully in the proper lane. But it does add to the danger list the possible out come of crashing in a RR with traffic coming the other way.

Crits are tight and close when the field is not willing to work. That is when they are more dangerous. But when the field is stretched out and rolling fast then everyone is on the full alert and it's actually safer. That's been my experience. I've seen big crit crashes where people just slide on the road and maybe hit a curb, sometimes they brake a collar bone or wrist. But in road races I've seen guys fly right off the side of a mountain switchback and end up in trees, no kidding, and these were cat 1/2's.

I don't keep records of this sort of thing, in fact I don't like much talking about it, but from my experience crashes happen in any kind of bike race equally and with no preference for once course or another.

DropDeadFred

indeed...this is what I'm hoping for overall...a good essence of what it really feels like to be in a race and my reaction to it all
apparently lol...I think it's just what they are calling it.
it's the 41...anything is a good excuse
agreed. I've been studying the course and it seems pretty much set up for my style of riding and if I can make a break early in the second lap I may be solid. I'm just looking to have a good time and stay upright and without broken bones or other serious injury
why is that?

Homebrew01

In a crit, the race is more predictable, lap after lap everyone knows what to expect. Top speeds are slower .... no screaming descents.
Less chance of motorists or other sudden intrusions onto the course.
Going off course in a crit might be safer ... ie driveways, sidewalks, grass .... still rideable, compared to a curvy road with woods and sand and gravel on the shoulder.

Anyway .... these are all generalities ..... I pick races based on the race, not based on a theoretical crash percentage.

DropDeadFred

gotchya, this will be two 17 mile loops

caloso

Yep. Crashes in crits are usually caused by hooked bars, overlapped wheels, or pedal strikes. Mostly they involve slide outs. As someone mentioned above, RR crashes are usually higher speed and involve going off the road. A teammate last year did a full Hoogerland at Winters. This season he has a new frame and legs that look like a map from all the scars.

DropDeadFred

dang...right into barbed wire?

DropDeadFred

we are going to roll the course the day before

caloso

Yep. Anyway, not to freak you out, but just don't assume that crits are crashfests and that RR's are totally crashless.