Tips on 4th cat road racing

Has anyone raced at Crystal Palace before? That's my local and I'm thinking about having a go. Seeing as I always do my best to beast the road climb at the end of my rides there, I figure I should be used to the gradient for the park circuit!

Further to my earlier comments, due to illness I've been massively down on where I should be, and have been judging performance based on how many laps I was down (I'm not happy about that but my chest infection knocked me for six) Just get out and enjoy it like I said before

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This is an interesting and useful thread, as I am in the same position as the OP: curious, interested and reasonably fit, but somewhat scared of the idea of racing, don't want to disgrace myself, risk crashing or being taken out by fellow amateurs

EVERYONE disgraces themself at some point in a crit! I'd be very surprised if anyone on here could genuinely put their hand up and say they've never once been dropped, never once been out of position or ballsed up that dead cert sprint win.

Main thing is not to worry. You hear all sorts of rumours and "banter" spoken about 4th cats being a crashfest or the nickname of "the carbon graveyard" for venues but realistically, it's OK if you're sensible. Ride like a twat and you'll be treated like one.

If you get at all nervous, just sit up, slide backwards through the bunch and call it a day (or wait for the bunch to lap you then sit in for a bit). Don't be ashamed. No-one is judging you. All the "rules" bollocks that gets bantered about (about slammed stems and shaved legs and all) is just that - banter. I've raced at Hillingdon on a singlespeed. I've seen people race on £300 steel bikes and on £5000 carbon wonder bikes. Everything from Sora to Di2. Don't sweat it. Relax, learn, enjoy.

It'll make you a better rider in the long term, whether or not you ever win anything.

This is an interesting and useful thread, as I am in the same position as the OP: curious, interested and reasonably fit, but somewhat scared of the idea of racing, don't want to disgrace myself, risk crashing or being taken out by fellow amateurs

This thread does provide some reassurance, id be very interested to know how the OP gets on..

Raleigh, your strava posting of 28mph average over 30 miles of very impressive. Is this typical for the higher category racing you do?

I cannot ever imagine averaging those speeds, even in a fast group

I start racing with very limited experience bunch riding. Survived, got better, won a few races, raced in bigger bunches just to get the experience, also do regular group rides to improve my skills and confidence.

Still prefer to be on the front or back of a racing group, call it the David Moncoutie factor (my balance is poor)

So do not let lack of bunch riding experience stop you from racing.

I started racing on a 25 year old steel frame with 5600 105 group set, it was just accepted, no comment.

A few weeks back a young guy raced his 1st race with an old steel bike with down tube shifters that was too bigfor him and dressed in baggy clothes and a skate helmet. He finished dead last. He was cheered over the line more loudly than anybody else in any of the races. Everybody just cheered and clapped as he finished, no comments about his bike or attire.

Here's the strava from today:

http://app.strava.com/activities/61282157

Don't worry about what bike you ride - I watched someone race with mudguards and a rack in the Kermesse at the IG Nocturne

I've raced the 4th Cat races at Hillingdon a few times, I would agree with the points about holding your line through corners and trying to be efficient when the accelerations and decelerations come along.

In the 4th Cat, getting a good start isn't as important, people don't tend to race off in the first lap, if they do, they usually get reeled in (and dropped) but it is important not to be near the back of the bunch, if people in front of you get dropped, you either have to go round them and catch up or you get dropped too.

And I ride my Ribble Winter/Audax bike, no one laughs, people are on all sorts, steel racers to £5k carbon machines, if anyone does smirk, make sure your legs do the talking on the track!

One last thing, there's usually a intermediate sprint half way through, the race should last an hour or more so don't get fooled into sprinting early.

Good luck

I've raced in the 4th Cat at Hillingdon. I think the average speed for the hour was about 24mph, which will be fine for you given the speeds you mention you ride at solo.

Raleigh's points are good, but also watch the descent where there are occasional crashes - the track narrows and has a slight jink, so don't overlap wheels there.

