[Closed] So I want to try road racing + build a bike specifically for this

Have a go with what you have, it'll only get crashed and damaged. If you like it then upgrade.

It's about the worst time of the year to give it a go, none of the winter series are running, but all the summer ones have finished. There's a Hillingdon winter 4th cat series, probably a good place to start if you've vaguely west London way.

You're right about joining a club, for starters this'll instantly let you know if you're fast enough to make it worthwhile (no point in being blown out the back in the first 10 miles). It'll also get you used to riding in a group, info on the best races, give you people to go to races with, etc, etc

no point in being blown out the back in the first 10 miles

Why not? It's where a lot of people start. Road racing isn't just about fitness, but it's hard to learn "race craft" without just having a go.

Where in London are you? We're actively recruiting in our club, have intro rides in Regents park and regular weekend club rides into Herts, Essex and monthly's in the South Surrey/Kent.

Our club is mixed ability - we have Cat 1 racers, and club/sportive riders - and associated guided rides - according so its a good place for you to learn some group riding skills with us, and pit yourself again varying level of ability's.

As for the bike, you'll be starting in cat4 which is fully of beginners, crashes are more frequent. I'd not go to mad, just race what you can afford to replace just in case. Pretty much standard road bikes are the rules, no TT bars or appendages other than garmins, must be in good working order. A lot of the leagues require and/or provide "intro to racing" sessions for Cat4's which are pretty cheap. Some are a "must have" before you can rave in thier league - its a very good idea to attend one of these.

My email is in my profile if you want some more detail about the club.

Why not?

Because that'd make for a really shit day out. Fair enough getting blown out the back at some point, but I would at least want to know I'm going to be able to hold on for a while rather than soloing 80%+ of it

Meh, I think you can over think these things. I got shelled out the back in my first 2 road races. I wouldn't want to travel 200 miles to my first race, but on the presumption you've travelled 10 miles and paid £8 I can cope with a DNF. YMMV.

Whereabouts in London are you, OP? There's been an explosion in bike clubs over the last couple of years, you should be able to find one local to you. Riding in a club is amazing fun, I'd definitely recommend it! 🙂

I got shelled out of dozens of road races, throughout my career, there are always going to be days when you aren't on form, or ill, or tired, or just outclassed. (Or scared shitless of the clueless muppets who really shouldn't be there!)

Just live with it.

Don't race what you can't replace!

Any non-disk road bike with drop bars is allowed (including cross bikes). If you are in London then a very good introduction is the [url= http://www.imperialracingteam.com/events.html ]Imperial Winter Series[/url] of nine races run at Hillingdon every Saturday. Be warned, it sells out very quickly on RiderHQ!

You will need a British Cycling Race License. You will start as a 4th Cat and need to earn points to graduate. To be honest it takes a season or two to learn to race, and surprisingly, fitness is only a small part of the story. Racecraft is far more important. Don't start with the aim of being a 2nd cat by season end. Start with the objective of being a safe, competent and competitive racer.

Joining a club is always helpful, if only for training rides, but it is not necessary. There are plenty of "private members" racing to high levels. I'm one of the coaches at Twickenham, and most clubs have BC qualified coaches on hand to provide advice.

If you are over 40, then you can race veterans 🙂 . The standard is much higher than 4th cat racing, and the camaraderie is excellent. And you get done over by your mates every week!

Try it, you never know. I never planned to race, started at 45, and now race about 30 times a year. It is addictive. Oh, and I was regularly dropped in my first 4th cat races. It's all part of the initiation!

EDIT: IF you want a book to read [url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cycle-Road-Racing-Tom-Newman-ebook/dp/B00BKRX3I8/ref=sr_1_21?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474451953&sr=1-21&keywords=road+racing ]this book[/url] is an excellent start. Written for riders who want to start racing, based out of Hillingdon, and by one of the local coaches. It is very good indeed.

It's worth having a look at the 'Racesmart' series of videos on YouTube. Lots of great tips on how to ride in a bunch and race safely.

