I Want to Ride My Bike Faster Than Everyone Else.

March 22, 2012 10:43 PM

How do I go from semi-hip-commuter-cyclist-girl to super-awesome-bike-racer-chick? Help me become the female Tom Boonen.

I love bikes. I love riding my bike. I love watching bike races. I love bike racers. I love learning more about bikes and bike racing. To wit:

I'm interested in possibly entering some road bike races sometime in the near-ish future (vague timeline is vague). Before I do, I need to bridge the gap between my current status as a dedicated, enthusiastic, but very clueless commuter cyclist, to become a savvy, strong, and prepared racer. Where do I begin?
Here's some info about my current bike life that may or may not be relevant:
- I bike to and from school and to and from work (or some combination thereof) 6 days a week averaging about 45km/day (round trip), so I'm not exactly a total cycling newb....but I'm not doing centuries every weekend, either
- I'm quick...but I wouldn't call myself FAST. I just installed the Strava app on my iPhone, so I will soon be able to get a rough estimate of how fast I generally go. I'm guessing it's around 17-20km/h in traffic/not pushing or sprinting (or climbing....which I am veryvery horrid at)
- Equipment-wise, I have a Trek Lexa S (I know Trek is the devil, but I got a good deal on it), on which I've installed these SPD pedals, and I wear these shoes
- I'm in generally good-great shape (in addition to cycling I run a lot and dance A LOT), but wouldn't describe myself as "athletic" (i.e. I'm pretty darn fit, but not actually any good at sports)
- In the last few years, I've started watching a LOT of pro cycling on TV/the web, and I now follow the ProTour fairly closely, so I'm quite familiar with the concept of tactics, strategy, etc. at an abstract level, but certainly not in practice (though I'm fairly sure such things aren't really going to be a factor in any of the rinky-dink races I might find myself in)
- I have zero experience riding in groups. I know that this is something I need to rectify before considering entering a race...but how best to do so?
- I live in Toronto, but will be moving at the end of the summer (to an as yet undecided location)
- I'm a girl.

So, HiveMind, please tell me:
1) What is the most essential equipment I need to invest in in order to begin training for a race/racing? I'm assuming I need to invest in some racing pedals, and some sort of cycling clothes, but what else? (specific product suggestions are welcome...especially those that are good quality but don't make my starving student budget recoil in horror) Note: A new bike is not an option at the moment, and massive overhaul/update of the components is likely out of my price range, too. Mostly, I need suggestions for useful accessories, etc.
2) Any suggestions for specific races or, more generally, types of races that might be good for a super newb like me? (Toronto-area, or Durham, NC or Chicago-area would all be useful)
3) Suggestions for good bike clubs/groups in the Toronto-area where I can practice riding in groups and not killing my fellow riders? Bonus points for groups that cater to a young-ish set (I'm 27), though I'm open to ANYTHING at this point. Personal experiences with Toronto-area groups is very welcome!
4) Other than learning to be a responsible peloton member, how else do I begin training for a race? What sorts of things are going to get me out of my leisurely commuter mode and into Tyler Farrar-mode?
5) How do I get reallyreally FAST?! Specific training tips/plans welcome.
6) Anything else I should know?

Thanks, dudes. Your help is much appreciated!

posted by Dorinda to Health & Fitness (12 answers total)

Best answer: A lot of people in your situation 'prepare' for racing by buying the most expensive bike they can find and a matching set of clothes. Fortunately, I doubt that that's necessary.

Your bike is fine. Yes, it will - in the long run - hold you back. But for a fair while, the 'rate limiting step' will be you, not the gear. The shoes and pedals won't hold you back either, even if they aren't exactly tailor made for racing. Maybe consider upgrading your saddle to something sporty and a bit lighter (I love the Fizik Aliante, but my arse isn't your arse) and definitely start socking away some money for a dedicated pair of race wheels. Nothing amazing - some Easton EA70s or Mavic Ksyriums or their equivalent, and some nice tyres. Get some good clothing that's made for women. Assos might as well be made from unicorn hide, but there's no denying that the shorts are pretty damn good. Buy expensive shorts and cheap jerseys, not the other way around.

