Can a CAT5 enter a Masters race? If so, this weekend I'll have the opportunity to race CAT5 and Masters 30+. I now have 5 races under my belt (2RR, 2crits, 1circuit) and I know the Masters 30+ race will be significantly faster (and smoother) than the 5 race but I'm considering participating in both. The M30+ is 20 laps, at 10:30am and the CAT5 is 15 laps, at 4pm. This should give me plenty of time to recover, eat, relax, etc. between the two. I'm just not sure if I'd be able to hang with the Masters yet...and I don't want to completely kill myself before the 5 race. Hmm...comments, suggestions, advice, etc. are welcome!

Thanks,

Can a CAT5 enter a Masters race? If so, this weekend I'll have the opportunity to race CAT5 and Masters 30+. I now have 5 races under my belt (2RR, 2crits, 1circuit) and I know the Masters 30+ race will be significantly faster (and smoother) than the 5 race but I'm considering participating in both. The M30+ is 20 laps, at 10:30am and the CAT5 is 15 laps, at 4pm. This should give me plenty of time to recover, eat, relax, etc. between the two. I'm just not sure if I'd be able to hang with the Masters yet...and I don't want to completely kill myself before the 5 race. Hmm...comments, suggestions, advice, etc. are welcome!

Thanks,

M30+ is usually open. That said, I'd say concentrate on that one as your "featured race" for the day and ride the Cat5 as training/sprint practice.

The M30+ around SoCal are the Pro/1/2 guys that are warming up for their race later. WAY FAST are the two words I'd describe the race. Expect to see 30+ mph frequently in the M30+. If you can't hang with the pack at that speed, don't do the M30+ till you can.

M

if you have a yearly license. (Some large races will only allow you to race in Cat 5 with a daily license and some only in Citizens Class). Check when you register or email the group sponsoring the race to be sure.

The Masters 30 race will be a lot tougher than the Cat 5 race. I race 40+ and Cat 5 and 40+ is a lot tougher field. 30+ are still in their prime!

maybe you should just donate that entry fee to charity and go out for a nice hard training ride. Those guys are fast, very fast. No offense but if racing there is anything like it is in Colorado or Illinois where I've raced a Cat 5 will be able to hang with the pack for about 2 laps.

don't do it

Can a CAT5 enter a Masters race? If so, this weekend I'll have the opportunity to race CAT5 and Masters 30+. I now have 5 races under my belt (2RR, 2crits, 1circuit) and I know the Masters 30+ race will be significantly faster (and smoother) than the 5 race but I'm considering participating in both. The M30+ is 20 laps, at 10:30am and the CAT5 is 15 laps, at 4pm. This should give me plenty of time to recover, eat, relax, etc. between the two. I'm just not sure if I'd be able to hang with the Masters yet...and I don't want to completely kill myself before the 5 race. Hmm...comments, suggestions, advice, etc. are welcome!

Thanks,

30+ masters...

if you don't get dropped I would be very, very, very, very, very surprised. If you regularly ride with cat 2's and 3's and can hang in fast group rides, then you may have a chance. But plan on getting shelled, and being worthless for the cat 5 race.

And I agree with the above posters. My first race last year on the road as a 5 was the Masters 35+ at Valley of the Sun, followed by 35+ at Pomona Valley Stage Race. Results were as follows.....Valley of the Sun TT 60th of 74. (I was pleasantly suprised, even beat a fellow team member). RR.....DFL (Dead freakin last....dropped by 30 minutes!) 30 minute Crit.... Dropped after two laps with two other riders (who later pulled out) and TT'ed behind the field until two laps remaining with the crowd cheering like crazy for me! (that was kind of cool). Pomona was more of the same. Glendora Mountain TT was passed by 27! riders. 70 min Circuit Race......was in the field hanging on for dear life for 40 minutes, after that TT mode (see above Valley of the Sun Crit.) RR.....mechanical (thank the Good Lord!). I followed that with my first Cat 5 entry at Vuelta Valencia and got 5th in the TT and 12th in the GC. Followed that with a 3rd place at Redlands. So I guess the moral of the story is you will get FAST riding with the Masters and you will definitely appreciate their pack skills. (Which by the way, you had better have some yourself or the Masters will let you know about it.) I was never yelled at for being squirrely in any Masters races I have entered and that is something I am very proud of.

If the 30+ is your first race, with that much time to recover, why not give it a shot? I'm sorry to say that I'll bet you anything that you'll be dropped early and hard, but my guess also is that you won't be in the race long enough to really wear yourself out. So, all you have to lose is time, your entry fee, and some sweat and blood.
If the 30+ was the second race, I wouldn't bother hanging around for very long.
Masters racing around here is brutal. I did . . . no, strike that . . . I entered a 30/40 crit last week where the average speed -- the average speed -- was about 30. As in, not top speed, not average speed for the worst three laps, but the average speed over 20 miles. I lasted three laps.

I only registered for the CAT5 race. I cross-referenced the racers names in the Masters 30+ with the 1/2/3 and CAT3. This is what I found, out of the 23 racers who have registered thus far:

- 2 of them are also doing the CAT3 race that day
- 5 of them are also doing the 1/2/3 race that day

Many of the teams represented have a significant number of riders:
- 5 of them are on TEAM "A"
- 4 of them are on TEAM "B"
- 3 of them are on TEAM "C"
- 2 of them are on TEAM "D"

So...maybe I'll give it a try next year! ;-)

What do your Cat 3/4 races average, just out of curiosity.

chris

Depends on the race. Maybe 26 for a crit. I've been in Masters races with many of these same guys, and it wasn't nearly as insane as this one was. I don't know why this one was so rough; they aren't all that bad. They are faster than 3/4 races, though.

So...maybe I'll give it a try next year! ;-)

In checking out the event website, I discovered the Masters races are only open to CAT 1-4.