First Road Race - advice?

bahzob

Doing first ever road race 16th March, Thruxton. Advice?

(I dont have a sprint but do have good 5 minute and staying power).

Bronzie

For your first race I'd just aim to sit in the wheels, stay out of trouble and see how it goes. Don't do what I did which was to get all excited, sit on the front and tow everyone else around for 10 minutes only to blow my doors off when the pace went up. :roll:

Concentrate on trying to hold your position in the bunch especially if there are tight corners on the circuit and try not to get squeezed out. Watch the other riders and try and follow the good wheels (ie those who can ride nice and steady and not all over the road).

If you feel strong during the race, maybe try and get in a break if one goes, but in most 3/4 cat races, the break gets reeled in again and it all ends up in a mad dash for the line. If you really can't sprint, best to just sit up and watch the fun as it can get very hairy when people start sprinting and then sit up when their legs seize up leaving following riders to dive around them. :shock:

dennisn

I would say that, if you can hang, you should sit in at the back of a good sized group
and sort of watch things as they happen. Get the feel of things out there and how it all works. Be ready at every corner because it seems like the front runners always pull
an acceleration out of the turn in an attempt to drop people off the back. And it usually
works. You will have to really work to keep up. If the pace is just too much and you
get dropped, catching up is more than likely not an option. Your best bet here is to drop back and hook up with someone or another group and work with them. Trying to do it all on your own is not something that works very well, if at all. Good luck.

Dennis Noward

Monty Dog

It can be pretty windy up at Thruxton - it's pretty exposed and can have a big impact on how the races are run. The early season 4ths races are pretty busy too - 50 plus riders isn't unusual. First your first race, the objective is to learn about racing, riding in a pack and the bonus is getting to the finish - no more. Races tend to go off hard, settle down in the middle section and then go all-out for the last few laps. Try and stay in the front half of the pack, but avoid taking the lead or pulling back the break. The circuit at Thruxton is pretty straightforward - the only problem is the wind and the chicane - remember that when you hit the crown of the first bend - don't try and do the same on the next because there are probably three guys outside of you that you've just cut-up!

Ste_S

Have you ridden the circuit before ? if not does anyone hold any training sessions there ?

My first race is on a closed circuit, and i've started doing a training session there every week. Made me feel a lot less nervous about racing on it.

oldwelshman

It depends how strong you are compared to others for the 5 mionutes
As Bronzie said it is easy to get excited and have an early go, but when your caught it can take you a few minutes to recover and you can drop back through the field and out the back easily if you dont recover fast.
As you admoit you have not got a sprint, then I would sit in and get used to the pcae and give it a go in last mile or two launching from a few places back, but dont sprint too hard to make the break or you may blow. If you are strong you might have a chance if the others dont chase, or some one may join you to help, but either way you got nothing to loose if you cant sprint

zoom gordo

another tip for thruxton: the circuit is oval shaped, and the wind will be behind you one way, ahead of you the other, so half the circuit wil be done at a crawl, the other at about 400mph. At the top and bottom of the circuit, you will turn across the wind MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT GET DROPPED HERE. Gaps open up very quickly. Fight all you can to stay on.
oh, and it's gonna be freezing. Thruxton is always freezing cold.
oh yeah and pay attention: lots of people 'go to sleep' at thruxton as it aint exactly the most involved circuit out there. Carnage can ensue, espesh in 4th cat races.

Garybee

The nearer you are to the back the worse the 'concertina effect' gets out of corners. This means that although you don't want to be spending all the time on the front, you don't want to be hanging around right at the tail end of the group either. You will end up having to sprint for much longer out of every corner. The easiest place to 'sit in' is a few places back from the front.

Have fun with it though. If you feel strong and want to have a go off the front for a bit with someone else just do it. It doesn't matter if it hurts you later on if you've had a bit of fun.

One thing to avoid, if you like to get out of the saddle for a bit of a blast, don't just jump up. If you do it throws your bike back a foot of so and can take people out behind you.

bahzob

Thanks for advice. I know Thruxton but only from going round it in a variety of exotic cars on a circuit experience day, not much use I guess for cycling.

What the norm in terms of the group staying together? If, say, 50 (? is that a typical number) start do they tend to stick together as a group. Or does the group tend to break up into a number of smaller groups?

