Except for people who've ridden track. In which case it's not a rectangle, but a T, with the width of the bars describing the width of the 'T'. Meaning you can fit 3 trackies into the space occupied by two pure roadies without anyone freaking out. :)

Yes, another exception, if it's strung out in a quasi-pace line at the front and rotating up, then take you're turn. But it's also pretty easy to sit in between 10 and 20 riders back and never put yourself in that position if you don't want to, and that's perfectly fine.

I'd love to race where you do and overlapping doesn't occur. The only race I've been in where it isn't constant is an ITT.

Well, thanks. To clarify, it was the final laps of an NRC and Elite Crit Nats, so while I wasn't getting paid, there are certain...rewards.But I'm sure you know all about that and how dynamic and aggressive those situations can be. I made a mistake and shared said mistakes to illustrate a negative aspect of being caught with no outs (even if you're fine, having a kamikaze decide they're going to use you as their brake-stop can cause you to alter your line), but obviously that wasn't enough. So do please share your experiences and put me in my place a bit more.

It's a part of racing. There's pretty much no way to not do it unless you're off the front or the back. There are certain situations where it can cause much more of an issue (as I unfortunately learned), but being in the pack just rolling along is not one of them.

Holy crap folks.

Next time I write on ST I'll make sure I write an entire primer on bike racing instead of a few tips and suggestions for a guy doing his first road race.

Haha, don't sweat it man. Your advice and reasoning are sound (nor were you ever condescending). I think people seem to be forgetting that this advice is for a very new racer and Cat 5. Cat 4/5 packs are much different than P12, 3 or even Cat 4. Safety is paramount at this level in my opinion (YMMV) - trying to not overlap wheels is very good advice. Does it happen? Of COURSE it does, all the time. Doesn't mean it's not good advice to try not to do it yourself though. A new racer won't recognize the risks and mitigation that a seasoned racer will - but that will come with time to the OP (so don't worry about not being an expert at pack dynamics now). And even if the OP is very seasoned, a pack of 4/5s won't ride like a unit the way upper cats do, so expecting the unexpected is good advice. Stay safe and protect your front wheel are solid advice for a new racer.

As for why to ride at the front of the pack (stolen from WBRSCM):

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Thanks everyone for all of the tips. As the race gets closer I'm getting more excited and a little nervous at the same time. I'm going to give it my all but at the same time I feel like this is going to be one of the harder things I've done. To me, cyclists are on a whole different level which is why I like to compete with you guys. The better I can be at cycling the faster triathlete I can become which is the end result.

I have a few more specific questions.

1- On the usacycling.org website the race is listed as a Category D race. What does that mean?
2 - The race is 54 miles. I was going to carry two water bottles and three gels. Is there anything else I need? Should I expect a bottle water handoff?

I'll def make sure to do a write-up of the race so stay tuned for that one.

54 miles will probably be 2.5 hours-ish if flat and calm. Maybe a little faster, maybe slower if hilly and windy. In hot weather racing or training, I'm about a bottle an hour, less in cold. The race flier or webpage will say if they are doing a feed zone (in which case you may have to BYO bottle person if there's not neutral support). It's not uncommon to see riders with a third bottle stashed in a back pocket for longer RRs if they don't have teammate support. You can ditch an empty bottle in the feed zone (usually, read the race guide or talk to the RD to be sure).

Nerves are normal and are nothing to worry about. Just have fun. cat 5 racing is about learning. make mistakes, do stupid attacks to see what happens, etc. have a plan but realize your plan will be OBE 5 min into the race and jsut have fun!

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I think the category D is just a reference to what level of prize money/size of race it is permitted as.

I'd definitely carry 2 water bottles if only because there is always the possibility that you could lose/drop one early in the race and be screwed if you only had one. I generally take two in any race where I want to be guaranteed a drink. If you don't think you'll drink 2 full bottles (and I doubt you will this time of year unless you are way down south) you can just fill each one half way. There will be no hand ups, feed zone etc.

You'll be so focused on riding you will have to remind yourself to drink and I doubt you will even think of eating 1 gel (but you should) much less 3 but take them with you if you want. There will be times when you can not drink or eat. So take advantage of the times you can.

One little tricky thing most new guys are not used to is the whole pinning on your number thing. There will be a specific side (left or right) where they want it and a general placing on your jersey where it needs to go. Ask if you are not sure (and, every race is different so every smart person asks). Everything at sign in will seem super casual but they are sticklers about number placement! And, use a couple extra pins on the sides so your number is not flapping around like a parachute. One thing this time of year I hate (I live up north) is that I keep changing my mind about what jersey to wear and that messes with my head when I am pinning my number on. Just relax (easier said than done).

