Road biking rules?

[bikemad1]

Hi everyone!
I'm fairly new to both TE and road biking itself. I've only been biking since the beginning of August and I LOVE IT!!!! I'm averaging 16.5 mph on 25-35 mile rides (through hilly terrain, too!!). Not too bad for a beginner. I live in Arizona and there's this Tour De Tucson bike race in November that I'm thinking of doing. The only things stopping me are: 1.) My bike is a "beginner" Trek Pilot 1.0 and not the super duper racing bikes that most riders have. I am saving up to upgrade, but that won't be until next year; and 2.) I bike alone all the time (not so much by choice but from lack of fellow cyclists in the area) and I'm not sure if racing in a big group is more difficult. 3.) Are there road biking "rules" that I need to know about before I attempt this? Any help you guys can give would be wonderful. I've been reading a lot of posts on here and have gotten a lot of great advice. Thanks to you all!! You girls are smart .

[Geonz]

Since you used the word "racing" then you need to understand pacelines. LIke most things in life ("how to behave in church") the real answer is "it depends," and some folks will have different ideas than others, and to a certian point you can never make everybody happy. Communication is really important... paceline crashes are nasty. I'd say the most important thing to do is to let the folks know that you are new to pacelines.

Our club prez sent out this list in the middle of the yeara;
> 1. Stay steady and predictable. Don't weave, accelerate quickly, or brake
> suddenly.
> 2. Don't overlap your front wheel with anyone's rear wheel.
> 3. Take your turn at the front, however short that may need to be.
> 4. Be prepared to feather your brakes as needed.
> 5. Pull at a steady pace, don't accelerate at the start of your turn at the
> front.
> 6. Close any gaps that develop, but do it smoothly and slowly.
> 7. Stay close, but not too close, to the bike in front of you - usually
> about 2-3 feet.
> 8. When pulling at the front you are the eyes and ears for the group. Use
> hand signals and verbal commands - loud and clear.
>
> 9. When pulling, stop at all intersections, unless it's completely clear
> that the entire group can get through safely and easily.
>
> 10. If the entire group does NOT get through an intersection or other
> obstacle, then wait (slow down) for everyone to re-group.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Are you sure this is a race? I just took a quick look at the El Tour de Tuscon info on the web, and it looks like a century ride (with shorter options available too) to me - not a race. That said, understanding how to ride in a group is still important.

--- Denise

[Fredwina]

El Tour is a hybird. It's a timed event with several levels: Plantinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and 5,000+ riders.To get plantinum on 109 mile course, your ET must be under 6 Hours,. My understanding is that the Platnium and Gold levels have the "racers" and the "wannabees" You have to declare your "metal" before hand. I debating between the Silver and The Gold.
BikeMad, I think you'll be best at El Tour as a Silver, since from talking to folks who have done it, it's more laid back. Still , with that many folks, knowing how to ride in a pack would be handy

[Susie]

I did this one last year and it is both a century and a race. There are elite cyclists that start a few minutes earlier than the pack that actually race for podium spots and then thousands of others that "race" for a medal. You get a medal based on your finish times (finish between x time and x time for a gold medal, between y time and y time for a silver, and between z time and the time limit for a bronze).

Most of the "race" is just fine -- not too many people and plenty of room on the roads. The first 15 miles or so are very hairy, though. There were a lot of bottles and other debris on the road and since the bikes were fairly packed, you really couldn't see them. The "pelaton" was pretty good about pointing them all out. After the first dry river bed crossing, it thinned out fairly nicely. It was absolutely gorgeous for the next 70 miles or so.

The last 20 miles or so (of the 111 mile route) got pretty scary. The 30-milers merged onto our course and had no idea how to get out of the way or even steer a straight line. If you said "passing on your left", they'd run right in to you. They also wouldn't stay to the right at all. One forced me into oncoming traffic as I was trying to pass him. There was another who couldn't hold a straight line to save his live, and bumped into my friend. She was hauled away in an ambulance with a broken tail bone. There was also a major pileup at the last railroad crossing as you headed back into town. I counted 4 ambulances and went by too quickly to count bodies/bikes.

All in all, it's a really fun ride. There are rest stops every 5 miles that were extremely well staffed. You simply pulled in and a volunteer would walk up to you with big jugs or pitchers of water to refill your bottles. Others would walk up with trays or bowls of food -- you never had to leave your bike. If you did need to use the bathroom, a cub scout would come over and offer to hold your bike for you. Absolutely the best staffed event I've ever been in! Also, the expo is well worth the time and the weather is great.

Susie

[bikemad1]

I told you guys I was new, Ha Ha. I guess I used the wrong terminology. It really isn't a race, as in a Tour De France style, but a timed bike ride? I guess you could call it that. My main concern is riding in big groups, since I really don't have that kind of experience yet. I don't want to distract anyone else from their ride just because I'm not familiar with "rules". Geonz, thank you for your info. That gives me a great idea as to how close to ride to someone else as well as braking. Actually, that helps me quite a bit.

