[quote=“newguy”]
and who’s going to make that judgment? the upgrade coordinator?[/quote]
yep.
[quote=“dutret”][quote=“newguy”]
and who’s going to make that judgment? the upgrade coordinator?[/quote]
yep.[/quote]
do you honestly think the upgrade coordinator has time to be at every race and can watch every cat 5 as they ride to see who has the fitness and bike handling skills necessary to earn their upgrade? that’s preposterous. 10 starts = upgrade. it’s simple.
[quote=“newguy”][quote=“dutret”][quote=“newguy”]
and who’s going to make that judgment? the upgrade coordinator?[/quote]
yep.[/quote]
do you honestly think the upgrade coordinator has time to be at every race and can watch every cat 5 as they ride to see who has the fitness and bike handling skills necessary to earn their upgrade? that’s preposterous. 10 starts = upgrade. it’s simple.[/quote]
If you podium in a few big races it means one of two things… you know how to handle a bike or you’re too strong to be learning anything.
10 races is a pretty random number anyway, it’s clearly not enough to actually learn to handle a bike yet would keep too many strong capable riders down(if actually enforced) to let the more average ones actually learn anything. People who learn are going to ride week by week in group rides and practice races rather then 10 usac STARTS spread out anywhere from a couple of months too years.
Ideally the system at most tracks is much better where the track director is in fact able to watch most if not all races and place people exactly where they belong to provide safety and an appropriate level of competition for everyone.
[quote=“newguy”][quote=“dutret”][quote=“newguy”]
and who’s going to make that judgment? the upgrade coordinator?[/quote]
yep.[/quote]
do you honestly think the upgrade coordinator has time to be at every race and can watch every cat 5 as they ride to see who has the fitness and bike handling skills necessary to earn their upgrade? that’s preposterous. 10 starts = upgrade. it’s simple.[/quote]
so could you start 10 races, DNF 10 races and still cat up?
i’m thinking about racing some crits. a few things have gotten me psyched about them.
one is, somewhat oddly, the youtube video of the storyland criterium up on new hampshire that some fellah posted on here last week.
the other is knowing that there is a series of smaller crits happening within riding distance (12mi or so) from where i live. i hear they’re smaller and a bit less intense, with a mixed 4/5 field. i’d rather not race intense, local crits, especially since i haven’t done much road racing.
my strategy is gonna be to keep the rubber side down, as they say - sit in and learn and get comfortable and learn, just like my first [many] track race days (ongoing).
i’ve enjoyed reading stuff from sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com - sprinting strategies, crit experiences, and good reflections, musings, and reminiscence from 20+ years racing.
^^^he has a great blog and you really can learn alot from him.
and yes, 10 starts, 10 DNFs and you can upgrade.
yeah. i mean, learning by reading and learning by riding are two very different things, but that blog’s given me a lot to think about. bonus points for the fact that he’s a good writer, and has seen racing through a handful of decades. makes it fun.
3 starts and you got your upgrade? i’m sorry, but that’s just wrong.[/quote]
hah - why? as my friend put it, which caused me to petition for an upgrade, you are either a cat 5 rider for life or you will quickly move up. i had 3 decent finishes in my first 3 races, which shows i have potential considering i have a lot to learn, and that i can handle my bike just fine (better than most, but i don’t like to boast 
). there is the usual 10 race rule where i am from, but you can always petition for an upgrade (i did it through usacycling.com where you local offical will review it).
3 starts and you got your upgrade? i’m sorry, but that’s just wrong.[/quote]
hah - why? as my friend put it, which caused me to petition for an upgrade, you are either a cat 5 rider for life or you will quickly move up. i had 3 decent finishes in my first 3 races, which shows i have potential considering i have a lot to learn, and that i can handle my bike just fine (better than most, but i don’t like to boast ). there is the usual 10 race rule where i am from, but you can always petition for an upgrade (i did it through usacycling.com where you local offical will review it).[/quote]
no offense, but it’s not like you lapped the field or something. top 10s aren’t wins and everyone who pins a number on has potential.
Dont get to upset about it being easy to upgrade from cat5 to cat4. It is mostly a formality. I dont think you would find a huge difference in fitness between the two fields, and although the worst bike handlers are in the 5’s the bike handling on the whole wont be that different either. Cat 5 is listed at most races as “public” meaning anyone can show up, get a one day liscence, and race. You could buy your first bike on the way to the race and you could race! Basically racing starts at cat 4, as do actual cash prizes, and you just need to do your time, however long that is, in the 5’s to get there…
Second Crit this week:
Start time was 7:15 this morning. It was 85f+ at the start. Not your typical course. 2 miles long. 4 right handers. pretty stout hill turn 2 to turn 3. long straight after turn 2, short uphill after 3 and 4 to the finish. 25 minute race=5laps. The big hill rocked me right away. half the field stayed together in the front and the rest fell off quickly. When they called 2 laps to go I was sneaking past the field to round turn 1 in second, with a solo breakaway ahead of me. The hill ruined me for good and the field quickly passed me, I was 50m off the back going into turn 2… Only lost ground from there… For sure not my type of race! but very fun! the location of the hills in relation to the turns made for very slow corners in the field, the slowest I have seen. and my lack of hill skills was very evident!
Hopefully I will do better in tomorrows race in San Pedro!!!
[quote=“Quinn8it”]Second Crit this week:
Start time was 7:15 this morning. It was 85f+ at the start. Not your typical course. 2 miles long. 4 right handers. pretty stout hill turn 2 to turn 3. long straight after turn 2, short uphill after 3 and 4 to the finish. 25 minute race=5laps. The big hill rocked me right away. half the field stayed together in the front and the rest fell off quickly. When they called 2 laps to go I was sneaking past the field to round turn 1 in second, with a solo breakaway ahead of me. The hill ruined me for good and the field quickly passed me, I was 50m off the back going into turn 2… Only lost ground from there… For sure not my type of race! but very fun! the location of the hills in relation to the turns made for very slow corners in the field, the slowest I have seen. and my lack of hill skills was very evident!
Hopefully I will do better in tomorrows race in San Pedro!!![/quote]
That’s a long lap! Were the corners tight?
[quote=“fix”]
That’s a long lap! Were the corners tight?[/quote]
Tell me about it!
The corners were all 90deg. but were either at the top of a hill or at the bottom, so the field would crawl through them! Once I went OTB I could cruise through them… But it didn’t help!
I’m watching the Austin crits right now. The pro race is about to start. Looks super fun. Could I ride my tarck bike in a cat 5?
“for road races only a bike with a freewheel and one working brake for each wheel shall be used”
Taken from USACycling rule book…
page 26 section ij3b
Anyone know why?
I mean, if you could to TT’s fixed (as long as you have a brake) why no road races? It’d be awesome to see tarck bike win a crit.
I love rode bikes. And whenever I build one up, I’d definitely be trying some crits, they look like a lot of fun. Since endurance isn’t really my thing.
Flying non-stop to bummertown. Theys just skurred of us! Tarckbear will strike them down!
austin crits were siiiiick. i really want to try some racing now.
I would think because of the tight turns it is dangerous to the rider and everyone around them. One pedal strike and half the field is down and bloody.
Plus that whole thing about how the chain likes to keep sucking body parts into it as the wheel spins, no one wants that death machine on their arm after a crash.