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| *Vultures Knob>>>Road Bike |
How do you go about starting to race road bikes? |
I'm 17 and am looking for a way to start competing in Illinois--do I do this by finding a club, entering on my own, etc.? And where do I find out about races? A bike club IS the way to go. Bike shops usually know of local clubs ar even sponsor them. The clubs usually sponsor a team for races or sponsor the races themselves. Club riders have a wealth of knowledge to offer on all aspects of cycling. Check with you local bike shop - especially one that is geared toward road racers. They should be able to inform you of local races and training rides, introduce you to other cyclists and point you to websites with the race information, etc. My area has a local racing website, I'm sure a simple google search with your hometown and name and "bicycle racing" will get you where you need to go. For most "true" bike races (US Cycling Federation certified) you'll need a racing license. Some races have an "Open" category for unlicensed riders and some races sell 1-day licenses for the specific race. Look at usacycling.com for more information. Becoming licensed pretty much just means paying an annual membership fee to the USCF. I'd recommend getting involved in some group training rides before jumping into a race. The race pace can be a shocker. When I began racing I started in time trials and then worked up to road races. I did a few crits, but hated those. Tight turns, sprinting out of every corner. Pretty much an accident waiting to happen. Good luck and enjoy yourself. A local shop or local club will likely help you out the most. Use the first link to find ones that have posted to League American Bicyclists. Also, be aware of the variety of road races - crits (laps done, usually in closed course city streets), "road races" (outside rides, variable length), Race Across AMerica (RAAM) (most intense race in the world), velodromes (circular / oval tracks, often indoors) Find local shops, BikeEd coursees, and clubs: http://www.bikeleague.org/cogs/resources... Find clubs associated with us cycling: http://www.usacycling.org/ start by joining a club. if you can find a local club they will likely hold club races a couple nights a week, and may even sponsor and race or series of races. get some experience on the club level. mine was divided into catagories for different experience levels. Ohio also has an events calander listing races and tours. when you are ready to progress you will need to apply for a license with the USCF. your local bike shop often has the application. the club is kind of key in all this stuff. |
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