After 15 or so years of riding, I dove into the world of road racing at age 30. Before racing, I rode mostly solo or in small groups. I pushed myself and improved over time. My friends and I would beat up on each other on weekends.

Since I started racing, a few years ago, I've noticed changes in my riding behavior. Group rides no longer mean "hammerfest". As I said to someone this past weekend, "When I want to deliver and/or receive a beating, I'll pay my $25 and race." I no longer pay attention to my times on my regular routes. I've learned to embrace the normal weekend ride as just that...a ride.

Handling skills and confidence have improved 10-fold. Rub a wheel, bump elbows, etc. is no big deal. Taking off a jacket, eating, or taking pictures while riding is normal. Dealing with vehicle traffic is less stressfull. Buzz me, cut me off, etc. If I don't have to hit the brakes, I don't even bother to respond.

I have a completely different view of my bike. I used to lust for the high end stuff (or at least the best I could afford). Now, I go for the most reliable and durable parts and do my best to maintain them. The phrase, "Don't race what you can't afford to replace!", has really sunk in. I'm riding decent stuff but I bought it all at deep discounts. I have no urge to upgrade until something breaks or gives me problems.

The biggest change is in my attitude. I found racing to be very humbling. There are many fast riders out there. In all but a few of my races, there has been someone faster than me. Then, I quickly realize that Cating up will put me at the back of the pack again.

Racing is really tough, physically and mentally. Chess on wheels. Nascar on bikes. It has made me realize that when not racing, I should concentrate on fun and enjoy the ride.

I thought I was a big shot, or at least competent, when riding with the local non-racer club and doing centuries. My first Masters race put an end to that in the first mile. I've never known self-inflicted pain like bike racing, and that's just to keep up with the pack.

Racing at first turned me into an equipment/weight weenie junkie. I'd study www.analyticcycling.com (http://www.analyticcycling.com) to determine how many seconds up that 800 foot climb I'd be by using an SRP aluminum/titanium bolt kit. Carbon wheels, Supersonic tires, you name it -- if there was even the potential for greater speed, I bought it.

Then I found that it didn't make all that much difference. While I still wanted nice stuff, I focused more time, energy, and money on training and doing events. It is really all about the motor (well, and the CPU). My greatest improvements simply came from racing a lot and riding with racers a lot, pushing through pain on a weekly basis.

Did it change my normal riding? I suppose it became more planned, more pointed. You don't get into a spontaneous race to the city limits on Friday if you have an important race on Saturday.

Yes, I worry less about bike traffic, and can recognize bad riding more quickly when doing a big century, etc., and stay away from the dangerous ones. I, too, can brush tires all day long and survive now, but I think much of that has come from the rollers, too.







After 15 or so years of riding, I dove into the world of road racing at age 30. Before racing, I rode mostly solo or in small groups. I pushed myself and improved over time. My friends and I would beat up on each other on weekends.

Since I started racing, a few years ago, I've noticed changes in my riding behavior. Group rides no longer mean "hammerfest". As I said to someone this past weekend, "When I want to deliver and/or receive a beating, I'll pay my $25 and race." I no longer pay attention to my times on my regular routes. I've learned to embrace the normal weekend ride as just that...a ride.

Handling skills and confidence have improved 10-fold. Rub a wheel, bump elbows, etc. is no big deal. Taking off a jacket, eating, or taking pictures while riding is normal. Dealing with vehicle traffic is less stressfull. Buzz me, cut me off, etc. If I don't have to hit the brakes, I don't even bother to respond.

I have a completely different view of my bike. I used to lust for the high end stuff (or at least the best I could afford). Now, I go for the most reliable and durable parts and do my best to maintain them. The phrase, "Don't race what you can't afford to replace!", has really sunk in. I'm riding decent stuff but I bought it all at deep discounts. I have no urge to upgrade until something breaks or gives me problems.

The biggest change is in my attitude. I found racing to be very humbling. There are many fast riders out there. In all but a few of my races, there has been someone faster than me. Then, I quickly realize that Cating up will put me at the back of the pack again.

Racing is really tough, physically and mentally. Chess on wheels. Nascar on bikes. It has made me realize that when not racing, I should concentrate on fun and enjoy the ride.

Yeah - I've only been riding for a couple of years but mostly rode to keep fit, and since I moved to CA, to enjoy the sunshine.

I certainly did have delusions of grandeur that were quickly destroyed when I did my first race. I respect racers more.

I used to do a lot of rowing and rowing races. I remember the pain of those and the planning that went into the training. Since i started racing I've stopped riding around just enjoying the sunshine - or at least on 2 or 3 rides a week. I've implemented a lot of the knowledge of training from my past into a proper cyclic training schedual. I never had one of those last year! And I never did intervals, sprints, hill repeats, and TTs just in order to hurt myself last year.

