For a road race of say, 50 miles, rolling hills, what is your warmup routine? Ride the trainer, doing something like a TT warmup? Ride around the course, throw in a couple of efforts? How long?

My last 2 road races, one last season, one last Sunday, I didn't time it right and , after driving 2+ hours, barely had enough time to get dressed, go to bathroom, put air in tires, and get to the starting line. The one last season, the pack started off relatively mellow, and the race went sort of ok. Last Sunday, a guy went off at the gun, and it was a hammerfest for the first 1/4 of the race. Not a good result for me, but good experience and good to get that 1st race for the season under my belt. Oh, it was a fixed gear road race: interesting!

In other words, you almost always have to plan for someone going off at the gun, so you need to be somewhat warmed up, but not too much. Interested in what works for you.

Thanks,
hrv

Like you, I usually don't have enough time for anything significant. I usually just ride around pretty mellow on some side streets or something. Also, I'm paranoid of getting a flat just prior to the race starting. Usually, I use the first couple of miles of the race to warm up. Also, the guy that breaks within 10 seconds of the race starting is usually a jackass and will blow up before a mile in. That guy won't hurt my "cold" legs because I won't be chasing him.

I almost always show up early (like a half hour to an hour). I get registration out of the way as soon as possible, check out equipment, supplies etc. Chat with folks. About a half hour beforehand I'm on the bike in mosey gear going real easy spending time chating with folks while on the bike. On a long race without any obstructions early on, I will keep it real easy. If it a short race, which often means a fast start, or a track race, or a crit or a road race with an obstruction early on. I will get my self alone and start winding up and getting myself focused about 10-15 minutes before the start time. I like to get the heart rate up a bit and then do some false sprints (start a sprint up, but cut it short). I try to keep the HR up until they call us to the line.

I know a couple of the top racers around here take trainers to all the races. They get all serious and start up on the trainers about a half hour before hand and are all wound up and ready to go at the starting time. Looks good if you are good, otherwise you think, "what a putz!"

For a road race of say, 50 miles, rolling hills, what is your warmup routine? Ride the trainer, doing something like a TT warmup? Ride around the course, throw in a couple of efforts? How long?

My last 2 road races, one last season, one last Sunday, I didn't time it right and , after driving 2+ hours, barely had enough time to get dressed, go to bathroom, put air in tires, and get to the starting line. The one last season, the pack started off relatively mellow, and the race went sort of ok. Last Sunday, a guy went off at the gun, and it was a hammerfest for the first 1/4 of the race. Not a good result for me, but good experience and good to get that 1st race for the season under my belt. Oh, it was a fixed gear road race: interesting!

In other words, you almost always have to plan for someone going off at the gun, so you need to be somewhat warmed up, but not too much. Interested in what works for you.

Thanks,
hrv

I'd offer that if you have a 2.5 hour drive, you'll need more warmup.

I'm curious about a fixed gear RR. What gearing did you use? Was a licensing body involved?

I'd offer that if you have a 2.5 hour drive, you'll need more warmup.

I'm curious about a fixed gear RR. What gearing did you use? Was a licensing body involved?

Yeah, I was stiff and it was kind of cool out, about 45 deg. Warmup would have been nice.

I used 73.5", course was mostly flat , but there was a 'deciding' hill that was brutal on this gear. Not sure what the leaders used, I would guess 80" - 90"+. Everyone's being tight-lipped about the gear they used. I do know the guy who finished a couple ahead of me was on 79". I had to spin like a madman, he was spinning a little less, and the leaders where spinning much less. Yeah, more inches next year, and just suffer like a dog on the climbs.

hrv

Agree with you on the putz factor. Some guys around here have a team tent, trainers, fans (not people), and music blaring from one of their cars. One of them always gets blown out the back in less than 5 miles. Pretty funny.

I always warm up for 20-30 minutes on the trainer, under the team tent, often with music blaring - like the perfect putz! But then I won my last 2 races!

Often guys that don't get their heart-rate up in a good warm-up will be caught out badly if the pace goes fast from the start. Often this won't happen and you'll get to do your warm-up in the fist bit of the race. Bit risky though!

