Just signed up for a Road Race - What am I thinking!

[superbowlpats]

So I just signed up for this race: https://www.bikereg.com/ken-harrod-memorial-road-race

Haven't done a road race in over 35 years!

Background: 56 yr old, been riding for last 8 years, started with Tri's but my swimming sucks so switched to Duathlons. Do ok in them, podium most of the time in my AG. But have been running less (injuries) and riding more. Have done a few MTB races and enjoyed. Like doing time trials and I'm upper middle pack (fast guys (aka real cyclists) go 27 I go 24 at Duxbury TT). Started doing CX last year and love it. did 12 races, never better than mid pack (gotta work on my start!). Crits scare me.

so I said why not, if I hate it then I wont have to scratch that itch again. A friend of mine also signed up so hope to struggle together. he's more seasoned than I am. We are both CAT 5.

so what should I expect? I think I will get killed on that climb (FTP 250, weight 76 kg). I don't want to crash so maybe just hang on at the back and enjoy the scenery? :bike:

[MattTuck]

having done my first race in a long time just a few weeks ago, also in the Cat 5 section, I say to you, "good luck, my friend."

I looked at the race you signed up for when I was selecting my race, and decided against it due to the hill. That said, I'm heavier than 76kg... and thusly punished more on climbs.

I'd think that you should just go have fun. Mix it up in the front and take a flyer. Alteast you'll be able to talk about 'the time you attacked the field like a maniac'... better than riding the whole thing at the tail end of the group, and then finishing way off the back. Atleast that's my opinion. :)

[stien]

So I just signed up for this race: https://www.bikereg.com/ken-harrod-memorial-road-race

Haven't done a road race in over 35 years!

Background: 56 yr old, been riding for last 8 years, started with Tri's but my swimming sucks so switched to Duathlons. Do ok in them, podium most of the time in my AG. But have been running less (injuries) and riding more. Have done a few MTB races and enjoyed. Like doing time trials and I'm upper middle pack (fast guys (aka real cyclists) go 27 I go 24 at Duxbury TT). Started doing CX last year and love it. did 12 races, never better than mid pack (gotta work on my start!). Crits scare me.

so I said why not, if I hate it then I wont have to scratch that itch again. A friend of mine also signed up so hope to struggle together. he's more seasoned than I am. We are both CAT 5.

so what should I expect? I think I will get killed on that climb (FTP 250, weight 76 kg). I don't want to crash so maybe just hang on at the back and enjoy the scenery? :bike:

We did that race last year. I was a 5 then, 4 now. The climb isn't that bad at all. Sure the pace ramps up last lap but you should be able to hang on with minimal effort until then. Don't sit in the back unless you want to get dropped early.

[ultraman6970]

I got the bad idea of doing exactly the same :) after like 25 years w/o racing neither training, 50 pounds overweight :)... got to the starting line and I noticed that like 95% of the dudes in the group were trained like hell. Probably like 90% of the guys in that group were sandbagging, cats 2s stuck racing with the old dudes :), no pride man, no pride :)

They dropped me at the second lap, like 3 more guys that were dropped before the 1st lap catched me and we pulled together like 1 extra lap and the group catched us :D I did not quit, they quit me :D My kid said was an embarrassment :D But again they got me off the bike, i did not quit :D

Have fun man, if you did racing you are taking this just for fun :) just warm up really well (i did not do that :/) and be carefull :D

[superbowlpats]

Thanks for the replies. My friend just did Battenkill and is typically a much more aggressive rider than I am. I'll probably just follow his lead and see how it goes. I do like the idea of taking a flyer early on so I can tell the family :D

[dancinkozmo]

judging from your moniker...maybe try messing with the other racers' tire pressure to give you that extra edge.

[superbowlpats]

judging from your moniker...maybe try messing with the other racers' tire pressure to give you that extra edge.

