Be Bold – Bike Racing Adds Fitness Focus … And FUN!
You made it this far. You’re standing at the start line, shoulder-to-shoulder with dozens of other racers, ready to clip-in and …
The commissaire blows their whistle. It’s show time!
You’ve focused all your training on today. Are you ready?
To help you be ready, we’re going to share our years of bike racing experience with you. You’ll get an idea of what racing can offer you, and some of the best ways to get started. After reading through some of the articles here, you won’t feel so much like you’re entering the realm of the unknown.
It All Starts in Your Ability Category
To keep events fair and safe, your local cycling governing body sanctions bike races. They will ask you to register each year for a racing license. Based on your demonstrated experience, your license will be categorized. Racing life begins in Category 5, but perhaps Category 4 with fewer participants. It progresses upwards to Category 1, which is usually the pro-level. But you can hold a Category 1 license and still race as a weekend amateur.
Side Note: We experienced racers get tired of all the syllables in the word “category.” We save our precious breath for training and racing. So we just abbreviate it as “Cat” in all our references.
So your racing life begins in Cat 5. Each race you enter gives you the chance to earn upgrading points. The most goes to the winner (of course!) and then the rest trickle down to about 10th place.
If you’re really strong, you may upgrade a category or two within one season. A good coach, though, will discourage upgrading too quickly. It’s best to get your confidence-boosting race experience in lower categories before jumping in with the wolves of upper categories. Their race-winning tactics alone can shred your fantastic fitness —and delicate confidence — to pieces.
Age group racing complements the ability categories. In the bike racing world we call this Masters Racing. Depending where you’re racing, you might find the Masters race scene is busier than the ability categories.
In Masters’ races, you compete against riders closer to your own age. Usually these will be 10-year age brackets, beginning with Master A, from 30 to 39 years old. Sometimes it will be refined down to 5-year brackets, which often depend on how many athletes will be competing. The norm is 10-year brackets.
Too Scared to Race?
Anxiety can fill the world of the beginning competitive cyclist. You’re starting something new, and it’s normal to feel apprehension around the unknown. There’s far more etiquette inside a bike race than a running race. That fact alone could make many strong cyclists settle for training and club rides instead of pursuing the excitement of competition. You’ll find articles here to help you unravel the arcane etiquette of the peloton.
Racing will create a steady target for all your training activities. Whether you focus on one goal race, or a series of races throughout the season, lock a target in your mind. All your training rides will take on greater meaning. You’ll think twice about missing any workout. And you’ll find a cycling dedication that sedentary folks won’t understand. They don’t need to understand, because this sport is YOURS.
Along the journey you’ll discover the life-extension benefits of health and enthusiasm for living. Fully and completely, you’ll wear the coveted title of ATHLETE. It’s a title you can claim for yourself, even if it means fitting your training around a job, school work, or family responsibilities.
Even with dedicated training, it’s unlikely you’ll reach the performance levels of even modest pro racers. (If you do, please contact me — Coach Kevin — because I’d love to coach you to even higher achievements!) But you can strive. Maximize your genetic potential. Shoot for personal goals. Surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.
Love the sport. Plan your training carefully and maximize your natural abilities. Blend it together to become champion of your own world!