Be mindful that a racing bunch can be very different to a club ride/sportive etc as people are fighting for position a lot more. You can be the strongest rider in the race but not being able to hold your position will see you struggling to keep with the bunch.

To echo some of the comments above - get some experience racing and don't be too disheartened if you get your arse handed to you the first few times. There's no substitute for experience.

[b]@njee20[/b] - Looking to start next year, building the new bike over winter. It won't be a super bike as I know I'm likely to be involved in a crash at some point. I feel I've kind of outgrown the Felt to be honest.

[b]@legend[/b] - I'm not fussed where I finish up, as long as it's in one piece and I haven't made a fool out of myself. 😛

[b]@Kryton57[/b] - I'm based in West London (Ealing), but spend a lot of time also in Regents Park as I work in Chelesea, Richmond Park for quick spins and out to Windsor etc on the weekends. I may well drop you an email in the not so distant future, cheers! 🙂

[b]@TiRed[/b] - Thank you for that, very helpful. I wont be joining the veteran races for a few years yet though - I'm "only" 27 😀

[b]@stevious [/b] - I'll check those vids out. Yeah my ultimate aim is mid pack by the end of the season. 😆

I wont be joining the veteran races for a few years yet though - I'm "only" 27

Don't worry, you'll be beaten by quite a few in the normal races too! 😉 We have a number of riders living in Ealing. Feel free to come along for a [url= http://www.twickenhamcc.co.uk/tcc/activities/ ]Saturday club ride[/url]. You'll start in a beginners group (for group riding skills), but can quickly graduate to the race chain gang.

We also provide race training on behalf of Surrey League and a club championships for a "have a go" race. Other clubs do the same.

For the bike, as TiRed says, "don't race what you can't replace". You'll see all sorts of bling at races, and a lot of shattered carbon fibre at Hillingdon!

It's a good chance to build up something cheap, as light as possible. You don't need deep-section carbon fibre, or even 11-speed. If you're not going to be going out on big training rides on it during the winter then you don't need super-durable kit (train on the F95 with some sturdy tyres and your race bike will feel like a feather!) and it could be a good time to buy part-used lightweight wheels (Shimano RS80s, for example) and other used kit. Scuffed cranks race just as well as shiny new ones.

Make sure your gears and brakes work properly. Fit lightweight sticky tyres like Schwalbe Ones with latex tubes and make sure you have good brake pads.

...but, mainly, do some training. Interval sessions, Sufferfest, hill reps, anything where you repeatedly accelerate hard and keep the pressure on until you start red-lining, over and over again. And, if you can, go out on a club's chain-gang sessions - the skill of riding in a pack and sitting on someone's wheel without endangering yourself or others is very important.

Good luck!

Other clubs do the same.

They do 😉

I'd just like to state that, as we all know red (e.g. our club kit) is the fastest colour 😀

Fit lightweight sticky tyres like Schwalbe Ones with latex tubes and make sure you have good brake pads.

Mildly tangental, but I've got 25c Schwalbe Ones are they're the worst 'grippy' tyres I've ever had, very skittery on damp roads particularly.

Have you tried dropping the pressure? I've only run them on 23mm+ rims, but found them quite impressively grippy at about 85psi.

[b]@TiRed[/b] - Cheers, I've seen a few of you guys around particularly Richmond Park and to and from Windsor. I'll check out your site club details etc.

[b]@Pierre[/b] - I've been doing my training on my commuter, which is a cf cross bike imported from China. The Felt doesn't feel as fast as this, and is certainly less comfortable over long distances, so has been collecting dust.

For "Race" bike I was thinking 5800, Ribble R872 frame with quattro wheels and deda finishing. Nothing fancy at all and have the wheels and finishing kit already.

Yep, tried all sorts, they were skipping all over the place when climbing on admittedly greasy lanes on Saturday. Have found Hutchinson, Conti, Michelin and Panaracer vastly superior.

