Starting Racing...

couerdelion

I've done a quick search and can't see this mentioned anywhere but I'll apologise in advance as it could be that I am just bad at using the search function. I did see the one day licence thread too but that just gave me more questions.

I enjoy cycling and the training that goes with it and have been told a few times that I would enjoy the racing side of it too and that this would make me a better (faster?) cyclist, but how do I get into racing? Is it best I join a club and do club races first or just turn up buy a ODL and race that way?

I saw on another thread that Beasty took to racing in his 40's and I'm only just under that. I don't want to turn up and end up being last by a mile (I've no problem with coming last though) so is there any guidelines to average pace someone should be capable of?

Sorry for all the questions!

Inquitus

Join a club, go out on training spins, that will give you an idea of where you are at in terms of speed. Get comfortable riding in a group, try the club league once you are up to speed, branch out into A4 open races when you are happy with riding the club league.

I would say thats the path to follow from my experience, though I am only at the try the club league step myself, and that doesnt start for another 6 weeks!

In my opinion the entry level of speed / fitness required for bike racing is quite high compared to what I have experienced in other amateur sports.

fat bloke

Yeah, join a club that's in a league. It's mighty craic and there's a level for everyone.

Chips Lovell

Inquitus wrote: »

In my opinion the entry level of speed / fitness required for bike racing is quite high compared to what I have experienced in other amateur sports.

I'm not sure. I think it's more a case that people moving up to racing often don't have the right kind of training under their belts. They focus more on the endurance side of things and aren't prepared for the speed. It's like training for the marathon and then finding yourself lining out in the 100m.

I know when I started I certainly found it a shock to the system and a very humbling experience. But I'd never done a fast club spin, never done any intervals etc. I'd heaps of miles riding in Wicklow at the weekends and had done loads of leisure events etc, but just didn't have the power to cope with races.

When I started getting to know my club mates I was initially surprised at how little training some of the people much better than me were doing. The difference was they were doing the right kind of training.

fat bloke

There's definitely a higher than average fitness requirement for participation alright. That's the nature of the sport. You could be a couple of stone overweight and not terribly fit, but if you're clever and skillful you could still contribute meaningfully and successfully to a 7 aside soccer game for example. If you're wrecked tired you can catch your breath and stand around and the game goes on around you. Do that in cycling and you're talking to yourself for the next 30k . So yeah, you have to be similarly fit to your fellow competitors. But everyone spends some time "out the back" and you'll soon get your racing legs and get a bit of speed into them.

Inquitus

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

I'm not sure. I think it's more a case that people moving up to racing often don't have the right kind of training under their belts. They focus more on the endurance side of things and aren't prepared for the speed. It's like training for the marathon and then finding yourself lining out in the 100m.

I know when I started I certainly found it a shock to the system and a very humbling experience. But I'd never done a fast club spin, never done any intervals etc. I'd heaps of miles riding in Wicklow at the weekends and had done loads of leisure events etc, but just didn't have the power to cope with races.

When I started getting to know my club mates I was initially surprised at how little training some of the people much better than me were doing. The difference was they were doing the right kind of training.

This is an area I struggle with. What is the right kind of training? I have had a look at some of Joe Friels stuff and it it is fairly complex and very hard for me to distil down to a plan that fits in with 3 kids and a 8-6pm Worklife.

If you can spare an hour a few evenings a week or so and maybe 5-6 hours at the weekend, what sort of thing should you be doing in order to maximise performance in Club League races? What does the ideal training plan consist of working within those restraints?

Harrybelafonte

There's another book, maybe by Carmichael, called The Time Restricted Cyclist or some such, which might suit better?

Found it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1934030473

morana

Inquitus wrote: »

This is an area I struggle with. What is the right kind of training? I have had a look at some of Joe Friels stuff and it it is fairly complex and very hard for me to distil down to a plan that fits in with 3 kids and a 8-6pm Worklife.

If you can spare an hour a few evenings a week or so and maybe 5-6 hours at the weekend, what sort of thing should you be doing in order to maximise performance in Club League races? What does the ideal training plan consist of working within those restraints?

For an A4 I think concentrating on TT type efforts and then throw in some VO2 stuff 5min stuff. you dont need too much of the high octane type training. a lot of guys will use the small ring all winter long. Dont do it! mix it up.

From what I remmeber starting the thing that got me was the fast-slow-fast changes but what is happening is you are going over ftp and then back down and up again. Each jump over FTP is costing you and eventually you cant do it any more so work on those TT type efforts.

This is why you should get a good club who has somebody who is good at this type of stuff.

killalanerr

Inquitus wrote: »

If you can spare an hour a few evenings a week or so and maybe 5-6 hours at the weekend, what sort of thing should you be doing in order to maximise performance in Club League races? What does the ideal training plan consist of working within those restraints?

You cant go wrong with joes tips
1: set goals with time available to you in mind
2:work on base miles and general fitness
3:taper miles work on speed
4:ride race
Thats all thats to it
Im in my late 40s gonig into my 2nd season it was hard to get up to speed but with hard work it can be done,thats one of the things about cycling their are no short cuts you have to do the miles
Get out on a club run and you will see where you in fitness terms and give you a fair idea what you need to do to improve

couerdelion

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'll look into joiing a club although I might leave it to next year now as the Tri training is taking over.

