First bike race??

I'm going to be doing my first bike race this summer, and well, i have absolutely no idea what to expect! lol should I use my bike or one of my parents' old racing bikes? how should i get ready for the race? how do bike races work? is there any thing specific i should wear? lol anyway any help would be great! thanks in advance!

Road race? Ride the bike that fits you. If one of your parent's bikes fits and is more race ready then go ahead and use it. For training, ride lots, ride fast, ride hard.

In a road race, you line up at the start, someone says go and you ride until it's over. Since it's your first, stay behind someone the whole way if you can. Never take a turn at the front. Leave that for the more experienced racers. If you get dropped, just ride at your own pace and finish the race.

The rules require you to wear a helmet. Otherwise it's mostly up to the promoter. Assuming it's a race with people that have been there before, everyone will be wearing lycra shorts/bibs and jerseys. If you're not on a team, any jersey will do but try to keep it low key (no cartoon characters or beer logos). You should also wear gloves and clipless pedals/shoes. Never wear a Camelback on a road bike. Two water bottles on the frame should be plenty for a beginner distance race.

Most important, have fun and be safe. Don't take chances or ride recklessly since your mistake could easily injure someone else.

Good luck!

1) Ride/race the bike for the what type of racing you plan on doing, know the bike well.
2) Gear, bike shorts, jersey, helmet, etc. based on the time or distance consider a water bottle or camelpak.
3) What to expect, different promoters run their races slightly different, but being your this is your first just go out and finish the race and have a good time.