Youth racing

andcp

Hello all,

My son has decided he wants a crack at road racing, and I say good for him. We’ve identified a few closed circuit races that start in January/February and I think he’d like to have a go at them. I have questions and would be grateful if someone could help with any answers:

1. I assume he will be in the youth 'A' category as he is currently 15, and 16 in May next year - is this correct?
2. He is very enthusiastic and reasonably fit, and seems to ride well in a group. However, as his dad I worry that if he couldn't keep up with the pace he would get demoralised. So, what sort of speeds will youth A go at? (I realise there is no one quick or simple answer and it will depend on who else turns up, etc., and to be honest I think I’m more worried than him about this).
3. He is going to use an old bike of mine to start with - it's OK, but not what you'd call a top of the range all ‘bling’ bike; the wheels are relatively heavy, the tyres are clinchers, etc., but it is roadworthy – I assume this will be sufficient to start with?
4. On this subject, is it worth investing in some decent tyres?
5. Will he have to wear club colours, or would a plain/unmarked kit be OK?
6. Anything he/we shouldn’t do? (now there’s a question……)

As a family we have no real history of competitive cycling, so we’re trying to find out what’s what. While the BC website is good, answers to all or any of the above would be gratefully received.

Andy.

maryka

I'd say just get him stuck in and see. He will be a junior though, not Youth A. So he will be in there with the adults and the 4th cats. Bigger bunches, longer races (Youth races are pretty short) but also a bit more crashy. But everyone has to start somewhere.

The British Cycling website has lots on beginner racing, have a look here. http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/road/a ... oad-Racing As does this forum and elsewhere.

He'll need proper gearing though, so you need to get that sorted. Also worth a skim through the rulebook as it's best to know what you're getting into, how it works, what the rules are (so many people have no idea of the actual rules!) http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/zuvvi/ ... -TRACK.pdf (there's a gear chart in there, but basically 7.93m for juniors which is a 49/13 or 52/14).

As a 4th cat he does not need club kit, just plain kit is fine. But he should join a club if he hasn't already, that is the best way to move forward in racing, and indeed as a rider in general. He will come on loads in a proper club.

Tires and bike, don't race what you can't afford to replace. Decent tires aren't much though and will make a bit of difference to rolling resistance. Just check them regularly so he doesn't suffer punctures in races too often.

imposter2.0

He is still eligible for Youth A in 2014.

Youth A / U16 racing can be as fast as - if not faster than - 3/4 cat adult racing. Not sure where you are based, but it's worth getting him involved in your local youth cycling club (if there is one). Race fitness is critical if he is going to compete - U16 racing is generally quite unforgiving.

maryka

Oh right, my mistake.

In that case, OP, he'll still need specific gearing for his bike, but his races will be a lot shorter and generally in smaller bunches. But they will have a range of kids from future Olympians to first-timers, so they can be very fast! Definitely worth getting him into a Go Ride club with coaching geared towards youth riders.

Jim C

1. Yes youth A
2. If nationally competitive Youth As are there, pace will be 25mph ish for a flattish circuit in the lead group
3. Any bike with drop bars will be ok. No mudgaurds. Gears will need to be restricted, a club is best place to help
4. Tyres make a big difference
5. Plain clothing is fine. Trade kit is ok I think now too. Basically anything goes now
6. A club will help massively. Especially a Go Ride club

DeVlaeminck

If you want to manage his expectations maybe set a longer term goal to become competitive over the season. If he exceeds expectations all to the good but it may help put early results into perspective and stop him deciding it's not for him. Short closed circuit races do reward certain skills and a kind of fitness you wouldn't get from most road rides so it may take time for potential to be realised.

BeaconRuth

I think it's probably fair to say that British Cycling would expect all your concerns and questions to be addressed by a good club which caters for young people. Your son will come up against rivals who have been racing for years and learning the skills and craft of racing for years too. He will need to acquire experience and skills in a club environment before he is likely survive a Youth A race. So I suggest you find your nearest, biggest Go-Ride club and get him along to their weekly coaching sessions. He'll learn a very great deal very quickly.

Ruth

simon_e

First stop should be a club where he can learn the ins and outs (and not just what to do while on the track). A Go-Ride club will get more child-specific support from BC. Depending where you are, youth racing can be very quick but having others there to train and chat with works wonders for motivation. Tossing him into the deep end without the coaching, support and camaraderie will make it even tougher to be competitive, never mind whether he actually enjoys the experience.

