am i too old to start racing/ trying to be a pro

[jamma]

Right-You need the overtime- work it, and save that extra money for a used Cervelo. And when you need a new Cervelo, maybe your team's sponsor will provide it. I work for a major insurance company here in the States. We have a guy who is an ex-racer who commutes every day on his bike. Every day. Some snow, lots of rain, lots of wind, that old bike is out there, because it's wired into his being. He has to ride every day he can. So must you.

Already got a new cervelo s2 getting priced up and it within budget so really don't need the overtime but i guess its nice to have the extra money

 

[bikingdad90]

@jamma. Could be worth speaking to Chris from the Hub in Stockton, he races on weekends. I would see if you can go out with him a few times and see if you can keep up with his pace. It would give you a good indication of how far away you are off the pace.

I am sure the lads in Skinnergate cycles in Stockton also have a team. They are usually in the road race that takes place around the same time the Stockton Cycling Festival is on. You could get some sound advice from them regarding training and nutrition.

I would say go for it!

 

[bladesman73]

im 43 and on merida 904 alu racer i avg approx 20-22 mph on a rolling course over 20-30 miles. i also weigh 205lbs. if the OP can only manage what he says he does at 22 he needs to stop thinking of being a pro now. stop encouraging him, be real, aim to be one of the best locally seems to be the most realistic option and even then that will be a challenge

 

[ayceejay]

Once upon a time I used to run into Sean Yates. The only time I got anywhere near him was when he was stopped. Sean used to work in landscaping get home change and be out on his bike, if it was raining and there was no work Sean would be out on his bike. Yates started from the opposite end to our OP, he loved riding and fitted his life around it and raced to win.the rest is, as they say - history.
I used to see another couple of riders I didn't know but if you see yourself all tanned, with muscular legs and on a shiny bike riding into the Champs Elysee in the July sunshine I offer you the picture of these two in February at the end of their day cold wet and tired. If you can't do one you are for sure not going to do the other.

 

[Dec66]

I blame Strava.

 

[Hacienda71]

Strava is actually quite useful to remind you how inadequate you are in comparison to the pros .

 

[winjim]

[QUOTE 4227086, member: 76"]@bladesman73 @Dirk Thrust and a couple of others have it right. Stop encouraging him, he is either on the wind up or is clueless. He will never be a professional, if he can't be arsed to get to races he won't be a pro. I know people who would ride 100 miles, sleep out, race, then cycle home, just so they could be in a race! If he is seduced by a pointlessly stupid bike, he will never be a pro. If he doesn't ride miles and miles every day, he won't be a pro. Most importantly, unless he gets 100% faster he won't be a pro. It is futile to keep on with this nonsense. If he came and stayed with us he would be the 5th quickest cyclist in the house, and that is only because our Beagle hasn't yet mastered reaching the pedals.

[/QUOTE]
He needs discouraging, because someone with a genuine pro attitude would say "eff the lot of you, I'm going to do it anyway", disappear for two years and then come back smugly waving a team contract in our faces.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

[QUOTE 4227086, member: 76"]@bladesman73 @Dirk Thrust and a couple of others have it right. Stop encouraging him, he is either on the wind up or is clueless. He will never be a professional, if he can't be arsed to get to races he won't be a pro. I know people who would ride 100 miles, sleep out, race, then cycle home, just so they could be in a race! If he is seduced by a pointlessly stupid bike, he will never be a pro. If he doesn't ride miles and miles every day, he won't be a pro. Most importantly, unless he gets 100% faster he won't be a pro. It is futile to keep on with this nonsense. If he came and stayed with us he would be the 5th quickest cyclist in the house, and that is only because our Beagle hasn't yet mastered reaching the pedals.

I rode 13 miles in to work today, with a bloody great laptop, a file of papers and change of clothes (although I did forget my spare socks!) faster than he did a time trial, and I will be one of 00's on this forum who did the same thing today.

Forget the Cervelo, get a cheaper bike and just enjoy riding the thing around. He will get fitter/quicker/fitter/quicker as we all do, but he will never be as good as many of the youngsters or club riders I know who ride. And let's be honest, none of them will ever be pros.[/QUOTE]

*issed myself laughing at that.

 

[nickyboy]

Strava is actually quite useful to remind you how inadequate you are in comparison to the pros .

I find it quite useful reminding myself how inadequate I am compared to you (Chris71?), let alone the pros

 

[DCLane]

@jamma - I came to this thread and contributed thinking that you were someone who was both interested and putting effort in.

Instead it's frustration and annoyance you're giving over. How many miles in the rain did you do yesterday? And the day before? When's the last club chaingang you were on? All I'm reading are excuses and a new Cervelo won't provide you with the answer. What's it matter that you can't get your parents to give you a lift to a race? Some of my club-mates will ride to the racing they're doing on Saturday because they don't have a car. What's worse is that the morning race is in the opposite direction to the afternoon race - yet there's a 16 year-old who will ride at both. And ride to and from each.

This morning I went out with my youngest because he wanted extra training. Why? Because he's struggling at the start of races this season to get up to speed. We did 45+ miles in the wind and rain which may or may not help him. Either way he chose to do the ride.

