Race Categories

[Darren]

Could anyone give an idea of what competition is in each of the Men's A,B,C categories? It would be nice to know what times/speeds one should be working towards to stay competitive since I (and probably others) have never been in races before. I've only been in fundraiser rides where anything goes.

[troy d.]

I found a decent guide to your question on the Eastern Collegiate Conference, http://www.eccc-info.com/content/faq_category.html, except we don't have a "D" category here, and we don't have team leaders or care about points that much (unless you're from MSU).

Basically, you can choose your category at any time (though you can't change during a weekend of racing).  So, try the C's first, and if you find it easy, go ahead an move up to the B's for the next race.  However, if you're doing well in the C's, but still feel uncomfortable riding close to people, you should probably stay in the C's for the learning experience.

Also, no one likes to get dropped, which is a big part of the reason people are worried about choosing the right category, but it is not that big of a deal.  Especially in collegiate races.  The races are never big, so things eventually spread out a little, so even if you're having a bad day and finish off the back, you're one of many.  The A races are usually so small and long that the biggest groups to roll across the line are around 4 riders in a lot of races.  I've rolled in by myself more than once (never out front, unfortunately).  Besides, there isn't any money in these races, so it's all about the challenge.  

As far as speeds go, this is one of the biggest differences between racing and riding.  The average speeds aren't the big deal, it's the few big spikes in speed that make the difference in the race.  Maybe some of our more experienced riders can give you some numbers, but I'd bet you could keep up with the group for sure.  It's just that hill, 20th corner, crosswind section, or final sprint that makes the difference.  Hope this helps.

-Troy D.

[dannynguyen]

Yeh, getting dropped really isn't that big a deal.  Despite coming across the line 15min behind the pack, races were still fun as heck.  And that's coming from someone with a really competitive nature.

[cyclingmo]

haha, yeah, i've been dropped in every race i've ever done. Hell, sometimes I even get dropped in "fun" rides. But as for mens C, which is what I ride and know the most about, the speed goes anywhere from 18 to 32. The average speed isn't much higher than 22-24, but some riders (who should technically be in mens B) start some random springs which go as fast as 32 or above at times, and it's these sprints that shatter the whole group and usually thats where you get dropped. I remember in the championships I got dropped first, and I was the last rider from a group of about 45 riders for more than 8 miles or so, but then I started passing others who had gotten dropped after me and still ended up finishing somewhere in the middle of the group. Just dont quit and keep going, thats what I learned.
Hell, a few weeks back we did a Txbra race and I went for cat 5, and even though I finished like 30 min behind the main pack (because I got lost twice and ran out of water for the last 15 miles in 105 degree weather) but I still got like 32nd out of a 57 man field. It's just that so many other rider quit and didn't even finish.
So I guess what i'm trying to say is to do what troy suggested, start with C's and if you're comfortable with the pace move up. Here are just the distance stats from last years RR:
Mens C- 5 laps x 7.5 mi/lap
Mens B- 7 laps x 7.5 mi/lap
Mens A- 10 laps x 7.5 mi/lap

The distance goes up, but remember that the average speed also goes up. So good luck.