good age to start racing and how does it work?

EmcD123

I'm 18 at the moment. I've been cycling about 2 and a half months now but I've been in competitive athletics since I was 11 so I had a strong enough base and I've found my cycling has benefitted from it. I've been clocking a decent amount of miles and I'm getting better at handling the bike. I want to work up to racing though. I had decided I work on my skill this year and wait till I was 19 maybe even 20 to start but is this too late? Or would I be better off just showing up at a race during the summer and getting a day license and trying it?

I also don't understand how the racing thing works? What categories are there,what's the best way to start? What level should I be at before I consider entering one?
I'm in Galway as well in case anyone has information specific to racing in galway

mathie

EmcD123 wrote: »

I'm 18 at the moment. I've been cycling about 2 and a half months now but I've been in competitive athletics since I was 11 so I had a strong enough base and I've found my cycling has benefitted from it. I've been clocking a decent amount of miles and I'm getting better at handling the bike. I want to work up to racing though. I had decided I work on my skill this year and wait till I was 19 maybe even 20 to start but is this too late? Or would I be better off just showing up at a race during the summer and getting a day license and trying it?

I also don't understand how the racing thing works? What categories are there,what's the best way to start? What level should I be at before I consider entering one?
I'm in Galway as well in case anyone has information specific to racing in galway

I'm 38 and only now looking to get into racing
I'm from an athletics background too.
You will find the training similar and it will stand to you.

Join a club seems to be the advice for people looking to get into racing.

EmcD123

The thing with joining a club so far is that the club I've been cycling with have no interest with racing and the other club has way too many advanced racers and are very very serious. They're doing speeds I can't even contemplate yet.

outfox

EmcD123 wrote: »

the other club has way too many advanced racers and are very very serious. They're doing speeds I can't even contemplate yet.

That's the club to join so, if you want to race.
Most clubs are happy to take new members on at this time of year. You'll get dropped when you head out with them, but each week you'll hang on for a few km more.

Seaswimmer

outfox wrote: »

That's the club to join so, if you want to race.
Most clubs are happy to take new members on at this time of year. You'll get dropped when you head out with them, but each week you'll hang on for a few km more.

don't think this is the way to go. Nothing more depressing than riding 50 or 60km home into the wind after getting dropped.
Any decent club will have different groups going at different speeds so you can progress gradually. Trying to hang on week after week will only make you disillusioned and you will more than likely pack it in.

Inquitus

outfox wrote: »

That's the club to join so, if you want to race.
Most clubs are happy to take new members on at this time of year. You'll get dropped when you head out with them, but each week you'll hang on for a few km more.

Exactly, and given the route is often the same week in, week out, you will see your progression as each week you make it further before getting dropped.

mathie

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Nothing more depressing than riding 50 or 60km home into the wind after getting dropped.

Or maybe it's just the motivation that's required?

EmcD123

I'm pretty good at staying motivated and working had for it. So are you of the opinion that I should start straight in to cycling at that level or do a year of cycling at a lower level first till I build better bike skills and have a better base. In the racing club the last day they past our group in one of the club races. The slowest group of them that past us were doing 40km per hour on a slight decline . with a few people struggling up behind them. It didn't look like something I could come close to acheving at the moment. That's my biggest fear with it is that I'll be completely out of my depth whereas the group I'm with now while they don't race are giving me a lot of cycling advice and really helping at bringing my base and experience up

kumate_champ07

these guys are Galway based and involved in track cycling as well as road , which might interest you

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Rose-Racing/330959691888

ragazzo

EmcD123 wrote: »

I'm pretty good at staying motivated and working had for it. So are you of the opinion that I should start straight in to cycling at that level or do a year of cycling at a lower level first till I build better bike skills and have a better base. In the racing club the last day they past our group in one of the club races. The slowest group of them that past us were doing 40km per hour on a slight decline . with a few people struggling up behind them. It didn't look like something I could come close to acheving at the moment. That's my biggest fear with it is that I'll be completely out of my depth whereas the group I'm with now while they don't race are giving me a lot of cycling advice and really helping at bringing my base and experience up

That is the best answer so far to the question you posed. You seem to be doing the right things at the moment and also receiving plenty of advice from your clubmates. Listen to all advice but take none as gospel. Most people will try to help you but sometimes what is good for one rider is not so good for another.

