Am i too old for racing competitively as an amateur?

HiCadence

Hi im 28 years old been riding for around 9 months and absolutly love it breath eat sleep cycling there is no better sport! my question is: am i too old to start learning the ropes of becoming a competitive amateur? i think im pretty fit, cycle for 1 and a half - 2 hours per day probably covering around 28 - 32 miles realistically and run and walk about 4 or 5 miles 6 days a week, im very slim aswell lol i can get up hills and mountain passes like a rat up a drain pipe!

Are there any good tips to get into that side of the sport as i feel im not getting enough out of the relaxed daily excercise im doing at the moment.

Also allthough i feel i don't need it - is it worth going to the gym and bulking the legs up as i would imagine amateur racing would be pretty challenging given the age and the amount of experience my opponent's would have under there belts.

MikeWW

Certainly not too old
Have you got any cycling clubs local to you?
Normally the best place to get started

Matt the Tester

don't be stupid! your never too old!

season is coming to an end now so just get those winter miles in

HiCadence

Thanks for the input fella's yea i think there is a local club not too far away il give them a ring in the next few days and get chatting!

oh il be getting the winter miles in allright lol im having a pop at hardknott pass next week for a bit of fun.

Matt the Tester

jealousy is a cruel mistress! jealous! have a good time

Zachariah

Hell no! I started racing this year at the age of 36 and almost made it to Cat 3. Another forumite, Greeny12 (who blogsabout it) is 43 and also picked up points.

Twenty-eight is young. Get going! If the outside looks grim, get a turbo/rollers and wile away the winter hours building up strong cardio fitness.

proto

Hells teeth!! I'm 58 and seriously thinking of entering the Hillingdon Winter Series.

Club mate, aged 62, rode some 4th Cat races at Hillingdon this summer and survived to tell the tale. No points, but finished in the bunch each time.

Stop faffing around and get on with it!!

HiCadence

Thanks Zach

I'm extremely motivated so it would take some seriously bad torrential weather to make me think twice about getting out and clocking up the miles, or if it's too windy then il make the sensible choice of going for an extended run, it's better to be safe than sorry, id rather leave it and cycle another day than risk being blown into the middle of the road and being hit by a vehicle.

HiCadence

Blimey! you and your club mate must be amazingly fit Proto! big respect!

SportiveScene

Hi,
Your definetly not too old at 28, I did my first this year at 36 and managed to move up to 3rd cat after a few races and I think 2nd cat could be achievable if I could find enough free weekends to race regularly.

If you're not used to riding in a close group then it would be good to join a local club to get some experience doing that and it'll also give you a chance to gauge your fitness against other riders who race.

Personally I think road racing even at 4 cat level is quite tactical and unlike other forms of bike racing the strongest rider doesn't always win so it's worth approaching the first few as just a learning experience so you can get an idea on where to position yourself in the pack, when to chase breaks, etc

Might be worth trying to build some intervals into your training to get used to the frequent changes of pace and if you've got ambitions on picking up points practice some sprints as it seems lots of 4th cat races end in a bunch sprint.

bigmat

At 28 I imagine you'd be one of the younger riders, certainly not an oldie anyway. I'm 34 and have done a handful of races now starting last year. I wish I'd started years ago, but certainly feel I could compete if I had time to race more regularly. WIth 6 years racing under my belt I reckon I'd be pretty strong, so just go for it.

Hardknott eh? I have unfinished business there, I think its only fair that you don't attempt it until you have 100 hilly miles in your legs!

HiCadence

Thanks for the input guys, great advice i can't wait to join a club and start racing

I know pretty crazy climb at 33% average gradient or something? i honestly find it difficult to find anything of a challenge around here in the first 40 miles so i thought why not would be a fun day out and there's a pub not too far away too

CYCLESPORT1

http://www.wiganwheelers.org/

joeyhalloran

actually you are around the peak age for endurance (which most cycling is) so certainly not too young. I get beaten regularly by people twice your age and over.

