shy
msqden
Posts: 18
in General Chat
i really want to enter a bike race but im only a begginer and never done it before and dont know what time to aim for coz i fear to look very stupid with my cycling ability . i do train quite a lot ... any timeguide for any distances approx people> please
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Probably, the best thing to do is find your local cycling club - I am sure they will be a we welcoming look and keen to recruit a potential new member.
There are a number of things that you can do:
- Track
- Road
- Mountain Biking
- Time Trials.
Track and Road you really want to be quite experienced at, as they require a lot of skills "cycling craft", and are better done as part of team in most cases.
Mountain Biking is pretty beginner friendly and could be a good starting point.
Time Trials are probably the easiest type of race to get into on. A fixed distance, you are on your own, with the sole objective of covering the distance as fast as you can. Distances are typically 10 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles, 12 hours and 24 hours. 25 miles is probably the most common distance, although 10 mile TTs have become more common in recent years.
Generally, speaking, if you can cycle at 20mph for 10 miles or more, you will be OK.
For most events, you have to be a member of a club. However, there may well be a turn up and ride event.
Some members of this forum are in the process of setting up a club to help get over some of the barriers to doing Time Trials (joining clubs, having the right kit, bike etc.)
You can find more information at http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/
if you have been putting in the training you will do well regardless, the only thing left for you to do is ENTER!!
Good luck
Well what kind of training are you doing? ie average speeds over how long??
What bike do you have?
I would say just do it, so what if you finish last, do it for yourself and you will always win then....
ooo yeh and another thing you could do is join our team - the BCTTT - its a team thats full of all abilities abut with one aim of enjoying racing in a friendly atmosphere with no rules (apart from legal rules obviously) and depending where you are based in the country, i am sure there will be someone close by who can go out with you for rides etc to build some confidence:)
Where abouts in Lincolnshire are you??
Its been recently set up.... about a week ago by a guy who posts as conehead....
There is a massive thread on here about it all with all details of how and why you should join! lol
I know the area, I used to live at Coningsby a few years back and my parents are from North Lincs near Scunthorpe so Thats where I was brought up.
Not many hills to conquer of that way on lol:)
Not sure about the numb hands.... Maybe saddle too high therefore putting too much weight on wrists on the bars therefore cutting off blood supply to them hence the numbness??
Also the top tube may be too long so you are compensating by putting the saddle too high so you can reach over the bars..... Worth getting a proper bike fit before you do this ride.
Again times are very open.... Although I took 5hrs 15 to do them 87 miles last weekend, it was very hilly (peak district) for the entire ride so for me this was slow.... I am capable of doing a 4:40 Ironman distance (112 miles) given the right terrain... but the bike is my thing.... at the other end of the race results you will find people taking 7 hours to do a century ride and that be fast for them....
So you will always find someone quicker than you over said distance but that doesnt matter as its all down to how fast YOU can ride a siad distance. Go out and enjoy it tahts the main thing, it sounds like you are fairly nippy on the bike anyway so have nothing to worry about....
Unleash yourself onto the cycling world!!! GRRRRR!! lol:)