Enthusiastic but no idea! How on earth do I start racing!?

[BoBCyclist]

Hi!

I really want to start racing on the road over the next couple years. I only started training a few months ago but I've read an awful lot of training material and I've tried to take it on board but the results I'm seeing aren't exactly what I want. I've heard that as a ballpark figure 4th cat races are 40kph. I guess therefore then being able to hold on in a chaingang at that speed is what I'm aiming for.

Currently I can ride for a couple hours on rolling terrain at 28kph and I do a changing for an hour that is 31kph. I realise this is pretty slow. I haven't had a go at a 10m TT but I guess I'd be looking at 31:00 which is unbelievably slow.

Basically how I do I get to a level where I can race?

Currently I train hard for 3 weeks and take a week easy. I do VO2 Max intervals once a week, a changing at about 31kph once a week, a sweetspot/threshold session (I do struggle with this), an endurance ride and then a longer endurance ride (4hours). So I train for about 10hours a week. I train based on feel normally because heart rate doesn't work for me (my zones just don't correspond to effort at all and my threshold seems pretty close to my max heart rate)

I could probably up this a bit to 12/13 hours.

I want you guys to give me some advice really. I guess, being young (under 20), I'm just being impatient but I really want to be able to keep up with the faster guys as soon as! I use a turbo trainer for my VO2 max intervals and threshold intervals but I do the longer and endurance rides on the road.
I'd also like to my first century and improve my climbing.

(I say I'd like to race, its probably more that I want to be a better cyclist all around rather than just be able to sprint repeatedly in a crit).

Thanks!!!

 

[DCLane]

Are you in a local club?

If not - join one that does group rides and chain gangs. That'll be the best route into learning how to ride fast in a group, improve your speed and riding skills.

You'll also need insurance; British Cycling Silver membership gives you that plus Provisional race licence. A club that has a race section will give you all the advice and pointers you need.

Where are you based?

 

[iandg]

Are you in a local club?

Agree, first step would be to join a club. Someone there should be able to offer all the advice you need.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubs

 

[screenman]

Do some time trials and start using miles instead of kilo's, they will make you go harder. Join a club.

 

[Sharky]

As above - join a club.
And don't try and compare training times with race times. You'll go a lot faster under race conditions.

 

[raleighnut]

^^^^^^^+1 join a club.

 

[screenman]

Get up earlier and check the replies to your posts.

 

[BoBCyclist]

Agree, first step would be to join a club. Someone there should be able to offer all the advice you need.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubs

Yup, I have joined a club and I do their chaingang every week. I don't do their longer weekend ride primarily because they take a long time. Even the B ride takes about 7 hours with only 5 hours of riding time.

Do some time trials and start using miles instead of kilo's, they will make you go harder. Join a club.

I think I'll stick to km. After all, more modern and the rules do say it (not that I actually follow them)

Get up earlier and check the replies to your posts.

I was riding

 

[BoBCyclist]

Is my current training good enough for improvement or do I need to really take a look at it and train a lot harder?

 

[BoBCyclist]

Are you in a local club?

If not - join one that does group rides and chain gangs. That'll be the best route into learning how to ride fast in a group, improve your speed and riding skills.

You'll also need insurance; British Cycling Silver membership gives you that plus Provisional race licence. A club that has a race section will give you all the advice and pointers you need.

Where are you based?

Thanks!
Lancashire.

 

[screenman]

What club have you joined, you will find it is likely they do more than one long ride.

 

[midlife]

Does you club have a Coach....... My Old Club HTRC has a system to help with what you want to do..............

http://htrc.co.uk/hull-thursday-racing-team/richard-guymer/

Shaun

 

[huwsparky]

If you want to improve as fast as you possibly can you could do with a good coach. But you probably know this if you've been reading a lot on training. A power meter would also help in adding a structure to your training. No guess work involved.

If I were you I'd ride hard for the summer and see where your at. You need to be riding solo at 20+mph though, and with that I don't mean on pan flat roads. There's no point in even pretending otherwise. You should be able to get to this level without really thinking about it. The reason I say that is, I'm 35 and can and I've only been riding for 2 years and prior to that, no exercise for about 5 years and I can.

If your physiology doesn't allow, you may never make it no matter how hard you train.

Give it a go, what's the worst that can happen?

 

[BoBCyclist]

If you want to improve as fast as you possibly can you could do with a good coach. But you probably know this if you've been reading a lot on training. A power meter would also help in adding a structure to your training. No guess work involved.

If I were you I'd ride hard for the summer and see where your at. You need to be riding solo at 20+mph though, and with that I don't mean on pan flat roads. There's no point in even pretending otherwise. You should be able to get to this level without really thinking about it. The reason I say that is, I'm 35 and can and I've only been riding for 2 years and prior to that, no exercise for about 5 years and I can.

If your physiology doesn't allow, you may never make it no matter how hard you train.

Give it a go, what's the worst that can happen?

Thanks!

I guess I'll just train hard this Summer, do whatever in terms of long rides and high intensity stuff.
How have you trained (if you don't mind me asking)? I have felt that I've improved but my numbers haven't got to the 20mph average yet!!!
(Been very windy recently though so I guess I won't be aiming for that anytime soon)

 

[huwsparky]

I train in a varied way really. I don't really have a strict plan but I'm fortunate that I have people to ride with who are faster, but I mix it up with riding at a relaxed pace also. Your speed will come, but your hard rides have to be hard.

Yes, the wind does affect things but if you start and finish in the same place it'll pretty much even itself out. You'll just be going faster/slower at different points in the ride.

Didn't really do many long rides last year and want to improve my speed on the long ones this year which in finding difficult. However I will persevere and just try and ride a long ride every week. Ultimately, we're all trying to improve!

Just spend as much time riding as you can!