Racer Ex 

It's not hate. It's sort of like the feelings you have about your $35k a year golf pro brother who keeps marrying strippers and has rung up a string of divorces, while you're working 80 hours a week as a CFO with a 15 year marriage and 3 kids going to private school.

Part of you wouldn't mine trading

Psimet2001 

Sometimes I am a very happy pro cat 4

efficiency

Even a 20k? I thought I was slow.

ridethecliche

You used to play golf?

Racer Ex 

The kind with dinosaurs and windmills.

shovelhd

Is there another kind?

Racer Ex 

Not for we purists.

hammy56

like a lot of others, Im a cat4lifer...I dont race enought to get out, and a few top 10's isnt going to cut it. And Im not (yet) strong enough to do the 40+. But I will be...

it seems like the theory is that the 35+ crowd, albeit newbs, will take less unnecessary risk. Seems logical.

Debusama

I don't think it actually matters much. There are reckless people and bad bike handlers of all ages. If not lining up next to guys in their 20’s gives you the warm & fuzzy, by all means get in the over 35 race. If you can look at the registration lists, I think the field sizes would play more of a roll in my decision. Whether or not you would benefit more from a larger or smaller field depends on what you are trying to accomplish by doing the race.

grwoolf

From a 2nd year racer (40+ cat4) perspective:

For RR's around here (TX), we usually have a 35+ 4/5, a 40+ 1-4, and a dedicated 4's and dedicated 5's. For our weekly crit series, there is a 4/5 race, a 3/4 race, a 1/2/3 race, and a 35+ 1-4 race for part of the year.

As a new racer, I'd choose the 35+ 4/5's before the pure 5's race or combined 4/5. Inexperienced old guys (like me) with jobs are safer to race with than inexerienced young guys that are racing for a pair of socks like there is no tomorrow.

As a 4, I have the open 40+ (or open 35+ for our weekly crits), very safe in comparison and smaller fields. In some ways, I find it easier racing because it's smoother and I don't like tight packs, but when they go hard, it can be quite painful.

I plan to remain a 4 for at least another season, and maybe much longer. I can race every race I want to as a 4 and I can still stretch myself by racing with the 3's or Masters Open.

STP

I'll likely never win most of the CAT4 races I enter, but I'll always shoot for the Masters 40+ race AND the 3/4's or 4/5's, doubling up on the day. I just need to choose which one I want to be competitive in (cumulatively through the season) and use the other as training and experience. I focus on one category for the season so I can gauge my improvement (or lack thereof). I might suggest you do the same. The Masters category, as others have said, could potentially be filled with CAT1 through CAT4 if it's an open category, while the others are obviously specific to the category and not to the age. I prefer the Masters category because at least I'm judging myself against others my age, if not my skill level.

I may choose different categories to compete in for the season for different disciplines. I may race Masters 40+ for road and circuit races but race CAT3/4 or CAT4/5 for crits. I exclusively race Masters 40+ in cyclocross and double up with the open single speed on the same day. I try to compete in the Masters category and then race the SS for fun (sometimes hitting the podium and sometimes not).

Jancouver

hmmmmmmmmmm ... sounds familiar

BTW I wish there was more/any masters 35+ 4/5 races around here ... I dont even recall seeing one of those around. 35+ 3/4 at Dana Point but thats about it

Right Said Fred

To update, I ended up entering both races. The Cat 4/5 was first and not a bad experience considering it was my first race and i hadn't been on my bike in a week, but I got shelled in the Masters 4/5 mainly because I was tired from the first race. There was also a big hill in the middle of the course and I was getting gapped on the climb and chasing back to the pack. After a few laps of that, I was falling father back and eventually lost touch and just finished solo. Anyway, both groups were well-behaved and I wouldn't have any issues in the future riding with either. Just have to reconsider whether it's a good idea for me to enter back to back races right now or focus on a good result in one or the other.

Homebrew01

Focus on the first one, then do the second one anyway. Double the learning experience for the day.