Page 3 - Should I take up road racing?

03-04.-2007, 02:56 PM	#31
muppet eater Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Not Beach Rd Posts: 26	Re: Should I take up road racing? Do you need a manager? __________________ 2007 Giant TCR Advanced Zero ISP Bianchi Pista Fixie (No Brakes) Stealth Fighter

04-04.-2007, 06:12 AM	#32
helmutRoole2 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: usa Posts: 1,894	Re: Should I take up road racing? I'm trying to decide if I should ride more too. I'm 10-years-old and have been riding for five years. I live in a mining town and ride my bicycle to the mines every day where I work 18 hours. In my spare time I train for baseball, which has made me very strong. I average 33-40 mph for 110 miles to and from work and hardly feel a thing. One time I tried real hard and past a car... on an uphill. Then the spokes in my wheel exploded because I was so powerful from all the baseball training and my dad beat me and said I should try so hard. Also, I'm powerfully built. I'm 9-feet 2-inches tall and 570 pounds. Sometimes the police pull me over for speeding and sometimes, if I'm returning from working in the mines and I'm covered with coal dust, they shoot at me because they think I'm an escaped gorilla from the local zoo. Should I keep riding? __________________ "Bait in 08" --nns1400

04-04.-2007, 07:26 AM	#33
izatt82 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: taylorville,il Posts: 87	Re: Should I take up road racing? id say best of luck to ya kid and keep pushing let us know what happens if you race

06-04.-2007, 05:20 AM

#34

Olie

Registered User

Join Date: Sep 2004

Posts: 16

Re: Should I take up road racing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cycle forever

The averages I was saying were in calm conditions and I live in Cambrideshire(uk) so its relativly flat, I did a ride yesterday fo 25miles at an average of 23mph on a normal set up bike without areo bars. I train 22hours a week for rowing so am aerobicly very fit and have some of the top erg(rowing machine) scores in the county especilay over longer distances. People may doubt what I say, but its all accurate and true. Also if it makes any differnce I am 6ft 6 weighing 95kg so am relativly powerful.

I have a friend who is 6'4 and is of slim but very muscular build. He looks after himself but is not a fitness fanatic and definitely not a cyclist. On the flats he will cruse at 21-22mph. However the second we hit hills I will leave him in my dust and this also happens when we go at higher speeds 25-27. Its just an advantage bigger people have but this disappears with speed or hills. And if Cycle forever is a very well trained rower and is at a national level then these speeds are not too unrealistic.

Does your speedo stop recording when you stop? Or stop recording at low speeds? (mine was set to do this and it made a large difference to my average speeds).

As I am also from Cambridge could I ask what route it is that you ride these speeds on?

Olie.

06-04.-2007, 06:18 AM

#35

Bikelyst

Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2006

Location: Wisconsin

Posts: 307

Re: Should I take up road racing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by helmutRoole2

I'm trying to decide if I should ride more too.

I'm 10-years-old and have been riding for five years. I live in a mining town and ride my bicycle to the mines every day where I work 18 hours. In my spare time I train for baseball, which has made me very strong.

I average 33-40 mph for 110 miles to and from work and hardly feel a thing. One time I tried real hard and past a car... on an uphill. Then the spokes in my wheel exploded because I was so powerful from all the baseball training and my dad beat me and said I should try so hard.

Also, I'm powerfully built. I'm 9-feet 2-inches tall and 570 pounds. Sometimes the police pull me over for speeding and sometimes, if I'm returning from working in the mines and I'm covered with coal dust, they shoot at me because they think I'm an escaped gorilla from the local zoo.

Should I keep riding?

Dude, I sincerely hope you are joking.

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06-04.-2007, 05:58 PM

#36

bikeguy

Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2004

Location: Jyvaskyla, Finland

Posts: 665

Re: Should I take up road racing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bikelyst

Dude, I sincerely hope you are joking.

You think he might be?

25-04.-2007, 11:17 AM	#37
dpr Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Devon, UK Posts: 19	Re: Should I take up road racing? I also train in and around Cambridge. I am not a member of Cam CC yet, but I have been going out with the touring group and intend to step up to intermediates this Sunday. Where do you go when training? Do you head for the hills to the south and west? In any event, the pace you describe does not sound entirely unfeasible. Last edited by dpr : 25-04.-2007 at 11:22 AM.

04-07.-2007, 08:40 AM	#38
formernoreasta Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 18	Re: Should I take up road racing? hey .. Didn't Greg LeMond beat John Howard when he was about 18 yrs old or so? Go For It!

