Please explain...

[Flybye]

I think I have a grasp on how CAT riders are divided, but can someone please take the time to explain it to my brain, so I am not just making thing up by my own imaginative musings For example, what makes one a cat5 rider vs a cat1 rider? Time trial speeds? Years riding? Distances covered? Were you all born just knowing this? Where was I when the instructions were handed out? Why didn't anyone come get me??

Also, is CAT an acronym for something or simply an abbreviation for category? My own deductions tell me that it is the latter.

Be gentle with me ladies, I only started riding this year and ride solo. Thanks!

[Sheesh]

Flybye - Here's a very easy to understand (though not at all comprehensive) description of the categories and how to "CAT up" (or move up in categories).

"What’s with the USCF category system?

The United States Cycling Federation has a 5 tier classification system to help balance out the ability levels of cyclists. Anyone new the sport gets their license as a Category 5 rider, regardless if they have the potential to ride like Lance Armstrong or an Average Joe. As you place towards the front of the pack at races, you accumulate points that lead to upgrades to higher categories. As an example, the upgrade from Cat 4 to Cat 3 requires 20 upgrade points in a 12 month period. First place in a road race or crit gets 7 points, so you need to basically dominate a category to upgrade. Cat 2 riders are national amateur level racers and Cat 1 are essentially pro level guys."

Source: http://www.northbranchcycling.org/modules/racing101/

[CCinSC]

Thanks Flybye for asking this question! I'm new too, only been riding for 3 weeks now and had no idea about categories-AT ALL! So much to learn and so little time....

[velogirl]

Actually, there's a bit more to it than that, but I will share one important nugget that's misleading in the excerpt. Not all riders start as CAT5. There is no CAT5 for women, so women begin as CAT4s. The significant implication of this system is the way men and women upgrade from their "beginning" cat (category).

CAT5 men must start 10 mass-start races (so time trials don't count). That's all they have to do, start 10 races. They can also participate in skills clinics to waive some of those race requirements.

CAT4 women (and men) can upgrade in two ways: 20 placement points in 12 months, or 25 mass-starts with 10 top-ten finishes.

So, you'll find there are lots of experienced CAT4 women who, for whatever reason (age, lack of training time, etc), will be career CAT4s -- in the beginning CAT for women.

However, for men, they don't have to stick to their beginning CAT (CAT5) forever, even if they finish DFL every race.

Can you tell I'm not completely thrilled with the current USCF system? NorCal campaigned to USA Cycling two years ago to add a CAT5 for women -- the proposal was rejected.

Oh, and the other exception to the excerpt below is that racers who hold a license from another UCI country can petition to race at the same level in the US (they don't have to start out as a CAT5/4).

[Flybye]

Thanks for the x-ple-nation!!!
It all makes a bit more sense to me now!