Am I fit enough to race? ANSWER FOUND

GiantMike

I'm looking to get into road racing and I need to know if I'm fit enough before I make an idiot of myself. I went out today and rode 20 miles at 21.1mph (still air and flat course). Is this the kind of fitness I need to start racing or do I need to be fitter?

Percy Vera

To get race fit you need to race.
Train like a demon all winter and do a couple of early season races to see how you get on.

oldwelshman

Go and ride in a group of guys who race and if you can stay with them when they "launch" your ready

GiantMike

Hmmm. First race in a couple of days so I was just wondering whether I'd be able to stick with the group or be floundering around trying to not get lapped!

JAnglesea

GiantMike wrote:

I'm looking to get into road racing and I need to know if I'm fit enough before I make an idiot of myself. I went out today and rode 20 miles at 21.1mph (still air and flat course). Is this the kind of fitness I need to start racing or do I need to be fitter?

It's difficult to judge how you'd get on just based on a speed over a certain distance. Without actually entering a race and finding out (look out for 'Go Race' level events on the BC website which are 4th cat. / no cat. only events for an easy taster) I would say join a club and/or find a local chain gang training ride and see how you get on.
It will also get you used to riding in a group and to some extent the accelerations that are required in a race to hold a wheel. That's potentially the main difference you might find if you've mostly been riding solo or time-trialling until now. It's amazing how riding with people who are faster than you brings you on.
I only started riding myself in January but did 2 races this season (one 3/4 cat and one Go Race), didn't disgrace myself and thoroughly enjoyed them after basically following that advice. Definitely looking forward to more races next season now.
Hope you decide to give it a go.
John.

Pross

They're reasonable averages for riding alone but average speed is fairly meaningless in racing terms. You would appear to have the basic fitness levels in place (although you don't say how far you have been riding) but what will get you dropped by the bunch in races is the acceleration whether to cover an attack or accelerating out of a corner. What sort of race is it you are doing? In a short circuit race there will normally be a lot more sharp efforts due to the nature of the course and the fact that the race is shorter and therefore usually quicker. Having said that, don't worry about it - stay near the front but not on the front and try to hold the wheel of the guy in front. Remember on the corners that the people further forward are going out of the bend and accelerating while those further back are slowing down to go into the bend. Also keep as low a gear as you can ride comfortably as this will allow you to accelerate more quickly.

I'm not sure if you have ridden in a group much, if not then it may be that lack of experience rather than lack of fitness that causes you a problem. Don't be scared to ride inches off the wheel in front (but don't overlap it), hold your line (if you need to move out to pass someone make sure there's a gap) and only use your brakes if you really need to. Most importantly enjoy yourself and don't worry if you do get dropped - most of us did in our first race (and many others after it in my case lol :oops: ).

GiantMike

Thanks for the replies chaps. I've ridden up to 110 miles alone and regularly ride up to 60 miles in a Sunday group but never in a really competitive environment. I can accelerate quite well, but I tend to run out of power after 45-60 seconds of really hard acceleration so I guess I'll have to make sure I don't get off the back of the bunch otherwise I'll never get back on!

Anyway, I'll take all the advice. The race is on Friday so I'll let you know how I get on.

Pross

Just remember that the others can probably only accelerate for the same time as you or a couple of seconds longer. Grit your teeth and hold on that bit longer than you think you can and you'll be fine. With that sort of mileage your base fitness will be no problem at all. It's end of season now (assuming you are in the UK) so before next season start working on interval training as that will get you that extra bit of "race" fitness and speed. If it's a circuit race which I assume it will be on a Friday then it will be hard to get back on if you lose contact but in a full road race just keep going hard for as long as you can as the bunch normally slows a lot at various points - took me years to suss that but when I did I managed to get back in the bunch numerous times.

Enjoy the race and let us know how you get on.

Toks

GiantMike wrote:

I'm looking to get into road racing and I need to know if I'm fit enough before I make an idiot of myself. I went out today and rode 20 miles at 21.1mph (still air and flat course). Is this the kind of fitness I need to start racing or do I need to be fitter?

Hi Mike if you completed that ride without too much discomfort and you can also do the following...ride fairly comfortably in a bunch, cope with and match accelerations, follow the racing line and stay sheltered behind other riders when necesssary I'd say you're ready to race in 3/4 race. Of course there's only one real way to find out

softlad

in early races, your ability to suffer is much more important than your ability to ride fast, because the bunch will carry you along if you let it.

Use your head as well as your legs - it's amazing how many riders get dropped simply because they're expecting it to happen....

GiantMike

Well I raced today for the first time. I managed 8 laps (of a planned 25) before being lapped by the leader (apparently he's 10 points from Elite!) so under the rules of the race I had to stop,

I must admit to struggling at times and was dropped by the bunch twice (I fought my way back to it the first time and was chasing it the second time when I was lapped).

Thoroughly enjoyed it and keen to take it all more seriously next year.

Thanks for all the advice. I was a little under the wether with the remnants of a cold but I can't really make any excuses because it's what you do on the day that counts.

Toks

Well done for popping your racing cheery Mike. 8) I hope you'll be back for more after a good winter's training. I never race with a cold so you're a braver man than me. :oops: How did you find the pace and riding in the bunch generally?

Anonymous

GiantMike wrote:

Well I raced today for the first time. I managed 8 laps (of a planned 25) before being lapped by the leader (apparently he's 10 points from Elite!) so under the rules of the race I had to stop,

I must admit to struggling at times and was dropped by the bunch twice (I fought my way back to it the first time and was chasing it the second time when I was lapped).

Thoroughly enjoyed it and keen to take it all more seriously next year.

Thanks for all the advice. I was a little under the wether with the remnants of a cold but I can't really make any excuses because it's what you do on the day that counts.

Sounds like a tough race if you are riding with Cat 1s!!

GiantMike

Toks wrote:

How did you find the pace and riding in the bunch generally?

Not too bad, but I was unprepared for the speed changes, 16 mph one minute and 30 the next. As a result I tended to drift to the front when they slowed when I should have tried harder to stay in the bunch. I've learned a lot of lessons for next time...

Anyway, first CycloCross race tomorrow so I'll see how that goes!

ozzzyosborn206

sounds like a typical english race(well of ones i have done) slow then fast, really annoyes me becuase people will chase you if you try to bridge to th ebreak but then once you are caught they wont keep the chain going to catch the break even though they so easily could, i know its team tactics but are they really needed at 2,3,4 cat level?

jibberjim

ozzzyosborn206 wrote:

sounds like a typical english race(well of ones i have done) slow then fast, really annoyes me becuase people will chase you if you try to bridge to th ebreak but then once you are caught they wont keep the chain going to catch the break even though they so easily could, i know its team tactics but are they really needed at 2,3,4 cat level?

Of course it's needed! There's no way someone should take anyone to a break that has a team mate in it, and it's perfectly all right to try and get a free ride - indeed it should be encouraged so your team gets the advantage in the break.

If you don't like it - either get in the original break, or jump harder so no-one can get on your break.