First road race tonight, what should I expect?

It’s a hour long 4th cat/novices’ race on a closed road (a Ford test track) . So how much different from an XC race?

One’s chalk, and one’s cheese.

🙂

An XC race is won by the best rider, a road race (particularly a 4th cat one) is more of a ‘last man standing’ affair, with the winner usually a sit in sprinter who will then take out half the field with their horrendous riding in the last 200m.

Stay near the front, pay attention, don’t do ANYTHING suddenly, and be prepared to watch some idiots in action!

there will be more tarmac and less dirt, can’t see there being any roots rock or jumps either

[/quote]An XC race is won by the best rider, a road race (particularly a 4th cat one) is more of a ‘last man standing’ affair, with the winner usually a sit in sprinter who will then take out half the field with their horrendous riding in the last 200m.

Stay near the front, pay attention, don’t do ANYTHING suddenly, and be prepared to watch some idiots in action!

+1

road racing (IME) is about being able to hang on when it’s incredibly hard for short periods of time…quite different to xc.

“Stay at the front” of the main group you mean?

So what happens we all trawl around for 59 1/2 mins then sprint for the line?

Sorry I really have no idea what happens on a road race.

An XC race is pretty easy for a novice to try…. Start with a sprint, go really hard for the next 55mins then put a last “all in” effort at the end and most of the time you’ll be racing on your own really.

Can you put a road race in a nut shell?

Start easy, riding in a big bunch, crash, everyone looks around, crash, someone sprints off into a break (if you’re on the wheel try and go, if you want to turn yourself inside out for no glory), crash, there’s carnage whilst a chase gets arranged, crash, a couple of riders drag the entire field back up to the break (this bit will be hard), crash, steady riding, repeat the break/chase, crash, sprint like hell for the last few seconds. Find that unless you were in the top 10 you don’t really know how you did.

xc – get as much effort out as possible during the race. road – conserve as much effort as possible, except for a few key moments. the level of race you are riding will quite likely end in bunch sprint (this isn’t guaranteed and largely out of your control). if you fancy your chances in a sprint then just follow wheels and try to avoid any mishaps ’til the end. if you dont fancy your chances in a sprint try an opprtunist attack inside the last mile or so. if you very fit and can hold a high speed for a long time, attack early.

Cool liking the answer, keep ’em coming.

I know you guys think (from other threads) that there are lots of crashes in 4th cat races, but is it really that bad.

I’m not worried about myself, you understand, but my lovely new bike.

Oh and what do you think the average speeds migth be?

4th cat – breaks ? is it different in england ?

i dont race road but i do marshall at events – very rarely have i seen a break in a 4th cat race – unless its some dominating XC racer who crossed over for some training 😀

Average? maybe 24-5mph?

An XC race is won by the best rider, a road race (particularly a 4th cat one) is more of a ‘last man standing’ affair, with the winner usually a sit in sprinter who will then take out half the field with their horrendous riding in the last 200m.

Stay near the front, pay attention, don’t do ANYTHING suddenly, and be prepared to watch some idiots in action

LOL I’m watching my lot tonight, they’re first race. Well there’s nothing on telly.

One of the key differences is that during a road race everyone stays in contention. Everyone will feel they have a chance if they play it right, so you have to be as good as the next man. During XC there’s a clearer pecking order pretty well from the off, with novices often a lap down straight away and content to do the best they can. Tonight you might be just yards from the winner and when you are you won’t just want to be content.

If it’s of interest I race at the Milton Keynes Bowl in the LVRC and averages are about 24 plus. 3/4 races 25 plus for an hour and five laps.

Enjoy

Oh faster than I was expecting!?! OK another numpty question, is that speed because you are in a group or you are taking into account any attacks.

Maybe I should have asked what’s the “cruising” speed?

Hmm, that doesn’t sound that quick. Maybe I should try this road racing lark 🙂

Where is this race?

it aint the speed that will get you molgrips its the sudden acceleration …..

ive seen good fast riders bowled out the back of the pack due to the acceleration !

