Rookie road biker needs help, please!



Wakewizard

New Member
Feb 7, 2005
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Hello everybody! I am still kinda new to the sport so please be patient with me. I bought a new road bike at the end of last season (an '05 specialized allez) and I think that it is a great bike for a beginner. I was able to ride my bike last year untill the weather got too cold, then I bought a trainer and have been riding indoors eversince. Anyways, I want to start competing this next season in some local/regional bike races but, I am still not entirly sure of what I consider "basic bicycling knowledge." Furthermore, I would like to have an idea of how well I will actually do. First of all, I would like to say that I averaged 19.5mph during my usual 24 mile ride on the local city bike path. Is this fast enough to compete in local races and not be laughed at? Second, I'm told that most bike races offer different courses. I have never been in a race and don't know about the different levels of competition. I am still very ignorant about this and would like it if someone could give me some very basic facts about the different types of road bike courses offer at most races. I also just joined a local bike club, but have not been to any of the gatherings yet because it is to cold. Any infor from this forum is welcome, thanks:cool:
 
i havent had a racer in a while, but i know some things. first on my mountin bike on bike paths i adverage about 15mph. lance in the tour adveraged 25+ for the whole corse hills and whole. i would say try and bring your speed up to 22mph adverage, do sprints, go till you burnout then rest for as long as neccessary to ride home. this is how i trained for my downhill races, but that was on a 42LB downhill bomber. all i can say to you is try and race, i dont think anyone is a big enough assh*** to laugh at you, unless you enter with training wheels on, LOL.

Good luck and keep the rubber on the road!!!!!
 
When you apply for your license, you will be given the very lowest category possible, which means you will be racing against people at or about the same level. This is what I would do ( I used to race, was a Cat 3 in So Calif): Join a club and ride with the fast guys. It's still winter so everyone is still getting base miles in their legs and won't be going so hard. Ask questions. This may be hard to do since a lot of cyclists actually think they are good and can't talk to mortals. Pay attention! Pack riding is difficult for some but you will come around. Don't worry about winning your first or second races, although you might! Look and learn. Practice cornering, you can go pretty low. You can check this out by getting off your bike, leaning it over, pushing hard into the road surface or your driveway. Keep leaning until you break traction. Pretty low, huh! Good cornering will help you keep speed out of corners. Make sure that you are warmed up before your race, try to do this on a trainer. At least 20 minutes. If possible, especially in a criterium, try to start at the front of the race. Your heart will be in your throat but this will wear off after a few laps. Be careful and have fun. After a few races, you will see where your shortcomings are and then you can start to work on them.


Wakewizard said:
Hello everybody! I am still kinda new to the sport so please be patient with me. I bought a new road bike at the end of last season (an '05 specialized allez) and I think that it is a great bike for a beginner. I was able to ride my bike last year untill the weather got too cold, then I bought a trainer and have been riding indoors eversince. Anyways, I want to start competing this next season in some local/regional bike races but, I am still not entirly sure of what I consider "basic bicycling knowledge." Furthermore, I would like to have an idea of how well I will actually do. First of all, I would like to say that I averaged 19.5mph during my usual 24 mile ride on the local city bike path. Is this fast enough to compete in local races and not be laughed at? Second, I'm told that most bike races offer different courses. I have never been in a race and don't know about the different levels of competition. I am still very ignorant about this and would like it if someone could give me some very basic facts about the different types of road bike courses offer at most races. I also just joined a local bike club, but have not been to any of the gatherings yet because it is to cold. Any infor from this forum is welcome, thanks:cool:
 
You won't be able to gauge your ability to compete in a road race by average speed. Road races consist of generally cruising along in the pack, and then responding to attacks and accelerations. The pack may go from 17 mph for several miles to 23 mph for several miles. Go spend some time riding with your club. You'll learn a lot in a short amount of time on club rides. In fact, I wouldn't recommend racing until you've done a few club rides.

In your first race, don't worry about anything but finishing. Just watch how things go, see what it feels like to be at the front, and be in the middle of a pack. Whatever you do, don't get dropped! Stay with the pack. You'll soon find that being able to survive the near chest and leg exploding intensity of an attack is crucial to being a good road racer. Concentrate on being smooth, don't make any sudden movements, and don't slam on your brakes. Pay close attention to everyone around you, since they are likely racing for the first time as well. After you get some racing experience, you can try different things during the race and try to win.

Road racing is about putting in max efforts at the right times and conserving as much energy as possible.

To conserve energy, stay out of the wind! It doesn't matter if you're cruising along in the pack half asleep because the pace feels slow, or if you're feeling extra strong. The only reasons to stick your nose into the wind are because you are riding for someone else, or you are going for the win. You might feel like you're cheating, or being a lazy slacker, but you're not! (If you're strong enough, you may be able to break away from the pack and win solo or with a small group, but that will come further on in your racing career.)

Whatever you do, don't expend energy unless you absolutely must. There's no reason to be the first over a hill, or to be in front in a headwind section, unless you have a specific goal and purpose to do so. Save it all for the end. The person that wins the race is someone that: is fit; has conserved enough energy for a full sprint; is smart and has good placing in the group; and has a decent sprint. The best pure sprinter will not always win.

Remember to eat and drink every 20-30 minutes during the race, even if you don't feel hungry or thirsty.

Cycling is a very subtle sport, and to make matters worse, has its own language. You'll be on the rivets when one of your teammates tightens the screws if you're knackered, but will be able to put the hammer down when you're going well. Communication among cyclists, unless they're angry and yelling, usually consists of eye movements, head nods, and elbow wiggles. Watch a couple of the pro 1/2 races if you get a chance and you'll see what I mean.