The single most important thing you can do is get into bunch rides and get comfortable riding in a group. Things you need to learn:
* how to follow a wheel as close as you can without touching it;
* how to hold a line through a corner and not cut other people off or be cut off;
* how to stay calm when you bang elbows and handlebars;
* how to stand and sit when climbing without losing half a pedal stroke and slamming into the person on your wheel

good luck, and remember it's supposed to be fun!
posted by tim_in_oz at 11:35 PM on March 22, 2012 [3 favorites]

Your bike is fine to try and pedal into the ground, and I did many many miles in your position on SPDs (though I've never raced yet). Karathrace is right, just start putting miles on your body, over as long of stretches of unbroken pedaling as possible. One way of doing this is to make one leg of your commute a longer ride with extra out-of-the-way miles. If you start getting chafed or too sweaty and heavy, or other clothes/skin-related annoyances, that's when spandex starts coming into play.

Climbing is the real cycling challenge with me, but there are winning climbers (Nibali), sprinters (Cavendish), and all-arounders (Cancellara), so it really depends on what you want out of riding and what your genetics and fitness level allow you to be good at. Fast will come by itself.

You won't have to worry about riding in groups for a while yet, but many riders out on the road are amenable to trading off taking the lead and learning how to draft a little bit. It's a little presumptuously dangerous to get all 4" away from a stranger's rear wheel because you're trying to practice riding in a ProTour peleton. Frankly, from what I know about Cat4/5 races, the greater skill is being able to stay away from people who would crash you out while still getting ahead.
posted by rhizome at 1:15 AM on March 23, 2012

Best answer: You say you ride to school. Does your school have a cycling team? Collegiate cycling is an awesome, awesome way to get into racing, especially for women.
posted by rockindata at 4:31 AM on March 23, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh, and I notice you are a grad student. That's totally fine. I would estimate over half of collegiate cyclists are grad or professional students. It is not an NCAA sport, so all you have to be is a full-time student.
posted by rockindata at 4:51 AM on March 23, 2012

Best answer: Club rides for sure. Best place to learn to ride in a group. Start at the bottom and work your way up. The downside is that you probably won't be the only learner there, but there should be plenty of experienced folks to help you out. If it's anything like mine, you'll have crit racers at the top-graded rides. If your location is correct, this looks like a good place to start.

SPD pedals are fine until you're averaging 18-20 mph over 50 mi (sorry for the imperial units). You should get a real cycling computer though.
posted by supercres at 5:47 AM on March 23, 2012

Okay, I just looked at the ride classifications. You probably don't need to start at the very bottom, but don't push it. It's way easy to get burnt out killing yourself on one ride, or to get discouraged when you realize you're holding the group back. And by "you" I of course mean "me".
posted by supercres at 5:52 AM on March 23, 2012

Best answer: Hey! I'm a female amateur bike racer (road, mtb, and cyclocross). I agree with the above commenters - you seem to be just fine with the equipment you have (although watching the ProTour will definitely have you thinking otherwise:)). One thing, though - If the jerseys you own are pro team jerseys, you'll likely have to buy a plain one. I've gone to races where they strictly enforce this rule - you can't advertise for a sponsor if you're not part of that team. It's okay if it has a brand name on it (like Pearl Izumi or Castelli or whatever), just not a replica jersey.

I have raced road on SPDs for years - they are just fine as long as you're comfortable with them. Dual-sided entry is actually something I prefer - you'd be surprised how many folks struggle just to get clipped in when the gun goes off. Meanwhile, you're 5 pedal strokes ahead of them and can grab a better position.

As far as training plans, I'd recommend Joe Friel's book called The Cyclist's Training Bible. It'll introduce you to the concept of periodization, and even provides instruction on how to create an annual training plan so that your fitness peaks for your target race(s) of the season. Some of it is hinged on having a power meter, but you can get by just fine without one (using heart rate or rate of perceived exertion instead). I bet you can use your commute for many of the targeted workouts he has in there.