And, you'll need a photo ID at check in/registration. I assume you are buying a 1 day license which will get taken care of at registration but if you have sprung for a full season USA Cycling license, make sure you have it with you. You'll need to show it.

One of the more nerve racking parts is the start. You'll be lined up, the official with give the signal and then you have to clip in . . . Some, if not all, will take off like bats out of hell. Make sure you are in the right gear. Slow is fast as in the harder I try to clip in quick the worse it is ;-). Don't get dropped in the first 50 yards! And, don't be sheepish about lining up in front.

After the start calms down. Start checking out the other racers and try to figure out who might be good to be around and who you want to avoid. Also, in this race it would be a very good idea to know how to tell the 4's from the 5's. That could come in handy at some point.

Once the race gets going, you'll have a blast. It really is not that bad. As long as you are not a safety risk to you or others, don't get too freaked about positing in the pack. Sure, it is better and easier to be closer to the front but, just watch, learn and do what you can do. One thing about bike racing is it is not a one off activity. Guys that are into it race ALOT, like 20-30 times a year. And even they screw up more than they get it right. Don't think you are going to both master it and be lucky enough to have the "perfect" race first time out!

Or you could try not speaking in absolutes like "Don't ever overlap wheels with the person in front of you, not even for a second."

Just sayin'.

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Yes!

Assuming it isn't actually warm, your nutrition plan is fine. Taking more liquids might even be safer, but the race might be so stressful you might get everything down.

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I did it. Here's a write-up from yesterday's race since some people asked.

[/url]Blue Goose Chase Road Race Summary (kinda long)

I’ll start off by saying what an intense race. I’d say a road race is a lot more intense than any other race I’ve done including 5ks, 10ks, triathlons etc. It may because I’m used to at least making small talk with some of the people before a normal event. For the most part this was not the case.

Pre-race was a little difficult for me because I had a lot going on this weekend, not your let’s go to Home Depot and if we have time Bed, Bath, and Beyond kind of weekend. This was a birthday bicycle bar crawl, friends coming in from out of town, let’s party it up kind of weekend. I was good on the bar crawl, NO drinking…yeah me, but I did partake in a few frozen margaritas at dinner and then stayed up playing board games. So, my pre-race was not the best.

I did get a chance to take my bike into the bike shop to get a few adjustments on Saturday, put on new tires, and was ready to go. Sunday morning I was up 3 minutes before my alarm clock went off, spent a little while to get ready and was out the door. The race was a two hour drive so I thought I’d just grab something to eat on the way down there. Once I got off the interstate I immediately spotted a pro team (Nova Nordisk) bus with bikes on the top that was worth more than my car. I almost crapped my pants, but then told myself I’m not racing in that category. I finally get down to the race site and checked in. It was cold, I mean cold, as were the people around. I’m not sure what it is about cyclists but they’re not a friendly bunch. The only person I really talked to before the race was other new people and a guy who had transitioned from triathlons; turns out he’s a good cyclist.

The first race started at 9:15 when the Pros/1/2s took off. There was probably about 50-75 people in that group. After they left I took about 20 minutes to try and figure out should I add another layer, should I wear tights. The sun was coming out but it was a chilly 36 degrees so I went with a fleece base layer and long tights under my bib and full gloves. I brought a pair Casatelli gloves but they were crap compared to my 8 dollar gloves from Wal-mart. I guess sometimes you gotta go cheap. Nerves were also getting to me and I probably peed about 6 times before the race started.

At around 9:45, around 50, or 40 per the website with a few day of signees, people started lining up. This race would be the 4s and 5s going off at the same time for 54 miles. I took my spot about 5 feet from the front. The race official came out and barked a few things at us and very nonchalantly said ‘go’. I didn’t know if the everyone would take off like we were shot out of a cannon or more like a normal bike ride. To my surprise, everyone slowly clipped in and was off. There seemed to be one team with about four riders with some type of strategy but I never figured out what it was.

Around mile three or four, there was a small break away. Feeling good, I decided to try and catch them and go with the break away. That was a very dumb idea as I got hung out between the break away and the group. I decided to just go with pulling the group to catch the break away. That lasted about a minute and I was done. All I wanted to do was get sucked back into the group and catch my breath. That was to not be as everyone around me blazed past me and I lost the back wheel of the last person in the peloton. I started freaking out as I was behind for about 30 seconds before I was able to catch back up. At that point my silly idea of trying to possibly place in this race changed to a strategy of not getting dropped.