Joining a club is almost essential as it's highly unlikely you'll develop the group riding skills by riding on your own or doing a sportive - racing is far more intensive. If you plan of racing in the Surrey League, then they insist on training to make sure you're competent - it's for everyone's safety, not just yours as you have to depend on others to make the right moves. You could also try CX, which can be just as intense, but races are no more than 1hour. Many beginners worry about the 'kit' for racing when it's the lungs, legs and head that matter. Almost certainly you will get dropped in your first races but that's because almost everyone else has trained smarter and is fitter and stronger from experience - it's why bike racing is such a hard sport.

For "Race" bike I was thinking 5800, Ribble R872 frame with quattro wheels and deda finishing. Nothing fancy at all and have the wheels and finishing kit already.

My first race bike was a used six year old alloy Giant TCR with some used Ksyrium wheels. It wasn't much slower then my current carbon Propel SL to be honest. Don't over think the kit side of things. Not until you have enough experience to know what is worth improving. My one piece of advice would be to wear the tightest jersey you own. A skinsuit gave me the biggest benefits, but tight clothes are almost as good! I'd start on your Felt, personally.

Vittoria Corsa G+ in 25c are excellent and very popular now. I used to race Schwalbe Ones and like them very much, but the Corsas have a better feel and damp grip.

If you plan of racing in the Surrey League, then they insist on training to make sure you're competent

The two days are very worthwhile#. Even experienced racers have commented that they learned something. I would definitely recommend some training first. There will be a couple of sessions at Hillingdon prior to December from Prime Coaching (although these are not mandated by Imperial).

#Obvious disclaimer - I've given a few of them 😉

Thanks @TiRed.

I've got a green light for a new bike from the missus, I cannot miss this opportunity as it may not happen again for a LONG time 😆

I'll check those two day training sessions out. http://primecoaching.co.uk/

So an update to this.

Something has gone a bit wrong with my training routine - my resting HR has rocketed (stress/illness) and I've had to prioritise fixing that first (starting with a new job)!

Still on plan for next year though. I've got a groupset in the post and just deciding on the frameset now, narrowed it down to a couple from workswell.

I'm going to try a couple of club runs out over winter and get my provisional and insurance up and running too, will also try to get myself booked on the next courses via: http://primecoaching.co.uk/
/p>

Thanks again!

Meh, I think you can over think these things. I got shelled out the back in my first 2 road races.

yep. I've got shelled out the back from a few 2/3/4 road races. ruddy tough but learnt lots.

Raced on a cheap alu/carbon rear stays brand x frame. Still using it now actually.

if you can ride well in a group find your local chain gang. I know a lot of people get a shock going from sunday club runs straight to a road race/crit. The pace changes can be immense and you learn to save as much energy as possible and the importance of working in a group.

As you're in London, go and enter one of the series races at Hillingdon, Velopark, or Hog Hill* (Redbridge Cycling Centre). The short races are pretty intense, but there's much less to worry about on a closed circuit. And If you're shelled, you're never far from the showers. 😉 The winter series can be a bit quieter than the spring/summer ones, though they're all about 20 times busier than when I started racing.

* Unless you really fancy yourself as a puncheur, I suggest Hillingdon or the Velopark to start, as The Hoggenberg has a habit of spitting people out after the first lap. But six of one...etc, as the lack of selection at Hillingdon/Velopark can make for some big bunches coming to the finish and crashes are more common.

Good luck chewing bar tape. 😆

Yeah, the way I'm feeling at the moment I'd get dropped by my gran!

Couple of random standard months:
[IMG] [/IMG]

[img] [/img]

And then:
[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

Needless to say I ain't going anywhere near a race for a while!

Whats that ^^ resting HR?

Oops yes, should have stated that 😳

Resting HR is an interesting one. I'd not be too worried by that sort of change... unless I also felt totally crap.

If you have a capable HR monitor it's worth tracking [url= https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate_variability ]HRV[/url] (Heart Rate Variability). Been tracking this for a while now and seems to be more reliable for me than resting heart rate. Seems to track fatigue a lot better than HR which can be up and down a lot. I use a bluetooth HRM with ithlete app on the phone.