There are so few women cyclists out there compared to men, so it's super easy to go out and make friends. Once you start racing and get into the community & group rides, you'll realize how many resources open up to you - Use them. Ask questions.

Most importantly: HAVE FUN! Racing is a blast.
posted by TessaGal at 6:43 AM on March 23, 2012

Best answer: Work on your weaknesses. General fitness and endurance is good, but in a race the peloton will split, and if you're not in the lead group you want to be able to bridge that gap. That can mean an extended burst of all out speed to catch the lead group, followed by tempo riding, and then you need to be able to contest the sprint at the end (if you're in it to win it). That's hard to do.

So keep riding, keep training, and incorporate hill and sprint repeats into your workouts.

As far as the gear goes, upgrade those pedals. They're totally fine for commuting, but I wouldn't feel comfortable cornering while pedaling with them. If you're going to race any crits (crits are the most fun!), you're going to want pedals that allow you to corner fast and keep pedaling.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:58 AM on March 23, 2012

Once a guy was in our race fully decked out in a Rock Racing kit. The race official berated him at the start but let him race anyway, so yeah, take TessaGal's advice about not wearing team jerseys.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:03 AM on March 23, 2012

I was you about a year and a half ago, except my commute was decidedly shorter (less than 8 miles a day.) Now I'm about to start my 2nd full race season (I do criteriums only) and just bought a higher-level bike and all that jazz, though I still think I may have jumped the gun there. Here's what I did:

1. Rode absolutely as much as I could, and when time was short, did interval sprints.
2. Found a training crit group and did a few races with this. This went a *long* way toward me getting comfortable riding in close proximity to other riders.
3. Read up, watched youtube videos and practiced as much as I could on bike handling. Things like how to take a corner, how to follow a wheel, how to pass legally and safely.
4. Worked on my general fitness (I also play roller derby, so that was already at a decently high level, but I added in a bit of cardio and yoga.)
5. Just jumped in and raced.

If your area is anything like mine, you'll show up on race day and find that the entry-level women's category is lumped in with the upper level-women's category, and that will still be about a 10th the size of the smallest men's field. That can be a bit nerve-wracking when you know you have no hope of holding on and/or placing (except that first race I showed up for and placed 3rd out of 3. :)) But that also means you get to try to hang with the top level-riders for the first few laps, learn by watching them, and hang out all day and watch the other categories too.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 8:05 AM on March 23, 2012

Best answer: If you want to race, you should ride with racers, not with a general bicycling club. You'll learn the habits and behaviors of racing cyclists, which are far different from leisure riders (even serious ones). Don't worry: there are plenty of racing clubs with a developmental focus, so you won't be stuck just riding with elite racers. A cursory search for Toronto women's cycling found this 2010 BikeForums thread that recommended Dark Horse Flyers and Lapdogs Cycling Club for female racers.
posted by The Michael The at 8:25 AM on March 23, 2012

Response by poster: Thanks for the useful advice, everyone!
I've contacted a few clubs in my area to see if they are right for me (and have opted, like The Michael The suggested, for those clubs which have race teams affiliated with them, if only to give myself some awesome examples/motivation to strive towards), so we'll see what happens there!
Once I decide where I'm going to end up for grad school, I will definitely look into collegiate cycling as a goal. Very, very pleased to learn that it's not just for undergrads, thanks rockindata!
I will also definitely look into the book TessaGal suggested (as an English major, I always feel more comfortable when I have a text to consult! :P )
Equipment-wise, it looks like investing in a good pair of bike shorts should be my first purchase, and all the bells and whistles like a cycle computer, race pedals, racing saddle, and race wheels/tires can go on the wish list for sometime in the (distant/imaginary) future when I have the cash (and when I'm actually actively racing)? I do appreciate tim_in_oz and karathrace's comments re: the equipment not making the athlete....I just want to make sure I'm equipped with the bare minimum :)
Thanks again for all the help! Hope you all have an awesome season tearing up the pavement (or, if you're like me, watching the pros tear it up on your behalf!)
posted by Dorinda at 1:27 PM on March 23, 2012