MikeOK

Hi all, I'm an ex mountain bike racer and I have a couple questions. I've raced one crit in my time and it didn't work out well for me so I went back to the mountain bike. A couple months ago I got a new road bike and I'm thinking I want to race crits. I have a lot of weight to shed before I will be anywhere close to being competitive, but I would like to set it as a goal for one year from now.

My questions:
Do road races have a clydesdale class like they do in mtn bike races? I always raced clydesdale.
I'm 54, does that make me a master?

Thanks!

superdex

1) sadly, no clydesdale class. (I wish, it would help me out, as well as a, "I only ride 1k miles a year" class, but alas, such is not the case)

2) yes ("master" is >39)

Decoding Road Race Categories ? pedal Racing

MikeOK

Thanks. Is the master class divided up by age? Like, is there a 39-49, 49-59, etc? I would hate to think I would be competing with 39 year olds.

sarals 

It sounds trite, but, seriously, it isn't, when I say "it depends upon the event". Some promoters break out, for the men, 35+, 45+, 55+, 60+ fields. Depending upon the the entry numbers, they may race separately. They're also grouped according to category (experience). Generally, men have it better when it comes to race choice than we ladies do, you've got strength in numbers. I think it's safe to say for most road events for the guys, you can be pretty well assured you wouldn't be racing against the "kids" unless you want to.

Joeyseven

Looks like Oregon(OBRA) had one crit race for clydesdale class this year,only 4 riders.The Barton Park Cicuit Race.

Oregon and N. CA have clydesdale class for some MT,cross and maybe gravel races.Clyde class for gravel would be nice.

globecanvas

This totally varies by region and promoter. You might see just about any combination of age group and category as a separate field. I am 49 and this year alone, I have raced 35+, 40+, and 45+. Also lots of P/1/2/3 fields for races that have no masters field at all.

If you are just starting out road racing you will need to begin as a cat 5, which is generally ineligible to race in open masters fields -- most masters fields are defined as 50+ cat 1-4 or similar. However, bigger races may have age group single category fields, like 50+ cat 5 or 50+ cat 4.

Also, the age of the racers is not necessarily predictive of the difficulty of the race. Because of a sort of demographic bubble that may have to do with the specific era of Lance's popularity, 45+ or 50+ can be among the biggest and most competitive fields of the day. An all-ages cat 4 race will be much easier than a 50+ cat 1-4 race. A 35+ race might be easier than a 45+ race. Etc.

At the NY state crit champs this year, 35+ and 45+ raced together but were scored separately, which is another way some promoters do it. Something like 9 of the top 10 were 45+ and a bunch of 45+ guys were lamenting the fact that if we had chosen to register for the 35+ we would have gone home with medals instead of not even placing.

Hermes

@globecanvas +1

Also, many times masters men and women prefer to race together even if the open younger categories are easier. And there is always a fresh supply of younger very strong but less skilled racers starting in Cat 5 that can give the appearance that the younger racers are so much faster. Bicycle racing has a very high skill factor such that pure strength is alway good to have but not enough to be successful at racing.

When I started racing 10 years ago, I enjoyed riding with the young cat 5 men. I would select either the Cat 5 or masters Cat 4/5 depending on the time the category raced. Sometimes the masters raced later in the day and the cat 5 men in the morning.

The key to successful bike racing is to focus on skills to avoid injury. One can never have too much skill going into a race. Off the back is perfectly acceptable whereas on the pavement is not. YMMV.

MikeOK

Yeah the one crit I did I figured the front was the place to be. I pulled the entire race, couldn't get them out of my draft. By the time we got in the finishing sprint I was so gassed that I watched the entire field pass me. I think I beat one guy.

Hermes

I do not understand why being a clyde is an issue. Race flat crits such that gravity is not that big of a factor. Of course, excess weight is harder to accelerate and is not aerodynamic but many times larger racers make a lot more power.

I recommend just race and do not worry about weight. The more you race, the more motivated you will be to lose weight and you will ask yourself each time you decide to eat something...is this going to make me faster or slower.

caloso

What Hermes said. Weight isn't much of a factor on a flat course, which most crits are.

noglider 

Actually, I think heavy riders are more aerodynamic, with surface area to mass ratios.

revchuck 

Another take on the "it depends" thing - where I live there is usually only one Masters class, M40+ cat 1-4 (sometimes 1-5). I often ended up racing Cat 1s with 20+ years experience, not very fulfilling when you start racing at 60. You'll need to do your ten mass-start races as a Cat 5, and my experience and the apparent consensus is that it's better to do them with the other Cat 5s than to do them with Masters racers, even though permitted.

My now-defunct team used to run a Clydesdale class as a sub-class with Cat 5 and it was popular. Some of those big guys are not so big anymore and have become pretty fast.

caloso

That's rough. In my first race there was a 35+ all category race. I signed up for the E5 race and that went pretty well so decided to do the 35+ race too. Bunch of old guys: How hard could this be?

Answer: Very, very, very hard.

Voodoo76

Chuck, I hear ya. Nothing around here but 35+ or 40+. Not complaining, it's just a numbers game. And although my license is still telling me I'm a Cat 2 there is a big difference between 40 and 61 Downgrading & racing with 4's doesn't appeal to me (sort of a been there done that feel to it). I took a right turn this year and dedicated myself to turning a road sprinters body into a TT specialist. Something I used to avoid like the plague. I've had a blast trying to figure this out. Training has some meaning again and I get to tinker with all kinds of cool gear!

Bandera

Tour de Gruene
November 4th, 2017
Tour de Gruene
15.5 mile ITT

Home | Tour de Gruene | Tour de Gruene

MikeOK

What is ITT?

globecanvas

individual time trial.

Bandera

Yep, just what @Voodoo76 is concentrating on.
There is also a Two person 26.4 mile TT in the schedule as well.
It's a classic event on a challenging course with Wurstfest as well.

Mmmm, Shiner Bock & Wurst.

-Bandera

MikeOK

I think I would like to try an ITT.

Racer Ex 

I raced Lance at that event twice, We finished ahead of him in the TTT and I finished ahead of him in the TT.

he beat me by 3 minutes in the TT and the same in the TTT.

Bandera

My results at TdG improved dramatically from Pathetic to Plodding in the ITT while my TTT partner described my efforts as being on a continuum somewhere between deliberate sabotage and complete uselessness.

I love TdG, just don't ask me to ride it again any time soon.

-Bandera

thehammerdog

Dude big bellies = big power required to move that gut. I know i have thick midsection 220 lbs = tough

noglider 

I expect that some heavy people are more aerodynamic than thin people. The surface-area-to-mass ratio is better, at least for some shapes. I'm a lightweight, and I am not fast on flat terrain.

thehammerdog

Not sure of the aero thing but as a heftier fella i do climb well as a younger fella @175lbs i was built more for classics