I think Garmin are now using it on their newer head units too. I get some sort of "ready to train" type metric pop up a few mins into a ride, seems in line with HRV measurements.

Thanks for the HRV info!

The resting heart rate increase is in line with me feeling like crap. It's also really apparent when out on the bike trying to do zone training. It used to be relatively easy to maintain a decent speed when in zone 2 (126-144). I cannot match this recently, not even close.

I'd be looking at something like a Kinesis Aithein, Cannondale CAAD10/12, Bowman, Trek Emonda ALR or one of many other decent alu frames now available.

My mate snapped his carbon frame clean in two in his third 4th cat crit when the guy two in front washed out on the last corner of the last lap and my mate just went straight over the top, so that was the best part of £1k to replace just like that. Also, working it out this season, there have been crashes in over half of the open (2/3/4 cat) road races I've been in.

There are clearly people who enter these races who don't know how to hold lines and ride in bunches so getting some club riding in will help but beyond that, it seems that getting people to work chain gang style in a race in the lower categories is rare probably because everyone would rather save their energy to sprint for something like 15th place than chase a break.

This previous thread has a lot of good stuff in it...

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/how-long-to-be-a-credible-cat-4-or-am-i-just-crap-road-content ]How long to be a credible 4th cat[/url]

Thanks @mtbtomo - will check that post out. I've been chatting to Kryton57 too.

I think my insurance covers accidental damage though, even when racing.

I'm about to pull the trigger on one of these:
[img] [/img]

and have an ultegra groupset with fulcrum quattros at the ready (maybe look at some farsports wheels at a later date too).

Even if it doesn't ever see a race track - it's a new bike. 😆

And looks lovely .
🙂

Double bloody post ,effing "cloud"

senor j - Member
And looks lovely .

Sure does!

It was a toss up between that WCB-R-066

and this WCB-R-081:
[IMG] [/img]

But the 066 has many more reviews non of which are negative.

Terrible.

Look at that sloppy hose routing.

I'm not going to mention the stem or pedals.

Good lord that second photo, one ugly bike.

Yeah admittedly that's not a great picture of the 081..

Here's a better one:
[IMG] [/img]

Just to add more anecdote, I spent my first road race season on an 8 year-old alu Specialized, and my second a second-hand alu MEKK built up for about £400. They did me fine, got me round plenty of road races/crits and up to cat3. My 7.5KG Viner Mitus does feel quite sprightly in comparison tho 😉

Its typically a 3 year commitment, year 1 getting used to the effort required, year 2 learning to compete, year 3 competing. Re bike, look at fit and geometry not weight and colour

Thank you for that, very helpful. I wont be joining the veteran races for a few years yet though

Just as well, it will give you time to work on endurance to keep with the other Vets. 😀

And some time to build up immunity to all the shouting and grumbling.

@david jey - 7.5kg is my target weight, I think it's doable..

My lose math (green is actuals, and the cassette too but forgot to shade that), race is using carbon clinchers/better tyres:

[img] [/img]

@buckster yeah geo is how I narrowed down my choices, I did get sucked in a little by aero ness. The only colour I'm considering is black 🙂

@Sandwich I'm 27 at the moment, I'd be glad to be walking at that age let alone racing the way I'm decaying 😆

@matts I think my Richmond & Regent's Park training will come into its own there!

I'm based in West London (Ealing), but spend a lot of time also in Regents Park as I work in Chelesea, Richmond Park for quick spins and out to Windsor etc on the weekends

Even if it doesn't ever see a race track - it's a new bike.

Admit it, you're not [i]really[/i] serious about racing - you just want an excuse to splash the cash on "race level bling" 😆

Move to Yorkshire lad and get up some hills, no point training on the flat.

bomberman - Member
Admit it, you're not really serious about racing - you just want an excuse to splash the cash on "race level bling"

Move to Yorkshire lad and get up some hills, no point training on the flat.

Haha no I'm genuinely wanting to try it, like I said I got the buzz from just a closed road crit sportive (eisberg 2016 before the TOB). I'm imagining it to be become very addictive.

