Advice - i wish to race!

GemmaAtkinson1

Hi guys.

sorry for the n00bish post, i would really apprecaite some advice and explanations of how racing works.

Im a 25 year old female gernering ambitions of actually racing in 2010. I want to race on the road, but not fussed too much about time trials.
so, I am in confusion about what races i can enter, and how the category system works, and also how i can find a list of races im eligible to ride in.

Its my understanding i need to get a british cycling membership (silver option?) that comes with a race liscence. Then what races am i allowed to enter? what category am i before i start to race? also is this different for women, as i would obviously like to race in female category events.

How do i progress categories once i start racing (im not assuming i actually will!) do i have to keep a record and file it off to british cycling?

sorry for the ramblings! just not very clear on how the system works and where is the best place for me to start. Im looking for a little bit of an explanation not just 'join a club' :-)

thanks again!

Dess1e

You'll start a 4th cat rider for BC events, and this will be reflected on your licence. You can compete in events open to 4th cat women and also other events open to 4th cats in general. The coomiisare will send the results off to BC HQ, who will maintain the results / points database, and will upgrade your licence if necessary.

GemmaAtkinson1

great thanks for the info! i also just found this thread http://www.bikeradar.com/road/forums/vi ... c&start=20 so pretty much have all the info i need.

Thanks again!

Monty Dog

As has been said countless times before, if you want to learn to race, start riding with a decent club - it's almost impossible to reach race standard by training on you own, otherwise you won't gain the confidence and skills to ride safely in a bunch. Most 4th cat races are held on closed-circuits with no traffic so you can safely concentrate on the race. There's nothing like the feeling of riding fast in a bunch.

blackhands

this may be of interest - if only to make a few contacts:

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/event-news ... /4579.html

acidstrato

so do you look in anyway similar to THE gemma atkinson

if so i think i may have to change my schedule for 2010 to match yours! :twisted:

Pokerface

Please also note that a BC Silver membership does NOT include your racing licence. You get a free PROVISIONAL licence, but have to purchase a full licence.

What's the differnece? A provisional will allow you to race on the day - and pay for a day licence from the race organizer - usually around £5 per race. A full licence means you can enter as many events as you want with no additional fees - so if you're going to do a lot of races - get the full licence.

A BC membership runs 12 months from date of purchase - a racing licence runs January to January - so don't buy your racing licence until after January 1!


Good luck!!

jibberjim

Pokerface wrote:

What's the differnece? A provisional will allow you to race on the day - and pay for a day licence from the race organizer - usually around £5 per race. A full licence means you can enter as many events as you want with no additional fees - so if you're going to do a lot of races - get the full licence.

Except most women's races are on closed circuits, and the provisional licence is enough to race in those without paying more those. If Gemma in the south east, then there's just the South East championships that's women only and on the road. Otherwise it's all closed circuit I think.

Gemma, Where abouts are you? Most of the womens races have quite small fields and pretty mixed abilities as they're mostly E/1/2/3/4 races so can be very tough and you end up with lots of small groups. There are a few 3/4/W's races run by the surrey league (although last years early season ones were at Chertsey, so I'm not sure if they'll happen again )

The bigger national races tend to get larger fields of course, so it's easier to hide in the pack, and one mistake doesn't leave you out the back.

SBezza

One thing you don't get is BC points with a provisional license, you need to have a full license if you want to collect points and move up from 4th Cat. Plus as Pokerface says, you still need to buy a Day license as well, or you have done for the races I have entered.

For Go Races there is no additional fee AFAIK

Pokerface

jibberjim wrote:

Pokerface wrote:

xcept most women's races are on closed circuits, and the provisional licence is enough to race in those without paying more those.

Doesn't matter where the race is held - whether on the open highway or closed circuit - you still need a licence - be it day or full. The "provisional" bit just means you can purchase a day licence on the day. Gives you no other rights or privileges.

dennisn

Monty Dog wrote:

As has been said countless times before, if you want to learn to race, start riding with a decent club - ...........

That's it in a nutshell. Ride with a club that has racers in it, pretty soon you start going to the races with them, you pick up hints and tips from just about everyone, you get yelled at for whatever breach of rider etiquette you may commit, and in a couple of years you're almost an old pro with the club and yelling at the newbies yourself.

GemmaAtkinson1

thanks everyone. some ace advice here. Will check out the links. Just wanted to have a few things explained so i actually know in my head whats what. Its a bit of a minefield when starting out

Im based in London so thanks for the tips and links about stuff happening down there.

as for 'join a club' i already am in the process, hence me saying you didnt need to tell me that! :roll: trying to decide on one of 3 clubs, going to head out on their club runs and make a decision..... im leaning towards kingston wheelers at the mo, have some friends whio also want to join them, and they are based near to me.

