Questions about Racing?

keano007

Hi guys, I have been a leisure cyclist with a little over two years now participating in mainly sportives as well as some trips abroad etc. Anyway my question is this; what races are available for someone like me to compete in. I assume they would be a4 race?

I am not member of a cycling club and do not intend on joining one either. While I had a leisure licence last year should I look at getting a different licence this year provided there are a4 races I can take part in?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

fat bloke

Loads of races around, one somewhere nearly every Saturday & Sunday from now on. But afaik you can only get a Cycling Ireland licence, to allow you race, through a cycling club...

Lumen

http://www.cyclingireland.ie/Home/FAQ.aspx

If you're not in a club a full competition licence is €150.

Club league racing is generally cheaper if your schedule and location allows racing during weekday evenings, particularly since there's less travel involved.

edit: or you can just get one day licences at sign-on which are apparently €20 a go this year for non-members.

blorg

Why do you not want to join a club? Best way to learn racing.

morana

yeah its a good to do a club race first toget the gist of a smaller bunch and you will learn more from your clubmates...

Diarmuid

Why are you set against joining a club? Club racing is a lot more gentle (relatively) introduction to bike racing. If you want to try it out regardless just turn up this weekend to Clonard or Newbridge and pay for a day licence.

keano007

Cheers for the replys guys. I may just reconsider joining a club. My reason for not doing so is I went on a few spins with Orwell before Xmas and it's really just the Sunday mornings that don't suit me due to work committments I could only go once, maybe twice a month.

Is there a list of races that I could just turn up to or is it basically any race where there is an a4 cat?

Diarmuid

keano007 wrote: »

Cheers for the replys guys. I may just reconsider joining a club. My reason for not doing so is I went on a few spins with Orwell before Xmas and it's really just the Sunday mornings that don't suit me due to work committments I could only go once, maybe twice a month.

Club races are Thursday evening. You don't have to go on the Sunday spins

blorg

As Diarmud says absolutely no need to go on the Sunday spins; doing the league races on Thursday nights would be far more beneficial. If Thursday is no good Swords have an excellent league on Wednesdays. Open races.are traditionally, and still most commonly, on Sundays, although there are a fair few on Saturdays now also.

Apart from that you can turn up to any A4 race and take out a day license, yes. If not in a club make sure to wear plain kit, pro kit or anything with a sponsors name on it is not allowed.

Beasty

Just to echo what everyone else has said - try one of the local clubs. Start your racing there. I did last year, and have not looked back. I have weekend commitments, and hence have only been on 3 club spins in total, but still managed to ride most around 16 of the Swords League races last year (plus a few more in the vets) (I'd only been on one club spin before starting my "racing career")