On Saturday morning he'll be racing in Elland whatever the weather. And it's certain to be heavy rain.

In the afternoon he's coming with me to my 10TT to cheer others on unless he can get someone to keep an eye on him at afternoon training on the track in Elland.

Then on the Sunday he's helping marshal his club's sportive so that funds can be raised for future bike racers.

Oh, and he's just 11.

If you're not willing to put the effort in now then GIVE UP.

 

[Dec66]

If you're not willing to put the effort in now then GIVE UP.

Point of order... how can you give up something you haven't started?

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

View attachment 124055

*issed myself laughing at that.
View attachment 124056

Bars are too wide.
Have you lost weight?

 

[Firestorm]

Imo , I think the turning pro element of the original post is beyond the OP , however racing is not.
I have no figures on the standards of 4th cats, but I imagine it will take a bit of work to get competitive, but don't let that stop you giving it a go.
I can give you a bit of experience based on my Athletic career though.
At the age of 25 I started running, within 6 moths I felt I was capable of handling some road races.
Depending on the race, I was in the top half (bigger mass participation 10ks) or back 10% (local Athletic club organised events) but I still enjoyed it and it spurred me on to join the local club and train harder in the road running group.
Ended up doing the national xc champs , primarily because not enough club members better than me wanted to go all the way to Leeds, got lapped by Eamonn Martin et al and finished about 900th out of 1050.
5 years later, I ran the Essex 20 mile champs and was so far off the back they didn't record my time, but I kept it up, I enjoyed the occasion, but I was getting nowhere. I had a word with my coach a few months later, who said that, in all honesty, I was not cut out for distance and, given my various training performances, I ought to stick to what I was better at and enjoyed more, shorter faster stuff.
2 months and some really intense track training I made the clubs 3rd team at 400m.
Sure it was only Southern League div 7 , but I had my Mojo back.
I carried on, competing where and when I could. Div 7 , I was competitive, the day I first won a race was great, (Bournemouth July 92 I was 34).
County Championships were an experience, competing with internationals and watching them disappear into the distance..
I ended up doing the World vets in 99
Got a GB vest and all the kit, (had to buy it) , you just entered, it was not a selection thing , there were over 30 brits in the M40 100m alone, and I got thrashed, but it was one hell of an experience.

What this long winded diatribe is trying to say is, have reasonable goals, and realistic ideas of your actual standards, work a hard as you can to first reach your ideals then look to gradually improve them.
Don't let your standard stop you competing in the better quality events , but expect a stuffing and used the quality to motivate you to pbs.
Train with a group , hard work and dedication will gain you the respect of your peers regardless of your actual standard.

 

[mythste]

Imo , I think the turning pro element of the original post is beyond the OP , however racing is not.
I have no figures on the standards of 4th cats, but I imagine it will take a bit of work to get competitive, but don't let that stop you giving it a go.
I can give you a bit of experience based on my Athletic career though.
At the age of 25 I started running, within 6 moths I felt I was capable of handling some road races.
Depending on the race, I was in the top half (bigger mass participation 10ks) or back 10% (local Athletic club organised events) but I still enjoyed it and it spurred me on to join the local club and train harder in the road running group.
Ended up doing the national xc champs , primarily because not enough club members better than me wanted to go all the way to Leeds, got lapped by Eamonn Martin et al and finished about 900th out of 1050.
5 years later, I ran the Essex 20 mile champs and was so far off the back they didn't record my time, but I kept it up, I enjoyed the occasion, but I was getting nowhere. I had a word with my coach a few months later, who said that, in all honesty, I was not cut out for distance and, given my various training performances, I ought to stick to what I was better at and enjoyed more, shorter faster stuff.
2 months and some really intense track training I made the clubs 3rd team at 400m.
Sure it was only Southern League div 7 , but I had my Mojo back.
I carried on, competing where and when I could. Div 7 , I was competitive, the day I first won a race was great, (Bournemouth July 92 I was 34).
County Championships were an experience, competing with internationals and watching them disappear into the distance..
I ended up doing the World vets in 99
Got a GB vest and all the kit, (had to buy it) , you just entered, it was not a selection thing , there were over 30 brits in the M40 100m alone, and I got thrashed, but it was one hell of an experience.

What this long winded diatribe is trying to say is, have reasonable goals, and realistic ideas of your actual standards, work a hard as you can to first reach your ideals then look to gradually improve them.
Don't let your standard stop you competing in the better quality events , but expect a stuffing and used the quality to motivate you to pbs.
Train with a group , hard work and dedication will gain you the respect of your peers regardless of your actual standard.

Lovely. Thanks for sharing and I think this is a great illustration of how you could go about these things and OP should heed the advice.

I think its fair that given the experience, if you had the genetic "extra 1%" or whatever, part of the process is making sure you're in a position for it to be honed and noticed.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

Well done,and you gave it your all.
But the main thing is,you tried but did not fail IMO,because you found a level.
A level where you were still competitive,but the enjoyment was still there.