I always run a few less PSI than recommended :beer:

[MattTuck]

I got the bad idea of doing exactly the same :) after like 25 years w/o racing neither training, 50 pounds overweight :)... got to the starting line and I noticed that like 95% of the dudes in the group were trained like hell. Probably like 90% of the guys in that group were sandbagging, cats 2s stuck racing with the old dudes :), no pride man, no pride :)

They dropped me at the second lap, like 3 more guys that were dropped before the 1st lap catched me and we pulled together like 1 extra lap and the group catched us :D I did not quit, they quit me :D My kid said was an embarrassment :D But again they got me off the bike, i did not quit :D

Have fun man, if you did racing you are taking this just for fun :) just warm up really well (i did not do that :/) and be carefull :D

This is hilarious and and rings true. Especially about the sandbagging. I lined up and was like, "these guys all seem VERY serious."

[Mark McM]

I don't want to crash so maybe just hang on at the back and enjoy the scenery? :bike:

"I don't want to crash" and "maybe just hang at the back" are contradictory concepts. While it is true that a crash may happen anywhere in the pack, they tend to propagate to the back rather than the front (i.e., the riders in the front are riding at full speed away from the crash, while the riders in the back are running at full speed toward the crash).

Riding to enjoy the scenery is fine on its own, but not when you are in a racing pack. You have to be paying attention to what is going on all around you in the pack at all times (both for strategic/tactical reasons, and safety reasons).

If you think you will have trouble on a climb, it is better to start the climb near the front of the group. If you can't keep up with the pace, you may slip backwards in the group, but you may still be attached to the group at the top. If you start the climb at the back of the group and can't keep pace, you'll open up a gap between you and the group, which will be difficult to close after you are tired from the climb.

For a Cat. 5 race, I'd recommend staying in the top 10 riders or so, and paying attention to the other riders nearby. Identify who are the strongest and not so strong riders, and who are the most skilled and least skilled riders. Then try to stay near the strong/skilled riders, and avoid being behind the weak/less skilled riders. If you do start getting dropped, take a quick look at the riders who may still be near you. Figure out who may be as strong or maybe a little bit stronger than you, and try to join up with them for the effort to chase back on.

[shovelhd]

To add to Marks advice, if you start to become separated from the field, give it all you've got to catch back on. Move into the middle of the field to rest. There is no use saving anything for the finish if you're going to finish off the back.

[MattTuck]

To add to Marks advice, if you start to become separated from the field, give it all you've got to catch back on. Move into the middle of the field to rest. There is no use saving anything for the finish if you're going to finish off the back.

I'll note that being in the middle of a cat 5 field may provide some shelter from the wind, but I found it to be mentally exhausting.

[superbowlpats]

Thanks. the take in the scenery comment was more tongue in cheek. my teammate sounds like the rest of you: stay near the front, on a tough climb better to be at the front at the start of the climb and drift back if too hard.

Haven't told the wife yet. I fell the other day on a turn with some unseen loose gravel and came home with a bloody hip and elbow. She wasn't impressed. :no:

[ultraman6970]

I enter to a race just because a friend was telling me he was getting dropped and I couldnt get why because he was in good shape and stuff... no wonder why. In my country the guys are proud to pass to the next category you know, stay stuck in a group for years they see it more like a shame... nothing to be proud of at all.


This is hilarious and and rings true. Especially about the sandbagging. I lined up and was like, "these guys all seem VERY serious."

[superbowlpats]

I havent even asked if I should shave my legs. Maybe i should create a poll :o

[shovelhd]

I'll note that being in the middle of a cat 5 field may provide some shelter from the wind, but I found it to be mentally exhausting.

Move up.

Can't tell you I have experience with Cat5 fields. I've only been the coach yelling at people.

Racing at all levels is mentally exhausting, in all events. My specialty was criteriums where races are won and lost by split second decisions. It's part of the lure of racing. If all you are doing is obsessing about crashing then you shouldn't be racing.

[carpediemracing]

So I just signed up for this race: https://www.bikereg.com/ken-harrod-memorial-road-race

Haven't done a road race in over 35 years!