I caught back up and sat in the back of the peloton. There was a guy with a US military jersey on that I decided that I would just follow his wheel for a while. This lasted for a few miles before more people went forward, some went back and then we hit a hill around mile 10 that I hit pretty hard to get back near the front of the pack. This is where we lost a large group of people.

The majority of the race was mostly flat with a few hills sprinkled in throughout the race. I was up near the front again around mile 35, and as no one was pulling, I decided I would pull for a while to try and catch the breakaway group that was in sight. That lasted another minute before I moved over and let someone else pull.

We finally caught the lead group with about 15 miles to go or I assumed. At this point I was getting really tired and lost the back wheel going up a steep climb. Thoughts started running through my head of well you made it 40+ miles before you got dropped, not bad. I thought I was toast when the race official moved ahead of me, but I kept working and finally caught back up to the group right as we were going up another steep climb. I put everything I had into this climb and got dropped again, but this time for someone unknown reason, the peloton slowed down once it got to the top.

Relieved, and gasping for breath, I quickly closed the gap. I was still hanging on at 50 miles, but I could tell that I was suffering. Around 53, people were jockeying for position. There some breakaways but the peloton quickly adjusted and reeled them back in. I was sitting about mid pack when we went up a hill with 1k left and that’s when it got crazy. I was dropped off the back along with another guy and the peloton was gone. I got dropped so fast that I didn’t even get to see the sprint finish. Oh well, there was no juice left in my legs, but I gave it everything I had to the finish line.

Overall finish was 7th out of 18 Cat 5 riders. The ride average was about 22.5 mph. I guess there was a lot of people who got dropped in my category. For me, I’m going to go with, I didn’t get dropped since it was in the last 1k. :)

Overall, it was a really fun time. There’s a lot of things that I learned. One was that I was happy with my ability to pace line. This goes back to my riding days in Florida and everyone is in pace lines, unlike Atlanta where everything is hilly so it’s a constant up and down type of ride. Two, even though I’ve gotten much better at riding hills, I still need to drop weight if I want to compete in an event like a road race; I’m currently at 178 at 5’10’. Three, my road handing skills need to get better. Going around hard turns, sometimes a gap would open between me and the next ride causing everyone behind me to have to sprint to catch up. I don’t think this would create many friends. And finally, I need to ride more. It’s difficult to both marathon train and build your cycling volume.

So that’s that. The race was down in Irwington Georgia. If you’re ever down that way the town has a bicycling hostel called the Blue Goose on Main. It’s a really cool little town with some excellent areas to bike ride. It’s southern hospitality at it’s best. I’d highly recommend checking it out.

Next up is my first triathlon of the season. It’s a 400 meter pool swim, 12 mile bike ride, and 5k all on a hilly course. It’s also going to be the first time I break out my P2 cervelo that I got over the winter along with a FLO disc wheel. I’m down almost ten pounds from last seaon, I’m pretty excited to see what I can do with all this power.

Until next time, #eatsleepdrinktri #all3sports #triathlon #cycling and if you like my write-up don’t forget to like my facebook page www.facebook.com/triathlonjoe

Nice job, but you forgot to poop. Never race without pooping first. Preferably multiple times.

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Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading that. Way to fight your inner demons and not accept "good enough" early in the race. Good luck in the upcoming season.

Thanks for the report.

I love reading first timers road race reports as I've long since forgotten mine (about 100+ races ago ...)

Good luck on the Tri!

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EXCELLENT JOB!!! -did you use a Garmin and upload to STRAVA? What was the avg. elevation, etc.

Here's the strava link.

https://www.strava.com/activities/276199464

Elevation was about 2,300 and the average was 22.3mph

great to hear you enjoyed it, finished rubber side up, and didn't get dropped. that's pretty much all you want to be asking for on first time out.
nice work!

I just wanted to add you guys were all spot on. I didn't mention one thing about me being a triathlete although I'm sure my cycling kit with all3sports on it probably gave it away. I rarely overlapped my front wheel. It was really cold so only took in 1 bottle of water and a little bit of a second one. I was also worried about getting enough fuel. I ate before hand, had a gel about 15 minutes before the start and drank a sports drink during the race.

Thanks everyone again for the kind words.

Timely thread. I will be doing my first Cat 4/5 road race (55km) next weekend and this is all great info. I am a reasonably strong cyclist with decent handling skills so I am confident I can at least hang with the pack. I have done a crit a few years ago and had fun with that.