As for the ride itself, I think I am going to start off in Silver. I think your right Fredwina. Although I'm still not sure whether to ride the whole 100+ miles or ride on of the shorter lengths (80 or 66). My DH suggested I take it easy this year since I've only been riding for about 2 months but I really feel good riding the bike and I can already go long distances. I'm just a little bit !

As for my bike, does it really matter if it's a "starter" bike?

[bikemad1]

Hi Susie. Are you going to ride again this year?

[Eden]

I was looking at the web site too - I saw some pretty big names that did this in past years, assumedly as a race. Then I looked at the rules.... I would be really concerned about doing a race that was not at least done with a rolling enclosure. At the lower levels of road racing you seldom get the pleasure of having the road actually closed, even the Pro's don't get this very often in the US (this means you always have to stay to the right of the center line), but the corners are controlled and as long as you are in the race enclosure you can expect traffic to not interfere with your race. The rules for Tuscon said you need to follow all traffic laws/signs/signals etc. Does this mean even the "race" is not controlled? Sounds scary to me. Plain old ordinary orgainized centuries are bad enough since you need to deal with traffic and other riders, some of whom are following the rules of the road and some of whom are not. If it were a race I can't imagine the risks that some people would be willing to take. Anyone know if they run the different classifications differently?

[RoadRaven]

Geonz has pretty much covered them I think...

One more though -

If you have aero bars on your bike, do NOT use them when riding with others

[indysteel]

I'm not sure about the "race" vs. "tour" debate as I'm not familiar with this event (being from the midwest), but here are my thoughts about the ride in general based on my own experience as a relative newbie. I started riding in early June with a hybrid and on a road bike in late July. Ever week, I try to add mileage (both overall and on my "long" rides"), but I've tried to do so gradually. For the last month, I've been consistently doing about 130-160 miles a week, with long rides in the 40-55 mile range. On Sunday, I completed my longest ride to date at 61 miles at about 17 mph. Minus the wind, it wasn't horrible but I can't say that it was easy either.

For me, there was a big adjustment to rides in excess of about 35 miles.
I'm in good shape, but it's a lot harder than I thought it would be to spend over 2 hours in the saddle. Put differently,there's a bigger difference between a 30-mile ride and a 60-mile ride than just 30 miles (at least for me). As my rides have gotten longer, I've had to learn how, when, and in what amount to take in extra food and drink, which isn't always easy. I've also learned to be much more disciplined about moving around in the saddle, standing up periodically, dealing with mental exhaustion, etc. I'd like to do a century--and I think I could with another 6 weeks of training--but it might have to wait until next season.

Your enthusiasm is fantastic (and I don't want to dampen it), but I would encourage you to be conservative in what you ask of your body as you get used to riding longer and longer distances. If you choose to do a longer distance for the Tour, i.e., 60 miles plus, I'd recommend coming up with a training schedule that allows you to gradually increase you mileage between now and November. There are several books out there that show how you can prepare for a century in 10 weeks' time.

And between now and then, I'd also recommend that you do some group rides. Even if you don't race per se, it will help you prepare for the Tour. At our local club, they pair you with a mentor who'll show you the ropes. Maybe they do the same in your area.

Have fun whatever you do!

Kate

[Lenusik]

. I live in Arizona and there's this Tour De Tucson bike race in November that I'm thinking of doing. The only things stopping me are: 1.) My bike is a "beginner" Trek Pilot 1.0 and not the super duper racing bikes that most riders have. .

Wellcome on board! Where in AZ do you live? I am in Chandler. If you are planning to participate in the El Tour, be careful. There are going to be about 3,000 riders there. My husband is going to do it but I will have to pass because I am pregnant. However, to get a good feel for it, try Tour de Scottsdale, which is 70 miles. The point of any Tour for the beginners is to finish and not to race. When you feel more comfortable in a group and with your own abilities, you can try to race. One more thing, take plenty of food and water with you, you will need them.
Good Luck!

[maillotpois]

I have done this race the last 5 years. I have a lot to say about it (apparently! )

Last year I DNF'ed because of a crash - not my fault - long story. Anyway, after my first time riding this in 2001, I qualified for the platinum start and have pretty much started in the roped off area ever since, so I can answer some of the questions about the special features of this ride/race.

At the start line there are the following groups from front to back:

1. Elite/VIP riders. This is where Floyd started - and Jeannie Longo. He and Arnie Baker actually hold the course record on a tandem many years back. There is a very small group of elite (i.e. famous) riders that get to go to the very front.

2. Platinum riders: Cat 1, and ordinary fast riders like me who qualified to start here based on their times (under 6 hours for women, under 5 hours for men). You have to get a pass the night before the ride. There is a list of qualified riders for this or you show your Cat 1 license. The "Platinum list" is cool http://www.pbaa.com/!ETT/Platinum.htm - it's the only place in the world where my name will ever show up on a list along with Lance, Floyd, etc.!! And frankly, given the course it is not too hard to qualify as a woman. I don't think the one hour handicap (women v. men) is very fair to men, to be honest. But I am not complaining too loudly!!! Anyway, this area is roped off and you cannot get in without a pass. It's great because you can sleep in and still line up at the front of the race.