This bravado bull**** advice of going out with a group where you are completely out of your depth, getting hammered, cycling home solo for 50k and falling in your front door when you eventually make it home, please disregard.
Cycling must be enjoyed to be completed successfully and to remain as your chosen sport. Banter and craic on the weekend spins are important too. There is not much craic when you get the knock with 40k to go and not a clubmate in sight nor a penny in your pocket.

The beginners racing category is A4. Being 18 and fit is probably enough to get you around. Club spins at the weekend and a midweek interval session from January onwards will be plenty to enable you to challenge for points. Getting used to group riding and honing your bike handling skills are probably most important at the moment.


There are enough donkeys being flogged around the country every weekend. Don't become one of them.

Best of luck with your plans!

mathie

ragazzo wrote: »

This bravado bull**** advice of going out with a group where you are completely out of your depth, getting hammered, cycling home solo for 50k and falling in your front door when you eventually make it home, please disregard.

Lest ye forget twas the great Oprah Winfrey who once said ...

Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.

But I don't think she did too well on the tour.

smurphy29

EmcD123 wrote: »

In the racing club the last day they past our group in one of the club races. The slowest group of them that past us were doing 40km per hour on a slight decline . with a few people struggling up behind them. It didn't look like something I could come close to acheving at the moment.

That was in a club race. Their winter training spins will in all likelihood not be anything like that, unless they are competing in the Winter World Championship. Most racing group's training spins are currently pretty gentle and will build up in intensity as the winter progresses. This is the optimal time to go and join this club with a view to being race ready for the start of the season next february. I would reccommend you go join them right away if you can.

Lusk_Doyle

Seaswimmer wrote: »

don't think this is the way to go. Nothing more depressing than riding 50 or 60km home into the wind after getting dropped.
Any decent club will have different groups going at different speeds so you can progress gradually. Trying to hang on week after week will only make you disillusioned and you will more than likely pack it in.

How can you possibly know that they will be come disillusioned and pack it in? That's a mighty leap of logic.

Lumen

No club is going to leave a motivated 18 year old dropped at the side of the road.

niceonetom

Go out with experienced racers. If they know what they're doing they'll be doing a sensible, moderate pace at this time of year - there'll be no real danger of getting dropped and you'll actually learn a lot.

It's the sportive riders who go out and ride as fast as they can all year round and think every sunday spin is an opportunity for willy measuring. Avoid.

Seaswimmer

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

How can you possibly know that they will be come disillusioned and pack it in? That's a mighty leap of logic.

well I did say more than likely pack it in but i take your point.

I think Ragazzos reply above is more along the lines of what I was thinking.

If Lumen were correct and someone would wait for him then great, go for it.

But if he goes out with a much stronger group and gets dropped in the first couple of kms then I cant see how that is of any benefit compared to what he is doing at the moment.

outfox

If that racing club is any good, it will recognise that 'here is a motivated 18 year old who wants to race', and will encourage him. Especially at this time of year. I know our club would.
The sportive/leisure club will probably be more craic, but probaly a dead end WRT racing.

ragazzo

outfox wrote: »

If that racing club is any good, it will recognise that 'here is a motivated 18 year old who wants to race', and will encourage him. Especially at this time of year. I know our club would.
The sportive/leisure club will probably be more craic, but probaly a dead end WRT racing.

That is the ideal scenario and you are correct that the racing group is a better environment for someone who wishes to race.
A good racing group should look after a motivated 18 year old new to the sport but this is not always the case in reality. The Winter Warriors and Strava Men see this as a challenge and do their utmost to destroy the new competition. These individuals must be tightly controlled by a responsible group leader. Some groups are better at it than others.

There are some good responses to the op. A sportive group will serve its purpose but it is necessary to move on to the racing group when the time is right.
Some sportive groups seem almost anti racing but yet, as tom states in his post above, they treat every spin as a race and do that thing with their willys. When you start to think this is what cycling is all about then you are probably ready for the racing group.

Try the local racing club and if the members are knowledgeable and progressive then they will nurture and bring you on.
You will learn the ropes on all things racing.
If you are dropped and left behind then that group is not for you. Leave them to destroy each other in pursuit of Winter Gold and watch them struggling out the back in March.

Inquitus

ragazzo wrote: »

That is the best answer so far to the question you posed. You seem to be doing the right things at the moment and also receiving plenty of advice from your clubmates. Listen to all advice but take none as gospel. Most people will try to help you but sometimes what is good for one rider is not so good for another.

This bravado bull**** advice of going out with a group where you are completely out of your depth, getting hammered, cycling home solo for 50k and falling in your front door when you eventually make it home, please disregard.
Cycling must be enjoyed to be completed successfully and to remain as your chosen sport. Banter and craic on the weekend spins are important too. There is not much craic when you get the knock with 40k to go and not a clubmate in sight nor a penny in your pocket.

