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Category Upgrades

Advancing Through the Competitive Pathway

Category upgrades are the foundation of USA Cycling’s competitive pathway, providing athletes of all ages and skill-levels a nationwide structure for continual advancement. 

In order to race at the highest level and qualify for national and international competitions, athletes must meet certain benchmarks of success and earn the opportunity to race in more advanced fields. These benchmarks, known as category upgrades, are important milestones in a racer’s career and are indicative of a rider’s skill level, competitive accolades, and overall experience. 

WHAT ARE CATEGORY UPGRADES?

CREATING NATIONWIDE CONSISTENCY

In order to race at the highest level and qualify for national and international competitions, athletes must meet certain benchmarks of success and earn the opportunity to race in more advanced fields. These benchmarks, known as category upgrades, are important milestones in a racer’s career and are indicative of a rider’s skill level, competitive accolades, and overall experience. These categories help ensure fair competition by grouping riders of similar abilities together, and the process for upgrading recognizes athletes that progress through the ranks. 

HOW IT WORKS

Category upgrades are awarded based on a consistent set of national standards that take field size, racing experience, and placement into consideration. This level of consistency is important, because it allows athletes from across the United States to systematically progress through a competitive structure without losing sight of safety, fairness, and fun. Every race is an opportunity to build fitness, fine-tune skills, and learn from other racers, then the upgrade points come naturally.

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES 

Everyone starts their journey in the entry level category. This serves as the beginning tier for newcomers to racing, offering shorter and less technical races aimed at ensuring enjoyment and skill development. As athletes progress through categories, races become longer and more challenging. 

Road, Track, Cyclocross 

CATEGORY 5 | CATEGORY 4 | CATEGORY 3 | CATEGORY 2 | CATEGORY 1

Mountain Bike

CATEGORY 3 | CATEGORY 2 | CATEGORY 1 | PRO

To learn more about each category, click here.

UPGRADE DETAILS (POLICY VII)

USA Cycling Policy VIII outlines the upgrade program and serves as a key resource for racers of all ages progressing through the competitive pathway. It details category advancement requirements by discipline, along with policies for junior and age-graded events, ensuring a fair and transparent process for moving up.

To view the details of the policy and understand the points structure, click here

READY TO UPGRADE?

  1. Understand the Basics: Familiarizing yourself with Policy VIII will provide clarity on the criteria needed to progress in your discipline. Everyone begins in the entry-level category working their way to Category 1, the lower the category the more challenging the competition.

  2. Accumulate Points: Earn points by participating in races within your current category. You can check your progress with the Upgrade Tracker located in your USA Cycling account. 

  3. Check Eligibility: Once you've accumulated the required points for your next category upgrade, submit your upgrade request through your USA Cycling portal. 

  4. Submit Your Request: Log in to your USA Cycling account, navigate to the Racing Disciplines and Categories section, click on the action menu, and then select Change Category.  Select the requested category. 

  5. Request Approval: If you have met the requirements, your upgrade will automatically go through. If not, it will be put into a pending state until a USA Cycling staff member reviews your upgrade request. If the administrator approves the upgrade, your account will be changed to reflect your new category, and a confirmation email will be sent.

By following these steps and maintaining a focus on learning and improvement, you'll be well-prepared to advance through the USA Cycling categories effectively.

CATEGORY RECOGNITION

For many cyclists, a category upgrade is a significant milestone in their racing journey. It serves as a testament to their hard work, determination, and skill set. Each month, USA Cycling publishes an upgrade roster, publicly honoring and recognizing recent upgrade recipients.

Join USA Cycling in congratulating athletes who recently earned a category upgrade!

2025: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September

2024: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

HOW IT WORKS

Category upgrades are awarded based on a consistent set of national standards that take field size, racing experience, and placement into consideration. This level of consistency is important, because it allows athletes from across the United States to systematically progress through a competitive structure without losing sight of safety, fairness, and fun. Every race is an opportunity to build fitness, fine-tune skills, and learn from other racers, then the upgrade points come naturally.

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CATEGORIES 

Everyone starts their journey in the entry level category. This serves as the beginning tier for newcomers to racing, offering shorter and less technical races aimed at ensuring enjoyment and skill development. As athletes progress through categories, races become longer and more challenging. 

Road, Track, Cyclocross 

CATEGORY 5 | CATEGORY 4 | CATEGORY 3 | CATEGORY 2 | CATEGORY 1

Mountain Bike

CATEGORY 3 | CATEGORY 2 | CATEGORY 1 | PRO

To learn more about each category, click here.

UPGRADE DETAILS (POLICY VII)

USA Cycling Policy VIII outlines the upgrade program and serves as a key resource for racers of all ages progressing through the competitive pathway. It details category advancement requirements by discipline, along with policies for junior and age-graded events, ensuring a fair and transparent process for moving up.

To view the details of the policy and understand the points structure, click here

READY TO UPGRADE?

  1. Understand the Basics: Familiarizing yourself with Policy VIII will provide clarity on the criteria needed to progress in your discipline. Everyone begins in the entry-level category working their way to Category 1, the lower the category the more challenging the competition.

  2. Accumulate Points: Earn points by participating in races within your current category. You can check your progress with the Upgrade Tracker located in your USA Cycling account. 

  3. Check Eligibility: Once you've accumulated the required points for your next category upgrade, submit your upgrade request through your USA Cycling portal. 

  4. Submit Your Request: Log in to your USA Cycling account, navigate to the Racing Disciplines and Categories section, click on the action menu, and then select Change Category.  Select the requested category. 

  5. Request Approval: If you have met the requirements, your upgrade will automatically go through. If not, it will be put into a pending state until a USA Cycling staff member reviews your upgrade request. If the administrator approves the upgrade, your account will be changed to reflect your new category, and a confirmation email will be sent.

By following these steps and maintaining a focus on learning and improvement, you'll be well-prepared to advance through the USA Cycling categories effectively.

CATEGORY RECOGNITION

For many cyclists, a category upgrade is a significant milestone in their racing journey. It serves as a testament to their hard work, determination, and skill set. Each month, USA Cycling publishes an upgrade roster, publicly honoring and recognizing recent upgrade recipients.

Join USA Cycling in congratulating athletes who recently earned a category upgrade!

2025: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September

2024: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December