Background: 56 yr old, been riding for last 8 years, started with Tri's but my swimming sucks so switched to Duathlons. Do ok in them, podium most of the time in my AG. But have been running less (injuries) and riding more. Have done a few MTB races and enjoyed. Like doing time trials and I'm upper middle pack (fast guys (aka real cyclists) go 27 I go 24 at Duxbury TT). Started doing CX last year and love it. did 12 races, never better than mid pack (gotta work on my start!). Crits scare me.

so I said why not, if I hate it then I wont have to scratch that itch again. A friend of mine also signed up so hope to struggle together. he's more seasoned than I am. We are both CAT 5.

so what should I expect? I think I will get killed on that climb (FTP 250, weight 76 kg). I don't want to crash so maybe just hang on at the back and enjoy the scenery? :bike:

Cat 5s, from my guess, will split up early and hard. A core group will stay together at the front and there will be various groups trailing behind. Never having done the race before, not knowing anything about the route except what I see on the Strava segment, I'm guessing the critical point will be going through town in Littleton. I think until then the field will pull you along in their draft, even up the grades and such.

Generally speaking folks that try out road races tend not to like crits (as you said yourself) and generally folks don't like crits because they don't like cornering in tight company. Note that road races with the yellow line rule are usually more packed than a crit but in a narrower amount of road. Therefore corners tend to have a more strung out field, not so bunched up like a crit where you can use the full road. Cornering while double-triple file isn't a big deal. Cornering when it's 10 or 12 wide can get interesting.

Immediately after the hard turn in Littleton are two more turns then a little kicker, then steady stuff for the next couple miles. I'm guessing that the field will be more strung out through those turns, the riders up front will be gunning for the short rise, and then things will play out on the few miles of steady uphill.

If I was forced to do this race (I don't do road races because I don't climb well and I don't like riding with a bunch of riders that don't like doing crits :) ) I'd make it a point to survive the first bit, move up hard 4-ish miles in, be near the front on the descent into Littleton (mass helps here), and maybe not lead but be 5th-10th wheel going through the turns in Littleton. Then you can punch over the short hill, relax a touch, then tackle the steady upgrade going toward the finish. Don't get too exuberant on that short steep thing because you don't want to redline yourself before the few miles of upgrade.

If it was me I'd expect to get shelled on that upgrade so I'd work superhard to be near the front going into Littleton, leveraging my descending (mass) and cornering "skills" and then allowing myself to drift back a bit on the long steady uphill stuff. If I make it into the finish (3 laps it seems) then I'd make some huge efforts on the last two short upgrades (8.4, 8.9 mi) to be near the front for the downhill to the finish hill. I'd use the downhills to recover, knowing I'd have to do something like a spin-coast-spin-coast thing to stay up front. I'm sure everyone is doing the same so the climbers will probably be punching it up the long grade to burn off guys like me.

Even if things go pear shaped from the beginning, like you can't clip in at the start, at least approaching the race with plan will give you intermediate goals. I'd do a Google Streetview recon of the course if you can't do it in person, or look for someone who did a cam of a race. Figure out your landmarks. And have fun.

Also, for road rash and the like, Tegaderm is the absolute schnizzle. I buy the 50 pack of 4"x4" sheets for about $30, which is the cost of 8 sheets of the stuff at CVS ($16 for 4 sheets). Give it away if someone crashes. If you ever do fall it's nice to have the big pack. I bought it because I promoted races but I didn't give that much out at my own races. However, at other races, I gave away most of what I've given away. I'm on my second 50 pack and have given about 5 yards of an 11 yard roll (4" wide). First Aid spray (numbing/cleaning), gauze (to protect the Tegaderm from getting rubbed/wiped off), and tape (to hold the gauze) complete a very good road rash kit. The last time I fell it was on a Tuesday night training ride. I was pretty scraped up. By Sunday evening I was done with the Tegaderm and raced the next day, Memorial Day, with no scabs, fresh skin. Deep stuff takes longer but road rash heals super quick.

[Tandem Rider]

Be near the front (5-10) before any hard effort if there are any, look at the maps etc. The pack WILL split up there and you do not want to be chasing. Besides, the race happens at the front and that's where the fun is, not the back.

[superbowlpats]

Well i did the race yesterday. I took everyone's excellent advice and pretty much left it at home once i lined up in the staging area. 77 signed up but results show 69 actually raced. Lots of college riders. My friend Roger and I were probably the oldest ones in the CAT 5 field. so we decided that although moving up near the front was the right thing to do, we were still going to get crushed by all these young legs and the 2.3 mile climb that comes at mile 5 of the 10 mile loop. weather was perfect so we just decided to go with the flow and start near the back. worst case it would be good hard training ride.

