Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
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Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby Rider123 » Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:00 pm
In that time, I have only raced criteriums and have managed to place a few times in D grade.
Now with winter approaching, criteriums have been replaced by road races. I am interested in competing in some of these races.
I would like to know how much harder the road races compared to the criteriums as I would rather not ride the last 50km of a race after blowing up by myself.
I am a skinny rider who prefers climbing so I'm not sure if that would make either one easier or harder.
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Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby toolonglegs » Thu Apr 12, 2012 3:13 pm
Should be roughly the same bunch of guys you are riding with (with the obligatory bulgar or two)... If you are not finding the crits too hard the road races should be fine especially as you won't get dropped on the climbs.
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby ireland57 » Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:50 pm
I did both last year; I only hung on in a few Crits (inc. a couple of placings I think) but finished ok in the road events........
and I find them brutal. lol
Neutral for a few kms then start racing. Up comes the heart rate.........and stays up until the end.
No rest anywhere. Downhill flat out; uphill gasp away; on the flat push your arse off.
They suck........but I love it anyway.
Give it a go. If you get dropped the training (mental) you get from soloing back is second to none.
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby skull » Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:42 pm
I feel the same, RR are easy compared to the constant turn then attack out of the corner (or respond to attack out of corner) for 25+ laps.JV911 wrote:i've only done a few RR but i reckon crits are harder esp on a hotdog curcuit. accelerating out of a hairpin lap after lap can be torture
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby jacks1071 » Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:26 pm
Horses for courses, I know some powerful guys who can smash a crit but would be flat out finishing a 120km road race.Rider123 wrote:I've been racing for about half a year with the CCCC down in south-east melbourne.
In that time, I have only raced criteriums and have managed to place a few times in D grade.
Now with winter approaching, criteriums have been replaced by road races. I am interested in competing in some of these races.
I would like to know how much harder the road races compared to the criteriums as I would rather not ride the last 50km of a race after blowing up by myself.
I am a skinny rider who prefers climbing so I'm not sure if that would make either one easier or harder.
For me, I prefer road racing, the longer and lumpier the better. I find crit's very difficult.
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby twizzle » Fri Apr 13, 2012 4:31 pm
...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby Le Velo » Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:54 pm
ROFL .... We must be riding with the same peopletoolonglegs wrote: with the obligatory bulgar or two .
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby PawPaw » Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:49 pm
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby foo on patrol » Sat Apr 14, 2012 6:48 am
Crits are to short and designed for sprinters, so are good for getting your speed work outs and handling skills.
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby Rider123 » Sun Apr 15, 2012 6:14 pm
How much more different is that in a road race?
Is it still sprints with smaller bunches or do people normally finish in 1's and 2's?
Are breakaways more likely to succeed in road races?
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby foo on patrol » Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:23 pm
Foo
Goal 6000km
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Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby toolonglegs » Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:54 pm
IMO it is just the terrain that makes the difference ( oh and no lap out )...
If you can hold a wheel for 20-30kms on a crit then the likely hood is you can hold a wheel for 50 or 70 as well... As long as the terrain ( weather, corners, climbing ) doesn't break you.
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby cerb » Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:13 pm
I'm a big bloke, so more keen on the flats and downhill than going up hills! Should be interesting.. especially with HotW this Saturday!
I'm thinking tactics will play more of a role in RR than in the low grade crits and I'm expecting to see some breaks on the hills (or at least me falling off the back!).
See you out there
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby aeroslave » Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:22 am
The length is also a factor as RRs are mostly longer and in major amateur races can go as long as 100kms. That puts the club racer "champions" outside of their "comfort zone" and give it to enduro specialists.
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby toolonglegs » Sun Apr 22, 2012 5:36 am
The courses I avoid locally are the ones were the climbs kick up straight after a sharp corner... I just burn too many matches and eventually pop. Steep climbs I find ok as long as I can keep the momentum into them... up to a point, usually that point for me is when I have to drop into smaller chain ring... usually means I will be dropped!.
And on the races with really big climbs I just enter to see how long I can survive... plus they are usually stage races so I can always do well in the prologues .
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Re: Road Races harder than Club Criteriums?
Postby mikesbytes » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:05 am
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