Well first thing is that it hurts. When trying to stay with the pack or climbing a hill and you are anaerobic and you don't think your breathing or heart can pound any faster, it hurts - it hurts a whole lot. But it is such a great feeling when you see yourself improving and you are able to stay with the pack without getting dropped and your average speed is increasing and you are no longer breathing as hard. This is what it is like to be a racer.
For some it will come easy - those with natural talent. Others will flunk the gut test and drop out. The rest will pass the basics and stick around for continuing education. Make sure you know that if you do decide to bike race that it will be a learning experience that never stops.
The first thing you need is a bike. It doesn't have to be a top of line Italian racing bike. There are many fine moderately priced bikes that you can start with. We are very lucky to have many good bike shops in the area that will help get you started with the right equipment. Just to name a few, there is Wright Brothers who helps sponsor Queen City Wheels and local races. They also give you a 10% discount if you are a member. Other shops with cycle racing interests include Oakley Cyclery (which sponsors the excellent Ault Park Race), Biowheels and Jim's Bike shop. If your budget is tight there is Reliable Pawnshop where you can get some good deals on used equipment.
Next you will want to get a license from the U.S. Cycling Federation. To obtain an application check the above bike shops for information or write to:
Well now that we have our bike and our racing license, it's time to train. Look at the big picture and give yourself a year or a couple of years to really see improvements. Few people do really well at first. My first year of racing I trained really hard and at my first race at Ault Park I got dropped in the first few laps. The next week I went a couple extra laps with the pack and now after about two years it is fairly easy to stay with the pack. What I'm trying to say is that it takes time for your endurance and muscles to get use to the stress of the up and down pace of the pack.
Racing a bike is not like running where you can establish your own rhythm and keep it there. In bike racing you must stay with the pack to benefit from the riders breaking the wind in front. If you fall back, that is "get dropped", you will not likely be able to rejoin, and you might as well go home. The pace can suddenly get so intense that you think your lungs are going to burst but just that suddenly the pace will level off and you can recover. But before we talk about racing we need to talk about the technical aspects of riding in a pack so you will not be labeled a "squirrel".
You need to learn to "hold a line" while riding among other riders in the pack and to also hold your line going through a turn. This means that if you're riding on the outside of a turn, you must not cross laterally through the pack or you are going to be cutting someone off. or clipping their front wheel. In either case somebody and their bike is going down. Not a good way of making friends.
The best place to gain some experience in group riding is to call QCW's pelo line at 677-PELO. There you can find out where some of the training rides are located and other races going on in the area. Some good rides in our area start at the Loveland Bike Trial and there is a good Saturday ride located in the parking lot at the top of Devou Park in Kentucky. These rides are fast, but the other riders in the group will usually wait for anyone who drops off the back to catch back on at stop signs or at the top of hills. People will not likely volunteer any comments about your riding - you should ask.
An individual time trial is a good first race. Queen City Wheels holds a Time Trial every Tuesday night during the warmer months. The course is 10.2 miles and is located in Cleves near Harrison's Tomb (off of River Road). They don't have the excitement of a mass-start event, such as a criterium or road race, but they don't have the hazards either. Time trials are simply a matter of discipline in the face of pain, and for the first time out, there's plenty. It's you and the clock and how much you can hurt. Your time will tell you where you stand in relation to the other riders you'll encounter. Even if your time is slower or even a lot slower don't worry because it will give you a goal to shoot for. If you stick with it you will see big improvements.
Finally the best way to learn is to seek out one of the coaches in our area. We are blessed with a good number of licensed coaches from the USCF. You can get your position set up on your bike and learn riding techniques from a good coach so when you do get into your first race you will fit in and be comfortable. Trying to learn riding techniques for the first time in a race is not the place because crashing at 30-plus miles per hour is not the way to start out.
So remember that more than anything, racing demands discipline and intensity and pushing yourself sometimes to the outer limits, which every cyclist is forced to explore as other racers go hell-bent to beat you to the line. Racing can also teach you to know yourself deeply, both for the good and for the bad. If you go into bike racing with that kind of attitude or goal, you'll be a great success no matter where you place. And most of all try to have FUN. See you in the paceline.
Toby Costello, t_k_costello@fuse.net
USCF Sport Coach
Photos copyright 1997 Austin Image