92kg and 315ftp, 183cm. So 3.4? Been racing 12 Ish months, cat 3.
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what absolute numbers are those? I’m 2.7 w/kg and I get dropped from Cat 4 crits every damn time!
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Sorry should have said that’s mtn bike.
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75kg, 265w FTP (about 3.5w/kg) I race women’s cat 3 on the road, not particularly successfully. I can also sit with the pack in men’s 3/4 races, but can’t place in the pack sprint at the end. My weight should go down (70kg goal), and hopefully my FTP will creep up to about 280w to get me to 4w/kg, but as a larger female racer I’m stronger on the flats than most of my competitors.
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1 min power 600w 5min 356w. Is that what you mean? Do you get dropped in both flat and hilly Crits?
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In Tasmania Australia the handicap system is crap. Almost grade yourself. If the H/C likes you, you will get upgraded if you want. Not based on results.
I was upgraded to Cat 2 based on results. Downgraded myself recovering from surgeries. Now I am faster and fitter thanks to TR I have to win to be upgraded.
I do like the US system. It seems fair? Any thoughts @Nate_Pearson @Jonathan I know you’ve covered it in the past.
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I really like the US system because it gives you something to shoot for. You also have to “earn” your way up so you get a bit of pride/status with each category upgrade.
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3.48 w/kg, 284 W at the moment, cat 3 road/track & cat 4 cross
Feeling kinda slow after reading through this thread, oh well.
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I kind of wish mountain biking you had to earn your way up. I can never decide which cat to race!! If I have one good race I feel like a sandbagger but I don’t wanna be at the very back of cat 1 either 
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unless you’re cat 5! (I don’t consider starting a race to be “earning”)
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Approx. 3.7W/kg (330W @ 88kg), 36y.o.
I’m a club level A-Grader for Crits (but i’m pack fodder against the local domestic pro’s, so no results at this level).
In road races, or anything that has a climb longer than about 1min, i’m a C-Grader. But I’ve also only ever done about 4 road races total, over 8 years of (crit) racing! 
I guess that puts me at about cat 2 for crits and cat 4 for road?
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Hey, @cerb Not sure how racing categories are structured over there across the pond, but I bet with the power you have there are plenty of road races you would do well in. Just need to identify one that plays to your strengths. TR plan builder would get you ready…
I’m thinking of some races around here that you would potentially be competitive in. with multiple short rollers, and some steady state threshold efforts. Tactics will have you placing well, I think… Just hate to see you “box” yourself into one type of racing. Cheers 
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Flat and rolling road races would probably be fine, but we don’t have a lot of those here (they typically have a 4-6min sustained climb in them where I get dropped).
My main issue with road races (and why I only race crits) is time/accessibility. It takes a whole day to do a RR by the time you factor in travel there & back + 2-3h race time. With crits I can ride there, race and be home within 3h - which fits much better with my other commitments. 
I agree though, with any racing, good tactics playing to your strengths are essential!
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~250-260 FTP, 3.7-3.9 w/kg, cat 4 road.
Idk if you’ve see this website or not but it lists a lot of the Michigan races. Though as you said before it is a lot of crits and not a ton of road races. I just moved up to Michigan at the end of the summer so I’m hoping to hit as many of them as I can!
4.3W/kg 330W.
Raced for the first times last summer and got my arse handed to me. Being able to hold 300W for an hour or hang at the front on a Zwift race is not much good in a real life crit. The combination of zero race skills/experience and no ability to spike power out of corners repeatedly meant i was hanging on for dear life until getting dropped and using my great FTP to time trial around with the other stragglers.
I spent a lot of thought on how to fix these points and i was soon able to hang on much better and go for a hail mary 1km from the end as I’ve got a useless sprint so i figured i might as well spank the last of my watts before the pack sailed away from me 100m from the line but at least i stayed out of the danger zone.
I’m hoping for a bit better competence this season, but i still have no illusions of troubling the podium. (I’m 49 so i dont need to really care)
Great fun though!
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Which race?
You’ll get the hang of it. If you can scratch for an outside bomb in a crowd, you can definitely get the hang of a crit.
Tommy Ketterhagen Memorial
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I’m 40, with FTP of 336 and 86.6 kg for about 3.88 watt/kg. Currently a cat 4, and plan to upgrade to a 3 later this year (I think I have enough points already, but why rush it). I won once this year and had a couple of podiums.
Around me (mid-Atlantic US), I’ve observed that raw watts, one-two minute repeated power, and the ability to draft well count for a lot more than watt/kg. I ride mostly with cat 2s and I can generally stay with them, as long as I’m smart about positioning and stay in the draft. I’d encourage people not to obsess over watt/kg. Positioning, drafting, and riding smart, are worth at least .5 watt/kg or more.
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