The beginners racing category is A4. Being 18 and fit is probably enough to get you around. Club spins at the weekend and a midweek interval session from January onwards will be plenty to enable you to challenge for points. Getting used to group riding and honing your bike handling skills are probably most important at the moment.


There are enough donkeys being flogged around the country every weekend. Don't become one of them.

Best of luck with your plans!

I have to disagree with alot of this. I went out with the Swords training spin when I started out and while the pace was a bit too hot for me, the advise and craic was good, until I'd get dropped. A 70km circular route never leaves you too far from home, and whenever I was dropped I generally head to the Naul Cafe, have a coffee and a scone and then spin home at my own pace. I'd then go out again the next week and be happy to see I made it 10km further round the route. Each week I could see the progress I was making and I found it very heartening, until after a month or so I could make it the whole way round. Most club spins over the Winter will only average around 30kph, which isn't too far out of reach for most beginners who are coming into a bit of cycling fitness.

Just my 2c

ragazzo

Inquitus wrote: »

I have to disagree with alot of this. I went out with the Swords training spin when I started out and while the pace was a bit too hot for me, the advise and craic was good, until I'd get dropped. A 70km circular route never leaves you too far from home, and whenever I was dropped I generally head to the Naul Cafe, have a coffee and a scone and then spin home at my own pace. I'd then go out again the next week and be happy to see I made it 10km further round the route. Each week I could see the progress I was making and I found it very heartening, until after a month or so I could make it the whole way round. Most club spins over the Winter will only average around 30kph, which isn't too far out of reach for most beginners who are coming into a bit of cycling fitness.

Just my 2c

It's great that it all worked out for you.

However, it is very probable that you are not 18 years of age. You, most likely, did not get the knock on a 70k spin which circled a route and did not stray too far from base.
You obviously had money in your pocket if you were able to stop and have coffee/scones in the Naul.

I am not too sure what you are disagreeing with in the post you quoted as that post obviously refers to a completely different scenario than that described by you regarding the Swords club.

Comparing a mamil and a junior, their life experience and how they react to situations and stresses placed upon them is not really applicable in this situation.

Inquitus

ragazzo wrote: »

It's great that it all worked out for you.

However, it is very probable that you are not 18 years of age. You, most likely, did not get the knock on a 70k spin which circled a route and did not stray too far from base.
You obviously had money in your pocket if you were able to stop and have coffee/scones in the Naul.

I am not too sure what you are disagreeing with in the post you quoted as that post obviously refers to a completely different scenario than that described by you regarding the Swords club.

Comparing a mamil and a junior, their life experience and how they react to situations and stresses placed upon them is not really applicable in this situation.

Well to be fair the first rule of cycling for anyone at any age is don't leave home without your phone and a fiver. In this day and age its no bother for 18yo or Mamil to heed that advice. Your idea of an 18yo getting abandoned 70km from home in deepest darkest wicklow is a long way from reality too!

Lusk_Doyle

ragazzo wrote: »

It's great that it all worked out for you.

However, it is very probable that you are not 18 years of age. You, most likely, did not get the knock on a 70k spin which circled a route and did not stray too far from base.
You obviously had money in your pocket if you were able to stop and have coffee/scones in the Naul.

I am not too sure what you are disagreeing with in the post you quoted as that post obviously refers to a completely different scenario than that described by you regarding the Swords club.

Comparing a mamil and a junior, their life experience and how they react to situations and stresses placed upon them is not really applicable in this situation.

Inquitus is a mamil now! Ouch!

Inquitus

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Inquitus is a mamil now! Ouch!

It's grand, Ragazzo finds it hard to discuss anything politely, water off a ducks back at this point.

Anyways I am sure we are not the only club to host youth spins, aimed at people just such as the OP to get him up to speed so he can progress onwards to the faster spins. Noone ever left behind and plenty of willing volunteers to marshall and offer advice.

outfox

EmcD123, if you call to that racing club, just tell them you're a boardsie. You'll get treated like a pro.;)

EmcD123

Lots of good feedback here and opinions here. I'll have to discuss it with my parents first and I'll talk to the main guy in the club I'm cycling with now about what he thinks is a good plan. I definitely think I need more time in a less serious group experience for another while to practice because im not the best at handling the bike just yet. If I was to train hard this year on my own and with a sportive group this year and do a few sportives and then the year afterwards join the racing club when I'm more confident that I won't show up somewhere and flail around slowing down the pace.

