My first 4th cat race at the MK bowl - a review
mpatts
Posts: 1,010
I entered my first race this weekend, thought I'd write up a short review for the other beginners.
Firstly, I was pleasantly surprised by the extent of the friendly and cheerful atmosphere. It was definitely all taken seriously, but this didn't stop people offering me some help and guidance on the start line.
We lined up at 9am, and I started in the group but towards the back - the pace was high (from what I can gather from chatting afterwards) and a chunk of people got dropped immediately, and I found myself right at the back. I sat looking for way forward assuming an easy one would come, then there was a concertina effect (i.e. where the front group slow a little, but the slowing becomes more pronounced as it ripples through the peloton), I lost a few metres - desperately tried to hang on but eventually got dropped. I spent what seemed an age gassing after them - literally full bore 10 metres away from a group freewheeling down the hill - until I sat up and waited for one of the slower groups to come up, and rode with them for a bit until the main peloton came round again and I rejoined at the back, but the same thing happened again! I spent the rest of the race with a few groups, but quite a few riders dropped out and I did a lot of it by myself. On a positive note, I finished, did some decent turns at the front of the groups (I think), when I was in the main group I was fit enough to keep up, finished unscathed, and took away some great learnings. Overall, I was rather disappointed at my performance, but really enjoyed myself - and mostly it made me realise how much there is to learn!
I hung around and chatted to some of the higher category riders, and my main learning is that fitness isn't everything - this may sound obvious but (I'm paraphrasing a helpful 2nd cat rider) "You need to sprint if you need to to get out of the wind, and work hard to stay there - if you loose a metre you are gone". I'm back there again this Saturday to make some different mistakes.
Some beginners tips:
Pin your number on your right shoulder at an angle, as this is how places are derived at the finish line
Firstly, I was pleasantly surprised by the extent of the friendly and cheerful atmosphere. It was definitely all taken seriously, but this didn't stop people offering me some help and guidance on the start line.
We lined up at 9am, and I started in the group but towards the back - the pace was high (from what I can gather from chatting afterwards) and a chunk of people got dropped immediately, and I found myself right at the back. I sat looking for way forward assuming an easy one would come, then there was a concertina effect (i.e. where the front group slow a little, but the slowing becomes more pronounced as it ripples through the peloton), I lost a few metres - desperately tried to hang on but eventually got dropped. I spent what seemed an age gassing after them - literally full bore 10 metres away from a group freewheeling down the hill - until I sat up and waited for one of the slower groups to come up, and rode with them for a bit until the main peloton came round again and I rejoined at the back, but the same thing happened again! I spent the rest of the race with a few groups, but quite a few riders dropped out and I did a lot of it by myself. On a positive note, I finished, did some decent turns at the front of the groups (I think), when I was in the main group I was fit enough to keep up, finished unscathed, and took away some great learnings. Overall, I was rather disappointed at my performance, but really enjoyed myself - and mostly it made me realise how much there is to learn!
I hung around and chatted to some of the higher category riders, and my main learning is that fitness isn't everything - this may sound obvious but (I'm paraphrasing a helpful 2nd cat rider) "You need to sprint if you need to to get out of the wind, and work hard to stay there - if you loose a metre you are gone". I'm back there again this Saturday to make some different mistakes.
Some beginners tips:
Pin your number on your right shoulder at an angle, as this is how places are derived at the finish line
Insert bike here:
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Comments
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Well done on your first race! Don't be disappointed in your performance, and if its any consolation, I too got dropped right after the first lap (out of 20!) the first time I participated in a race. The killer was 2 things, confidence in sitting real close to others in the bunch and ability to recover from brief nearly-all-out sprints that occurs pretty frequently. The good thing is, the first you can learn by racing, the second you can train, again with racing!
Also, the sprint-recovery fitness will give you a plan-b if you get dropped a little (like following the wrong wheel) to get back into the bunch.
