Am I physically ready to attempt my first cat 5 crit?
06-01-17, 05:30 PM
#401
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Since you already had a win in your pocket (nice riding, btw), you might have tried leading out your teammate rather than the other way around.
06-01-17, 07:17 PM
#402
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I agree. I would if he asked me to. But he wants to do the opposite.
If you want to talk about dumb things I've done. How about him leading me out when I'm a lap down. 😀
If you want to talk about dumb things I've done. How about him leading me out when I'm a lap down. 😀
06-01-17, 07:18 PM
#403
Senior Member
Thread Starter
06-02-17, 06:22 PM
#404
Senior Member
Thread Starter
OP - now that this thread has predictably started to devolve and may be at some point locked (RIP cycling ethics thread), if you do decide to race, you need to write a race report AND put it in the race report thread.
it may include some of the following -
-getting the directions wrong and showing up 10 minutes before the start
-pinning your number upside down and being reprimanded by a judge with a very bushy mustache
-forgetting something important like water bottles, shoes, gloves, sunglasses
-you wont forget your helmet because they wont let you race.
-if you do forget your helmet, please write about it because that would be kinda awesome
-having a bad clip-in at the start and getting gapped at the whistle
-tales of people yelling 'hold your line' even though the guy yelling 'hold your line' has no idea what that means since he hasnt held his line once the entire race
-how sketchy it is...even though its not that sketchy, it just seems like it because people keep yelling hold your line
-getting dropped
-getting pulled
-how hard it is
-how it wasnt as bad as you thought it would be
-winning
it may include some of the following -
-getting the directions wrong and showing up 10 minutes before the start
-pinning your number upside down and being reprimanded by a judge with a very bushy mustache
-forgetting something important like water bottles, shoes, gloves, sunglasses
-you wont forget your helmet because they wont let you race.
-if you do forget your helmet, please write about it because that would be kinda awesome
-having a bad clip-in at the start and getting gapped at the whistle
-tales of people yelling 'hold your line' even though the guy yelling 'hold your line' has no idea what that means since he hasnt held his line once the entire race
-how sketchy it is...even though its not that sketchy, it just seems like it because people keep yelling hold your line
-getting dropped
-getting pulled
-how hard it is
-how it wasnt as bad as you thought it would be
-winning
-getting the directions wrong and showing up 10 minutes before the start
Yup, happened. Was so late that they told me to pay after my races were done.
-pinning your number upside down and being reprimanded by a judge with a very bushy mustache
Not yet. All our officials are women
-forgetting something important like water bottles, shoes, gloves, sunglasses
I've forgotten my HRM a few times. No biggie.
-you wont forget your helmet because they wont let you race.
True
-if you do forget your helmet, please write about it because that would be kinda awesome
might happen in the future
-having a bad clip-in at the start and getting gapped at the whistle
hearing the whistle while I was in the restroom next to the start. does that count?
-tales of people yelling 'hold your line' even though the guy yelling 'hold your line' has no idea what that means since he hasnt held his line once the entire race
One of the experienced old hands "corrected" me after a turn through one of those dips. It was more like instruction. We talked about it later on another day, cause I couldn't understand what he was saying during the race!
-how sketchy it is...even though its not that sketchy, it just seems like it because people keep yelling hold your line
Not been too bad so far. Advice to stay near the front in the first couple crits of the season is good advice.
-getting dropped
Not happened so far. If I ever do an A race that moment will come.
-getting pulled
Haven't done a crit where they pull people yet
-how hard it is
It's hard to win. If you sit in, the actual power output is actually not all that tough. The hard part will come in the future when I am finally in a long breakaway. I did have one race where I dropped myself from the breakaway because how hard it was.
-how it wasnt as bad as you thought it would be
This is very true.
-winning
2nd place in first race, but took 10 more races to get 1st. For me personally, the biggest thrill is a result that is unexpected. Like the time my softball team lost every game its first 2 seasons, then did a bit better in the 3rd season, and we unexpectedly won the playoffs in a nail-biter. Small thing it was, that was thrilling. My chance to be on the podium was determined long before I raced. Hard work. I studied a lot too. Not sure how many other Cat 5s had studied crit races on youtube like @carpediemracing 's videos. After that, it's experience. Which allows you to be in a place where luck matters less. But luck still matters. The strongest racer in the field in my first race (where I was 2nd) crashed behind me in the sprint. Does someone ahead of you take a huge pull that allows you to be in perfect position to sprint? Did you get boxed in? But after all that, I feel best about the fact I'm in better health and shape, and winning doesn't really matter to me. It's the certificate after the fact. And as of today, my mother is yet to like my first place podium pic on FB.
It does feel good though to hit the group ride with your buddies and all the guys pat you on the back. The friendships and support are what feel the best.
Last edited by Radish_legs; 06-02-17 at 07:11 PM.
06-28-17, 06:12 PM
#406
Senior Member
Huh. I was asking some questions about a local crit here in Chicago....practically same boat as the OP was last year. 38 years old, never raced before. Crit coming up in a month, thinking about whether I'll get blown out of the water if I sign up haha.
06-29-17, 07:33 PM
#408
Senior Member
This one: July 23: Fulton St. (Chicago) – Intelligentsia Cup powered by SRAM
In the roadie forum people have been mentioning training crits...anyone have a line on where to look for those in Chicago?
