4th CAT Racing & CC's

I found a 'race training' course, which was then cancelled for some ungiven reason. I've seen lots of similar courses since for Women, and children, but none for man adults.

However, I did start my accreditation at Lee Valley Velodrome (the Olympic one) as I just happen to live near there. As part of the accreditation process I have learn how to ride in a group, how to do single and pair changes and move about safely in close quarters.

I did this because the loosely termed club I ride with doesn't ride in rigid formation, and I don't have enough regular days off (shift work) to join a conventional club. It's helped my confidence, although I still need to work on my speed, endurance, hill climbing (I live near Redbridge cycle track and it's brutal) and pacing myself/ saving energy for literally the last 200 metres. Because that's where its at in a cat 4 race. It's literally a 40 minute bimble, not much faster than a decent group ride, then a sprint finish.

Even in 4th Cat races you'll need to be comfortable 6-12 inches off the wheel in front and similar both sides (sometimes much less). Sportives don't prepare you for that which is why club riders and experienced racers generally recommend joining a club and riding chaingangs.

I'd also say the other good reason to join a club is that if you're lucky you'll find a group of mates of a similar ability who are all racing 3rd and 4th Cat. That's a great help for both training and motivation to race.

As per the other posts, you don't need to be a member of a club but at the very least you need to be aware of how to ride in a bunch.  Things like holding your line in corners, not overlapping wheels, no sudden movements, no sudden braking, pointing out hazards, communicating with other riders etc etc.

I joined a club and did my first race less than 2 months after joining - so still probably light on bunch riding experience - but I made sure I wasn't going to ride like an idiot.  I then did chaingang and whilst its good for riding closely and getting some speed into your legs, I haven't been in many races where anyone really wants to work together like you would on a chaingang.  The word is that this improves as you move up the categories though.

Bunch riding experience will help you conserve energy, you'll be able to ride closer to the other wheels and get more draft.  On the other hand, not everyone in 4th cat races are good bunch riders - so whether you'd trust getting that close on someone's wheel or not....

Joining a club was one of the best things I did.  (But I think I also got lucky with the particular club I chose to join).  It can be a pretty lonely endeavour getting shelled out of the back of the bunch, if you've got no one to commiserate with afterwards. 

This is a good thread on similar stuff http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/how-long-to-be-a-credible-cat-4-or-am-i-just-crap-road-content

Don't underestimate the value of a club for learning bunch riding skills. I've only done a few sportives, but the general level of roadcraft was lower than club riding, and people were more spaced out. 

1) no. you don't need to be affiliated to a club to race. to score points you'll need BC membership and a race licence, but in many races you can race on a day membership in the 4s, it'll cost a bit more.

2) depends. clubs are good places to find like-minded people to share lifts to races with, and chaingangs and club runs are great for honing your group riding skills. it's nice to represent something when you pin a number on you back, too. But you don't need to join one, and the best way to learn racing is just to go racing.