Racers poll

[shinomaster]

How many times a year do you race? Is there a certain number of races you feel that you must enter in order to call yourselves a bike racer?
I always wanted to race road, but when I was younger in Boston but I didn't know where they were, or how to get to them or how to network. Once I moved to Portland there were races everywhere and they are easy to find and get to. I was gonnna try it but then I saw a really nasty crash at the end of a Cat 4 race and freaked out. I put road racing back on the list of things I'll do someday.
I started racing cross after watching Nationals out here five years ago. It looked like something I could do without loosing too much skin. I found myself telling people that "no I don't really race, well...except cross" Now 24 races later I feel like abike racer. That's only a handful a year but usually when the season is over I'm tired and ready to rest. I know some people race a lot more than that. How do you keep the motivation going all year? How many times a year do you race?

[92degrees]

I did 12 rr and crits this year and 21 cx races. I don't feel like a bike racer, tho.

[shinomaster]

I did 12 rr and crits this year and 21 cx races. I don't feel like a bike racer, tho.


Oh you are though! That's a lot imho.

[caleb]

Several triathlons, including three half ironmans. May-September. By the time it's over I'm ready for some downtime.

No pure bike races, just "fast group rides".

I'm not really a bike racer.

[Steelhead]

So if you don't race at all, or if you only venture to the start line less than 5 times in a year, you're lazy ?

;) :)

[znfdl]

shino:

I plan on doing 3 ultra rces in 2008. How would you quatify this?

[shinomaster]

So if you don't race at all, or if you only venture to the start line less than 5 times in a year, you're lazy ?

;) :)

Well...yes. This is a POLL for racers, not non-racers. So you can't be lazy if you don't race because you are not a racer. :)

[J.Greene]

I did 25 races this year including road, cross and our tt series. I'd have done more but I spent the first part of the year on the injured list. This was my first season back racing since my freshman year in college.

JG

[Cdub]

toed the line 22 times this year. Wish it was more. Def. not a racer this year based on results, but looked good in every one of them :D

[Acotts]

But I have to be honest. I have never done a bike race. I have done 40+ running races including 2 marathons. I have done about 7 half ironmen, and countless sprints. I was a rower in college and did about 10 races a year in various distances. In general I finish in the top 25% in all events.

....but I am totally scared of doing a bike race. I am just not strong enough and bikers seem so specialized. Plus I am the slowest biker I know. (but I will admit I know a lot of fast bikers.)

All the stories of the noobs causing whole packs of bikers to crash, or vets getting of the track when a new person jumps on just makes me a little nervous. I mean, I take sh*t in bikes shops...I can't even imagine how much sh*t talk there is at a race. :eek:

Perhaps a DC local on this board might convince me to go amature crit one day. I dont even know where to find them or what the season is. :confused:

[sg8357]

So if you don't race at all, or if you only venture to the start line less than 5 times in a year, you're lazy ?

;) :)

No, that just means you are concentrating on the TdF.

[A.L.Breguet]

Did 23 races on the road, this year, after many years away. I'm not single, but I have a very supportive Mrs. Breguet in my corner.
I kept a license the whole time that I was not racing , more or less, and I considered myself a racer who didn't race.
I expect to add the track to my program next year.

[regularguy412]

1998 was my last full season of racing. In 1999 I raced only through July. During my full seasons, I was racing about 15 to 20 times per year. That's while also working 40 or more hours per week. I usually had to take off from work and drive several hours to races, since the closest crits and TTs were at least 100 miles away. Getting to the 'good' races usually meant drives of 4 hours or more. And that meant driving on the Friday before ( if it was a stage race), or staying over on the Sunday night and taking Monday off to drive back. My area is certainly the 'Black Hole' of cycling -- there 'are' riders / racers here, but you just don't see 'em.

That said, there have been a few really 'good' racers from here, over the years. One recent escapee of note is an espoir named M. Talley. He's currently on a cycling scholarship to a college in North Carolina. In late summer, he was ranked in the top 5 of young riders, nationally and raced against other top young cyclists (among them, T. Phinney) in Canada this past August.

To the fellow who has trouble finding bike races: check the listings on Velonews.com. or your LBS -- they usually have listings on local and/or national races.

Mike in AR

[Karin Kirk]

....but I am totally scared of doing a bike race.

Start with a time trial. That nearly eliminates the possibility of crashing or the chances of getting dropped or embarrassed. It's a relatively unintimidating way to check it out.

[davids]

Shino's choices tell you all you need to know about what he thinks the correct number of races/year is.

[Bud_E]

Start with a time trial. That nearly eliminates the possibility of crashing or the chances of getting dropped or embarrassed. It's a relatively unintimidating way to check it out.

I totally agree.

But ironically the closest I ever came to crashing in a race was when I was doing a club time trial. The course was in an industrial park that was open to traffic. The course had a sharp right turn which I took a little wide. I was "in the coffin" and was mostly looking down a few feet in front of my wheel. In the corner of my eye something registered and I reflexively swerved and leaned way right just enough to barely miss the side mirror of an oncoming truck ( who didn't bother slowing down ).