3. Everyone else is free to line up anywhere they wish, but they have signs posted where you can line up based on where you expect to finish (gold/sivler/bronze). However, the front gold pack you really need to get there VERY early to line up toward the front of the pack.

It's a great ride. I am really sad that I can't do it this year.

1.) My bike is a "beginner" Trek Pilot 1.0 and not the super duper racing bikes that most riders have. I am saving up to upgrade, but that won't be until next year; and 2.) I bike alone all the time (not so much by choice but from lack of fellow cyclists in the area) and I'm not sure if racing in a big group is more difficult. 3.) Are there road biking "rules" that I need to know about before I attempt this? Any help you guys can give would be wonderful. I've been reading a lot of posts on here and have gotten a lot of great advice. Thanks to you all!! You girls are smart .

Bikemad - if this is to be your first century it is a GREAT one. The course is not too difficult, there are a lot of spectators cheering you on at the side of the road and having the intersections controlled is a great feature. Don't worry about your type of bike. People do this on all sorts of bikes.

HOWEVER - please get familiar with group riding beforehand for your safety and the safety of those around you. The suggestions posted by others re group riding are good. If you don't have a chance to ride with a group beforehand, you may want to start in the silver group and just stay to the right at the start, letting other pass you. It is pretty CRAZY at the start and there are a lot of crashes.

This is a great event - but it can be VERY dangerous if you are toward the front in a big pack and don't have racing experience.

I did this one last year and it is both a century and a race. There are elite cyclists that start a few minutes earlier than the pack that actually race for podium spots and then thousands of others that "race" for a medal.

Actually, the elite and platinum riders actually start at the same time. The gun goes off and everyone rolls. It will take a while for the people lined up in the silver/bronze sections to cross the start line, though.

El Tour is a hybird. It's a timed event with several levels: Plantinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and 5,000+ riders.To get plantinum on 109 mile course, your ET must be under 7 Hours,. My understanding is that the Platnium and Gold levels have the "racers" and the "wannabees" You have to declare your "metal" before hand. I debating between the Silver and The Gold.

You actually don't have to "declare beforehand" - you can decide the morning of the race between gold/silver/bronze. For platinum, you have to have qualified in advance, though.

I was looking at the web site too - I saw some pretty big names that did this in past years, assumedly as a race. Then I looked at the rules.... I would be really concerned about doing a race that was not at least done with a rolling enclosure. Anyone know if they run the different classifications differently?

They do an informal rolling closure toward the front of the pack, an do stop traffic - for the elite riders. The elite riders pretty much separate themselves in the first 20 miles or so. And these are the Jeannie Longo/Floyd types. There's a river crossing at about mile 10 that also separates. Last year there was a train which split the elite pack and was a bummer for those who got shut out. (Very Paris - Roubaix!)

Even for people in the platinum and gold groups, they are pretty good about stopping oncoming traffic. I don't think I have ever had to wait at a stop sign at ETT. It helps that you don't have a lot of left turns, you know? Most of the turns are right and you can just go wihtout worrying too much about cars.

[mtkitchn]

Hi Bikemad! I'm thinking about doing El Tour this year as well for the first time. I have an entry level Giant that I'll be riding....definitely not super duper! Try to get some longer rides before November....I plan to do the Memorial ride for Safety up in Carefree on the 14th of Oct as well as the Tour de Farm on Oct 21 in Goodyear (both 60 milers). I ride alone as well, but group rides like the aforementioned get you used to riding around a lot of people. I'm not sure what part of AZ you are in, but the Phoenix bike club has rides for "beginners" every Sunday, where someone is always happy to show you how to ride with a group.

[bikemad1]

Thanks everyone for all your input!! I live in Nogales, Arizona, which is right on the border with Mexico. I'm somewhat of an oddity around here with my bike riding. There are a few (and I mean very few) men that road bike here but I've never seen any women do it. Needless to say, I get a lot of stares!! Another drawback is that my town doesn't have any bike lanes anywhere on which to bike safely. I've gotten great at riding with cars!! It would be wonderful if someday the city/town would consider cyclists in any future road plans but I don't see that happening when interest in cycling here is so small.

As for El Tour...I think I'm going to start off with the 66 mile ride. I know I'll be able to handle the distance for sure and it'll give me a great insight into the workings of group riding and future bike tours. Lenusik, I'm interested in the Scottsdale tour. Let me know when that is, if you can. That'd be cool to meet you there!
Mtkitchn, let me know if you decide to do El Tour. I'd like to have a TE companion along with me ! We could learn together!
Maillotpois, thanks so much for your insight! Hopefully next year I'll be able to do the whole thing, and you'll be able to join as well!!
Thank you all for your info!! I knew you all would guide a crazy newbie in the right direction!!!

[Susie]

Bikemad1 -

I'm not going to do it this year. I'm still recovering from an accident this spring and just started riding again, so I'm going to sit this one out.

That said -- I've signed up for a metric century this weekend, but since I haven't riden more than 25 miles without my knee swelling up, I'll probably need to bail out early. As long as I make it to the 2nd rest stop and get some pie, I'll be happy ...

Susie