# Racing and Clubs



## MyBlueTrek (Jul 27, 2007)

Hello girls! I am new to riding road but have been mountain biking and racing for years. I really want to get into road racing. How many of you guys race? Do you have to be in a club to race? Maybe you could post some race pictures! 

~Heidi


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## Sadlebred (Nov 19, 2002)

You can race "unattached," which means that you are not part of a club or a team. Make sure to wear a plain colored jersey with no sponsors on it if you are racing without a club; it's in the rules. Although boring reading, you should familiarize yourself with the USA Cycling rule book. http://www.usacycling.org/forms/USCF_Rulebook.pdf. You might also want to find an experienced racer in your area that can help you at your first race. 

I race Cat. 3 on the road, Cat. 3 cyclocross, and Sport mountain bike.


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## Eddywanabe (Feb 23, 2005)

*Road Racing*

Heidi,
My two cents- Sadlebred gave good advice, but I would take it a step further and check out the "find a club" section @ www.USACYCLING.org in your area to help you ramp up quicker as a roadie. There is no substitute for group training rides with experienced racers to help you achieve the skills, fitness and comfort level required to have fun in your first race as a roadie!! It's also much safer to train with a group when on the road, at minimum, find a training partner to ride with on the road. A good training partner will push you and challenge you on those days that your feeling a bit sluggish about training. Good luck and KEEP IT FUN!!!:thumbsup:


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Ask around at the local shops- they should know who the local clubs are. Some clubs are somewhat exclusive and you need to be invited to join; others welcome anyone. A lot of clubs in my area have women's teams and/or special programs for women racers.

Racing-oriented clubs have group rides which are often open to anyone. They can be a good way to meet some of the club members and see if you get along with them. Group rides also can simulate races to some extent, and can give you experience with riding in packs.


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## MayGirl (May 12, 2006)

I totally agree with everyone, especially ericm979's suggestions. Different clubs have different 'feels' to them -- when it comes to racing some really foster team tactics, others are more like people racing for themselves along with others who happen to wear the same jersey. Additionally, some clubs have race-incentives (cover entry fees either flatly or performance-based) as well as great to less-than-great deals from sponsors.

I race on a collegiate team during the collegiate road season, and for a club during the USCF season. For the most part at the beginner level (W4 especially), not much team tactics are used/needed so racing unattached is really not a detriment. As you move up, you'll find having teammates who work well together (blocking, attacking, leading out, etc) is super fun and makes racing a lot more interesting. 

The biggest transition for mtn bikers to make in road racing is usually the pack dynamic -- riding with larger group rides will help get you acclimated to the bumping and close riding you'll find in road races and especially crits. Some of the better clubs put on training clinics for their members to encourage racing more responsibly.


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