My remember my elementary school principle would say "It's not the winning, it's the taking part!" I remember this quote so well because i think it's complete crap!

And hey Doug - since you're in this thread - I think almost every day of something you wrote on here many years ago and it really drives the way i train. "Most riders ride too hard on the easy days and too easy on the hard days." (I don't know whether that's a Doug original but my memory has attributed it to you.) So when it's a hard day, or a race, I prepare myself to hurt. And when it's not - I continue to enjoy the socal sunshine!

I think the quote came from Carmichael. I do think it's true, though.

Doug

Yeah - I've only been riding for a couple of years but mostly rode to keep fit, and since I moved to CA, to enjoy the sunshine.

I certainly did have delusions of grandeur that were quickly destroyed when I did my first race. I respect racers more.

I used to do a lot of rowing and rowing races. I remember the pain of those and the planning that went into the training. Since i started racing I've stopped riding around just enjoying the sunshine - or at least on 2 or 3 rides a week. I've implemented a lot of the knowledge of training from my past into a proper cyclic training schedual. I never had one of those last year! And I never did intervals, sprints, hill repeats, and TTs just in order to hurt myself last year.

My remember my elementary school principle would say "It's not the winning, it's the taking part!" I remember this quote so well because i think it's complete crap!

And hey Doug - since you're in this thread - I think almost every day of something you wrote on here many years ago and it really drives the way i train. "Most riders ride too hard on the easy days and too easy on the hard days." (I don't know whether that's a Doug original but my memory has attributed it to you.) So when it's a hard day, or a race, I prepare myself to hurt. And when it's not - I continue to enjoy the socal sunshine!

It is amazing how humbling that first race is. I rode with a local club for a few years and was one of the faster riders, or so I thought. Then I did a race a few years ago and not even two miles in I was shot out the back. To add insult to injury some fat little kid yelled from the back of a car stopped at one of the corners, "Hurry up slow-poke!". That was a pretty miserable day.

Since then I've found my way up to the cat 3 ranks and have even won a few races. It's become a central part of my life, especially this time of year. It's a good thing I'm not married and have kids. I don't know how you guys with families do it.

Really where do you begin? It's not just the training and developing skills and appreciation. It is life style change. Then actual race tactics and how damn painful it is but so highly enjoyable. Being relaxed in a field of 100 people on a skinny road going 40-60mph is just...difficult to describe. But there is nothing as much fun as learning. Talking to your team mates while racing, helping others out in the race, the feeling of accomplishment and routine that isn't mundane. Learning every race and how it comes apart or stays together, courses, rain in your face, dirt kicking up in your mouth; its alot like going to a bike show sometimes. You get to see Pros you read about, all the gear and machines etc.

People making jokes and then the life mimicking experiences like fighting back to the lead group after being dropped or out sprinting someone to the line. It is addicting, so addicting that your willing to change alot about your personal life. That is impressive. All due to the enormous enjoyment of seeing the world by a bike

Lance said ""the more pain I feel the more alive I feel"" That is racing to me

Really where do you begin? It's not just the training and developing skills and appreciation. It is life style change. Then actual race tactics and how damn painful it is but so highly enjoyable. Being relaxed in a field of 100 people on a skinny road going 40-60mph is just...difficult to describe. But there is nothing as much fun as learning. Talking to your team mates while racing, helping others out in the race, the feeling of accomplishment and routine that isn't mundane. Learning every race and how it comes apart or stays together, courses, rain in your face, dirt kicking up in your mouth; its alot like going to a bike show sometimes. You get to see Pros you read about, all the gear and machines etc.

People making jokes and then the life mimicking experiences like fighting back to the lead group after being dropped or out sprinting someone to the line. It is addicting, so addicting that your willing to change alot about your personal life. That is impressive. All due to the enormous enjoyment of seeing the world by a bike

Lance said ""the more pain I feel the more alive I feel"" That is racing to me

That is considering how my teammate treat when I go to races. And how they show me how much they care *sniff,sniff* Other than that I get to watch myself gradually imporve ,while the team say "hey you the only Cat 5 on our team. O h what joy

It's a good thing I'm not married and have kids. I don't know how you guys with families do it.

