Long term plan to race..

ahstueyman

So im a complete newbie to road racing, ive raced bmx and 4x in the past but this was what seemed a much simpler set up, also the bikes were a hell of alot cheaper!!

Basically after a couple fo years out from riding ive gotten back into it in the world of road bikes, ive only got me a cheap-ish old bike for now and just aiming for self improvements on rides etc at the moment with maybe a couple of sportives thrown in there.
I was just curious how everyone else gets into the world of racing, how do so many people afford the bikes, or is the sport limited to those who can really afford it? also what age do people get into to, im only 23 and being so competetive I know at some point I would like to give racing a go, i understand that riding is enjoyable in itself but I would love to race again one day i think!

Pseudonym

bikes are not the issue - and racing itself is not expensive, so don't worry about it. If you have a road bike, you can race it.

My suggestion would be to get involved with whatever your local road club is - preferably one with a racing interest. Get on the Sunday rides, chaingangs and go from there. There's actually nothing to stop you from entering a 4th cat circuit race, or a go-ride event right now. At least you will know where you are fitness-wise...

Matt the Tester

jump in the deep end mate psuedonym has hit the nail on the head to be honest!

Time trials are also a good thing to get into early, alot of my mates/fellow riders went from TT's to RR's and they started on basic kit! with time you can get all the kit but it doesnt matter what bike you got, just how good your legs are

have a good season whatever you decide!

Johnpsanderson

My first year of racing was on a bike that was £500 new - a secondhand equivalent could probably be picked up for half of that. Racing doesn't HAVE to be expensive - travel to races is likely to be the biggest unavoidable expense...