Bicycle Racing 101
Beginner Collegiate Womens B Field Lining Up for the Start of U of Wyoming Race
Yay! It is finally spring! And bicycle races are going in full swing.
Nothing beats the adrenalin rush you can experience in a bicycle race. A fast pace, all out endurance (or for you sprinters a leisurely stroll in mid pack) type of venture. And best part of it all is that anyone can enter, beginner through expert!
Now I know what you are thinking. I am not physically fit enough, strong enough, safe enough, experienced enough, or crazy enough to do a bike race. Well I am here to put you straight and say that you all are! And once you do, you will want to do more 
Bike races of all types, Mountain, Road, Cyclocross, Track, BMX etc. have all types of levels in which you can compete. In any given organization, such as USACycling, American Cycling Association (ACA), or other held cycling promoter, will have rider ability levels assigned per category. For USACycling and ACA categories are divided between beginner, intermediate, expert and pro levels (usually ranked by numbers).
But due to the different rider ability levels per category, you will be competing with other riders who are around your physical ability level. This means you won’t get crushed by legendary pros in your bike race.
In my career of bike racing, I have seen beginners who have never raced a bike before finish 1st in several races (mountain and road events!).
It might be a good idea to check out with locals (bike shop, other riders etc) to see which race courses are great for beginners. Some courses can be significantly less technical than others, thus making the event much more fun for a first timer (aka noobie!)
There may even be bike races on trails and roads that you already ride currently on! Best way to find out about races is to search online, local bike shop, USACycling.org or AmericanCycling.com. There are many documented races around the US and many more non-affiliated local races within communities. For those of you in the Fort Collins area, New Belgium puts on every spring a short track Mountain Bike Race Series on their property and every fall a cyclocross Bike Race Series. It is fairly low-key and is almost secretive to the cycling community, but is probably some of the best short track/cyclocross series I have done.
And who knows, many of these race venues provided prizes for the top 3 winners and sometimes even the participants! Who doesn’t like free swag!
So hop on your bike and find a few local races in your area. You won’t regret it!!
