View Full Version : Crit racing?
Hawkeye
08-01-2005, 02:14 PM
A friend of mine is trying to get me to enter a Crit race in 2 weeks. I won't be training for this race AT ALL. It is 20 minutes plus 2 laps. The course is about a mile of flat land. I have never raced road before.....Am I going to kill myself?
reflux
08-01-2005, 02:18 PM
In one word...maybe. Have you ever done a crit race before? If you've ever raced downhill or a short track xc, it'll be like that, lactate the entire time. All-in-all, if you've never done one and the race fees aren't too high, I'd do it just for the fun and experience.
Hawkeye
08-01-2005, 02:35 PM
No I have never raced any kind of road racing. I have raced a couple of XC races but not short track more like 5 mile loops. Do you think they will have a time cut? I figure I can go out there and spin for 20 minutes at about 18mph. At that rate would I be getting killed?
Heidi
08-01-2005, 02:58 PM
In one word, yes. Everyone kills themself in a crit - they are a VERY hard effort for a short period of time. Lots of times they will pull you if you are going to get lapped. It's hard to say if 18 mph will get you killed - in every race I have done, yes, that would get you lapped after about two laps. It isn't really a "spin", it's a hammerfest. Give it a try, it's very addictive. Do you have ANY experience with road racing? Becuase there will be a lot of pack riding with people close around you and if you aren't used to that, it could freak you out.
Hawkeye
08-01-2005, 03:13 PM
In one word, yes. Everyone kills themself in a crit - they are a VERY hard effort for a short period of time. Lots of times they will pull you if you are going to get lapped. It's hard to say if 18 mph will get you killed - in every race I have done, yes, that would get you lapped after about two laps. It isn't really a "spin", it's a hammerfest. Give it a try, it's very addictive. Do you have ANY experience with road racing? Becuase there will be a lot of pack riding with people close around you and if you aren't used to that, it could freak you out.
No road racing at all. Not even group rodes. I ride with a friend on the road and we just go out and cruise.
Maybe I should watch one before I commit to this.
PsychO!1
08-01-2005, 03:35 PM
I'd go watch and enjoy yourself. Get some time in riding with a large group before you throw yourself into a crit.
Just my .02
Westy
08-01-2005, 03:37 PM
Never done a road crit but several dirt ones. Not my favorite kind of racing. I'd rather suffer a little but for a long time than suffer a lot for a short time. It does not help that I am not very good at short efforts.
reflux
08-01-2005, 06:41 PM
I'd go watch and enjoy yourself. Get some time in riding with a large group before you throw yourself into a crit.
Just my .02
:stupid: Good advice, going to watch will definitely be worth your time.
Oh...... CRIT racing...ok!
Have fun.
indieboy
08-01-2005, 08:57 PM
dont do the race. if your friend calls you a pussy......whatever don't do it. you'll thank yourself later. go out, get the feel of a large group before you jump into a crit.
crits can get very, very hairy and if you don't know how to ride in a group...well, you're going to be in a fair amount of trouble.
sanjuro
08-01-2005, 09:05 PM
Unless this is some kind of training race, I would not do a crit without plenty of pack riding.
For example, in the training series I used to race in, one time a newbie (funny though, he was 40+) swerved around a small crack in the road while cornering. This wouldn't have even gotten a wink if he was riding with a couple of guys, there were cyclists all around him, and that simple move could have taken down the half the pack. He should have just rode over the crack, as opposed to some hinky move.
You might be in good enough physical condition to ride one, but the pack dynamics are very dangerous, particularily if this is not a training race. Usually training races emphasis safety. For example, my training series started with 5 paced laps, which is a good way to take off the nerves. In a real race, guys are hammering from the start, which is a good way to crash...
No road racing at all. Not even group rodes. I ride with a friend on the road and we just go out and cruise.
Maybe I should watch one before I commit to this.
Crits are scary if you have never ridden in a pack. I think that will be a bigger issue than the actual speed of the race. 18mph won't cut it though, in 20 minutes it'll be more like 25-30 depending on the category.
It's worth a try, but I would get some pack riding in first or you could be "that guy" who causes the pile up in the middle of lap 3.
Mountain biking you fall and hurt yourself, road biking you fall and hurt everyone else.
The Ito
I used this description before and its accurate. Crit racing is like a knife fight, you might not get killed but you are going to get hurt.
sanjuro
08-01-2005, 09:58 PM
One thing I noticed with mountain bikers in the 4/5's is that they corner with both pedals level. It is a good habit over rocks, but a better way to clip your pedal in a turn...
One thing I noticed with mountain bikers in the 4/5's is that they corner with both pedals level. It is a good habit over rocks, but a better way to clip your pedal in a turn...
4/5s? Man I see it in Cat. 3 crits. It might actually be worse as those guys think they know what they are doing. But in reality they got more fitness then sense.
axlvid23
08-01-2005, 10:49 PM
4/5s? Man I see it in Cat. 3 crits. It might actually be worse as those guys think they know what they are doing. But in reality they got more fitness then sense.
Very true, 4/5's still know they suck at bike handling, whereas the 3's still suck, but don't know it...and they can get going faster. I see many more crashes in 3's than in 4/5's.
But stop embellishing crit racing like it's some sort of a death match, crashes are fairly rare as far as I've noticed. I've done 25-30 races this year most of which were crits and have witnessed maybe 3 crashes total.
20 minutes is a fairly short crit, give it a try, everyone in there is about as inexperienced as you. Pay attention to your lines, have a good time, and get some good tempo work in. You'll be fine. If someone goes down think MTB and pick up that front wheel and most likely you'll dodge trouble all together.
Hope it goes well,
Alex
k9handler
08-03-2005, 03:13 AM
go for it and have fun! I raced a few crits back in the early 90's and never did very well until I learned how to pedal hard through corners. Jump on the group at the natural slow point when they start to enter a corner...and never look back. I just competed in a crit this past week and let's just say I didn't stand a chance! The pace was crazy fast and I ended up a few laps down...but I didn't quit and I know that I can train harder and do much better next time. Not bad after 11 years away from road racing.
sanjuro
08-03-2005, 03:18 AM
You probably make a good point about "Just do it". My last crash involved some guy who was decked out in new Castelli gear. Not your typical mtb'er. He couldn't make a turn and I went down because of it...
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