Looks like the gold BC membership is the one I need tio get.

Once again guys thanks for chipping in and making things much clearer!

jibberjim

Pokerface wrote:

jibberjim wrote:

Except most women's races are on closed circuits, and the provisional licence is enough to race in those without paying more those.

Doesn't matter where the race is held - whether on the open highway or closed circuit - you still need a licence - be it day or full. The "provisional" bit just means you can purchase a day licence on the day. Gives you no other rights or privileges.

No, you can race
"All members receive a Provisional Racing Licence free, enabling participation in entry level events for BMX, Closed Road Circuits, Cycle Speedway, Cyclo-Cross & MTB races. "

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/si ... nefits.asp

I did many races on a bronze licence with no racing licence, and no day licence payments, you do not pay for a day licence on a closed road circuit if you have a provisional racing licence (ie are a bronze/silver or gold BCF member)

SBezza

Jim

Some events you do need a day license, when I did my club crits at Hog Hill at the beginning of the year I needed a day license as well. Go Races do not need a day license, and this is the entry level races they talk about for closed circuit racing.

You don't need a day license for cyclo cross, though if it is a National Event you need a full license.

jibberjim

GemmaAtkinson1 wrote:

im leaning towards kingston wheelers at the mo, have some friends whio also want to join them, and they are based near to me.

Yes, Join us! We're very friendly. And Leona and Maryka tend to do a lot of races, so you'll have team-mates.

maryka

GemmaAtkinson1 wrote:

im leaning towards kingston wheelers at the mo, have some friends whio also want to join them, and they are based near to me.

Looks like the gold BC membership is the one I need tio get.

Come join us! We're a friendly bunch. Last year two of us went from cat 4 beginners to cat 2 (not hard in women's racing tbh) with some solid results. We've got a couple more strong riders interested in racing next season so it would be great to field a solid women's team in the local races, TTTs, etc.

Btw, I only have silver membership, I think the main difference between gold and silver (aside from cost) is the higher insurance coverage and the quarterly magazine or whatever it is.

If you join a cycling club and it's your first year with BC, I believe you get free Bronze membership which translates to a discount on your Silver/Gold membership if you want to race. Note that the racing license and membership are two separate costs.

I recommend joining a club first, then getting the BC membership and license afterwards. Wait until Dec. 1 to get a 2010 license (the racing year goes from Dec. 1 to Nov. 30 iirc).

jibberjim

SBezza wrote:

Some events you do need a day license, when I did my club crits at Hog Hill at the beginning of the year I needed a day license as well. Go Races do not need a day license, and this is the entry level races they talk about for closed circuit racing.

I raced at Hillingdon, Chertsey and Dunsfold with a Silver Provisional licence and no racing licence without paying any day licence fees. Unfortunately these conditions have disappeared off the BC site that I can see, although http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/si ... icence.asp is maybe an aside from the dim distant past.

SBezza

Jim, I think the fees for a Silver might be different to a bronze, if you have bronze apart from Go Races I am pretty sure you need a day license, so that might be the difference. I have a bronze, so I can only go by that.

Silver or Gold is the way to go if you want to race however, bronze is pretty pointless, which reminds me, I must upgrade my to silver.

sampras38

GemmaAtkinson1 wrote:

thanks everyone. some ace advice here. Will check out the links. Just wanted to have a few things explained so i actually know in my head whats what. Its a bit of a minefield when starting out

Im based in London so thanks for the tips and links about stuff happening down there.

as for 'join a club' i already am in the process, hence me saying you didnt need to tell me that! :roll: trying to decide on one of 3 clubs, going to head out on their club runs and make a decision..... im leaning towards kingston wheelers at the mo, have some friends whio also want to join them, and they are based near to me.

Looks like the gold BC membership is the one I need tio get.

Once again guys thanks for chipping in and making things much clearer!

I've ridden with the Wheelers before and whilst I'm not a member, they seem a very friendly bunch and seem to be able to cater for all levels. A couple of friends of mine are members and keep asking me to join but family commitments/kids etc make it difficult for me to commit to a club right now.

Pokerface

jibberjim wrote:

SBezza wrote:

Some events you do need a day license, when I did my club crits at Hog Hill at the beginning of the year I needed a day license as well. Go Races do not need a day license, and this is the entry level races they talk about for closed circuit racing.

