I know there has been a few posts on people looking for information on racing crits recently, but I’m wondering about road races. I have my first race in about a month and I am wondering what to expect. Is a road race more or less just an all out group ride? What strategy do I use for my first race? There is a cat 4/5 race (42 miles) as well as a cat 5/civilian race (Not sure what civilian is?) which is half the distance of the 4/5. I feel pretty strong on the bike, and can keep up with local group rides no problem. Should I race cat 4/5 or will I get smoked? School me.
do you have any power data you can share?
or race splits?
Impossible to know if you will get smoked in a 4/5 race. Depends who shows up, what your region is like, etc. Every now and then there is an easy 4/5 race. I’ve seen one easy 4/5 race in my life. Nobody showed up. The rest were all reasonably hard. Sometimes one or two super humans who haven’t catted up yet will be there and it will be hell.
It is like an all out group ride kind of, people will take more risks, it will usually be more crowded. Try not to crash anybody. If it comes down to a field sprint, try to arrange yourself near the front, far left side, so you have somewhere to bail when the crash happens.
Or just hang back =)
I know there has been a few posts on people looking for information on racing crits recently, but I’m wondering about road races. I have my first race in about a month and I am wondering what to expect. Is a road race more or less just an all out group ride? What strategy do I use for my first race? There is a cat 4/5 race (42 miles) as well as a cat 5/civilian race (Not sure what civilian is?) which is half the distance of the 4/5. I feel pretty strong on the bike, and can keep up with local group rides no problem. Should I race cat 4/5 or will I get smoked? School me.
I don’t have a PM, so no data there. I use virtual power with TrainerRoad, but I’m pretty sure this grossly overestimates my FTP as it is reported as 343. last year I had an olympic bike split of 1h 12 min (22.5 mph) on my road bike. last weekend I rode 56 miles solo in 2h 46 min on my TT bike (also solo).
with that 56 mile ride, I’d say you should jump into the 4/5 field. As Jackmott said, theres no telling just how hard it will be but I think if you’re holding 20+mph for 56 miles that you can certainly hang in the field of a 4/5.
The best idea is to stay protected in the field and get the large pack experience. Don’t expend any energy until you get near the end of the race and you can decide if you want to try to chase attacks or rub elbows for the sprint finish.
I don’t have a PM, so no data there. I use virtual power with TrainerRoad, but I’m pretty sure this grossly overestimates my FTP as it is reported as 343. last year I had an olympic bike split of 1h 12 min (22.5 mph) on my road bike. last weekend I rode 56 miles solo in 2h 46 min on my TT bike (also solo).
it is gonna be hard
Civilian is no longer used by USAC. Hopefully, the promoter was referring to 1 day licenses.
One of the advantages of a race permitted by USAC is (meager as it is), health insurance. If you already have insurance, it’s moot. If not, you may want to find out if the promoter’s insurance extends to you in the event of a crash.
I feel pretty strong on the bike
This is what most triathletes think, before jumping into a real bike road race.
Listen carefully to what Jack said.
Know that despite the fact that it’s 4/5, at points, you’ll be going harder than you may have ever gone on a bike. While at other times(rarely) you might be dawdling along, wondering what the heck you are doing. Leave the PM and the HRM at home - or use and note the data afterwards. What they say in the race, what the numbers are, is of little concern - you have only one task - stay on the wheel ahead of you!!
In a way as Jack said, it’s like a group ride, but far more aggressive - not people trying to take others out, but in how the pace and intensity goes - see previous paragraph.
Sit in as much as you can - do not take the lead unless some form of rolling pace-line or echelon starts to form. Take your pull on the front, then get off.
Don’t asses other riders by looks, what they are riding, their weight . . etc … - When the hammer goes down, you’ll be surprised who keeps up, and who does not.
There may be lots of yelling and shouting. Some of it may be directed at you. Don’t take offense. Much of it is about self-preservation. If you do OK, there will be hand-shakes and back-slaps at the finish, even from some of the guys that were yelling at you!
It’s basically like a crit with fewer corners, and longer.
Okay, not truly, but it’ll be hard and easy. In those classes, no one will get away unless they’re stupid-strong on the bike and should have catted up already. Every one thinks they’re strong so they’ll chase everything that moves off the front. It takes some real organization to make a break stick. Unless you’re on a well-experienced team (rare in Cat 4), it just ain’t gonna happen (unless you’re that stupid-strong rider).
My advice – go with the 4/5, don’t let yourself get thrown to the back of the pack (I’ve done it, and in the right conditions it’s okay as long as you can move around). Keep your head up, figure out who the sketchy riders are and avoid them. When you’re in the last 1/4 of the race, work your way up near the front and stay there. Use your elbows as “cat’s whiskers” to exert your space and give yourself some bumper room. Keep your arms loose so any contact doesn’t go into your front wheel. Don’t overlap wheels.
Have fun!
