Kids racing- where to start?

simon t

My lad is coming up 5 and wants to race.Hes quite happy looning around for a hour or so on the local trails so guess hes strong enough.

I cant find anything on the BC site.any experiences?

Thanks

maryka

http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/goride ... ide-Racing is your best bet.

5 is pretty young but there are kids not much older doing Tuesday circuits at Crystal Palace. Biggest thing from what I've seen is just confidence to handle a bike with other riders nearby, and proper fitting bike with brakes and gears that are appropriate.

Pross

Join a club that is part of BC's Go Ride system. 5 may be a bit too young for most organised racing though, I'm not sure. It may be worth him trying some cyclocross in the winter, there's normally mini races for the youngsters.

Gavin Cook

When i was about 11 I rode grass track events around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and I remember Russ and Dean Downing riding these same events, Russ would of been about four years old at the time !!
Grass track was a great introduction to the sport for kids with lots of prizes and for all levels and ages.
As I no longer live in the UK I'm not sure if they still hold grass track events ??

Pross

Yes, there are still a few around the place. Some areas seem to have more than others. It would be an ideal starting point for the summer with cross in the winter, good for learning bike handling skills at an early age. Cycle speedway is another option possibly?

SBezza

As above look for a Go Ride club in your area, the BC website will list what clubs are Go Ride. I doubt there will be many races for 5 year olds, but they should still be able to join the club, and take part in the Go Ride session in preparation for racing. Youngest age group tends to be under 8, but I am not sure of what the lower age limit might be, it could even be 6.

One of our local Go Ride clubs actually held an under 6 TT (500 metres) on a closed road circuit, as well as races for other age groups, so I don't think there is anything stopping a 5 year old racing.

hammerite

Go Ride clubs and Go Ride racing is the way to go.

Go ride racing can mean all sorts of things to a "cyclo cross" round a school field, racing on a grass track (don't think proper grass track racing), or even going down a short hill then seeing how far a rider can cruise for once they hit the flat (without pedalling). The idea of Go ride racing is that no specialist bikes are required and it's open to any rider who doesn't hold a race license with points on it.

If you want your lad to do other types of racing where BC points are available then you can find these on the BC website - I think the category is Cat E for under 8s but I don't know what the minimum age is. At these races it's a real mix of standards, some age groups/races it might be a steady pootle round a track, at others it's a full on highly competitive race and actually quite scary how serious it is!

Sponging-Machine

I don't know about other leagues, but the SW cross series always features free racing for under 12s at each round.

My mate's son had a go at a 12 minute kids' race recently and loved it, despite coming close to last. He's also 5.

Dess1e

Depending on where you're based the above advice is good. In West London you have the Slipstreamers club based at the Hillingdon Circuit, LVYCC in East London at Hog Hill, Welwyn Wheelers at Gosling Stadium to the north of London. Sorry can't help with other areas, but the info should be on the mess that is the BC site somewhere

TommyEss

Yeah, where are you based?

Reading Velodrome's "Palmer Park Velo" club has a lot of very young kids - 5,6 upwards- probably one little lad a bit younger than that. There are a couple of little Isla bikes dotted around to get even the really little ones riding round, and then a great network of hand-me-downs as they get bigger.

It's based at the velodrome, so initially track racing, but I know the girls and boys race on circuits, cyclocross and MTB as they get older. I would hope there are similar set ups around other velodromes, but can't be certain.



Palmer Park Velo

hammerite

Away from the clubs with good facilities like Hillingdon, Hogg Hill and Palmer Park there are lots of other clubs that make do with whats around them.

Sessions on school playground/fields, closed car parks etc.... Most of the focus of the coaching sessions is on having fun, but learning techniques and skills so you don't really need a proper track/circuit facility.

Tom Butcher

Round here the Notts and Derby cyclo cross seems good for kids - in the Spring/Summer there is a track league at Forest Town (Mansfield) that would be very good for a young kid who wanted to race - don't be put off by it being a track it's really just an oval track round a football pitch, not really banked and it caters for kids who are new to it very well.