Do whatever works for you! If you get dropped after you've warmed up good and hard, it wasn't because of the warm-up! The converse does happen though.

Agree with you on the putz factor. Some guys around here have a team tent, trainers, fans (not people), and music blaring from one of their cars. One of them always gets blown out the back in less than 5 miles. Pretty funny.

While I don't have a team tent, fans or music, I do often do a quick spin up before a race - especially if I know it's going to be fast from the gun. Usually I'll do about 15 min - 2 sets of 5 min spin ups. I also find it useful when its pouring buckets & 40 degrees...

... and, no, I don't get spit off the back...

I hear you barking, dog...it's just too much stuff for me. I'm lucky to make it to the start in time, much less drag out a trainer, change skewers, register, pump tires, pin on #'s, blah, blah, blah. Most of my races are 3+ hour drives, so I'd have to wake up at like 3 a.m. to get enough time to do all this nice warming up stuff. More power to you, tho.

I always warm up for 20-30 minutes on the trainer, under the team tent, often with music blaring - like the perfect putz! But then I won my last 2 races!

Often guys that don't get their heart-rate up in a good warm-up will be caught out badly if the pace goes fast from the start. Often this won't happen and you'll get to do your warm-up in the fist bit of the race. Bit risky though!

Do whatever works for you! If you get dropped after you've warmed up good and hard, it wasn't because of the warm-up! The converse does happen though.

I once saw a guy warming up for a group ride on his rollers next to his truck, while everyone else was milling around the parking lot waiting for the ride to start. Now that's the ultimate Fred. He didn't make it to the end of the ride.

I once saw a guy warming up for a group ride on his rollers next to his truck, while everyone else was milling around the parking lot waiting for the ride to start. Now that's the ultimate Fred. He didn't make it to the end of the ride.

That's funny! Group rides always start off slow and have a nice warm-up period - even the fastest ones. Again, if you get dropped, it wasn't because of your warm-up - or lack there of in the case of group rides.

I know a couple of the top racers around here take trainers to all the races. They get all serious and start up on the trainers about a half hour before hand and are all wound up and ready to go at the starting time. Looks good if you are good, otherwise you think, "what a putz!"

I take a trainer to every single race and start my warm up about 45 minutes before the race. I don't consider myself a "top racer", but then again, I don't give a damn if people think I'm a putz. I'll be the one laughing when I drop their ass on the starting line. :p

For three hour road races, a couple loops around the parking lot does it. Or, ride backwards away from the finish line to see what the last 10k looks like up close.

For a 100km downtown criterium, 1/2 hour spinning with a few jumps.

1 hour criterium: 1 hour warmup (I ride to my training crits).

I just remember a "character" at one of the races. He did all the stuff pros do with all the stuff pros use. Making a big show out of the warm up process and talked a big talk about dropping our a$$es and winning the race. Then, only to get shelled out the back after the first turn and subsequently lapped several times. Plenty of other folks got shelled, but this guy stood out.

My point was, if you are going to make a spectacle of yourself, it's a good idea to have the goods to back it up.

While I don't have a team tent, fans or music, I do often do a quick spin up before a race - especially if I know it's going to be fast from the gun. Usually I'll do about 15 min - 2 sets of 5 min spin ups. I also find it useful when its pouring buckets & 40 degrees...

... and, no, I don't get spit off the back...

My point was, if you are going to make a spectacle of yourself, it's a good idea to have the goods to back it up.

Well I don't think warming up properly is necerssarily making a spectacle of yourself although the guy you describe does sound a fantastic fred/putz example. Was this cat 5? There are always a few at cat 5 like this. Everyone has to have their ass handed to them at least once in their racing career!

I once saw a guy warming up for a group ride on his rollers next to his truck, while everyone else was milling around the parking lot waiting for the ride to start. Now that's the ultimate Fred. He didn't make it to the end of the ride.