My folks live up near Rivington so I get some hills in occasionally. 😆

It is VERY addictive

@matts I think my Richmond & Regent's Park training will come into its own there!

True. I've given up training in Regent's in the summer. It's completely mental these days.

And you can get pretty far with a bike weighing 8Kg. My race bike weighs 7.7. The gains you can make in fitness at that level utterly dwarf the minor differences in bike performance by orders of magnitude.

matts - Member
True. I've given up training in Regent's in the summer. It's completely mental these days.

And you can get pretty far with a bike weighing 8Kg. My race bike weighs 7.7. The gains you can make in fitness at that level utterly dwarf the minor differences in bike performance by orders of magnitude.

Yep, there's quite a lot of egos/fashion statements treating it as a race track. Quite annoying when you're sat at the front of the lights and folk just come and sit in front of you...I've given up caring though, it's much safer than trying to cycle on the shared paths around Hyde park or the bus lanes around Paddington/Shepards bush! Also no one bothers with the inner circle so that's a nice retreat sometimes.

Yeah, I'm thinking this bike will be the final one for a while as there's nothing more to improve really, not within the confines of my reality where deposit savings outweigh the need for dura ace ha! I really will know what my limitations are on it as I cannot blame the tool from then on 😆

Did you onow that 90% of drag comes from your body and only 10% from the bike? So your body position could make a huge difference compared to the 500g difference between 105 and dura ace. Having a lighter bike will only help you on hills and sprints - places where you accelerate. I have an old road bike with some sensible upgrades (wheels, tyres, brakes, chainset) and i'm within a couple of seconds off the fastest guy i ride with and he has all the carbon bling but hes been road riding for 3 years to my 7 months so hes just generally fitter.

You could train on heavier wheels or with a chainlock or a couple of bricks wrapped in a towel in your backpack if you're serious about it and then on race day you can instantly shed 2 kilos without spending anything!

I think I kind of already do that! Most of my weekday training is done on my chinese carbon cx commuter (8.75kg) with a backpack full of rubbish 4/5kg (laptop/lock/note pad etc) - usually laps around Richmond or Regents park followed by a start/stop/dodge all the way back to Ealing.

I know what you're saying about bikes. My only high speed experience with others, bar accidental group riding in Regents, is this: https://www.strava.com/activities/708327207 which I did on my chinese cx bike. I didn't have any issues keeping up with people on some fancy looking bikes but it was only a short ride.

It must be very hard to train somewhere so flat and densely populated

My only high speed experience with others, bar accidental group riding in Regents, is this: https://www.strava.com/activities/708327207

You may get a bit of a shock even in 4th cat races - even a slow one is going to be 6-7 km/h quicker than that for twice as long.
My local chaingang does about [url= https://www.strava.com/activities/638788569/segments/15609370597 ]37-39 km/h for 60km[/url] on rolling terrain and that is training! (plenty quick enough for me, I'm delighted if I hang on)

Just run what brung and get used to the intensity for a while!

You think you are fit until you start racing.. Then realise how far you have to up your game and how much effort it really takes. I've just started CX racing and it's unbelievably tough. The hard part is knowing when to really push and when to sit up a little bit and try and grab a bit of recovery. Treat your 1st season as a learning curve and just use it to find your strengths and weaknesses.

bomberman
It must be very hard to train somewhere so flat and densely populated

You get fairly used to clipping in and out quickly between lights 😆

ianpv
You may get a bit of a shock even in 4th cat races - even a slow one is going to be 6-7 km/h quicker than that for twice as long.
My local chaingang does about 37-39 km/h for 60km on rolling terrain and that is training! (plenty quick enough for me, I'm delighted if I hang on)

Just run what brung and get used to the intensity for a while!

