How to Race Road Bikes

The Tour de France is over and Lance Armstrong is hitting on girls in bars. But that doesn't mean you can't still get into cycling races. There is a whole world of cycling races out there and it seems that cycling's becoming the new golf. Become a part of it.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• USA cycling license
• Calendar

Getting Ready to Race

1. Get a road bike!. Go to the local bike store and have them fit you on a bike. Explain what you're looking for. Do your research on different makes, but most importantly, make sure it fits you. Bad fits cause knee problems. Every frame size has a number that corresponds with the centimeters of your leg length. Additionally, most bike makers have a different frame geometry, which can allow you to ride a smaller or larger bike depending.

2. While you're at the bike store, why don't you pick up some padded bike shorts, a bike helmet, some warm gloves or rain gear (depending on where you live) and bike shoes. Bike shoes clip into bike pedals, much like ski bindings. There are many different kinds: the larger the surface area of the pedal, the more your force down typically translates into movement forward. Some are easier to unclip, some have more play, some are better for knee problems. Talk to the people at the bike store about what your specific needs are.

3. If you've never had clip-in bike pedals and bike shoes before, you'll want to practice before you take them on the road. Practice holding onto a wall and clipping in and out of your pedals. Practice in an empty parking lot. Many people prefer to ride their bike with the regular platform pedals until they get use to it and then change to clip-in pedals.

4. Start riding your bike. Many cities have bike trails, often in parks or near rivers. Ride by yourself or with another buddy getting into it, until you have some basic bike handling skills. You don't want to ride too much with other people until you can stop and start and corner without knocking anyone over.

5. Join the USA Cycling Association and join a local team. USA Cycling monitors and insures all cycling members and regulates racing. They also provide lists of USA Cycling registered teams. A simple search will tell you what cycling teams are in your area. Talking to the people at the bike store will also tell you what teams are around that meet your needs. Most cycling teams are casual, with a variety of abilities and cost some fee to join and recieve coaching and participate in team rides. But riding with a team is a great way to learn skills, have fun and motivate yourself.

Racing Your Bike

6. Most bike races are sanctioned and insured by USA Cycling. When you registered with USA Cycling, you should have received a license and number. This is your ticket to race.

7. There are 5 categories for men and 4 for women in USA Cycling. You start automatically at the lowest (5 or 4 respectively) and move up by earning points. It is fairly straight forward to move from 5 to 4 and simply involves participating in a set number of races. After that, moving up categories is dependant on doing well. You only race against members of your same category (and theoretically, then, your same skill level).

8. Most regions have there own cycling associations or governing bodies. For example the Northern California and Nevada Cycling Association is one of the largest ones. These different associations are registered with USA Cycling and can be found through a basic search. Regional Associations are often responsible for the races in that area, for series of races or cups in which you can accumulate results and for regulating races and racers.

9. Talk with your team and examine the regional calendar. Decide what races you are going to do. Races with team members are often more rewarding. The more you race the more you'll get better at racing. Don't be surprised if your first road race you get dropped by the group.

10. Once you pick some races, get out there and do it! Staying with the group or peloton is key to a race, but can be difficult and even scary with that many riders close together. If you fall off or get dropped, it is much harder to go as fast, because you won't be getting the wind protection of all those riders. Wind resistance can be a big problem when you're going that fast.

11. Most road races end in 1 of 2 ways. Either there was a breakaway of a few people from the peloton and they stay off in front and fight between themselves for the win. Or the whole group finishes together and everyone makes a mad sprint to the finish. If you're in either of these situations, the key is not to lose your head. Be patient. When everyone starts sprinting it can be scary and accidents can happen. Don't stop and don't get scared or you'll run into other racers. Just go as hard as you can through the finish.

12. Train smart. And keep racing. You'll get the hang of it. You may not ever turn pro, but maybe you can win the age 35+ group eventually.

Tips & Warnings

• Many cities also have women's only or women-focused bike teams.
• Don't be reckless while riding with a group in a race. It can cause accidents and annoy the other riders.
• Don't make enemies while racing, either by talking trash or ignoring the common courtesies. Amateur bike racing isn't so big that you won't see these people again and again.

Resources

• USA Cycling
• Northern Cal and Nevada Cycling Assoc