I can sprint… 😉

Oldgit… good insight, like it.

As much as I like xc racing I’ve only ever really felt as if I’ve been racing myself (even when getting top 5/10 finishes outta 50 odd in local “low level” races). Sounds as if road races might be more exciting in that reguard.

road racing (IME) is about being able to hang on when it’s incredibly hard for short periods of time…quite different to xc.

Very good description.

4th Cat races can be carnage – the problem is often that you get fit people from other sports giving it a go who can go fast but can’t really ride well in a pack so you get all the diving up the inside into bends, looking round after crashes (causing further crashes), braking and so on. It is exciting though 🙂

4th Cat races do also tend to be very negative – everyone chases everything rather than the higher cats where people let breaks go and then chase if they think they look dangerous, hence why 4th cat races often end in bunch sprints.

Give it a go though. It is really good fun. Oh, the additional speed is largely down to riding in a group. If you haven’t before, you’ll be amazed how little effort you can put in while doing close on 30mph in the middle of a big group.

Sorry I really have no idea what happens on a road race.

Then for your own safety, and the safety of others, I suggest you don’t dive in at the deep-end.

Do you have any experience of riding in a group?

SB

As much as I like xc racing I’ve only ever really felt as if I’ve been racing myself

I did a particularly flat XC race once where a chap was on my wheel the whole time. It was the first time I’d experienced it and it was actually pretty stressful, knowing that any slip, mistake or even slackening off a bit would cost me a place!

Diving up the inside…. noted…. that may have been me.

Expect to Crash and if you don’t bonus 🙂

I know you guys think (from other threads) that there are lots of crashes in 4th cat races, but is it really that bad

The view from a bike snob? Not that bad, but pretty poor. What you have now is fit strong well equiped guys having a go. They’re background is often sportives or rides with mates, they’ve overtaken a few roadies and think they’re ready to race. Two things they don’t have is learning and finesse. So it’s all a bit ‘Bull in a china shop’ where as you actually need to be a bit Jedi?

Strato… Nop… and I was thinking about that.

As much as my posts are a bit numpty, I’m not a complete tool.

What do you other guys think?

FWIW, I did quite a few 4th cat races when I was doing another sport and never crashed. I did see a few crashes but let’s say based on number of riders, number of crashes, etc. only a 1 or 2% chance of crashing each race so not really that bad if you consider that presumably most of us do mtbing where you stand a good chance of crashing 🙂

Ro5ey – Member
Strato… Nop… and I was thinking about that.

As much as my posts are a bit numpty, I’m not a complete tool.

What do you other guys think?

I would be trying to get in some roadie rides with a group of at least 10 riders just to get used to holding a wheel and not constantly slowing/speeding up which you’ll be suprised how much you probably do if you’ve never really ridden with others.

First road race discussion

Kcr… sorry I can’t see it… what was the conclusion?

It’s a shame that there isn’t a well televised, large event that lasted a few weeks where you could have observed what happens from a chair. Oh wait…..

They are a competitive event. Riders are out there trying to ‘win’ so you can expect exactly the same sort of behaviour as you get at XC races.

It may get a bit clostrophobic in the group as you will be riding in very close quarters. No doubt there will be some of the group shouting at your lack of experience but you’ve got to start somewhere.

Pay attatention to what is going on around you.

I remember my first road race. I was a reasonable tester at the time and had done a lot of circuit racing (in a group) so felt I was well prepared. When we had finished the roll out and racing started I was well up there with the bunch (no breaks yet) and was pretty confident. We hit the first slow bend in the course (90 degree left hander) and I couldn’t believe where the field had gone. The acceleration was more than I had ever experienced before and I was off the back in a matter of seconds. I rode myself back to the group in time for the next bend, repeat performance of bend one but this time it took me longer to get back on and within the first two laps I was pooped and they got away up a hill into a headwind and I was out there on my own. Time for an early cup of tea I thought, race over.

