Racing Questions... (from a sorta newbie)

[pharmakeus]

Hey everyone! This is my first post here, and, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I'm considered a "beginner" or not. I got my first road bike in August last year and rode for about a month before going to school and not bothering to take my bike with me; I've been doing distance running on my own since high school, and during the summers I run 40-50 miles a week (during the winter a LOT less, like 20, and I live in Michigan, where it's winter/slush for about six months of the year...), but I've gotten to the point now where, as long as the weather is good, I'd almost rather be biking (which is saying a lot!).

I've ridden now for a total of about 2 1/2 months, and I'm wondering... what options do I have for racing? Do I need to be on a team, and other than du/triathlons, what sort of solo biking events are there? I'm not a loner on PURPOSE, but because of work/school I tend to just go out and ride by myself instead of finding clubs to do group rides. Plus, the one time I rode with a club last summer, I was only able to keep up with the front group for the first twenty or so miles, and on the return trip had a pity-riding-partner slow down to go with me... that was kind of embarassing.

Maybe the best thing to do would be to get back out with the group again; all that stuff about "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right??...

Sorry this post is so long; I have a knack for rambling...

[sarahk]

Hello,

Racing is a lot of fun, you should try it. I just really started racing this season. You don't need to be on a team, especially as a beginner racer. Teams are good as you will learn team tactics but you'll learn those anyways. It's been my experience that most of the races I do, the girls that are on a team won't have more than 1 or 2 girls so it's not usually a huge advantage. My suggestion would be to get out and try one. It can't hurt! The more you race, the more you learn.

Riding with a group will help you get used to riding with a pack, drafting, etc. This is really important. On the group rides that my club has we have 3 categories A, B, and C. I usually try to go with the A's for as long as possible. I usually can't hold on the whole time, but it definately helps. You find yourself holding on for longer, and longer each time.

I don't know about races in Michigan but a couple of websites that may list some are:
www.bikereg.com
www.racelistings.com

Have fun,
Sarah

[pharmakeus]

Ok, thanks so much... I guess I just need to kick myself into group rides... it's a silly sort of pride/fear thing, you know? I have the stamina from running, but I'm missing a bit of the sprinting power necessary for leading packs during workouts, but it's important if I ever want to race, huh?