Thanks ladies. You provided some very helpful info. I didn't know about the licenses et al.

I do want to try some racing but its so hard to find info. I guess I need to find a more informative bike shop. The guys that run my favorite shop, while always nice and helpful with me in maintaing my bike, are BMX races so they know absolutely nothing about the local road race scene. I tried the WWCC and another local group for weekly rides but I was the only one to show up - not very successful there (that was last summer). Guess I'll give it a try again in the spring. Sigh!

What kind of winter time training do you find helpful in preparing for a race season? I am currently spinning twice a week. I work out 4 to 6 days a week but like to vary it for fun. Should I be riding every day?