Now THAT'S funny. As for the trainer, I always bring one for crits since there's no guarantee that there will be a good place to warm up. It sounds like for some people, people warming up on trainers is unusual? Not where I race.... the parking lots are always littered with folks warming up on their trainers. For a long, flat road race, I don't really need to warmup though. Still, if I have time then i'll spin my legs out for 20 minutes by the car. It doesn't hurt. For crits, I need some jumps included as part of my warmup and I need to get my HR up to zone4 a few times. Some people are waaaaay more anal about
their warmups though.

I always try to warm up as you describe -- spin, a couple of jumps, one or two 2 minute efforts. If the race starts slow, no warm-up is no problem. If it starts fast, though -- problem. Trouble is getting everyone else to cooperate.

Road race, 44 miles, hills, short but they added up.

Rode the course backwards for about 1 mile, to see the finish. Did some form-sprints, some other short efforts. Spun in the parking lot. Felt great until I noticed I had a front flat , 10 minutes before the start!!!! That's the biggest reason to ride the trainer before the start.

Luckily, I had a spare tube, and they moved my start 15 min. later.

For a road race of say, 50 miles, rolling hills, what is your warm-up routine? Ride the trainer, doing something like a TT warmup? Ride around the course, throw in a couple of efforts? How long?

My last 2 road races, one last season, one last Sunday, I didn't time it right and , after driving 2+ hours, barely had enough time to get dressed, go to bathroom, put air in tires, and get to the starting line. The one last season, the pack started off relatively mellow, and the race went sort of ok. Last Sunday, a guy went off at the gun, and it was a hammerfest for the first 1/4 of the race. Not a good result for me, but good experience and good to get that 1st race for the season under my belt. Oh, it was a fixed gear road race: interesting!

In other words, you almost always have to plan for someone going off at the gun, so you need to be somewhat warmed up, but not too much. Interested in what works for you.

Thanks,
hrv

Road race > 50 miles, usually no warm-up other than just riding around for a bit before the start.

Crit - ride around the course for about an hour... I do this:

10 minutes Easy
5 minutes Tempo
5 minutes Easy
5 minutes at Threshold
5 minutes Easy
2 minutes Anaerobic
5 minutes Easy
5 minutes w/ a couple of 10 second jumps
5 minutes Easy

Total about 47 minutes

If it's a TT, I usually do the same thing, on my TRAINER... (mostly because you have to sit around and wait for your time - up to 30 minutes sometimes - after the course is closed)

I've been racing for many years. In my youth, I didn't bother warming up much except for short hard crits or TTs.

These days I find that for a crit or a circuit race with a 'decider' early on, I need to break through that first painful 'lactic block', or having that occur to me during the race can get me dropped. Meaning I warm up for about 30 minutes on a trainer, ramping up, with about 3-5 minutes anaerobic, and at least 2 minutes in VO2 zone. This flushes the first painful lactic surge thru the legs and opens them up to be much more responsive.

That being said, some of the best results I've ever had were arriving late and having to have the official pin my # on (hate when that happens, grrr). So you just never know.

If it's cold and wet, I don't bother warming up because the field is invariably slow regardless of the race format. I race well in horrible weather and seem to survive / tolerate these conditions better than most. Must be good genetics from my Belgian grandmother. Generally I find the pace to be slow and the field to be racing in a somewhat demoralised state when it's >40F and wet. All the better for me; typically this is when I'm successful going on the attack.

"If it's cold and wet, I don't bother warming up because the field is invariably slow regardless of the race format."

My worst "disaster" was cold and wet. I was out "warming up" in the pouring rain when I noticed guys warming up on trainers under shelter. I "thought" that things would go easy until after the first climb. HA ! Off like a shot, full tilt up the first 3/4 mile climb in 45 degree rain and wind. After the third climb like that, I was toast. Had to finish the race with all the other slow-pokes.........Never assume.

I've been racing all over the States for a long time. Women's fields race slow in the rain, period.

The women on our 1-2 team don't ride like that. They have no fear. The womens 4 races ride like that.
Come to think of it, the women on our team are that only women who attack all day. Most of the other local teams ride like the Master 60+ riders. It was even that way in the State championship crit. The only other race that I saw women attack like that was at Downers grove.
Ps. The women of our "Open" team could kick my a$$ all day , with one arm tied behind their backs.