Also whats the norm in terms of speed, I was expecting around 25mph. Is that about right?

Simon Notley

I would expect the group to stay together, especially if it's windy and the course is as fast as Thruxton. Most fourth cat races tend to stay together until the end... with the exception of people periodically dropping of the back.

henderson_mk

+1 on the concertina effect thing. watch out for it!

I started racing last year and it was that effect that shocked the hell out of me. got dropped in my first race as i couldn't hold my position and kept getting shunted further down the group.. so the yo-yo just got worse and worse. i had my first reliability of this year yesterday and on an aptly named bit of road called 'lumpy' it was like that with the guys at the rear getting murdered. I managed to hang on at the front :-)

anyhoo, try to stay far enough up the pack you can see whats happening and react with acceleration, but not too far up so that you're obviously avoiding working :-)

Bronzie

bahzob wrote:

Also whats the norm in terms of speed, I was expecting around 25mph. Is that about right?

Probably 23mph is more like it for 3rd & 4th cats. E/1/2's normally 25mph but depends on the circuit and the wind etc.

From 50 starters, you'll probably get 35 or so finish in the bunch. If you do get dropped, try and get together with other dropped riders to keep going. You won't catch the bunch back, but it's all good training IMO. Don't get down on yourself if you get dropped either........I thought I was pretty fit until I tried my first road race.

bahzob

Thanks for all the advice to date. One final question which probably wont arise but just in case. In the event of finding myself at the front of a group are there any unwritten rules to follow? (thinking of how long you stay there, signals to those behind, which side to move up/down on..)

henderson_mk

if the group is well organised then you'll find you'll be doing through and off and moving in kind of a ball type thing where you'll only be pulling for a few seconds and the group keeps moving.

however... if you're in the lead group... they'll probably let you work till you mangle yourself. :-)

sometimes a flick of the right elbow works to indicate that you want a break I think? :?:

Bronzie

henderson_mk wrote:

sometimes a flick of the right elbow works to indicate that you want a break I think? :?:

***Most important*** first look over your shoulder to see where other riders are behind you. If it's clear flick your elbow and pull over (either side or the clearest side) and ease back on the pedals, but don't stop pedalling altogether.

The next rider should come by you, and you slot in at the back of the group, or if a large bunch, try and find a spot not too far back, but without pushing in and causing a stack.

As for how long.............well, in a big bunch, as little or as much as you feel able to, but bear in mind my earlier comment about not getting carried away! In a break, you'll be expected to do your fair share, but if you are really dying, you can probably sit on as long as you don't then try and outsprint your break companions and earn instant enemies!

chopper1

Thruxton is goin to be my 2nd race of the year, just doing the last springtime pursuit the week b4.
like yourself, i'm not a sprinter, so i'll expect to be head to head with you, work together to get a 1-2 if you want.
I havnt done much racing, just a couple of circuits at Ilton.
What i have found useful is joining up with src club run, as its a leisurely pace to the cafe, and if you want, kinda race training on the way back which helps your confidence riding at speed in a bunch, and learning where to break, how long for and which breaks to go with.
good luck.
which club/team you with n i'll look out 4 ya?

veryslowtwitch

If it's a big field then push your way to the start line and make sure you're in the first dozen riders. If you start number 45 then you've already made work for yourself to make up 30 places into the leaders.

Do not do any work at the front unless you absolutely have to. Let some other mug fry themselves. People might scream at you to take a turn but if you are happy with your position then ignore them, let them work if they're so keen, it doesn't matter if you wheelsuck like crazy, only the final result is important. People may call you rude names but who cares? Unless there is clear cooperation then only work for yourself.


The middle of the pack near the front is a good position but beware that riders will come creeping up the sides and you will drift back. It is easy to lose a couple of places on each corner then.. ooops.. you're fighting the slinky nightmare at the back.

Regards

Alan

bahzob

Once again thanks for all the advice. Looking forward to it now, one way or other it will be a learning experience..

[quote="chopper1"which club/team you with n i'll look out 4 ya?[/quote]

I'm with Newbury Road Club, we have (not very) natty yellow/blue/white tops. Being a road race virgin I dont think shaving is yet called for so have hairy face and knees. C u there.