Easy - we don't race Cat 3 - we become "permafours" :D

Easy - we don't race Cat 3 - we become "permafours" :D
Or you could say, "That's why they have age categories." ;)

Unfortunately, I have a family and kids but I'm not old enough for the 35+ races. My first two races as a Cat. 3 have been combined 1,2, & 3 races. I'm looking forward to a cat. 3 only race in a couple weeks. :D

Or you could say, "That's why they have age categories." ;)

Unfortunately, I have a family and kids but I'm not old enough for the 35+ races. My first two races as a Cat. 3 have been combined 1,2, & 3 races. I'm looking forward to a cat. 3 only race in a couple weeks. :D

I race 50+ (as a Cat5) against Cat3s and better all the time. When you're old and new, there's no place to hide.
TF

Easy - we don't race Cat 3 - we become "permafours" :D

That would be me. Cat4 since 1988 and loving it! ...only now I can race Masters. I can have a faster AND safer race too. I keep thinking about catting up 'cause most of the guys I usually train with are at min. 3s. but then I think: as a 4, all ya gotta really do is maintain fitness not have a second job riding a bike 15-18hrs/week to be competetive.

I won't tell you about racing with former Olympians and Masters World Champions at the track... Our cats are A/B/C and I keep talking myself into racing As.

Racing track means *gasp!* training.

Mike

After 15 or so years of riding, I dove into the world of road racing at age 30. Before racing, I rode mostly solo or in small groups. I pushed myself and improved over time. My friends and I would beat up on each other on weekends.

Since I started racing, a few years ago, I've noticed changes in my riding behavior. Group rides no longer mean "hammerfest". As I said to someone this past weekend, "When I want to deliver and/or receive a beating, I'll pay my $25 and race." I no longer pay attention to my times on my regular routes. I've learned to embrace the normal weekend ride as just that...a ride.

Handling skills and confidence have improved 10-fold. Rub a wheel, bump elbows, etc. is no big deal. Taking off a jacket, eating, or taking pictures while riding is normal. Dealing with vehicle traffic is less stressfull. Buzz me, cut me off, etc. If I don't have to hit the brakes, I don't even bother to respond.

I have a completely different view of my bike. I used to lust for the high end stuff (or at least the best I could afford). Now, I go for the most reliable and durable parts and do my best to maintain them. The phrase, "Don't race what you can't afford to replace!", has really sunk in. I'm riding decent stuff but I bought it all at deep discounts. I have no urge to upgrade until something breaks or gives me problems.

The biggest change is in my attitude. I found racing to be very humbling. There are many fast riders out there. In all but a few of my races, there has been someone faster than me. Then, I quickly realize that Cating up will put me at the back of the pack again.

Racing is really tough, physically and mentally. Chess on wheels. Nascar on bikes. It has made me realize that when not racing, I should concentrate on fun and enjoy the ride.

To answer your question specifically: racing means that rides during the week are either HARD or EASY. If its intervals/sprints then I'm 100% during those efforts. The rest of the ride is easy. If I'm on an easy day, I don't go too much faster than a 20mph cruising pace. (and if that's too hard, I slow down! Slowing down, what an AMAZING concept!)

The 101 here in San Diego is famous for people "racing." Guys will see you in the distance ahead of them, hammer, and "drop you." Every time someone does that to me I have to chuckle. I've even been passed by guys on mtn bikes. I can almost hear that inner monolog: "Hah! I just blew the doors off that guy on a road bike! ...and I'm riding my MTN bike!" As I'm thinking "ouch, ouch, ouch, I'm going too fast! That last interval session REALLY took it out of me! Huh? What's this guy on a mtn bike doing? Oh! He's RACING me..."

I've noticed over the years that the guys that get the super-lightest everything and put it on their bikes usually don't race. I have a hard time with carbon bars, ultralight bits, etc. all I can think is me torqueing on the bars in a field sprint, something snapping, and tumbling over and over. Sliding to a stop from 35-40mph is going to HURT!

There's a (few) group ride(s) here in San Diego with lots of guys that don't race. They use it as their weekly hammer session. I ride over and meet them in order to chat up the ladies on the ride and have a good time. The hammering is something someone else can do...

One of the other things racing has done is make me very aware of what I'm doing driving. Like the OP said "chess on wheels." Except in this game of chess, you don't know how the players are going to move, when they're going to move, etc. I tend to plan ahead further than most people I know: where's that gap,? if I go up that lane, what's it going to get me? etc. I've been told that when I'm done racing I have a tendency to shoot more gaps in traffic. I gotta remember to watch that...

One of the things ya gotta remember in this life : it is VERY easy to win a one-horse race!

Mike

So true about the 101! I got really frustrated with a guy sitting on my wheel for a couple of miles then "racing" me, last friday as I did an easy ride the evening before a race.

I still hammer the Swami's group ride once a month and treat it like a cheap race!

Are you with a team MShaw?

Rich.

I also get people around here trying to "race" me while I'm returning to town from a recovery ride. It's funny how some people's lives are so lacking that they have to unilaterally and surreptitiously race against people for validation. I used to ignore them but I think I'll take them up on their challenge this season, even if I'm tired.