First 5 miles were easy, the pack stayed together, 3 abreast (yellow line rule in effect). Being at the back you really feel the accordion nature of the way the pack slows and speeds up on hills. at the start of the climb there was no massive breakway. just a noticeable uptick in the pace as we climbed. I passed my teammate and held on to the back of the pack for about 1/2 the climb. But slowly the separation started, due to my lack of hill conditioning (I live in the flats). By the time i got to the top the back of the pack was about 300m away and I couldn't stop the increasing gap as i tried to recover from the climb. I hitched up with another rider and we finished lap 1. on lap 2, a mile in, the other guy says 30 second pulls. so i take the pull, maybe go a little hard, and go for a minute just to be a nice guy. when i move to the left and wait I get nothing. I look back and he's a 100m behind me. Oh well looks like I'll be doing a time trial this lap.

So I ride by myself the next 9 miles, complete lap 2 and head out for lap 3. hardest thing was trying to keep my head into the "race mode" and keep pushing the pace. about a mile into the last lap i glance to my left and see 4 riders in a pace line overtaking me. Roger is there as well as the guy I dropped on lap 2. I jump on for the rest of the race. We drop two on the climb, pick up another rider at the top of the climb and at the "sprint finish" i take 2nd out of the 4, beating Roger :bike:

Finished 58 out of 69 :eek: 13 min down from the top 20 riders. about 5 mins down from a large bunch of others.

But it was fun, well run race. and now I want to do more and will be a little more tactical next time. Nice to get the first one out of the way.

Some numbers if you are interested:

Distance: 30.7 miles, ave speed 20.2, max speed 46.5 mph, AP 207W, NP 242W. Lap times were 28:48, 30:36, 30:10

Thanks for everyone's advice. you were spot on. Next time I'll listen better :p

[wallymann]

...due to my lack of hill conditioning (I live in the flats)...

welcome back to racing, glad you enjoyed it and are keen for more!

fwiw...i also live in the flat-lands and there's no such thing as "hill conditioning" that requires hills! it's all about power-to-weight. you can build your power on the flats thru your normal training regimen. and the weight...well, portion-control is the best advice i've ever received!

have fun!

[OldCrank]

I raced with your group! I finished behind Roger.

This is a well-run race, and even though I didn't get the growler for the KOM:rolleyes:, I'll be back next year.

And maybe I'll learn to climb faster, who knows!

Good race.

[MattTuck]

Well done. :) Sounds similar to my experience at Myles Standish last month. If I can get the weight down to a reasonable level next year, maybe I'll try Ken Harrod.

[superbowlpats]

Matt - definitely recommend it. good setup for getting your race numbers at the school, parking is decent, and good amount of bathroom facilities. The climb was a bit of a shock to me only in that where I live the longest "climb" we have is about 1/4 mile. the pack was extremely well behaved, they had a motorcycle official keeping us on the right side of the road as well as lead vehicles. every turn had a volunteer as well as intersections. the finish is a bit odd in that it comes after a very fast downhill section so not sure what the finish of each of the races looked like. I hit 46.5 mph which is a PR for me (if there is such a thing as PR for highest speed). Just a really good vibe.

I'll be doing Myles Standish next year. wish there were more road races but logistically it must be a PITA to put one on.

OldCrank - were you part of the 4 man train that caught me? I should have been smarter and looked back after lap 1 and just waited for you guys.

Wallyman - agree its about W/kg. but its much easier to push bigger Watts up a hill in training than on the flats.

[redir]

Wow $55 dollars? What is becoming of bike racing :(

Good luck and keep the rubber side down.

[superbowlpats]

Wow $55 dollars? What is becoming of bike racing :(

Good luck and keep the rubber side down.

coming from the world of triathlons, $55 is a bargain. But the race is also a fund raiser for the Harvard Fire Department Association and they had cash for the Pro/1/2. A little pricey I suppose but what isn't these days.

[sandyrs]

Good for you getting out there. I did that race as an under-trained 4 last year and got lit up.