MK1fan…. re TdF… I’m a not a bad looking fella but I’m not Tom Cruise (i’m thinking Days of Thunder here)

To be honest, the way 4th cat has been berated on here lately I wondered if indeed it was anything like TdF and not just a set of goons getting it all wrong. And I’ve presumed unfit, hence 4th cat, goons at that, I’m starting to see that might not be so.

Just mailed the organisors, lets see what they say

I think road racing sometimes has a slightly elitist image because of the way it is raced in comparison to mtb events – you are either good enough to play or you are not and if you are not you will not actually be involved in a bike race. In an mtb event you can enter knowing you are way off the pace of the lead riders, get caned in the first couple of hundred yards and proceed to ride the course pretty much on your own but at the end of the event say legitimately you have just taken part in a mtb XC race. In road racing where drafting and an ability to hold a wheel are absolutely essential, if you are not fit enough for the accelerations or don’t have the skills to hold your position you will be found out and you will be spat out of the back in a twinkling of an eye. At that point you are not really in a road race any more but taking yourself for a solo bimble – you might as well just climb off.

I would suggest that in your first race you should focus entirely on keeping yourself in the first third of the peleton and maybe not even bother with the sprint at the end but watch and learn. You will find yourself drifting back faster that you would imagine and baring in mind everyone will be trying to do exactly the same thing it is a hell of an achievement to just manage that. The further back you are the more chance you have of becoming unstuck in an acceleration or on a climb and you will be significantly more in danger of getting hurt in a crash.

When I stopped road racing seriously I started doing it as a bit of fun to keep a bit sharp whilst my actual competitive racing was in triathlon. Without racing as much I did not gain enough points to keep in a decent category so was racing at a lower level. The upshot was witnessing more crashing and the strategy aspect of the racing became non existent as everything was chased down immediately. I gave it up in the end (and converted to mtb racing in 2004 – hence the user name)as I didn’t enjoy it any more and the potential damage to the wallet and body through crashing was not worth the risk it posed to my real sport. Crashing in a road race is nothing like crashing xc – blood gets split and bones broken far more frequently.

edit – oh and get used to not knowing how you did at the end of the event in terms of a results sheet. The organisers will try their best but often if the order of the first 6 across the line is correct there has been a minor miracle – everything after that is a guess at best.

If you do decide to give it a go, then bon courage, and let us know how you got on. I’ll cross my fingers for you.

SB

I think njee20’s got it pretty much spot on.

I’ve done 3 crits now as a lowly 4th cat and have learned LOADS.
It can be fun, lots of fun and the ones I’ve done have seemed pretty well behaved in comparison to what people have described, but you’ve still got to have your head screwed on tight!

Wow. I’ve gone from
“that cat 4 racing sounds like a good laugh might give it a go”
to
“no freakin way, I like my skin/bike/bones too much”
in the space of a 1 page thread, well done fellas.
🙂

only a 1 or 2% chance of crashing each race

That’s not exactly scary surely?

Are you racing at Dunton? If you are that track does have some quirks, don’t get out of the saddle on the banking your outside pedal will hit the ground as your bike moves, try and stay in the front 10/12, that will depend on your legs and bike handling though, the Go races normally stay together, the sprint can be carnage though, 24/25avg, when you warm up ask an experienced rider for any tips, most will help. Good luck!

+1 DONK. And my shiny road bike!!

Great thread!

Re the ‘you need to be used to riding in a group first’ argument, I’ve been racing on and off for 20years and it’s definitely got crazy in the last 2 or 3.

Too many peole coming to road racing from with no experience whatsoever of riding with a club.

There’s even talk about BC issuing a ‘provisional’ license – you need to do at least say 4 club runs and be assessed as ‘safe’ before you are allowed to enter a race.

..that said, nothing properly prepares you for racing.

Have fun, don’t go mad, aim to stay with the bunch and come back to tell us how you get on 😆