You might be able to cruise at 20mph plus alone - but that’s no use when the bunch sprint off at 30mph.
You need to be able to go into the red to react to bursts of speed many times. Then it might settle down for a bit.
Its completely different racing to a TT. It’s fun - but don’t imagine you’ll kick their asses.
My only tip for road racing… stay focused.
It’s easy to stay focused for a short crit when it’s fast and insane, much harder for a couple of hours.
I’ve seen some dumb ass accidents when guys were basically chatting and looking at the scenery…
I just finished up my first set of races as a CAT5 in a local “spring” series which consisted of 8 races so I’ll share what I learned:
- The pace will be agonizingly slow at times, stay calm, the hurt will come.
- Don’t be afraid to yell at people riding sketchy or suggest to other riders to stay away from an individual
- Attacks can be fun, I managed to get a break going in almost all the races by attacking and TT’ing for a bit off the front
- If you are hurting, so are they. if you feel rested, so do they.
- Be aware of your position at all times. Don’t get stuck on the inside surrounded by riders who are unwilling or unable to respond to an attack.
- Contact happens, be ready to deal with it in a calm manner. Don’t get twitchy.
- Have fun. Hopefully you meet a bunch of new people to ride with.
I feel pretty strong on the bike
This is what most triathletes think, before jumping into a real bike road race.
ain’t this the truth and I learned the HARD way…
I tho I was fairly strong on the bike until I got spit out the back of the pack during my first bike race…
You might be able to cruise at 20mph plus alone - but that’s no use when the bunch sprint off at 30mph.
You need to be able to go into the red to react to bursts of speed many times. Then it might settle down for a bit.
Its completely different racing to a TT. It’s fun - but don’t imagine you’ll kick their asses.
u mean when u doing 20+ like is nothing and then everybody spring for their live on a uphill ha!
Cool, thanks everyone for the tips. Im definitely not anticipating to go out and smash everyone. I just want to keep up, learn something, and have some fun. The race is a four loop course with 2 short/steep climbs (less than 0.5 miles). Should expect to go all out, balls-to-the wall on the climbs?
Cool, thanks everyone for the tips. Im definitely not anticipating to go out and smash everyone. I just want to keep up, learn something, and have some fun. The race is a four loop course with 2 short/steep climbs (less than 0.5 miles). Should expect to go all out, balls-to-the wall on the climbs?
YES…
Yes.
Or, not uphill and the fast guys decide it is time to make a move. Then paaaaaiiiin.
This once happened to me after I sprinted like mad up a big hill to get a KOM time bonus. Immediately after that, I am shattered, and a semi pro triathlete decides to make his move. The next 2 hours I just dangled on the back of the pack for deal life in infinite pain.
I did pretty ok in the final sprint. Passed a lot of people. I think I was doing 100 watts of sprinting. everyone was so dead.
u mean when u doing 20+ like is nothing and then everybody spring for their live on a uphill ha!
Should expect to go all out, balls-to-the wall on the climbs?
You should be prepared to. It may or may not happen. It depends on whether the TTers/climbers are going to try to drop the sprinters to avoid a field sprint. If they do, they’re likely to attempt it on one of the climbs.
By preparation, I mean move well up in the field prior to the base of the climb. If some group of climbers decides to rip the field to shreds on a climb, you don’t want to be gapped way back in the field. You don’t want to need to do a heroic bridge to move back up. If you’re well up, then you’re more likely to latch onto a group that might be able to pull the attackers back in.
I did a few “citizens” races before stepping up and riding in a licensed category. Round here it’s basically an even bigger mixed bag of riders than the 5s. The front end of the Citizens’ can be as hard as the front end of an aggressive cat 5 race (especially since it’s shorter), though it’s unlikely to have more than a couple of guys who have the legs to drive the race.
Do the 4/5 race. You’ll probably have more fun and learn more.
Familiarize yourself with the course, especially the last few miles. If you can’t get out to pre-ride it, at least check out the elevation profile on Strava.
Try to make sure that you’re near the front near any critical parts of the course (and that includes flat sections where there are cross-winds).
Don’t pull unless you have a good reason to.
If the race seems easy, don’t get all gung-ho and attack. Roll with it and save your energy. Taking a flyer off the front in your first race is almost guaranteed to end with you being spat out of the back of the pack when they catch you.
Your primary thought when things get tough should be “don’t lose that wheel”. But many attacks will likely be ill-conceived. Based on the riders, course and conditions, make a judgement about whether to go with the attack. Be prepared for your judgement to be wrong.
Most of all, enjoy some of the best racing there is: road racing. 
**I tho I was fairly strong on the bike until I got spit out the back of the pack during my first bike race… **
When you say the word “Drafting” most triathletes, think it’s all a laugh, just sitting in and on wheels! How hard could it be?
If so, why do splits form and even top riders get dropped from the peleton and group in Pro Tour races - with the strongest riders in the world involved?