AzTallRider

We're lucky then. Our sanctioned races use the same number for as many races as you are doing. It does confuse things a bit, because someone will have a Catx series number, and race in a start that has combined age groups which are scored separately, with separate number series age groups. You don't know which age group the Catx numbered racers are in, unless you know them.

I'll be doing back-to-back races on the 19th in our season opening crit. First is a 2-3-4, then a 50+. My target race is the 50+, but my choices are to have a really long (many hours) break, or no break at all, and I'm going with the no break at all. I'll probably race conservatively in the 2-3-4, as I want to attack in the 50+. The course is the one used for our Tuesday night non-sanctioned training races, and the 2-3-4 race will be similar to those Tuesday nights, but without the Cat1s. Should be fun.

caloso

The local CX race series is non-USAC and uses one number (and more importantly, a RFID helmet sticker) per rider per season. Super easy and convenient.
Road racing is USAC and thus there is a stack of numbers for each race.

waterrockets 

If not, our team helicopter usually has scissors too. Just tell the pilot I sent you. He goes by "Chewy"

beatlebee 

Wow. Thank you everyone for the solid advice.

1.Neither of the races are important to me in terms of placing, I just want the experience at this point. Looking to get into the 4s this season and my team requires 10 races for them to reimburse racing costs. Plus, I wasn't even sure if I could (by rules) race both.

2. I just started doing the hard group rides again (Shootout) in town (Tucson) and many around here say that they are harder than a lot of races (at least Cat5) being that many Cat1/2 are there plus in the winter some pro teams tend to show up as has been the case lately. Last year on these rides, I was hanging near the front but the last two months I have used to build base (as hard as it was to not attack!) and so my fitness is very broad so to speak and I am sure to be hurting. I plan to use the next two months to "race to peak fitness" alongside my usual training.

3. It will likely be cold for us desert rats for the first race and cool for the second. I think that I may hop on the rollers in between.

4. I think pinning two numbers to one jersey will do it for me. My girlfriend will be there and I can have her cut off the one number.

5. Lastly, did I mention how EXCITED I am! A few teammates will be there to help and give me tips/critiques afterwards. Plus my girl will drive me up and back to Phoenix which is almost two hours away. That will be key.

jsutkeepspining

depends...Racing is hard becuase of surges, not just the constant fast speed. Group rides often give u fitness, but not race fitness. YMMV, but thats what i've found. Also im a 2, im rarely the one pushing group rides.

gsteinb

Doesn't the medical tent have other things to do? I carry scissors (pink ones) in my bag. My wife does the cutting for guys in pink and blue.

Monkeyclaw

I think this varies with the race organizer. Some of them go to the trouble of giving out new numbers for each race, some don't. I think the OP is looking at Avondale, and last year they had different numbers for each race.

OP - Don't be afraid to do both Cat 5's if you can. You can probably still sign up for the second at the race if you like. You may even be able to get your 4/5 race switched to the second 5. Last year they didn't even allow pre-registration for the second race, you had to do it on site.

Psimet2001 

Speaking as a promoter....it varies. Our officials here in Chicago insist on non-overlapping ending 2 digits. This is because when scoring they only call out or write down the last 2 digits.

This necessitates a new series (100 numbers) for each field. This sucks when you want to run 2 fields and would like them to be able to tell each other apart. Example 400 series for 40+ and 500 series for 50+. You can't do it because you can't have 2 "01"'s out on course at the same time (401 and 501). Instead the normal practice is to start the older field at 99 and go backwards and the younger at 00 and go up.

I usually get around this by stapling the 2 series together. At reg they tear off the needed one and pitch the other. That way every ending 2 digit number is used once and racers can easily tell who is in which field.

Easier would be set numbers and the officials calling out all 3 numbers but....they don't want to do that.

Psimet2001 

We just pin the top one with 4 pins instead of 8. Actually takes less time to remove the pins and can be done by anyone regardless of whether or not they have scissors.

That said I usually have scissors in the top of the toolbox in the team tent for this use.

waterrockets 

Naw. If my team and I have been racing, the pack has been all strung out and safe.

topflightpro

I guess if I had to do different numbers, I might just bring two jerseys and swap that out. It probably takes just as long as removing pins. (I don't do skin suits as they just don't fit me right.)

waterrockets 

You can usually switch jerseys quickly, but I like the number cutting a bit more because someone else can do it. One morning, I won the Cat 3 crit, and had to puke a bit before the P/1/2/3 crit, which started as soon as we were off the course. It was nice to focus on puking while they cut my number off. It took a good 6 laps to get my legs back and move up front in the 2nd race.

Homebrew01

Yes, something I always look forward to.

gsteinb

I'd never do two races on the same day.

shovelhd

Lyin'

AzTallRider

I only raced one race at Avondale last year. I was just getting going, and hadn't recognized the value of doubling up. Guess I'll be dealing with multiple numbers, since I'm doing cat4 and then the combined 45+/55+... Damn.

jwible

I thought the consensus was that if you race twice in the same day you will most certainly die.

carpediemracing 

I use more pins for both numbers for early season races (aka colder weather). As you said unpinning a number is pretty quick - I usually unpin the top one. In the summer it's nice to have a dry jersey so I'll pin the number on a second jersey.

I hate flapping numbers so I'll use a lot of pins. This was a rush job as I was helping the promoter with the race and then realized my race was going to start shortly:

Homebrew01

That's a lot of pins ... you should get titanium pins to save a few grams. You can also use straight pins instead of safety pins to save weight

caloso

I usually use 8, which I thought was a lot, until I saw this picture.

gsteinb

I don't think I've lost any races due to using too few or too many pins.

Ultraslide

I have to drive 3+ hours to race. I am going to race twice if I can. Last year I had one race that was 5s at 9am and a 4/5 Masters at Noon. I really enjoyed that day. I did back to back 5, 4/5 races once. I was just blown out in the second race right off the bat instead of the usual few laps in. Haha.

MrTuner1970

My racing buddy likes Racer Tape.

I bummed some from him for one race last year. It worked.

shovelhd

Well la dee da.

carpediemracing 

I was in a rush. Usually I do 3 rows (top edge, middle, bottom edge) of 4-5 pins and maybe another few to fill in the sides between the rows.