I’m going to hazard a guess that as and when there are races in the UK offering points again then Cat 4 is going to be super competitive for a while. Double whammy of pent up demand from all the people who got into cycling in the last year and haven’t had a chance to get promoted to Cat 3 yet, plus all the existing Cat 4 racers who have made big fitness improvements from having more time to train due to being furloughed or working from home. Plus not being able to go to the pub as much!
Could also be pretty chaotic as people will have been gaining fitness/speed through riding solo or in small groups, they’ll have minimal experience of race-type riding at least recently, if ever.
There’s a lot of people giving you solid info here, but I’ll hop in too:
Like @JT_34 mentioned, Cat 5 to 4 is a voluntary upgrade. You can race any race that has a Cat 4 that you qualify for.
People in here are giving you good advice that you’re choosing to ignore out of some sense of self-worth or entitlement. The reality is they’re trying to be welcoming to you by suggesting that you do what’s best for your race experience. If you show up to your very first race ever and race a 3/4 field, there’s a very good chance you’re going to get your teeth kicked in and not make it past the first few laps.
That doesn’t seem to be something that would be an inviting experience.
This is buckwild. If you’re at 4w/kg and only barely winning Cat 4 races you’re doing something wrong. I’m currently a 2 working towards my 1 upgrade and planning to compete on the national stage and I’m just over 4. Many of the guys I race with are also in that same area, there seems to be a huge overestimation on this forum in what kind of power you need to do well in racing.
This. There is zero chance any of the riders in the 3/4 field will be happy with you trying to ride on or at the front in your first race. Racing is a learning experience, and you need to start at the bottom and work your way through the ranks. If you’re good, and you know what you’re doing like you claim to, then you’ll have zero problem advancing quickly and racing whatever category and field you choose. Don’t try to jump through hoops just to soothe your ego.
So let me get this straight. You want me not to race with the 4’s because you are concerned for their safety. But you don’t mind not being concerned for my safety when I have to race with 5’s and people who just got on a bike 6 months ago?
From what I can tell, USAC made cat4 the bottom tier and changed cat5 to novice for complete noobs and folks who just want to participate. Your concern should be directed towards USAC or the race director for creating a scenario like this.
When you start a race, you don’t know anyone who is racing next to you. That’s an inherent risk you take. It’s not a pro peleton where you know everyone. When you race, you can’t assume the other cyclist knows what they are doing and that’s irrelevant of whether it’s cat5,4, or 3.
This is incorrect…while there is the risk of a “squirrel” or “fred” in any peloton (please note correct spelling), it is reasonable to assume that most of those lining up for a Cat. 3 race have had some degree of racing experience and know / understand the dynamics of a race better than a Cat. 4…that is exactly why there is a categorized system.
For a majority of people entering the cat 5 field this is simply not the case. Check your ego at the door or racing is going to do it for you pretty quickly. Everyone in here has been more than cordial and inviting with their advice and you’re just choosing to be hardheaded and not listen.
USAC made 5’s easier to enter to be more welcoming to those who may had been more adverse to racing prior. They made the transition from 5 to 4 easier to welcome those who get hooked on racing and training but don’t have multiple weekends per season to head out and meet all the prior upgrade requirements.
A fairly large majority of racers in Cat 3 and up will at least be familiar with one another on some level because of prior racing experiences. Even in the 4’s this is the case. Esepcially locally.
Thought the ‘skip novice cat’ idea was meant for eg. cat 1 MTB riders that just have never raced on the road before, and not for anyone who just doesn’t fancy it.
It can be applied in this scenario as well, although Pro/1/2 riders from different disciplines usually get placed in cat 3 if they request it ( I believe this is still the case).
Ex: As a 2 on the road I could have begun racing CX as a 3, even though I chose to start in the 5s and just get the hang of things.
@Alen how fast actually are you? If you’re happy to do a 3/4 race, but yet never have done racing before. You’re either going to be super strong on a 4/5 race or get completely and totally spat out the back along with your ego.
I haven’t even started racing yet, I want too. I know I have to start at the bottom and work my way up, like everyone has said here, if you haven’t done any racing you’re totally inexperienced. You could be 5w/kg and handle your bike like Julian Alaphilippe but if you’re yet to put that in a race situ, its going to become a massive shock.