Yeah I imagine I'm going to get spat out of the back to be frank. Solo on a milk pond flat route I can do 19-20mph over 52 miles including being caught up in traffic on the way back into London ( https://www.strava.com/activities/621383879) - but definitely up for joining some chain gangs to get used to it properly.

cloudnine
You think you are fit until you start racing.. Then realise how far you have to up your game and how much effort it really takes. I've just started CX racing and it's unbelievably tough. The hard part is knowing when to really push and when to sit up a little bit and try and grab a bit of recovery. Treat your 1st season as a learning curve and just use it to find your strengths and weaknesses.

Not considered CX racing before, it sounds fun too. But yeah first season is just going to be turn up and hope I don't cause/get involved in a crash. 😆

Just a quicky on this for a mate.

Can you run Discs in the Hillingdon winter series ?

Wee update to this.

I had a holiday in NYC and bar a run around central park and a soul cycle session I didn't do anything intensive. Result is my HR is back to resting at 47bpm.

The bike is built (bar me cutting the chain too short and the stem needs cutting once happy with the height):
[IMG] [/IMG]
(yep the decking still hasn't been done).

I bought a Tacx Vortex smart trainer for over winter to structure my training, along with commuting every day I can and weekend cycles. I've just done my first FTP test on Zwift, it nearly killed me:
[IMG] [/IMG]

338W over 20 mins, which is calculating at 4.59kg/w (I'm 6ft 70kg)? Which I'm not suggesting is accurate in the real world, but in Zwift using the same equipment I should see an improvement?

But this is a good basis to start the training. Zwift is also going to allow me to do some virtual racing, so hopefully get me ready ish for the randomness of sprints?

Next steps:
- Join a club
- Get a british cycling licence

I wouldn't worry too much about watts per kilo, bike weights etc, it's 4th cat racing.

Try not to overthink it, your first few races will tell you far more about where you are and what you need.

Get your license sorted, turn up and enjoy it 🙂

No discs in the Imperial Winter Series. OP you have signed up I hope. First race is December 3rd. I I always a sell out. And with 4.6 watts/kg, I expect you to attack on the third lap and stay away. You should be a third cat in no time

Thanks @haze the calcs were mainly for Zwift racing haha.

Licence will be bought 1st Dec.

I haven't @tired as I haven't joined a club/got a licence yet. I've been out in NYC, got engaged there, came back bought a ring (proposed with a temp one) and hired a wedding venue since last time I posted on this thread. 🙂

Building up the courage too 😳

Our boys and girls are expecting you Nathb, they are drilling it regularly around Regents now 😉

Yeah I couldn't figure if you meant am or pm.

I've only just this week got my commuter up and running again, will aim to join you guys next week. 🙂

Just to echo what a few people have said. Let's not overthink it. The Felt will be fine to race on but if you want a new bike then go for it.

I'd also echo that the Hillingdon series is good especially starting out since you can get dropped, lapped and get back on the bunch (no contesting the finish though!) which is good for moral.

Finally until you have tried racing you never really know whether you have the fitness or aptitude for it, or even the desire to hurt yourselve since if you want to get better at racing it will hurt. With higher cat racing it just hurts at a faster pace.

As @TiRed says. If 4.6W/Kg is accurate, just pick hilly courses and drop the bunch on a hill when the time feels right.

And with 4.6 watts/kg, I expect you to attack on the third lap and stay away.

Depends on the course, and there's usually enough people willing to work to bring it back for the sprint. Even with that sort of power (and assuming you can make that in a good aero position) it's still very hard to hold off a determined pack in a crit.

Practice your sprinting.

@tonyg2003 - Yeah I went ahead and got one ^^. Still have the Felt though. Yeah, I'm imagining it to be similar to the FTP test but worse.

@fifeandy I'm not 100% sure that figure is correct, I'm rather tempted to hire a powermeter to see how it compares to the Vortex's power. Just to see if there is any progression in my cycling over the next few months.

@mrblobby - I did the FTP test on a mixture of the drops/usual hand position. Tried to avoid sitting upright apart from drinking/towel.

Am I right in assuming that if Hillingdon doesn't have an event on, I can just rock up and use the circuit? I'd like to get used to it before signing up to any future events there.