[Karin Kirk]

your coffin needs windows!

[Bud_E]

your coffin needs windows!

Believe me - they were installed after that experience.

[WadePatton]

Does dirt count? not the 'cross type.

[Fixed]

But I have to be honest. I have never done a bike race. I have done 40+ running races including 2 marathons. I have done about 7 half ironmen, and countless sprints. I was a rower in college and did about 10 races a year in various distances. In general I finish in the top 25% in all events.

....but I am totally scared of doing a bike race. I am just not strong enough and bikers seem so specialized. Plus I am the slowest biker I know. (but I will admit I know a lot of fast bikers.)

All the stories of the noobs causing whole packs of bikers to crash, or vets getting of the track when a new person jumps on just makes me a little nervous. I mean, I take sh*t in bikes shops...I can't even imagine how much sh*t talk there is at a race. :eek:

Perhaps a DC local on this board might convince me to go amature crit one day. I dont even know where to find them or what the season is. :confused:
you'll be fine all the other cats feel the same way one day lis, and jump in the 5 's for a 30 min crit .. find a new shop they are there for you not the other way around
cheers imho

[shinomaster]

Does dirt count? not the 'cross type.

Of course! I might race short track with Ben next year.

[Dr. Doofus]

does the forum race

to the bottom

count?

[swoop]

you'll meet amazing people. the more you put into it the more you'll get out of it. and the more you have to give the more you'll take away. it changed my life in many ways.... (all subtle but real).

going from getting dropped to always being at the sharp end of the stick having some gay bike racing dreams come true... does change somethings about you in some ineffable way. you certainly learn how to suffer and get on with it and how to push yourself out of your own way.

do it. you'll share a bond with some dudes from a very deep place. be effing tenacious. don't sprint for 20th.. but don't quit. if you stick with it things open up... especially if you try new things and try to learn on every level.
some of my best friendships were born in the coffin.
and if you're lucky it demystifies standing on the podium. its really is lesser the thing than just showing up.
atmo.

[ergott]

Me, it's a question of logistics. I plan on increasing that number a bit, but I don't plan on it absorbing my life. I'm still a father, musician, teacher, oh yeah, I try to get some wheels done as well.

[Too Tall]

Not alot this yr. Three yrs. ago I was racing alot and hope to get back to the track this coming yr. Good poll.

[Tom Kellogg]

Amazing ... she is as good as it gets. I STILL race and she LETS me! I did 27 road races and crits this last year. All of them were within 70 miles, otherwise I would not have gone. Am I a racer? Sure, I want to believe I am, therefore I am. Am I a good racer? Only when I race with guys as old as me. :rolleyes:

[Fixed]

tk i bet we all would geta kick out of seein your race bike . .man i love seein cats who still love racin after a;; all the years at it these are the real ironmen imho
cheers :beer:

[coylifut]

lemme see here

Road/Crit 16
TT 3
MTB 1
Track 3 (at least)
CX 17

Total 40

[Too Tall]

lemme see here

Road/Crit 16
TT 3
MTB 1
Track 3 (at least)
CX 17

Total 40

Daaaaaaamn you had a great season :)

[SWorks4me]

very hard...

with road racing and cross...I raced 36 times this calendar year.

next year, I am going to add some ghey 6/12 hour mtn bike races. atmo

[zap]

Can't say I'm lazy. I'm just slow.

So I do a tt here and there, a hill climb or two and this is enough to confirm that yes, I'm slow. Result from this past year confirms that I should be racing masters so that I can get some points for our small team.

The other thing is that if I have a choice between a race that goes around in circles in some industrial park for an hour or some 80 mile club ride with good friends through beautiful hilly Virginia countryside, I'm riding in the country.

[coylifut]

Can't say I'm lazy. I'm just slow.

So I do a tt here and there, a hill climb or two and this is enough to confirm that yes, I'm slow. Result from this past year confirms that I should be racing masters so that I can get some points for our small team.

The other thing is that if I have a choice between a race that goes around in circles in some industrial park for an hour or some 80 mile club ride with good friends through beautiful hilly Virginia countryside, I'm riding in the country.

Nothing beats a scenic and epic ride with your friends. Maybe I'll get the opportunity to join you some time.

[WadePatton]

Of course! I might race short track with Ben next year.
Oh, holy man---I looked at the off-road season coming up and HELL YEAH I'm racing again. The focus of my season will be a 12-hour event, possibly solo.

Maybe I'll get some faster too. Training started this morning. And by Fall, I think I'll try the 'cross thing out. :cool:

[cleavel]

Hi,

34 criteriums / circuit races / road races
8 time trial
total of 950 miles of racing in 2007

Married with 2 kids. 17 of the races were weekly series "circuit" races. My wife is a runner and races too -- just not as often.