After about 3-4 races, I was able to then stick with the bunch and not get dropped... the next step is then to get to the front and place (which is another matter altogether). And you are right, you learn best when making mistakes, which can sometimes cause you to get dropped, but if you do not try, you don't know...
Good luck in your next race!0 -
ongej wrote:Well done on your first race! Don't be disappointed in your performance, and if its any consolation, I too got dropped right after the first lap (out of 20!) the first time I participated in a race. The killer was 2 things, confidence in sitting real close to others in the bunch and ability to recover from brief nearly-all-out sprints that occurs pretty frequently. The good thing is, the first you can learn by racing, the second you can train, again with racing!
Also, the sprint-recovery fitness will give you a plan-b if you get dropped a little (like following the wrong wheel) to get back into the bunch.
After about 3-4 races, I was able to then stick with the bunch and not get dropped... the next step is then to get to the front and place (which is another matter altogether). And you are right, you learn best when making mistakes, which can sometimes cause you to get dropped, but if you do not try, you don't know...
Good luck in your next race!
Good tips - my next plan is to be able to stick with the group, and take it from there. I hope to be able to go up a catagory this year, but that's looking increasingly a distant goal!Insert bike here:0 -
You missed the crash in the sprint then? I was the first of the survivors. It was a nasty oneSuperstition begins with pinning race number 13 upside down and it ends with the brutal slaughter of Mamils at the cake stop.0
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Exploding tire. I've written it up as a new postSuperstition begins with pinning race number 13 upside down and it ends with the brutal slaughter of Mamils at the cake stop.0
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well....entered my second on saturday at MK. Stayed with the bunch all the way round, was feeling great and well placed to finish well, but a bunch of people crashed in front of me - I had to hop over a wheel and cyclocross, and after that race over.
I am minded that they need to do something regarding bike handling, there was some pretty sketchy riding....Insert bike here:0 -
Glad you are alright. I was in a crash yesterday at Preston Park (4th cats), again during the bunch sprint. Its getting out of hand I think... I have had to dodge about 5-6 crashes since Feb! I might turn up with full-body armour and full face helmet next race...0
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I personally think they should scrap 4th's only and just stick with 3/4's. It won't solve the problem of crashes during sprints but hopefully with a slightly higher pace it should at least string things out a little and drop a few fatties during the race.0
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3/4 races seem much the same to me. Perhaps a better solution would be the throw a few primes in to keep people on their toes and thin things out periodically. That worked well in some of the races I did last year, also avoided the races being a sit-in snoozefest until the final lap.0
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Birdthom wrote:3/4 races seem much the same to me. Perhaps a better solution would be the throw a few primes in to keep people on their toes and thin things out periodically. That worked well in some of the races I did last year, also avoided the races being a sit-in snoozefest until the final lap.
I've never raced a 4ths only, but I was in 3/4 road race yesterday where someone just literally moved left into me, straight piece of road too. Half a lap prior, someone tried to dive bomb to my left on a 120 degree corner and then abused me for shutting the door on them!
So yeah, 3/4s can be pretty bad!0 -
Best doing the lumpy hilly courses guys..don't see many crashes up bole hill or a dolphinholme..gets rid of the wannabe cavs and kittels0
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Dark prince wrote:Best doing the lumpy hilly courses guys..don't see many crashes up bole hill or a dolphinholme..gets rid of the wannabe cavs and kittels
Very true0 -
madasahattersley wrote:It's a trap I'm afraid, you can't get a good standard of racing until you get to 2nd cat, but being 2nd cat is beyond the level a lot of people have the commitment/ability to maintain, so you have to put up with all the "choppers" in the lowers cats no matter how good your own skills are.
That said, I've seen some unbelievably sketchy riding from some very well known Elite riders, the standard of which would match even the wobbliest 4th cat.
I am afraid this is true, I haven't raced for years, when I did the goal was to get to 2nd Cat asap - I managed it and while the pace is higher, the main difference, I found, was team tactics as the riders were much more savvy.0
