Advice please: Which group should I race in?

[Steve in SLO]

I'm going to be racing a first road race for the first time since my late 20s. I'll be turning 50 this year, so I have 2 group choices: Cat 5 or 50+ Masters. I am currently in decent shape for age, and can hang with lower cat riders on most club rides, and I can climb.

The course is a 34 mile out and back with predominantly rollers with a 1 mile long climb each way near the start/finish. Out it's mostly -2-4% grade, and back is (obviously) the opposite, so pacing oneself will be important.

I figure the Cat 5s will go out fast and blow themselves up on the long (10 miles) slight downhill. A careful rider should do pretty well holding back a bit and saving something for the false flat/final climb return. The cat 5 group would probably be the more dodgy as far as crashes are concerned.

The Masters 50+ will likely be a mix and a smaller field with some damn fast cat 1 and 2s, and some random guys like me. It'll likely be a more dynamic and safer race, and I will get shelled by the fast guys.

Which race do you think would be a better fit?

Thanks,
Steve

[regularguy412]

SAFETY FIRST.

Plus, you'll learn a TON more about bicycle racing from the guys who have been doin' it awhile. You'll seldom see a 50+ Masters racer diving for a hole in the group that's not there. That's not to denigrate the Cat 5s. It's just that most of those Masters need to get up on Monday morning and go to work.

It WILL be hard -- prolly lots harder than you cold ever imagine. You'll prolly get shelled. Just don't give up. Go at it like it's the best training ride you've ever done. You'll never forget your first race. :D

Good Luck!

Mike:beer:

[sloji]

We both live here, train here...I ride 200 miles a week and sometimes race, i'm also 50. I ride with the Cal Poly team and SLO nexus groups most the time. Which race are you doing? You know about the Sunday crit races that has B and A groups? Might help to help learn the ropes from some of the veterans in our area.

As far as your first race forget everything you know and show up, I did it at San Ardo last year and just racing you learn more than all the training to prepare. I finished mid pack in the masters cat4/5 group and there are some very seasoned, very strong riders that show up which means even if you're strong as an ox some of the teams will outfox you. Big deal. To me it was about finishing, not crashing, and not being last. I took 26 out of 40 some riders. I was not prepared for the numbers of attacks nor the adrenaline and rough roads with potholes and 40 guys crammed together doing 24 miles an hour up to 31. It's a rush though. Not sure i'd ride my Ottrott again, need a cheap race bike methinks...even with crash protection!

I think I know who you are from around town and I hear about how strong of a climber you are, I wish I was...but I am improving bit by bit. If I can finish in the middle i'd bet you're gonna do better than I did. It's fun as heck to be out there.

Tips that I got before I rode; stay in the front 1/3 of the pack, don't cover every attack they come and go and you catch up, remember to hydrate and eat some...it's easy to forget amidst the adrenaline. You can look up your competition before hand to get some idea of the life some of these guys lead. A lot of the riders come from all over California and race every weekend, in other words lots of experience and some of the fittest middle aged folks i've ever seen in any sport...but then so are you!

Let's ride sometime, sloji@yahoo.com. Saturdays I usually do a 50-100 miler...Old creek, etc ....and you can wait for me at the top of the hill!

Good luck on the race!

Michael

[Steve in SLO]

Mike: Thanks for your advice. I was leaning towards going in the 50s group but the thought of grizzled old vets was making me a bit nervous about doing something stupid...

Michael: You DO know me. Think Gabe, doctor, Porsches, 2001 Volvo T5, and discussions about your recumbent around then. You should put it together from there. PM me and we'll get together for a ride.

Point of clarification: I did race in college, then off and on for a couple of years after , cat 3-4, so this isn't something brand new, it's just new again.


Steve

[avalonracing]

50+
If your bones were from 15-30 years old Cat 5 would still be worth considering (as a warm up for the 50+ race)

[gasman]

The masters 50+ is very fast here-lots of 1/2s like you said. If there is a 35 to 50 plus 4/5 you will probably not be spit out the back and if you are careful you can avoid mayham.

[Birddog]

Ride Masters, forget about Cat5.