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Hey all, new to the forum, with a question...
Just got my license and prepping for the new season over this winter. Just to keep my training goals realistic, what should I expect as a solid average speed in most women's CAT 4 road races? Not to win, but enough where I don't make a sad sight of myself.
Thanks for the feedback,
Stacy
Where do you live, Stacy? You will find that there is a HUGE amount of variability in the US. For one thing, there are parts of the country (like California) where you will have separate women's fields and the CAT4 field will fill up with 50 women (the maximum). There are other parts of the country where all cats (1-4) will be combined in one race and you'll only have 10 women total. My suggestion is to chat with some of your local racers to find out more. You can also google for specific race reports to review races (the writers will typically include pace). Better yet, find a club to race with!
Here in California, a typical W4 crit will average 22-24mph. A road race, depending on how hilly it is, will average between 16 & 22 mph. We don't have many flat road races. For time trials, the winners will be averaging 22+ mph.
Now don't panic about how fast these races are. With the exception of TTs, you will be in a pack, and you can go much faster in a pack than you ever could on your own.
Good luck with racing! It's a great sport. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any other questions. I've been coaching women racers since 2002 and there are also some other great women on this board who have raced and can share their experience with you.
Lorri
http://coaching.velogirls.com
This is a very very common question for someone comptemplating racing to ask. Unfortunately speed alone won't keep you in the pack in a road race - its the nature of a pack to have a series of surges and that is the downfall for most people, it tires them out or they get stuck behind a group that falls off. So saying if you can do x mph alone you'll be able to keep up doesn't really work. I've seen very strong people fall behind and those you might think of as weaker keep up, because they understand pack dyamics. Don't be discouraged by this and don't be afraid to go out. Just being willing to put yourself out there makes you strong and brave - think about how many women won't even try it. If you don't finish with the pack in your first race don't quit - it doesn't mean you are weak and it doesn't mean you can't do better. Some people take a year or more to get to that point.
Do get a lot of group riding experience before you attempt a road race - even better if you can join a team, though it may be a little late to do it this year. Around here recruiting is pretty much winding up. You will want to have experience riding close to others. If you don't know how to draft and how to ride safely in a pack no matter how fast you are you a. most likely wont keep up and more importantly b. will be a danger to yourself and the rest of the women racing with you. The best thing you can do is find a team with experienced racers to join and ride this winter with. If you can't do that see if there is a group of fast club riders you can ride with. If you have a racing 101 course in your area take it.
Most importantly go out to have fun no matter the outcome. Be proud to finish a race no matter what place you come in. If you keep at it you will get stronger.