BeaconRuth

I think you need to have a browse round this website and see what slightly more mature cyclists are capable of: http://lvrc.org/

I know I shouldn't laugh at the OP, but I have so many friends in their 50s, 60s and 70s who are extremely fit, strong and competitive - it really is very bizarre to hear a 28-year-old ask whether they're too old to race. If you love the sport and have the determination and commitment to work hard at it you could have 50 years of racing ahead of you.

For instance, the guy I parked next to at the cyclocross race on Sunday told me he was 71 (I wouldn't have guessed and he also did the race I rode on Saturday). OK, he didn't win the race but I'd put money on him being fitter and faster than 90% of the posters on this forum. He did catch and pass 20 of the younger vets, juniors and women who all started either 1 or 2 minutes in front of his age group.

I reckon you can start making excuses for slowing down when you get to your early-to-mid 60s - you've got plenty of time before then!

Ruth

Chip \'oyler

HiCadence wrote:

Thanks for the input guys, great advice i can't wait to join a club and start racing

I know pretty crazy climb at 33% average gradient or something? i honestly find it difficult to find anything of a challenge around here in the first 40 miles so i thought why not would be a fun day out and there's a pub not too far away too

If you're serious about racing you need to steer clear of these

HiCadence

Thanks for all the help and advice, very friendly community!

When i asked if i was too old i didn't mean it in a bad or disrespectful way in regards to the more experienced/elder racers

i only learned how to ride a bike 8 months ago and certainly didn't realize that races where going on with so many different age groups etc

sounds like i have a good racing future ahead of me if i can stick with it

HiCadence

haha consider it done chip

nochekmate

Betcha don't get up Hardknott like 'a rat up a drainpipe'!!

markos1963

I'm racing at a beginner level at 48 and loving it, not winning anything but have been coming in infront of plenty of twenty-somethings
Get yourself along to your local club to get used to riding in groups and start as soon as you can. I raced as a junior but gave up and now I'm regretting the 30 year gap as I reckon I could have done well at your age.

oldwelshman

Your a puppy not even reached your physical peak yet so plenty of time
I returned back after 23 years off at the age of 46 4 years ago, this year up to 121 points as 2nd cat :roll: funny how you sometimes get points when you not focussed on trying to get them. Couple of years ago getting points was my target lol these days I ride more lvrc races and do some bcf ones to get harder rides for training, your toooooo young for lvrc though you have to wait until your 40

Monty Dog

If you're serious about riding, then you really need to get a winter of fast club rides in to give you the speed, endurance and confidence of riding fast in a bunch - you'll rarely push yourself hard enough when riding on your own and you'll enjoy the company and banter too. Luckily, there aren't many races that feature hills like Hardknott either! Bike racing isn't like some other endurance sports where there's a "jogging along at the back" option - lose touch with the bunch and you'll rarely get back on. Try to set yourself some near and longer-term objectives to give some focus to your training. I know people who've taken up cycling at 30 and gone from beginner to elite in a season

HiCadence

Thank's for that monty very helpfull stuff, i know what you mean it's pretty hard to motivate yourself to maintain the needed speed's when your solo riding without a computer aswell.

lucan

Another club to consider is H.MiddletonCC at Ormskirk. Turn up outside the shop on a Sunday morning at 9am and there will be up to four group rides to choose from.

Call in to the shop and speak to Matt if you want more info.

http://hmiddletoncc.co.uk/

fixie71

as it's winter,might I suggest as you are only up the road from manchester velodrome go and try it, a real speedsters buzz. you can still go out with the lads on sunday and talk about it.

Pross

I've got a clubmate who is 58 or 59 and racing virtually all year as he does road racing and cyclocross at National Trophy level. He started in his late 30s and even back then only had one properly functioning lung and arthiritis. Last year he got in the race winning break in the Welsh champs and only got dropped after hitting a discarded water bottle and nearly crashing and can usually be seen at the front of the bunch driving it along and shouting at anyone he sees slacking! I'm sure any Welsh racers on here know him

rocksteadyeddie

I came back to racing this year at 37. Have a read of my blog for a guide as to how my season progressed.

http://www.wannaberacingcyclist.blogspot.com/