OK.

I race at Hillingdon every week, sometimes twice. Got some seconds and thirds last year, but still chasing that win. I am though, I think, in a position to offer some helpful tips and advice, tailored to the circuit.

I race in the E123 group, which is usually smaller than the 4ths, and also quite a bit quicker, but smoother as well.

Try to get to the startline early so you can be right on the front. What I normally do is to drill it off the line, then if anyone wants to come with you, you may get a nice lead, otherwise at least you can jump into a good position when you get caught.

Make sure that you are good at clipping in quickly, everyone sprints off the line so if you mess that up you can easily fall behind before the race really starts.

Hillingdon is a very fast circuit, which shouldn't worry you; its got no hill. You can pedal through every single corner, trust me. I've done it.

Make sure that you don't hang around the back of the group, you'll be grabbing handfuls of brake the whole time, and the acceleration and deceleration will knock you out fairly quickly. Far better to be in the top 10-15 at all times, then you get nice lines through the corners etc.

If you're nervous in the sprints, either sit up for the first one, or make sure that you go straight down the middle of the course. Either side, and you'll be forced onto the grass, which isn't fun at all.

The best place to move up is on the inside by the clubhouse, ot if there's a tailwind on the final straight itself. The radce is normally won or lost on the last but one corner, so make sure that you've got a wheel to follow, and get a good line. Try to be in the top 5 there.

In terms of eating/drinking, the races on tuesdays are normally about an hour and a quarter for the slower group, so you don't need food. Take a bottle, and get used to drinking at speed, or at least in the natural slow bits.

Proabably go around the sweeping bends on the hoods for the time being, if it makes you feel safer, I normally do if there are laods of people around me.

Don't be spooked by the fourth cats with expensive bikes.

If you're not moving up the pack, you're moving back, even if you're picking someone's wheel to sit on the whole time. Ensure that you're always taking places on corners and slower bits.

Other than that, just go and do it basically, you'll enjoy it.

Are you sure it wasn't your English teacher, Raleigh?

Short and sweet is the key. Concise and precise.

Just wrote a super long essay about racing at Hillingdon but my Geography teacher made me delete it.

I'll try and reproduce it later.

Think the suggestion about group riding is the best one as it's usually people not holding lines or unaccustomed to riding in large bunches that either have or cause crashes at Hillingdon and you don't want that for your first race.

The accelerations and recovery is also key as that is probably what will kill you quickest rather than the overall average speed which you seem to be quite comfortable with so perhaps try some intervals to try and replicate this, perhaps tabata intervals to simulate the all out push with then minimal recovery before the next one. It'll hurt but should be worth it if you want to keep up.

I do the Litherland circuit races up here on a £300 roadie, I notice the extra weight coming out of the hair pin, but other than that if you can do that pace you'll most likely keep up with a Cat 4 race. If it's anything like the one I do, group riding won't matter that much, it strings out into a single pace line, so you only have to follow a wheel. But other than that get stuck in, get points, and move up (It seems points are easier to come by in a circuit race than a traditional road race)

I've seen people racing well on £300 bikes and very old machines, if its road worthy then its ok. Never think your equipment is slowing you down unless your body fat is below 8% and you've been riding 300hrs+ for a few years.

You already know the answer - just do it.
These newbie questions always crop up tho and the usual response is always the same because its important - get as much group riding in as possible, this is the bets preparation and training, you'll also know pretty much if you're gonna be ok after several weeks riding in local groups, a lot of which probably already have race experience, so just get out with your local club or chaingang. You'll find in time that often group rides get harder than races at times!

I started at Castle Combe on a steel Bianchi and no-one laughed at me - A Boardman is a competitive machine at Cat 4 level in the right hands (or should that be legs?). Sounds like you are fit enough to stay with the bunch on average speed but you will have to be careful about the constant accelerations and stay super-aware of what is going on around you. Yes it will be a bit aggressive so concentrate on riding smoothly and keeping your line and HAVE FUN!