In the roadie forum people have been mentioning training crits...anyone have a line on where to look for those in Chicago?
06-30-17, 03:16 AM
#409
Senior Member
can't help with training crits but i've done fulton st. it's a decent course. wide open corners and flat. the little chicane on the back side is more significant than it looks on the course map but it's fine. it's a good course for a beginner.
06-30-17, 07:23 AM
#410
Senior Member
Thread Starter
06-30-17, 08:50 AM
#412
Senior Member
No chance of getting on breakaways or sprinting for the win though at the end lol
I think staying with the pack would be about all I have in me.
06-30-17, 09:12 AM
#413
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Wow nice video...very informative. I think it sort of confirms what I was thinking which is that it would be taxing, but it certainly would be possible to stay in the pack for the race.
No chance of getting on breakaways or sprinting for the win though at the end lol I think staying with the pack would be about all I have in me.
No chance of getting on breakaways or sprinting for the win though at the end lol
I think staying with the pack would be about all I have in me.The best way to gauge how you would do is to do group rides with racers. If you are doing hard, competitive race-like group rides with guys who are Cat 3s and Cat 4s, you're going to be fine. And will probably do well. Because many of your competitors won't be fit enough to do those kind of group rides.
If you don't know where your local crits are, it makes me think you probably don't know any or many local racers. Perhaps you are not on strava either? If you follow some of the local fast guys on strava that race, you will see where the races are.
06-30-17, 11:07 AM
#414
Senior Member
Thanks Globe and Abe on the compliments about the video. I wanted to make it informative.
The best way to gauge how you would do is to do group rides with racers. If you are doing hard, competitive race-like group rides with guys who are Cat 3s and Cat 4s, you're going to be fine. And will probably do well. Because many of your competitors won't be fit enough to do those kind of group rides.
If you don't know where your local crits are, it makes me think you probably don't know any or many local racers. Perhaps you are not on strava either? If you follow some of the local fast guys on strava that race, you will see where the races are.
The best way to gauge how you would do is to do group rides with racers. If you are doing hard, competitive race-like group rides with guys who are Cat 3s and Cat 4s, you're going to be fine. And will probably do well. Because many of your competitors won't be fit enough to do those kind of group rides.
If you don't know where your local crits are, it makes me think you probably don't know any or many local racers. Perhaps you are not on strava either? If you follow some of the local fast guys on strava that race, you will see where the races are.
06-30-17, 11:45 AM
#415
Senior Member
Thread Starter
As I talk about in my video, comfort riding in a very tight fast pack is essential to racing crits. It's good to have a lot of practice before you actually race. Getting freaked out and off the back and dropped is a recipe for not wanting to race again.
09-19-17, 10:25 AM
#416
Senior Member
Thread Starter
My 2nd VLOG, this one is my thoughts on group rides as preparation for starting to race. The target audience is someone that may do group rides and is thinking of racing in the future, or someone that isn't experienced in group rides. The target audience is not Cat 1s and 2s and 3s. CAVEAT: these are the opinions of a very inexperienced racer.
Likes For Radish_legs:
05-18-18, 01:15 PM
#418
Virgo
I'll be "anyone". I just started thinking about racing yesterday, and as a complete neophyte have zero knowledge/experience. I've never even visited racing forum before, always on CV and commuting, wanted to see what it was about. I was just riding really fast on my way home yesterday and thought it was fun as hell, and thought who wouldn't want to ride fast with other people also riding fast.
05-18-18, 01:22 PM
#419
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You are correct. It is hella fun.
05-21-18, 02:14 PM
#421
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I'll be "anyone". I just started thinking about racing yesterday, and as a complete neophyte have zero knowledge/experience. I've never even visited racing forum before, always on CV and commuting, wanted to see what it was about. I was just riding really fast on my way home yesterday and thought it was fun as hell, and thought who wouldn't want to ride fast with other people also riding fast.
05-22-19, 02:16 PM
#422
Senior Member
Thread Starter
41 years old, never raced. Been back on bike about 14 months after 5 years off, and never fast before that. Total mileage in 14 months about 2200 miles. I know I'm nothing to brag about, but I'm wondering if I'm both physically ready and/or psychologically ready. It's actually more likely that I will try my first race on the track at the C level. I keep looking up local crit results in the Cat 5/C races, and seeing guys who are way better/faster than me (sandbaggers?). I'm 5'10", 190lb, so I know that improvement will rely on losing weight.
5s - 13.11 w/kg
20s - 11.63 w/kg
30s - 8.94 w/kg
1 min - 6.95 w/kg
5 min - 3.31 w/kg
20 min - 2.48 w/kg
5s - 13.11 w/kg
20s - 11.63 w/kg
30s - 8.94 w/kg
1 min - 6.95 w/kg
5 min - 3.31 w/kg
20 min - 2.48 w/kg
05-22-19, 03:58 PM
#423
Full Member
09-22-19, 09:26 PM
#425
Senior Member
It was fun to read about your "evolution"; it took you so long to finally get racing and you had to take some serious razzing.
Then, it was cool to read your race reports.
Did you ever try cyclocross (night vs day when compared to crits)?
