# Sea Otter Classic Question



## absolutsooner (Feb 26, 2009)

What is the difference between the road race and the circuit race? Is the difference just a difference between riding a certain distance (road race) or time (circuit race/crit)?


----------



## kretzel (Aug 1, 2007)

in the years I've worked it or paid close attention, circuit race is on the racetrack only 

RR leaves the Laguna Seca recreation area and goes out on 2 lane roads into Fort Ord.


----------



## AntF (Apr 25, 2008)

The circuit race is on Laguna Seca only.


----------



## absolutsooner (Feb 26, 2009)

Hmmm, any recommendation on which one I should try. I am trying to decide between the road race and the circuit race.


----------



## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

absolutsooner said:


> Hmmm, any recommendation on which one I should try. I am trying to decide between the road race and the circuit race.


Hard to say w/out knowing you, or at least about you.


----------



## velogirl (Oct 14, 2005)

Undecided, are you a new racer? Both the RR and the CR are two of the toughest courses in Northern CA. Sea Otter also draws strong racers from across the country, so in addition to difficult courses you'll be racing against top racers. 

My opinion is that Sea Otter is not the ideal "first race" for a new racer. 

For the complete 2010 racing calendar (published by December 1st), go here:

http://www.ncnca.org/road/

There are lots of great local races -- many of them more appropriate for a beginner racer. 

You might also want to participate in the Early Bird clinic series -- the first five Sundays of the year.

Lorri


----------



## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

If he's a new racer, he'll be in one of the cat 5 races, not racing against top racers.

One of the cool things about Sea Otter's RR (and probably the CR too) is that they offer masters 35 and 45 cat 5 races. The RR is a true closed course (unusual in road races) and they even have neutral support for cat 5s- there is a support car that you can get a wheel from if you flat. You won't see that in other cat 5 races.

The RR has one steep 3-4 minute hill on each lap of a 10 mile circuit, and some rolling hills too. And then there is a good final climb back up Barloy canyon rd. to the finish. If you are not a reasonably good climber you probably won't be up front at the end. Other than the neutralized descent down Barloy the course is pretty safe, and the hills make the course difficult enough that the pack riding is safer (since many are off the back and the pack doesn't bunch up as much).

I did it a last year as my 10th cat 5 race and I thought it was a good one. They posted the results in a timely fashion and even corrected mine when I emailed them (I'd been given a number from a different field).

OTOH, parking is a nightmare, it's difficult to get to registration or the race start, and my race started two hours late. It's also expensive and the road races are during the week so I have to take a day off work. Those are the reasons I didn't go back this year.


No matter which race you do, I strongly encourage you to ride the Early Bird clinics/races. They're really useful, even for a returning racer like me.


----------



## SuperC.Hops (Sep 15, 2009)

Having raced both the RR and the CR last year, I would recommend the CR, although I enjoyed both. The RR is definitely the harder of the two, with more miles (47mi for the Cat 5s if I remember correctly) and more climbing. The CR is timed (45min. or so) so the miles won't be so bad but it will get intense climbing up to the corkscrew every lap. 

If you're a car lover you have to race the CR. You're racing on the Laguna Seca racetrack the whole time! You get to zip down the corkscrew and scream through the same turns as the finest racecars and motorcycles in the world. And because it is such a prestigious and professional racetrack, it is the smoothest pavement you will ever ride/race on. When compared to the RR, you would have to be a masochist to pick the RR over the CR, the roads aren't as nice and way way more climbing. But what road rider isn't a little masochistic? Moving on...

Put another way, the RR is for the climbers and the CR is more for the all rounders. Which one are you?

Regardless of which one you pick, I highly suggest everyone do at least one race at the Sea Otter Classic since racing at such a huge event is really quite an experience. It sure beats riding around a parking lot in front of 15 people.


----------



## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

velogirl said:


> Undecided, are you a new racer? Both the RR and the CR are two of the toughest courses in Northern CA. Sea Otter also draws strong racers from across the country, so in addition to difficult courses you'll be racing against top racers.
> 
> My opinion is that Sea Otter is not the ideal "first race" for a new racer.
> 
> ...


Sorry that I ignored this response, although I'm not sure it was actually meant to address me, rather than the OP. Anyway, I'm not a particularly new racer, but I can remember racing the Sea Otther road race and the circuit race when I was a 4. I'm not sure that I'd put the course of the road race at the top of the list for difficulty, but certainly a new racer should be aware that it finishes with a meaningful climb. And the circuit race also has some places where a new racer could be caught by surprise. 

The early birds are great, but it looks like he's looking for something other than a crit (not that he shouldn't consider the early birds or other crits, but who am I to tell him what he wants?). New racer, road race, I'd say Modesto, if the idea is to pick a race where it's relatively easy to rely on sitting in to see you through the race. Circuit race, the RvBrisbeen is probably easier (and a less public setting to fall apart in!).

(Of course, don't miss the Menlo Park GP.)


----------

