I'm going to do some racing this summer. Could anyone give me some advice on anything you think I should know ahead of time?

It would really help you to see a few races before your first race.

Top end speed doesn't matter near as much at the ability to accelerate and recover so in your training do lots of repeats with just a small amount of recovery.

Do as much group riding as you can and be at the front as much as you can. During the race try to stay close to the front as much as you can while being at the front as little as you can (be near the action while letting others do most of the work).

But really the best way to learn about racing is to race.

Good luck and have fun.

find a local team and tell them you want to race - they will get you headed in the right direction. if you can't find one - call up your LBS and talk to them - i'm sure they know of a faster group ride that you can hook up with to learn to ride in a group. if you can't feel comfortable in a group at speed, you will not like bike racing.

Don't get discouraged by high speeds.

When the group rides at an astoundingly fast speed, beginners often feel that this is the way it's going to be for the rest of the race, get discouraged and drop out.

But all bike racers can hold certain speeds only for a certain amount of time, so try hard to stay with the group until it slows down again. Especially if you come from running, this constantly changing tempo will surprise you, but it's really at the core of mass-start bike racing. As everyone said, group rides will quickly make you aware of this and prepare you for racing better than anything else could.

Is there a local club with a progaram for beginners? Tell us your locale and somebody here might be able to point you to some local help. If you give some info about your experience and fitness level people might be able to give more specific advice.

Find a training race series in the area, if there is one. Training races are less formal, less pressure, less $ entry fee. They usually run weekly. Experienced racers will often give pointers to newbies at these races.

Find a regular group ride (not race) at your level. Riding in a pack is a very important skill, and it's safer to acquire it in a ride that's not a race.

I live in St. louis, MO and run about 30 miles per week but im going to start riding more when it gets warmer. I don't know of a local club with a program for begginners but a LBS near me does some group riding.

I live in St. louis, MO and run about 30 miles per week but im going to start riding more when it gets warmer. I don't know of a local club with a program for begginners but a LBS near me does some group riding.

get in some group rides, and talk to the people there.

Here are some links that might be helpful:
Missouri Bicycle Racing Association (http://www.mobra.org/)
usacyclingMoclubs (http://www.usacycling.org/clubs/index.php?state=MO)

What is the average pace of a cat. 5 road race over an average distance? I know it is tough to generalize that much, but I just want a speed somewhere close to what it is in most cat. 5 races.

Too many variables to give an answer. It depends on who/how many in the race. Wind, terrain, # of corners, length of race, other weather conditions, e.g. cold, rain, type of payment, etc., etc.

http://www.moonlightramble.com/featured_rides_07.htm

I'm just starting out in STL too. Link above is for some local races. I know pretty much every LBS around STL has group rides.

that depends on conditions & course. be prepared to spend some time above 20mph in a pack of riders. if that seems too fast or nervous for you then keep training.

if that seems ok to you, then like MB1 sez, the best way to learn about racing is to just sign up and try it!

I'm going to do some racing this summer. Could anyone give me some advice on anything you think I should know ahead of time?

First, you must get a 14lb wunderbike and $3500 worth of the most stylish bike clothes available.

Just kidding. What you need to do is ride. Find a fast-paced group ride and ride with them as much as possible Get used to having people in a tight group on all sides of you. Practice being predictable and keeping your eyes open for trouble before it happens.

Don't get discouraged if you get dropped. Keep riding until you can keep up.

As MB1 said, watch a few races before you enter one. And don't try to win the first few races you enter. Just try to learn and, if possible, finish. Be safe. Be unassuming. Be friendly. Learn from folks who've been racing for a long time.

And, most importantly, have fun.

- FBB

Alright, thanks for the advice.