# Whats the difference between cat 1,2,3,4,5



## Fireman aponte (Oct 10, 2011)

Hi guys im new to road biking i just want to know what is the difference in the cat 1,2,3,4,5 is one ameture or pro classes? And when do you know when your ready to enter a race ?


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

Your best bet is to try and find someone who races cat 5 and hang around them. Try and ride with them and see how you match up in their group. The more you hang around them, the more you'll ride like them. 

In the meantime, here's the very complex set of standards for each category....
Road Category Upgrade Guidelines - USA Cycling


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## suasponte2/75 (Sep 19, 2009)

Fireman aponte said:


> Hi guys im new to road biking i just want to know what is the difference in the cat 1,2,3,4,5 is one ameture or pro classes?


The level of pain each cat can dish out.... It'll be hard to simulate race pace for each, unless you ride in one. The best bet is to just do a few early races while everyone's still getting back into it to get a feel before they start getting back in mid-season form. I got crushed my first race and then started adapting/strategizing as the season wore on. HTHs!


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## altamira47 (Oct 11, 2011)

what everyone said about pace and figuring where you ride = true.
to answer your question though, cat 5 is entry level racing where Pro 1,2 is your highest level of local racing.


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## TWB8s (Sep 18, 2003)

It's progression of a licensed racer in the US. Most riders begin as Category 5's. The exceptions to that are Junior racers (17 & under) who are invited to USAC National Development Camps. At its discretion USAC can and has given automatic Category 1 or 2 standing for a first license.

As a rider places in races points are earned toward an upgrade. Upgrades are not automatic. Sometimes the upgrades aren't necessary. For example, as a 46 year old Cat 3 I could race in a 3's field, a Master's 45+, and a Master's 35+ 1,2,3 all on one day. 

Or as a Category 1 Mountain Biker (cross country) I could go to a MTB race and race in the Pro,1 race. 

A long time ago I asked for a downgrade from 2 when I went back to college but that was a mistake. I should have sucked it up for a few races. In the end it does't matter because I'm racing with the same guys in the Masters races.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

They're all amateur classes. The pro license is a little different.

The biggest difference between Cat. 5 and Cat. 4 is Primal Wear. 
Cat. 4 to Cat. 3 requires earning points by placing well. I think there are a couple other ways. Basically the same deal from 3 to 2 and 2 to 1. Watching the different categories doing a criterium is really educational. Cat. 5 guys are usually a lot faster than recreational riders, at least as a group. Each faster class in a crit really looks different, though - pretty impressive. At the one I was corner-marshaling, some of the Cat. 1 guys were trying to get noticed by pro teams, and there was a contract up for grabs IIRC.

I'd say if you can ride safely in a group of racers, you're ready to pin a number on and give it a shot. Whether or not you can stay in a group that's actually racing is another matter, and there are a few rules of thumb I've seen posted. I just stuck a number on and tried. I'm a consistent mid-pack finisher in Sport (equivalent to Cat. 2 in the MTB USAC categories) class MTB and Cat. 4 'cross, but it took me a couple of tries not to get dropped in the local training crit. That's about all I've done with road racing myself - MTB is my first love in riding and what got me into the sport, so it's also my emphasis for my racing season.

It's fun, so if you're not going to be a danger to yourself or others, give it a shot. Just don't buy a USAC license until you know you're ready to try a whole season.


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## BostonG (Apr 13, 2010)

Cat 5's, although they are the "slowest" level can actually be surprisingly fast. Many of the guys (at least the one's I've seen) can go at a brisk pace overall, but more importantly, can really hammer on a surge. The Cat 5 races are a bit dangerous because, as others mentioned, bike handling skills can be lacking in some members of the field. It only takes 1 person to bring down a whole group of riders, and that is much more likely in a field of Cat 5 guys. 

I think you should be able to keep pace with a fast group of rec riders on a good fitness ride. And not on the flats because that matters much less - wait until you hit a nice hill with them and people are having fun with attacking (can you keep up?) or when they decide to surge (can you keep up?). All this is assuming you can hold your line, corner well, know how to suck a wheel and who's to suck, use your body to brake, etc.

Basically, if you find yourself keeping pace on an entire ride with spirited fitness riders, you're ready to give it a try. Getting dropped is worse when it happens in your mind - it isn't so bad when it really happens. It takes courage to try.


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## mtrider05 (Aug 8, 2009)

BostonG said:


> Cat 5's, although they are the "slowest" level can actually be surprisingly fast. Many of the guys (at least the one's I've seen) can go at a brisk pace overall, but more importantly, can really hammer on a surge. The Cat 5 races are a bit dangerous because, as others mentioned, bike handling skills can be lacking in some members of the field. It only takes 1 person to bring down a whole group of riders, and that is much more likely in a field of Cat 5 guys.
> 
> I think you should be able to keep pace with a fast group of rec riders on a good fitness ride. And not on the flats because that matters much less - wait until you hit a nice hill with them and people are having fun with attacking (can you keep up?) or when they decide to surge (can you keep up?). All this is assuming you can hold your line, corner well, know how to suck a wheel and who's to suck, use your body to brake, etc.
> 
> Basically, if you find yourself keeping pace on an entire ride with spirited fitness riders, you're ready to give it a try. Getting dropped is worse when it happens in your mind - it isn't so bad when it really happens. It takes courage to try.


The last 5 Cat 5 crits I've done have been faster than the Cat 4 race and close to the 2/3 race. I also think the 3's races are the crashfests here in SoCal, way more aggressive riding. Of course, this is only a small sampling and YMMV. 

Go find the fast guys in town, ride with them a few times, learn the basics of group riding and go pin a number on.


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