to race or to wait

[outlash]

Rubbish.

Yeah, because making a dick of yourself is fine because hey, at least you're giving it a go eh?

 

[ayceejay]

Unless you are talking about TTing and I wonder about your reference to being lapped. there is more to racing than straight on speed and the way to learn this is by racing. Incidentally average speed is not a good gauge of an ability to win races - ask a sprint specialist.

 

[screenman]

Unless you are talking about TTing and I wonder about your reference to being lapped. there is more to racing than straight on speed and the way to learn this is by racing. Incidentally average speed is not a good gauge of an ability to win races - ask a sprint specialist.

I do not know about out there but over here you would struggle to contest the Sprint if you were not near the front at the end of the race, which in most cases would have required you to have averaged quite a high speed since the start.

 

[ayceejay]

It is the same here screen man (doh) perhaps I was making my point badly but in a road race as opposed to a Time Trial the speed varies a lot more throughout a race and knowing when to chase etc (strategize) is important

 

[mustang1]

That's bad advice IMO, if the OP gets spat out the back after 1\2 mile and pulled off shortly after, thats embarrassing and soul destroying. It's one thing 'giving it a go', but it's another to be a joke.

I was towing the borderline as much as possible without being too negative. Yes, I think op should train for a while before entering.

 

[Crandoggler]

I find it hard to believe that it's possible to go that slow if I'm honest.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

 

[screenman]

If you are using a speedo with a magnetic pickup fitting two magnets will double your average speed.

 

[newfhouse]

If you are using a speedo with a magnetic pickup fitting two magnets will double your average speed.

There's a weight penalty so not quite double

 

[Bollo]

If you are using a speedo with a magnetic pickup fitting two magnets will double your average speed.

There's a weight penalty so not quite double

Hide a large sheet of ferrous metal at the finish. The magnetic pull will give you a free sprint finish.

 

[newfhouse]

Hide a large sheet of ferrous metal at the finish. The magnetic pull will give you a free sprint finish.

Old school mechanical doping? Sadly, it will only work for the magnet in the upper semicircle of the wheel, the effect being cancelled out by the opposite side. Perhaps synchronized pulses to electromagnets? Oh look, we've invented a motor

 

[Bollo]

Being serious for a moment and taking jamma's OP at face value, there are two separate issues; are you going to be competitive and are you going to be safe?

Realistically, at your present performance levels you're very unlikely to be remotely competitive, even in a local club 4th cat criterium. Sorry.

But the real issue here is safety. There are many sports where you can "just have a go". For cycling, TTs are perfectly fine. But competitive group riding isn't one of them. It's more like boxing or trampolining where, unless you've built up the basic skills, you're either going to hurt yourself or someone around you.

 

[2IT]

Are you kidding us or trolling as the young people say?

If you aren't, keep training until your TTs for an hour are above 20mph AND you can sit in a group for over three hours that averages over 20mph.

The cost and drama of racing anything other than TTs at this time is not worth it from my experience. And I was somewhat like you when I started.

I am in two minds about racing since my average speed is about 13.5 mph. My heart says go for it but my brain says train this year like crazy and get the speed up so i won't get dropped on the first lap.

 

[Smokin Joe]

But the real issue here is safety. There are many sports where you can "just have a go". For cycling, TTs are perfectly fine. But competitive group riding isn't one of them. It's more like boxing or trampolining where, unless you've built up the basic skills, you're either going to hurt yourself or someone around you.

That sums it up. Road racing is a skilled discipline, you can't just turn up and fly about like you do with your mates on a trip to the café, you need to know how to handle a bike and take the odd nudge on the handlebars without causing mayhem in the bunch. Not that it would matter if you can only average 13.5 mph, the first acceleration would see you out the back door.

 

[Brandane]

All seems a bit odd this one, he did a 32 minute 10 or something the other day yet is only averaging 13.5 seems odd maths to me. Knock 8 minutes off that time then have a go at a handicap race.

I'm getting the impression that arithmetic is not the OP's strong suit. In a recent thread about his work tiring him out, he told us that he was working 28 hours per week:

Tesco: monday 10pm - 4am
tuesday 5pm-8pm
saturday 7am -12 pm (currently doing 7am-5pm)
Sunday 9:30am - 1pm

College job
Monday 8am - 2pm
wednesday 8am - 2pm
friday 8am - 3pm