And, like Luke says, it's definitely not about the bike.

andcp

Hello again,

thank you all for the considered responses and the links, it's nice to know that he will probably not be on his own. We are members of a 'Go Ride' club, but currently there is little or no support for road racing - please don't take this as a slight on our club as we excel in other areas, especially cross, MTB and TT's. I think the lack of road racing support is due to the geographical location - there just aren't many races in our area. He manages to train at least once a week with the 'faster' club group and seems to be able to hang in there. His group skills and awareness are as much as we could hope for at his age (pretty good I think), so he's not a complete numpty, though obviously has a lot to learn about racecraft. In truth he probably is a bit spoilt (only child), but he works in a shop as a Saturday job so he knows what it's like to earn.

Anyway, a little update. After discussing the responses on here with my son, he's still very motivated to have a go, so he has joined BC. With regard to the gearing - the wheels he is going to use have a 12 as the smallest sprocket, and coupled with a compact chainset up front it could have been expensive to change - however I think a 39/12 combination will give the same gearing as a 52/16 so that's the way we've gone and purchased a new 39 tooth chainring. Online we found Michelin Pro 4's for less than £20 each so we've invested in 2 of those. To be honest, I think that's all we'll do until we see how he goes on.

I'll let you know how the season progresses. If anyone is at a youth event and see a tall gormless looking bloke with a tall slight less gormless looking youth nearby, please say 'hello' it will probably be us.

Andy.

maryka

All sounds good up to this point:

Andcp wrote:

With regard to the gearing - the wheels he is going to use have a 12 as the smallest sprocket, and coupled with a compact chainset up front it could have been expensive to change - however I think a 39/12 combination will give the same gearing as a 52/16 so that's the way we've gone and purchased a new 39 tooth chainring.

Does that mean he's only got one chainring, or is riding with a 39 outer ring and 34 inner? 39/12 should roll out pretty close to 6.93m but you don't want it too short either or he will be disadvantaged.

To do the roll out, use a tape measure to mark two ends of a line 6.93m long on the ground. Set up the bike on the 39/12 with the pedals vertical at the 0 mark, tires inflated to normal pressure. Roll it backwards in a straight line til the pedals do one full revolution. If they complete a revolution past (farther than) the 6.93m mark, it's too big a gear. If they don't it's fine.

More info here, http://www.cycletoursuk.com/assets/docu ... SSAIRE.pdf

mamba80

I would double check the 39t fits your compact and its not a 130mm BCD inner chain ring? (the distance between the bolt holes is different, you need a 110mm BCD chain ring).
If it is, an alternative I use is to fit a 46t outer chain ring from Stronglight or TA in 110mm BCD - wind in the rear mech to the 14t spocket, with a pro3 tire, comes up 3cm short on the roll out.

Using the outer chain ring gives a better chain line, better changes, less noise and you don't need to lock out the front mech.

Jim C

So long as the 39 tooth ring fits your cranks, its a good choice. 34 or 36 inner ring. Definitely the lightest option

andcp

Hello again,

I managed to obtain a 39 tooth 110 bcd chainring that gives us a 34/39 combination. Even though the chainring does not have ramps or shift pins it seems to work OK between front changes - I assume it's because the diameters are similar. I'm also guessing that he won't need to change on to the lower ring too often because of the flattish terrain of the closed circuits?

We will measure roll out at the weekend, so fingers crossed!

Thanks again for all the input.

Andy.

olake92

I'll just recommend you to follow everything Luke 'madasahattersley' says. Me and him have both been through the youth and junior ranks relatively recently. Luke's being modest but he's also junior national TT champ, so knows his stuff. When your son starts racing, don't be afraid to ask both the adults and the younger riders at races for advice.

As it's December and you've got a few months until he'll race, I'd suggest he needs to be able to ride no more than 3 hours at once. This is an upper limit to stop him going on crazy 7 hour rides with adults - he needs to be fast, not be able to ride 100 miles; his longest races as a youth A will be not much more than one hour (generally national series events). The more standard racing is around 30mins. I'd encourage him to practice sprinting up hills and doing some steadier efforts of 5-10 mins with the same time as rest in between, as I found this more fun than any 'serious' training when I was younger. Make it all a game, rather than thinking of it as a chore.

Where will he be racing? If we spot you, we'll give a wave!