Most importantly, have fun.
 
Good stuff, CT2.....

ct2 said:
You won't be able to gauge your ability to compete in a road race by average speed. Road races consist of generally cruising along in the pack, and then responding to attacks and accelerations. The pack may go from 17 mph for several miles to 23 mph for several miles. Go spend some time riding with your club. You'll learn a lot in a short amount of time on club rides. In fact, I wouldn't recommend racing until you've done a few club rides.

In your first race, don't worry about anything but finishing. Just watch how things go, see what it feels like to be at the front, and be in the middle of a pack. Whatever you do, don't get dropped! Stay with the pack. You'll soon find that being able to survive the near chest and leg exploding intensity of an attack is crucial to being a good road racer. Concentrate on being smooth, don't make any sudden movements, and don't slam on your brakes. Pay close attention to everyone around you, since they are likely racing for the first time as well. After you get some racing experience, you can try different things during the race and try to win.

Road racing is about putting in max efforts at the right times and conserving as much energy as possible.

To conserve energy, stay out of the wind! It doesn't matter if you're cruising along in the pack half asleep because the pace feels slow, or if you're feeling extra strong. The only reasons to stick your nose into the wind are because you are riding for someone else, or you are going for the win. You might feel like you're cheating, or being a lazy slacker, but you're not! (If you're strong enough, you may be able to break away from the pack and win solo or with a small group, but that will come further on in your racing career.)

Whatever you do, don't expend energy unless you absolutely must. There's no reason to be the first over a hill, or to be in front in a headwind section, unless you have a specific goal and purpose to do so. Save it all for the end. The person that wins the race is someone that: is fit; has conserved enough energy for a full sprint; is smart and has good placing in the group; and has a decent sprint. The best pure sprinter will not always win.

Remember to eat and drink every 20-30 minutes during the race, even if you don't feel hungry or thirsty.

Cycling is a very subtle sport, and to make matters worse, has its own language. You'll be on the rivets when one of your teammates tightens the screws if you're knackered, but will be able to put the hammer down when you're going well. Communication among cyclists, unless they're angry and yelling, usually consists of eye movements, head nods, and elbow wiggles. Watch a couple of the pro 1/2 races if you get a chance and you'll see what I mean.

Most importantly, have fun.
 
Wakewizard said:
Hello everybody! I am still kinda new to the sport so please be patient with me. I bought a new road bike at the end of last season (an '05 specialized allez) and I think that it is a great bike for a beginner. I was able to ride my bike last year untill the weather got too cold, then I bought a trainer and have been riding indoors eversince. Anyways, I want to start competing this next season in some local/regional bike races but, I am still not entirly sure of what I consider "basic bicycling knowledge." Furthermore, I would like to have an idea of how well I will actually do. First of all, I would like to say that I averaged 19.5mph during my usual 24 mile ride on the local city bike path. Is this fast enough to compete in local races and not be laughed at? Second, I'm told that most bike races offer different courses. I have never been in a race and don't know about the different levels of competition. I am still very ignorant about this and would like it if someone could give me some very basic facts about the different types of road bike courses offer at most races. I also just joined a local bike club, but have not been to any of the gatherings yet because it is to cold. Any infor from this forum is welcome, thanks:cool:

I suspect you could probably average more than 19.5 on a non-stop course, however that is still extremely slow for racing. You have at least 2 limiters from what I can see. One is your speed. True, races generally come down to sprints and may not depend on what you can avereage, however you do need to be able to average a decent speed in order to even make it to the sprint at the end. I race in the southeast. Even in Cat 5 races (the "easiest" category), the average speed of the pack is generally between 22 and 25 mph. The second limiter I see for you is your endurance. You say you are doing 24 mile rides? You will generally not see a cat 5 race that is less than 35 to 40 miles long, although you occasionally find a 30 miler. You need to work on doing longer rides, your longest weekly ride being at least a little further than your longest race. Best bet for you right now is to just start doing group rides and have fun as you are just starting. I would not recommend racing just yet as you will most likely be dropped very easily, although if you just want the experience, racing is the best there is!
 
Hey guys, thanks for the great information. All of your information was and is very valuable for me as a beginner. I do have one more question though. Is it even possable to ever get up to 22 -25 mph on a specialized Allez for a long duration. Thanks.:D
 
Wakewizard said:
Hey guys, thanks for the great information. All of your information was and is very valuable for me as a beginner. I do have one more question though. Is it even possable to ever get up to 22 -25 mph on a specialized Allez for a long duration. Thanks.:D

Keep in mind that in a race there is alot of drafting, so doing 22-25 mph in a race is much easier than by yourself. That being said, the type of road bike you have matters very little when it comes to how fast you will be able to go, unless you do alot of time trias. For regular road racing, as long as you have a smooth drive train and you are fitted properly to your bike, just about any bike will do. Remember, it is the "engine" that matters. An Allez is a fine bike. As far as it being possible to eventually build up to that speed, it may be hard to believe now, but it is in fact QUITE possible to get there if you are willing to put in the proper training. I started riding only 3 years ago and racing competitively last year. When I first started riding I was barely able to maintain 18 mph for say 40 minutes, and a long ride to me was 25-30 miles. My average speed now for 40 minutes is 23 mph. However, this has been a result of 150-200 miles a week and the correct intensity levels. I also try to ride 6 days a week, doing two 3-5 hour rides on the weekends and 2 hour rides on the weeknights. Without going into all the aspects of training, go buy the Cyclist's Training Bible. It has done wonders for my fitness.