Holyboy

This thread came along at a convenient time, I was going to start a new thread but may as well post here, I would like to know how the whole racing thing works?
Up to the last few months I've had no interest in it what so ever but as I'm working on more and more bikes that are used for racing I feel I should know the ins and outs of this racing lark.
So club races, open races, leagues, A4, A3, A2, A1 what's it all about?
Can any one explain it easily?
I know A1 are top dogs but don't understand handicaps and the likes.
Does it work like in pro races where teams work together or is every one on their own?
The only thing I know for sure is Beasty races against girls :pac:

I have no intention of ever racing as I would probably collapse and die if I cycled more than 10k but I'm just curious!

Beasty

Holyboy wrote: »

The only thing I know for sure is Beasty races against girls :pac:

Virtually everyone who races will race against girls at some time. In fact in pretty much every Club League race, IVCA race, Track race and TT I've taken part in I have had female opponents. The difference on Sunday was they were in the majority

Anyway, back to your question

Club races are ... ... run by clubs;). These are the best entry point to racing, allowing you to learn the ropes in relatively small fields. A minimum Club League licence is required

Open races are run by CI affiliated clubs, or the IVCA. A full racing licence is required (could be CI or IVCA) which ensures adequate insurance

The lowest category of open racing is A4, who often have separate races, or may take part in relatively short races with other catogories, on a handicap basis

Each category may have it's own race (often referred to a DMS, or Divided Mass Start), or you could have all categories in the the same race with the lower categories being given a head start (a CP or Chase Pursuit)

There are also stage races which could take part over 2 or 3 days, up to 8 days for the Ras

Holyboy wrote: »

I have no intention of ever racing as I would probably collapse and die if I cycled more than 10k but I'm just curious!

Just do it!

Holyboy

Beasty wrote: »

Virtually everyone who races will race against girls at some time. In fact in pretty much every Club League race, IVCA race, Track race and TT I've taken part in I have had female opponents. The difference on Sunday was they were in the majority

Anyway, back to your question

Club races are ... ... run by clubs;). These are the best entry point to racing, allowing you to learn the ropes in relatively small fields. A minimum Club League licence is required

Open races are rune by CI affiliated clubs, or the IVCA. A full racing licence is required (could be CI or IVCA) which ensures adequate insurance

The lowest category of open racing is A4, who often have separate races, or may take part in relatively short races with other catogories, on a handicap basis

Each category may have it's own race (often referred to a DMS, or Divided Mass Start), or you could have all categories in the the same race with the lower categories being given a head start (a CP or Chase Pursuit)

There are also stage races which could take part over 2 or 3 days, up to 8 days for the Ras

Just do it!

Most of that is just double dutch!!

So one starts at club level and I presume races in some kind of club league, then moves on to open races at some stage?

I am trying to make sense of this going by my club/open angling competition background but the two are probably completely different!

There seems to be so many races to compete in and points available for some such reason, it just gets confusing.

How does one move up the ranks and why would you want to move up if you're winning?

So many questions but it seems to be very complicated to me.

And damn you Beasty maybe I should think about racing, if I had the time to train I would actually consider it, maybe some day!

petethedrummer

Club League
Organised by a club. Swords League is run by Swords Cycling Club obviously. Anyone in the club and a few other invited clubs on the northside of dublin(ish) can enter. e.g. Dublin Wheelers

There is an Orwell league for southsiders.


Open Race
Open to All.

royrogers

Are the teams working together in the open races if they are off a different times,as in A4's first and then the rest of the bunch. Is there separate A4 racing in the club leagues? Would all rider's go off together in club leagues, and over what distances would these be?

Idleater

royrogers wrote: »

Are the teams working together in the open races if they are off a different times,as in A4's first and then the rest of the bunch.

In theory team members should work together, and there are team members in all groups so in theory a4 lcrc riders don't race with / against a3 ones unless it's a cp and the groups are caught.

royrogers wrote: »

Is there separate A4 racing in the club leagues?

The lcrc club league ;-) uses limit, semi limit, semi scratch, scratch

royrogers wrote: »

Would all rider's go off together in club leagues,

both dms and cp races in the St. Tiernans ;-) league

royrogers wrote: »

and over what distances would these be?

40-45 ish I think in the irc league

Dowee

Could someone clarify what exactly you must do and pay to race in a club league, eg. Orwell. Is it:

Club fee + Club League Fee + Relevant CI license?

Also are Club races and Club League different things?

Idleater

Which club are you a member of? That's the first step. Next is probably to ask the if the club partakes in a league, and if so which member (s) is/are admining it.
In our league costs are €20(?? ) plus you must have a suitable ci licence (club or full ~65/125??? ).

Dowee

Idleater wrote: »

Which club are you a member of? That's the first step. Next is probably to ask the if the club partakes in a league, and if so which member (s) is/are admining it.
In our league costs are €20(?? ) plus you must have a suitable ci licence (club or full ~65/125??? ).

I'm not in a club (yet). Orwell would be the obvious choice.

Rofo

For racing Club League with Orwell the fees are:

€50 (Orwell Subs) +€30 (League fees) +€60 (CI Club competition licence), for a total of €140

Dowee

Thanks Rofo, exactly what I was looking for.