what to look for in racing bike

[stella]

I've decided to start racing in 2004. What should I look for in a racing bike?

I currently ride a colnago classic, campy proton wheels, chorus group, carbon seatpost and carbon handlebars. I'm concerned my bike may be too heavy for racing but aluminun frames w/carbon rear triangles still hurt (I ride a 49cm and 48cm frame).

thanks for your help!

 

[Daremo]

If you are going to start racing, what you have is MORE than adequate ...........

I've raced with a steel down tube 8-spd just for the hell of it, even when I had a full Dura Ace STI bike sitting at home. Just to see if it made a difference .... didn't, except in the sprint where trying to shift is a biatch ......

Weight is overrated unless you are doing a brutally hilly course, and even then, if you are just starting out, it won't be long enough to matter.

Skill and strength makes more difference than bike weight, unless you are at the elite level.

In fact ..... I'd be inclined to buy a cheap beater to start with, so that you get your racing skills honed before bringing a $3000+ bike into the local peloton ......... You WILL crash ........ even if you don't cause it, you will be involved in them, pure fact.

 

[stella]

thanks for the input! I have an old bike...I guess I was just overly optimistic about not crashing and maybe developing an excuse to buy another bike.

stella

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Originally posted by Daremo
If you are going to start racing, what you have is MORE than adequate ...........
..... I'd be inclined to buy a cheap beater to start with, so that you get your racing skills honed before bringing a $3000+ bike into the local peloton ......... You WILL crash ........ even if you don't cause it, you will be involved in them, pure fact.

Yes, more than adequate indeed.

Don't know your circumstances; easiest start is usually the local criterium series. You'll be dropped a gazillion times but just wait for them to come round again, easy. Once you're not dropped it's great fun.

Don't be scared of crashing, I think Daremo is a bit pessimistic. Don't get involved in the sprints till you can, watch out for and stay away from the real loonys (you'll soon know!) and don't get excited. No reason not to be safe. In a crit it's the same roads over and over so no surprises!

 

[Daremo]

I'm not sure where stella is from, but if he's in the states, he'll have to race in the Citizen/Cat. 5 class ...... and EVERYONE has limited racing skills in it .......

When I raced, I made a point of scoring enough points in the first few races I was in to get the hell out of that class! In Cat. 4, there was much more skill level ....... but I still got involved in multiple crashes, even riding conservatively in the front of the group. Never anything major, but a few broken spokes, and a couple of scrapes on me - always someone elses fault.

But I also raced at least once a week, and sometimes even twice or three times .......

Cat. 3 was even better, in two years, I was only involved in one crash, and it was just people crossing wheels at a relatively slow speed.

I never caused a single wreck, but sometimes you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and if you race a lot, it is bound to happen to you ......

 

[stella]

I live in the northeast, usa. I'm a cat 4-but that's where the women all start. I think I will be in mostly men's races at first-especially with the crits.
so far you guys are giving me great advice! thanks!

 

[Roche]

I think that you should quit while you're ahead and not bother taking up racing!! Take up golf or something! Racing's horrible. Whats the point?

Sorry for negative vibes Stella. I'm just cracked. mentally. you can expect that at the end of the season. its a bit of a laugh really. and by the sounds of things you know more about bikes that i do and i've raced on the European continent. You can look too much into bike equipment, every lbs saved and all that carbon jargon being lighter etc etc, but in saying that, i have a full carbon Look Frame & fork with full dura-ace, carbon seat-post, bars, stem. To be honest i felt safer with more weight underneath me.
And at the end of the day, the legs and the head are the most important of all.

 

[Roy Gardiner]

Originally posted by stella
I live in the northeast, usa. I'm a cat 4-but that's where the women all start.

Hmm, to someone from England that's still a bi--i--i--g place

I have vacationed in Cape Cod several times and Maine once, on the coast, so I only know v.small bits. Portland Velo and South Maine CC (both covering coastal area maybe 40-60 miles north of Boston) are nice people. I met SMCC rider Linda Colson-Hendrick this year, who I think would be an invaluable source of information to a newbie lady racer.

Crashes happen; but I'm not as pessimistic as Daremo. I ride in English Cat 4 (the lowest) and Masters. My own rules are: To pack if (a) it rains (b) I'm so stuffed it's starting to affect my bike handling. Make sure tyres are good and try to follow solid, steady wheels. Watch out for the loonies and stay away from them.

BTW if I read the rules correctly, USCF Cat 5 is men only. Why?

 

[Daremo]

Not sure why, but my guess is the number of racers that would be in the class ..........

While racing was very popular for men in my area (DC, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia area), the ladies races usually were nearly a third or even a quarter of the entries of the men's races.

So I'm guessing that with less participants, they (being the USCF) have chosen to create less classes for them.

 

[stella]

daremo is right, there are less women racing so we have less categories. I think that most of the women's races are "open" so I would be racing against cat 3-1. I'm not sure if that is correct...it's my assumption.
I will find out if I can get in contact with Linda Colson-Hendrick. Maine is not too far from me (2-3 hours).