One big question though is can you show up at a race and do it? Or do I need to buy the huge cycling Ireland license price for road racing. As an aside I thought I'd wait till next year so I could save up and pay for the license myself as the bike,gear and clipless shoes has left me broke haha
If there is just a show up on the day thing would you be grand if you were doing your endurance miles ,working on your speed and have a huge strength base from the gym.
Atm I'm solo cycling 70km at around 26.5kmph with quite a lot of climbing in that route so that's where I'm at right now.

Lusk_Doyle

EmcD123 wrote: »

Lots of good feedback here and opinions here. I'll have to discuss it with my parents first and I'll talk to the main guy in the club I'm cycling with now about what he thinks is a good plan. I definitely think I need more time in a less serious group experience for another while to practice because im not the best at handling the bike just yet. If I was to train hard this year on my own and with a sportive group this year and do a few sportives and then the year afterwards join the racing club when I'm more confident that I won't show up somewhere and flail around slowing down the pace.

One big question though is can you show up at a race and do it? Or do I need to buy the huge cycling Ireland license price for road racing. As an aside I thought I'd wait till next year so I could save up and pay for the license myself as the bike,gear and clipless shoes has left me broke haha
If there is just a show up on the day thing would you be grand if you were doing your endurance miles ,working on your speed and have a huge strength base from the gym.
Atm I'm solo cycling 70km at around 26.5kmph with quite a lot of climbing in that route so that's where I'm at right now.

Yes you need to get a full competition licence if you want to race in open races. You don't need it until next year though. That will give you time to save.

ragazzo

EmcD123 wrote: »

Lots of good feedback here and opinions here. I'll have to discuss it with my parents first and I'll talk to the main guy in the club I'm cycling with now about what he thinks is a good plan. I definitely think I need more time in a less serious group experience for another while to practice because im not the best at handling the bike just yet. If I was to train hard this year on my own and with a sportive group this year and do a few sportives and then the year afterwards join the racing club when I'm more confident that I won't show up somewhere and flail around slowing down the pace.

One big question though is can you show up at a race and do it? Or do I need to buy the huge cycling Ireland license price for road racing. As an aside I thought I'd wait till next year so I could save up and pay for the license myself as the bike,gear and clipless shoes has left me broke haha
If there is just a show up on the day thing would you be grand if you were doing your endurance miles ,working on your speed and have a huge strength base from the gym.
Atm I'm solo cycling 70km at around 26.5kmph with quite a lot of climbing in that route so that's where I'm at right now.

If you are a full time student, the full competition licence is half price.
You will need a letter stamped by the school/college to send with your licence application.

EmcD123

ragazzo wrote: »

If you are a full time student, the full competition licence is half price.
You will need a letter stamped by the school/college to send with your licence application.

Really? I've never heard that before could you link the documentation for that? None of my googling ever brought that up

Lusk_Doyle

The force is not as strong in this one as we thought!

http://www.cyclingireland.ie/page/about/faqs

EmcD123

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

The force is not as strong in this one as we thought!

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

The force is not as strong in this one as we thought!

Please explain? 😶are we talking my cycling skills or my googling skills here? Because if its my cycling skills they're only going to up ,I'm determied to reach at least 29 maybe 30 kmph average on that route by summer!!

Lusk_Doyle

EmcD123 wrote: »

Please explain? 😶are we talking my cycling skills or my googling skills here? Because if its my cycling skills they're only going to up ,I'm determied to reach at least 29 maybe 30 kmph average on that route by summer!!

Ha ha! Good man. See above post with a link from the faq section of the CI website.

ragazzo

EmcD123 wrote: »

Really? I've never heard that before could you link the documentation for that? None of my googling ever brought that up

Cannot link the documentation for that and not even sure if there is documentation.
Just send in half the full competition licence fee plus the letter stamped by your school/college when you apply to CI.
This reduction for full time students has been the norm for the past number of years.

EmcD123

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Ha ha! Good man. See above post with a link from the faq section of the CI website.

I can't believe I didn't see that link in your message.....

niceonetom

EmcD123 wrote: »

... I'll talk to the main guy in the club I'm cycling with now about what he thinks is a good plan.

Good idea.

If he has any idea at all about what's good for you and good for his club he'll be very encouraging because, here's the thing to focus on: you are exactly what any decent club should be looking for. You're about 20 years younger than the average first-time-racer these day. You actually want to race rather than just "keep fit" or do the sportive/strava thing. You, just by dint of your age, will have HUGE scope for improvement. You might be amazed by how fast you improve and by how satisfying that can be.