Best way to think about it, from my POV is the same way you ride on the road. 9/10 accidents aren’t your fault it’s other people’s (drivers etc etc) the only way you’re going to avoid shit in races is with experience, and unfortunately you get that from starting at the bottom.
Leave your ego at the door, get on your bike and enjoy racing as you learn.
USAC explicitly states novice is for new riders. You are a new rider. Full stop.
Also…cat 5 was always pretty lenient in terms of upgrading. I have much more experience with CX than crits…but I asked for and got an upgrade after 5-6 races in cat 5. I had the fitness to hang in cat 4 races from the start…but doijg so would have been a terrible idea. My equipment was not as dialed in as it needed to be, my cornering was not up to snuff, and I certainly was not prepared for an all out 100 person pack sprint out of the gate. And I had some serious problems pacing. I managed to completely blow up about 3 times a race for a while lol.
You’re setting yourself up for failure and disappointment IMO by insisting on figuring out the crit equivalents of these in a cat 3 race rather than the field MEANT to figure this stuff out in.
Sorry if I missed it, but what actually is your fitness level and riding experience? Have you raced in other formats or maybe in other countries?
I have come across people who could probably legitimately skip the bottom cat without a problem (though that’s not an option in the UK!). E.g. people who have moved here having raced overseas. Or who have raced cyclocross and have big engines and great handling skills. Or some who have come from another sport like rowing or triathlon, have big aerobic engines already, and added good group riding/racing skills from doing race-like club rides designed to prepare people for racing with sprints, breaks, pacelines, etc. Even then it’s probably still a good idea to start at the bottom - if you’re strong and skilled enough to skip a category then you should also be able to keep yourself out of any trouble. Worst that can happen is that you totally dominate the category and stand on top of a couple of podiums, but more likely you’ll find that you can learn a few things on the way.
That’s a good point…but I sort feel like if someone had a 350 watt ftp and raced a decade of cross, or is routinely at the front of unsanctioned club crits, they would have led with that…
As others have said, FTP W/kg is a really bad predictor of how you’ll fair in a race. In fact I think its not a great predictor of much, other than who will ride up a 1 hour steep climb fastest! A friend had a couple of years off racing/training but used to be Elite. He was unfit but turned up to some 3rd cat races (UK) and kept winning with very low w/kg because he knew when to use his energy, oh and he can sprint.
The higher your w/kg, the easier a race should feel. But you have to know how to use your energy and be able to go way way over FTP to actually do anything in a race. In my experience, I barely ever ride at FTP during a race.
Keep in mind that in a 3/4 race you’ll have a ton of 3s and a few guys who are a couple points way from being a 2. Those guys are going to be expecting you to do things you probably can’t do handling wise if its your first race, e.g. they’ll think you’re Ok literally rubbing shoulders and you’re good corning 4 wide.
Those guys don’t want to hurt you but they will be assuming you can protect yourself in ways you may not understand yet.
Last thing I’ll say in this, but bike racing is not the local 5k that people sign up for to just have fun and finish. 75%+ of people of sign up for a RR or crit are there because they trained for it, like really trained, not rode for 3 hours per week.
Bike racing isn’t getting a finisher medal and a smile on your face when you cross the line. I went into my cat 5 season thinking I’d destroy everyone because I was around 4.5 w/kg then and boy was I wrong. I did not win a single crit or RR. There is a lot more to it.
After a year of triathlon, I did my first cat 5 crit last summer. I got my 3 upgrade this march? Just before the shutdown. Racing dynamic really is different and if nothing else, 4/5 will help you learn the lines, local race etiquette, etc.
For what it’s worth to the OP, I’m a racer from corpus Christi, TX, who has done the crocket stage race last year (as a 4) and am planning on going in February (as a 3). They took out the crit on day 1 and subbed it for another road race (to avoid large crowds in the town center). We’re all chomping at the bit to race, so I expect it to be full gas.
Considering my experience upgrading, from racing this same venue, and the fact that your first race would be a 3/4, 3 stage race, id highly encourage racing 4/5.
