Question on obtaining a license to race Master 55+

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by old fat man

Now that I'm 35, I had expected to do more masters racing but it seems the 35+ option has disappeared in road and cx for the most part. I guess I have to get older still to join the club. Stuck in the 3s for now.

I avoided M35 as a 3. At M40 it started being manageable. M45, seems more so.

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by carpediemracing

I avoided M35 as a 3. At M40 it started being manageable. M45, seems more so.

Yeah, but you have the FTP of your three year old.

[Steelman]

Originally Posted by carpediemracing

I'm close to M50 (racing age 47) but I only recently started doing M45 races (and I started as a 15 year old, never took time off). I found the Cat 3s to be a bit more manageable until the last couple years. I still avoid M35 races, way too fast (basically Cat 1-2 races with Cat 3 filler). There are plenty of former national champs in the Cat3s - one around here has about 30 national titles, another few are former Olympians and former Masters National Champs. All of those riders are M50 or M55+, and they still regularly beat up on the Cat 3s.

Why aren't they riding with the 1's and 2's? Is it really racing if the entrants are not of similar ability?

The World Champion 45-49, Bruce Bird, races with 1-2. Even at the Provincial Championships, where he declined his chance to be Masters Champ. And in his area they typically have M1, M2, M3, M4.

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by Steelman

Why aren't they riding with the 1's and 2's? Is it really racing if the entrants are not of similar ability?

The World Champion 45-49, Bruce Bird, races with 1-2. Even at the Provincial Championships, where he declined his chance to be Masters Champ. And in his area they typically have M1, M2, M3, M4.

Incorrect. He won the M40+ at Battenkill this year.

I don't think you understand the concept of open racing.

[simonov]

Originally Posted by Steelman

Why aren't they riding with the 1's and 2's? Is it really racing if the entrants are not of similar ability?

The World Champion 45-49, Bruce Bird, races with 1-2. Even at the Provincial Championships, where he declined his chance to be Masters Champ. And in his area they typically have M1, M2, M3, M4.

It's probably a regional thing. In FL, most of the racing is crits, so the 35/45+ guys do both the P123 and the age group race. I do the same as often as not and the fields always have a lot of overlap. Road race days usually finds people picking and choosing one or the other, though some nuts still double up if the schedule allows.

While some of the 35+ entrants are not of similar ability, the majority of the field are 123 category racers, so that is what keeps it competitive. As has been said above, the age group guys who aren't fit enough to race with the 35+ crowd tend to stick to the cat 4 or cat 5 races.

[Steelman]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

Incorrect. He won the M40+ at Battenkill this year.

I don't think you understand the concept of open racing.

I didn't realize he won 40plus, must have been a competitive field for him to enter. But he also raced with the Pros.:

http://www.canadiancyclist.com/dailynews.php?id=29376

Nope, I guess I don't get open racing. If Chris Horner or Davide Rebellin toss their pro licenses ,they can race open M40plus too.

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by Steelman

I didn't realize he won 40plus, must have been a competitive field for him to enter. But he also raced with the Pros.:

http://www.canadiancyclist.com/dailynews.php?id=29376

Nope, I guess I don't get open racing. If Chris Horner or Davide Rebellin toss their pro licenses ,they can race open M40plus too.

He finished 47th, 18:30 minutes back. Who knows why.

I'm pretty sure those races were on two different days. Two days. Two races. I often do two short races in the same day. It's one of the benefits of racing Masters. The ability to race age group and category in separate races.

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by Steelman

Why aren't they riding with the 1's and 2's? Is it really racing if the entrants are not of similar ability?

The thing about Masters races is that it's usually Cat 1-4. Therefore they are racing in their ability/category/etc. It's the 4s and 3s who will be out of their element.

I know I'm not a Cat 1 and am a barely passable Cat 2 (meaning I might be able to qualify to upgrade to a 2 but being competitive with them is out of the question). Therefore an M35+ Cat 1-4 race means trouble for me, usually, because I'm only a passable 3 (in terms of fitness/FTP).

Today's race was a Cat 3-4 race. I averaged 153w and I got 3rd. I was suffering like mad today, almost sat up once, almost got dropped a few times, literally last wheel and a gap to the next rider. That's with the 3-4s. I can't imagine that race in an open Masters race.

[carpediemracing]

Correction, 157w for 58 minutes.

[shovelhd]

Is there a lot of coasting on that course?

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

Is there a lot of coasting on that course?

Tons. But last 3 min was 283w. 900w effort at top of hill for position, 750w to move up a bit, jump 1090, 10s sprint about 900w. I was cooked going into the sprint, 166 bpm, massive headwind, so I waited forever to go. From my point of view the sprint wasn't too impressive, meaning it didn't look like a lot of guys were going for it. From head on (it's on my FB feed, Alan put up the video) it's nutty, basically curb to curb across the 3-4 lanes.

[old fat man]

Originally Posted by carpediemracing

Tons. But last 3 min was 283w. 900w effort at top of hill for position, 750w to move up a bit, jump 1090, 10s sprint about 900w. I was cooked going into the sprint, 166 bpm, massive headwind, so I waited forever to go. From my point of view the sprint wasn't too impressive, meaning it didn't look like a lot of guys were going for it. From head on (it's on my FB feed, Alan put up the video) it's nutty, basically curb to curb across the 3-4 lanes.

That was fun and nice to meet you in person. I'm anything but a sprinter, so I never had any intention of contesting that finish. I was surprised, I actually thought the whole race was pretty manageable. I've definitely been on more difficult group rides (Sleeping Giant, Boston COD). I guess your power numbers show, it didn't take much to coast around that track at 25+mph for 59 minutes. The last 500 meters though...

Can you post a link to the video? I'm not a facebooker so I haven't been able to find it.

[carpediemracing]

Originally Posted by old fat man

That was fun and nice to meet you in person. I'm anything but a sprinter, so I never had any intention of contesting that finish. I was surprised, I actually thought the whole race was pretty manageable. I've definitely been on more difficult group rides (Sleeping Giant, Boston COD). I guess your power numbers show, it didn't take much to coast around that track at 25+mph for 59 minutes. The last 500 meters though...

Can you post a link to the video? I'm not a facebooker so I haven't been able to find it.

Good to meet you too.

The video is FB only, I don't know how to link to it outside of FB. Let me PM you.

We went 24 mph so the slow bits really slowed things down. The last lap crushed me. It's FB comment stuff but I'll repeat here. My FTP is about 210w, I sprint okay at 160-164 bpm starting HR.

Did 283w for the last 2 min. 900w punch for position on the hill (I was slightly behind and next to that guy that practically stopped on the hill) which put me at 166 bpm, 750w punch approaching the s-curves to move up which prevented too much recovery, then some waiting to recover if possible, 1100w jump, 900w sprint, all starting at 166 bpm. 170 bpm at finish. If the race was another 30-40m I might have been better, but others may have passed me also. I had to wait a bit for lanes to open, trading position for shelter at the start of the sprint.