EmcD123 wrote: »

I definitely think I need more time in a less serious group experience for another while to practice because im not the best at handling the bike just yet. If I was to train hard this year on my own and with a sportive group this year and do a few sportives and then the year afterwards join the racing club when I'm more confident that I won't show up somewhere and flail around slowing down the pace.

I've highlighted the most important word in that paragraph. Your lack of confidence is feeding some misconceptions about racers and "serious groups". Racers have the craic when they go out. I don't know where this idea came from that people who race go out and try to rip the legs off each other in training, in winter, and do it in stoney silence... because in my experience it's exactly the opposite. From now until January, anyone hoping to go well next spring will most likely be keeping their spins aerobic, steady, and relaxed. Any exuberance or competitive ideas should be cancelled out by the wise old heads who'll have to do little more than say "steady lads" and the pace will return to a nice 30kph avg. In my club the racers go SLOWER than the sportivers who always go as fast as they can (because they think that's how you get faster (wrong)) and the sportivists attack every rise in the road because strava turns every spin into a pseudo race. And with the racers there'll be just as much banter as in whatever sportive gang you'd otherwise go with, except the advice might actually be from experience rather than off the internet. You learn a lot from the aul lads in a racing club and they're usually very keen (too keen even) to share.

+30kph avg? you probably think that sounds a bit fast, don't you? That's just because you haven't spent time in an efficient group. Your 26.5 solo spins are physically harder than sitting in a bunch at 32, not that I'd expect many group to be doing 32 at the moment. That's the glorious thing about riding in a neat bunch. If you can go and do 26.5 solo you can easily keep up with any club spin worth doing at this time of year. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Good luck, enjoy it, and remember that you're exactly what any club should be looking for in new recruits.

EmcD123

niceonetom wrote: »

Good idea.

If he has any idea at all about what's good for you and good for his club he'll be very encouraging because, here's the thing to focus on: you are exactly what any decent club should be looking for. You're about 20 years younger than the average first-time-racer these day. You actually want to race rather than just "keep fit" or do the sportive/strava thing. You, just by dint of your age, will have HUGE scope for improvement. You might be amazed by how fast you improve and by how satisfying that can be.



I've highlighted the most important word in that paragraph. Your lack of confidence is feeding some misconceptions about racers and "serious groups". Racers have the craic when they go out. I don't know where this idea came from that people who race go out and try to rip the legs off each other in training, in winter, and do it in stoney silence... because in my experience it's exactly the opposite. From now until January, anyone hoping to go well next spring will most likely be keeping their spins aerobic, steady, and relaxed. Any exuberance or competitive ideas should be cancelled out by the wise old heads who'll have to do little more than say "steady lads" and the pace will return to a nice 30kph avg. In my club the racers go SLOWER than the sportivers who always go as fast as they can (because they think that's how you get faster (wrong)) and the sportivists attack every rise in the road because strava turns every spin into a pseudo race. And with the racers there'll be just as much banter as in whatever sportive gang you'd otherwise go with, except the advice might actually be from experience rather than off the internet. You learn a lot from the aul lads in a racing club and they're usually very keen (too keen even) to share.

+30kph avg? you probably think that sounds a bit fast, don't you? That's just because you haven't spent time in an efficient group. Your 26.5 solo spins are physically harder than sitting in a bunch at 32, not that I'd expect many group to be doing 32 at the moment. That's the glorious thing about riding in a neat bunch. If you can go and do 26.5 solo you can easily keep up with any club spin worth doing at this time of year. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Good luck, enjoy it, and remember that you're exactly what any club should be looking for in new recruits.

Thanks for this, I can really feel the encouragement in it. Ya when people said 30kmph average I thought that would be extremely fast. In the group I'm cycling with now we usually do about 27kmph which is almost my solo speeds. Its primarily a sportive club because I was just starting out and 10 weeks i couldnt actually cycle but I know that there are a few racers in it and faster spins. So I'll talk to them and see if they think I should go with the pure racing group or if they can sort me out.

Lusk_Doyle

EmcD123 wrote: »

I can't believe I didn't see that link in your message.....

I added it in after you replied. Don't beat yourself up. Save that for when you are racing!

outfox

I guess you're too young to remember Star Wars.

EmcD123

outfox wrote: »

I guess you're too young to remember Star Wars.

By about a decade