Quote Originally Posted by redrhodie View Post
Are you really comfortable riding in fast groups? Are you a confident bike handler? Do you have great health insurance? Just some things to consider.
She's talking cross not road.... group riding skills not much of an issue (there's a mass start, but it's more like a mt bike race, there's some passing, but everyone sorts out more or less into a line rather than riding near one another because the courses are not particularly wide and can even have single track) and while you can get hurt falling in cross, it is relatively unusual to get anything more than some bumps and bruises because you are falling in the grass/dirt and aren't usually going super fast unless it is a steep descent (and it not particularly unusual to see people get off and run down technical/very steep descents.... it can be faster than crashing and having to get back up)

If you want to question anything - do you have a hose available and a good washing machine - then go for it. Many races have a beginner category for first timers.