I_Like_Bike

I am new to road cycling and thinking of doing some races this summer. I was wondering if anyone could tell what their first race was like and what lessons did you learn from it?

bcordy

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DiabloScott

Got overconfident, got excited. Chased down a break. Blew up. Dropped out. Just about hurled.

botto 

i was dropped in the first 200 meters.

lesson learned - even if you're a hug fan of sean kelly, if you're the only person with toeclips in a crit, you're fraked.

Apus^2

I crashed.

Scummer

Got dropped after one lap. Not moving up in the field = OTB. Interval training is a must for crits.

substructure

I pulled the pack around for the last half of the last lap. Spanked at the end like a disciple in a B&D flick.

umd

My FIRST race was a special "beginner's" category of a local stage race. Think sub-cat 5. It started with an uphill TT and I got 2nd by 2 hundredths of a second. Also took second in the road race and like 12th (pack) in the circuit race, and kept my 2nd GC. My first road race, I was dropped fairly quickly into the first climb, got into a little subgroup and then got dropped by them on a descent because I couldn't spin my 50x12 fast enough. I did some more races, usually not finishing in the lead group. Got dropped a few laps into my first crit, and was pulled as I was about to be lapped 2/3 of the way though. Fun times.

wanders

I thought I had turned a lung inside out.

timmhaan

got dropped on the first hill. then just rode the rest as a personal time trial... ended up getting lapped twice.

I_Like_Bike

I realize that the "what tips can you give me for my first race" threads get annoying but I thought that it would be entertaining to hear other peoples stories. I just do not want to feel so bad after my first race when I cross the finish line in last behind people on unicycles.

When I was younger I did a 5k run with my father. He tried to tell be to take it slow but I wanted to win. We started in the back and I went at full sprint weaving though everyone in front of me. About a mile in I was moving at a crawl and being practically dragged by my dad while getting passed by fat people with walking sticks and fanny packs. It is funny today but was devastating at the time. I have hated run since that day, hence the Road biking.

Second Mouse

I made some stupid mistakes, learned from them (hopefully), and had a great time.

The long version here.

Looking forward to making more mistakes starting Saturday.

Oh, and running sucks.

Ratfish

As traumatizing as I'm sure that was, that was one of the funniest stories I have ever read on this forum. I'm still laughing.

rydaddy

My first race was only a month ago. I read some tips on the board and made it a goal to stay near the front, mostly to avoid trouble. I had the legs but no tactical knowledge. Ended up leading out all the sprinters on the final turn.... still managed 13th in a field of 50. The next week I made the same mistake and finished 19th. I will be more patient next time, hopefully.

Race 3 is not until 3/21. The anxiety is killing me.

I_Like_Bike

I told it so that people could have a laugh, so you're welcome. I am sure by cycling race will not be as bad as my running one but then again you can't crash when you run so...

Apus^2

I did win my first cat 5 (only) crit, but I had already done three or four cat 4/5 races.

ericm979

My first race was in 1986. A point to point road race from Pleasanton to Livermore. I raced cat 4, which was where you started back then. At one point I was riding with my hands on the hoods and the guy next to me also had his hands on the hoods. We came together and were leaning on each other. I was freaking out because I'd crashed not 6 months before and broken my tailbone badly. The guy told me to relax, we'd separate in a bit.

I got dropped on some rolling hills on the run into Livermore. I wasn't the first one dropped. The finish made a right up hill on a frontage road, and when I got there an ambulance was just pulling away after loading a rider who'd crashed on some gravel there. The ambulance almost hit me. I have no idea where I placed, or why I decided that I liked racing enough to keep doing it.

Metzinger

First race: Cat 4 crit. I'm nervous, hanging out at the back, accordioning like crazy after the corners. This is tough! My brother, who I'd just watched do the 3 crit yells, "Move up!", everytime we pass his spectating position. OK, bit by bit I move through the field. Bell lap, I'm right at the front. This is going to be good. Final corner and I'm leading! I dig hard and am amazed as at least eight riders blow past me before the line.

I learned later that what I did was called a lead-out.
Only I had no team-mates in the race.
And I don't have what could even remotely be called a sprint.
Good times.

kaiserboy

I was clueless as to the fitness that is involved in racing. I have finished 4 marathons, but racing a crit was allot harder. My first was last August and I got dropped after the first lap. It taught me a great deal; ride your bike as much as possible. Now I get dropped 1/2 way through the race. I am getting better

recursive

20 minute practice crit. I think I was lapped twice. I learned to work harder.

rydaddy

This happened to two riders in front of me during the final lap of my first race. Only the outcome was not nice...

Lucklily I was on the outside and moved around the carnage.

JaRow

I crashed. It wasn't my fault though. One of the guys that ran me over broke his collar bone. I broke one of my shifters and bent my derailleur hanger. Other than that, the bike was fine.

The lesson I learned: Don't race in Miami.

DiabloScott

In my second race I was ready to call it quits but then this guy gave me a hit from his asthma inhaler.

ft_critical

I won both my first road race, solo from half way, and my first crit with a diesel sprint from miles out. However, these were in D grade against old men in wheel chairs and children on tri-cycles.

My learning is that winning, whatever the grade does give you a confidence that you carry forward as you move up the grades.

mattm

my first (and only, so far) race was a 20k TT with two climbs, one 400 feet, the other 200 or so.

i learned not to go too hard in the beginning of a TT, especially if there's a 400-footer you're about to climb! but since i was still in the process of learning this, i sprinted from the gate, just hoping to hold off the guy starting behind me in a minute.

as i was climbing the first big hill, and redlining in the process, i finally saw the guy coming up behind me. and since i was already redlining, doing anything about it wasn't really an option, i just watched him ride by. i think about that scene every time i do this same hill.

at least it was a mixed-cat race, so some of those that passed me were probably cat 3's and such. one guy was really nice when he passed and just said, "nice day for a ride, eh?"

btw i was on a road bike with no aero-anything, and no aero helmet. if i were to do this race again (and i might this year), i will:

* pace better
* maybe use a TT helmet
* pace better