Yes it takes a very determined person to simulate a racing situation on a turbo especially an FTP, since it doesn't replicate the repetitive efforts required. I didn't race last year (too damn unfit! - but trying to get ready for next year) but I spent years thinking that every winter my max HR was going down (even on the winter chaingangs) then I'd do my first race I find myself back to my max HR!

I must admit, Zwift FTP test was okay (as far as they go). Kept me distracted enough and something to focus on by having virtual cyclists around to try and overtake. What I wasn't expecting was a dramatic change in resistance from the warm up to the start of the test, I wasted a lot of energy there ( https://www.strava.com/activities/784603519/analysis/1200/2404)

Aim to redo it at the beginning of January.

HR is a strange one!

Yes you can just head to Minets Park and ride the circuit. You want to ride anticlockwise for the winter series (other series go clockwise). For a benchmark, a good training pace would be sub 2:30 laps on your own. Watch out for riders coming in the opposite direction. Race pace will be 2:00-2:30. Not seen many sub two minute laps in fourth cat races. Races will be about 25 laps.

EDIT Saturday mornings are always booked out. Some Sundays afternoons are taken with coaching. Weekdays are free. There is no lighting and sunset is 4:20 pm

4.6W/kg has never been enough for me, hilly or not 😳

I've entered and am very excited! I wish I had 4.6w/kg at my disposal though 🙁

Team STW! Have fun guys 🙂

I dabbled a little in circuit racing last year for a bit of variety. First race was a 34 round Thruxton and spent most of the time trying to work out wtf was going on 🙂 With decent power you'll be ok as you likely won't struggle with the pace but you'll probably expend a lot of effort needlessly. Good racecraft and a well practiced sprint more likely to get you points than a lot of watts.

Going to purchase my licence/membership on Friday, assuming I can add a club at a later date.

Should I just go for the Gold one?

Going to try and pop down to a race at Hillingdon this year - first just to watch & see how things happen. 🙂

I did think you needed to be a member of an affiliated club to get a race licence. Worth checking.

Going to try and pop down to a race at Hillingdon this year - first just to watch & see how things happen.

No better way to do this than taking part 🙂

I did think you needed to be a member of an affiliated club to get a race licence. Worth checking.

You don't - you can be a private member (ie not a member of any club) and get a race licence. Silver + race licence is the normal option but you can see the difference between Gold and Silver here:
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/race

You can buy a 2017 racing licence from 1st December

The Imperial Winter Series races at Hillingdon are all online now with entry through RiderHQ - they sell out quickly.
[url= https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/156235/Imperial-Winter-Series-(Hillingdon)-2016/17-Round-1-of-9 ]Round 1[/url]

Have a read through that 4th Cat racing thread that was linked to a page or so ago, that's got some very useful info in it. Also well worth having a look through some of the British Cycling Racesmart videos:
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/skills/road-racesmart

Good luck, have fun - don't overthink it!

I'm nervous of wiping out the field @mrblobby 😆

I'm also working on the club bit, hopefully will be gate crashing one this weekend.

Thanks @crazylegs - I'll go for the silver then. It's nice to know I don't have to join a club too if they don't seem for me.

Do you still get CRC discount with that too? It's only listed on the gold one.

You'll only end up wishing you were out there riding!

Silver is enough unless you want the additional benefits.

Cool thanks!

Yeah I'm overthinking it all... I'm even overthinking zwift racing 🙄

I did think you needed to be a member of an affiliated club to get a race licence

Not true. Anyone can race as a "Private Member". You can even buy a day license to "have a go at racing". Silver is fine.

Although anyone can turn up and wipe out the field (it has happened!), I'd recommend some coaching in group riding and racing. Premier Coaching offer some sessions at Hillingdon specifically. Club riding is a good introduction and actually a lot more structured than a race.

Will see if I'm allowed to ride the 4ths as a rolling com (can't coach on the wheel). I'm down for all the E123 races.

You can't gate crash our club, you are welcome of course, but first rides are in the beginner's group to learn the ropes. Other clubs will probably be similar.