I raced at Hillingdon, Chertsey and Dunsfold with a Silver Provisional licence and no racing licence without paying any day licence fees. Unfortunately these conditions have disappeared off the BC site that I can see, although http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/si ... icence.asp is maybe an aside from the dim distant past.

Well - I WORKED at BC and answered questions like this every day!!

You DO need to buy a day licence to race in a categorized race. However, if the race organizers doesn't ask for it, and you don't tell them you don't have one, then of course you can get away with it.

But you wouldn't get any licence points (obviously) if you don't have a licence!

I have also raced closed circuit without a licence - because they didn't ask for it. They just took my membership card and assumed I had a licence.


Don't confuse them not checking and you not needing - two different things! It's kind of like saying you can drive a car without a driver's licence - it's all good until you get caught or someone asks....

Bronzie

Pokerface knows his onions - the day licence charges are supposed to be as follows:

---

Bronze

---

Silver/Gold----Non BC Members
Regional A/B-£10.00

---

£5.00

---

£10.00
Regional C+---£5.00

---

Free

---

£10.00
Regional C

---

£5.00

---

Free

---

£10.00
Go Race

---

Free

---

Free

---

£5.00

Most circuit races are C+ events so a day licence is FOC if you are a Silver or Gold member, but you aren't elegible for licence points as has been pointed out.

jibberjim

Bronzie wrote:

Pokerface knows his onions - the day licence charges are supposed to be as follows:

---

Bronze

---

Silver/Gold----Non BC Members
Regional A/B-£10.00

---

£5.00

---

£10.00
Regional C+---£5.00

---

Free

---

£10.00
Regional C

---

£5.00

---

Free

---

£10.00
Go Race

---

Free

---

Free

---

£5.00

Most circuit races are C+ events so a day licence is FOC if you are a Silver or Gold member, but you aren't elegible for licence points as has been pointed out.

So in other words, if you're racing closed circuit women's racing in the South East, other than National Crit championships if they're at Hillingdon again, you do not need a racing licence, all you need is a Silver membership to not pay any more than the entry fee.

Also in women's racing, there's not a whole lot of point moving up the categories, it doesn't get you entry to any events you can't otherwise do unless you want to race with the men.

extremepig

I think this licence business is ridiculous! Think how many people it puts off getting into road racing when not even the people who race or organise races know what license they need. :roll:

dawebbo

Indeed, and when you think you've got everything sorted there always seems to be some extra affiliation fees to pay on top!

softlad

extremepig wrote:

I think this licence business is ridiculous! Think how many people it puts off getting into road racing when not even the people who race or organise races know what license they need. :roll:

licences are administered centrally by BC, not by race organisers. If in doubt, ask the governing body...

hopper1

I got a Silver Membership at the beginning of the year, c/w provisional licence, I thought that was all I needed.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to do any races at all because of other commitments.
Now, having caught up on this thread, it appears that I wouldn't have been able to clock up any points etc... Even my club secretary told me all was well with the Silver Membership... :evil:
Yet another questionmark against my club?????????

EDIT: So, I take it that my membership level doesn't matter, I just need to buy the 'Full' Licence? :roll:

Further edit! I see that I need Silver/ Gold to be able to buy the full licence.

Once_In_A_Blue_Moon

The prices certainly are absurd, especially when you pay a race fee on top of that.

Monty Dog

You want to take up triathlon - £50 for a 1-hour race isn't unusual.

John C.

I know I'm twice your age, but, I did my first race last year and was really glad it was on a closed circuit, the speed will be faster than you have done before as will be the closeness of your other riders, the last thing I would have wanted to think about would have been cars. Sorry that's wrong, after 1 hour 20 of riding my **** off I was incapable of thinking about anything

dulldave

dennisn wrote:

Monty Dog wrote:

As has been said countless times before, if you want to learn to race, start riding with a decent club - ...........

That's it in a nutshell. Ride with a club that has racers in it, pretty soon you start going to the races with them, you pick up hints and tips from just about everyone, you get yelled at for whatever breach of rider etiquette you may commit, and in a couple of years you're almost an old pro with the club and yelling at the newbies yourself.

I'm really beginning to warm to that bloke.

Monty Dog

Just to clarify, take out BC silver membership and you'll be able to enter 4th cat circuit races without having to pay for a day-license. You won't accumulate points, but very rarely do new riders start collecting point on their license in their first races. When you feel you start getting results, you can then take out a license.
As you are racing in the South East and likely to be racing Surrey RR League events you do have to pay a one-off fee of £10(women) per season over and above entries. There are few events in the South-west of London that aren't SRRL, but means you can enter races at Chertsey, Dunsforld, Hillingdon and Goodwood.