04-07.-2007, 09:01 AM	#39
Dr Nate Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 3	Re: Should I take up road racing? If he is able to hit those speeds at 16; then imagine what he will be able to do when his body finally matures all the way (mid 20's). Moving beyond the time/speed issue, you do not need anyone on here to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. If you want to compete and become more involved, then by all means do so. Follow your heart, not what someone says on the internet. -Nate __________________ Just another rookie rider... 2007 K2 Mach 1.0 www.klassicthreadz.com

06-07.-2007, 11:31 AM

#40

ttopaz

Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2007

Posts: 13

Re: Should I take up road racing?

Great speed.

Quote:

On an average day I seem to average around 24-26mph without working to hard for a couple of hours, this tends to be far faster than anyone else I cycle with.

Just make sure to finish the school too.

06-07.-2007, 12:44 PM

#41

janiejones

Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2005

Location: Australia

Posts: 565

Re: Should I take up road racing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cycle forever

it is actual averages(calculated), i should be reasonably quick as i am an national level rower who trains 11 times a week! all i was wondering is wheter i am going reasonably quick or very very quick and should take up racing.

The answer is yes - take up racing and you will find out how fast you are - but you seem very strong and fit already (all that rowing, I'm tired just thinking about it).

So don't think about it - just do it as the slogan keeps telling us!

08-07.-2007, 07:31 AM

#42

RFL

Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2007

Posts: 1

Re: Should I take up road racing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by janiejones

WOW. That truly is exptional but how well do you ride. Going fast is one thing to do it a pack for hours take exeptional bike control and concentration. Gl in your endevours.

12-09.-2007, 04:08 PM	#43
kevinbob Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: San Boo boo Posts: 10	Re: Should I take up road racing? well since this thread is about young teens thinking about racing, anyone here from the peninsula (bay area) CA? Im 17 and I've been thinking of racing too (I don't think underground races count). I wrestle on winters for school but other than that I just ride both road and off-road. Should I quit wrestling and focus on cycling? Do cyclocross or mountain bike races instead? I've ridden with a bunch of former mountain bike racers and they say I'm pretty fast. The thing is I don't know anyone from any local teams or any local teams at all.

14-09.-2007, 03:44 AM

#44

tasmart

Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: Recently moved from Southern Califonia to Bozeman Montana

Posts: 49

Re: Should I take up road racing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cycle forever

I am 16 and have had my road bike for a while now, but only ever use it for rowing training. On an average day I seem to average around 24-26mph without working to hard for a couple of hours, this tends to be far faster than anyone else I cycle with. Just wondering whether this kinda of speed is good enough to think about racing? I was also a national level swimmer in the past and have done x-country at a county level so think traiathalon is a definite posibilty although I have no idea where to start. Any ideas would be great.

Just for reference, currently the Tour of Missouri time trial leader is

1 Matti Helminen (DFL - Cyclingnews - Litespeed) 41.12

Its early so there may be faster times to come, but this is a 29 km time trail with at least some of the fastest bike riders in the world. The average speed for Matti is 27 mph, so I'd say there is no way you are "average 24-26 mph without working to hard for a couple of hours." You are deluding yourself, so join a club and find out how fast you really are in sanctions time trials.

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21-09.-2007, 01:45 PM

#45

bergzy

Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2006

Posts: 5

Re: Should I take up road racing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cycle forever

thanks for the advice, i will get out there and see how it goes

i say to go and try out road racing. you will never know unless you try it. asking others opinions will always result in yay and nay responses.

when i was in my early twenties, i was a VERY strong rider and was constantly asked by my university rowing team to join since i only weighed 138 pounds at 6'2". very very thin with a huge aerobic capacity.

but!

i didnt really enjoy road racing. i was too nervous and was lucky to be strong so that i could ride in the front for a lot of the races i were in. criteriums were my greatest downfall as i lacked any form of sprint and the tight pack cornering...history right there.

i excelled in very long road races with a lot of long steep climbs.

after a few years of racing, i found that the more i raced, the less i liked the fierce competition in a pack. i enjoyed club riding and going out with a few good friends.

going pro? in my opinion is a very tough life. most end up as domestiques with very low salaries. i know we cycle and race for the love of it...but 'if' you step back and look into your future when you hit 40, unless you are at the VERY top, it would be hard to have a secure future. everything is possible when you are 16...and rightly so.

i am also a pretty decent classically trained violinist. what has this got to do with cycling? everything! unless you are at the very top of the art, you WILL have a tough time making ends meet. most (classical) musicians are thrilled to play for an orchestra for $30k or so a year (and pray that their symphony doesnt go bankrupt the next year). they then supplement their income with teaching or private gigs. there is a lot of travelling and long term future stability is like cycling...unstable and unsure (ask any pro team what effort it takes to find sponsership)!!!

yes, you are young. i was your age many moons ago as well. i had an indomitable spirit and felt that i could change the world with everything i chose to do. enjoy your journey, find the things you love to do and know that with a little luck, a lot of hard work with a dash of realistic goal attainment...you can be very successful, fulfilled and content in life!

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