You’ve found a club or team. You’ve learned the basics of racing through slow speed drills, pack riding clinics, cornering and sprint drills and you are ready to do your first race What next? How do you ACTUALLY get started racing your bike.
A great thing about being part of a club is you’ll have teammates who are familiar with the local races and will be able to give you guidance about where to start and insights into the various courses. Check the event calendar on USACycling.org or on the webpage of your Local Association to find races near you. You’ll find options! Criteriums, circuit races, road races, time trials, cross country mountain bike races, enduros, gravity events, cyclocross and track races. Look for the event discipline you are most interested and go ahead and register! Most events offer both online and on-site registration but make sure you check and avoid any surprises!
All USA Cycling events require a racing license - either an annual membership or a one-day license. Racing is categorized by experience level. For road cycling, track and cyclocross events Category 5 is the entry level category and Category 1 or Pro is the most experienced. Each Category is achieved by race results. In mountain biking there are three categories and you have the ability to self-select categories based on experience and skill level. Be prepared to show your license at registration or purchase a one-day license if you have not already.
On race day, give yourself lots of time. If you can, carpool with a teammate. You’ll want to:
What goes in your race bag:
Some other things to thing think about before race day:
Finally, pay attention to the officials on the start line. They are there to help and make sure your race goes smoothly. Often times they are going to provide you with valuable information that you may need - alerting you to where medical tents are located, reminding you of the rules, where results will be posted, any changes to the course or specific things to look for on the course.
Mostly importantly have fun! When your race is done, stay and cheer! Volunteer to be a course marshal. And have more fun!