Here’s a thread I started on this topic a few years ago … a bunch of folks added some good advice and input in case you might find it helpful — the most important of which was “don’t crash” 
Good luck!
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This. That is all you really want on the screen. Time so you know roughly how long you have left. Speed in the event of a breakaway so you can sustain it.
TBH, I don’t think I’ve looked at my head unit more than once in any race all season long, as that was just for the time.
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Thanks, all! The race is tomorrow and I’m taking in as much as I can. By all accounts, including the fantastic driving analogy, I’ll probably need to ride a bunch of these before I can expect anything. Hell, I don’t even know if I should carry a water bottle! Probably wont for a 35 min race. Anyway, I’m getting nervous about it. Hopefully I can get some sleep tonight.
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I wouldn’t. 
Don’t worry about stripping down the bike of cages… too much of a pain in the ass, but I wouldn’t carry a bottle, personally. (Do make sure you take the saddle bag off!) In a 35 min race, you don’t need to drink most days, and you might not be able to anyway!
That said, I generally carry them for my 50-60min crits, but at most I get like two quick draws on them at any given point.
I would stop doing that.
Things are going to happen so fast you’ll barely have time to think. Just concentrate on one thing, holding the wheel in front of you.
The only safe places in the pack are at the front and the back. Both require high levels of fitness. If you’re in the middle of the pack, you’re at the mercy of other riders. Hopefully they won’t suck, but some will. That’s the reality of crit racing.
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Agree with everyone here: don’t look at power. Don’t concern yourself with HR either.
Literally just do as little as possible, ride smooth, attempt to keep power steady, find ways to game the system within the peloton, react to everything you see sooner than you think you need to, and less drastically than you think you need to.
Learn the flow of the inside of the peloton. Enjoy yourself! Watch other people waste watts out in the wind.
To answer your question about what you might expect for power: I think my average power for a flat 4-corner crit in a cat 3/4 field was 2.5W/kg to put myself in position to win the race. In flat-ish non-technical circuit racing in the cat 4/5 field, I’ve seen as low as 1.7W/kg average.
I once towed my wife as smoothly as possible through a Men’s P1/2/3 flat-ish circuit race and averaged 2.7W/kg while she averaged 1.5W/kg on my wheel.
When in doubt, do less!
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Race report please, be great to hear how you found it…and if you even looked at computer during race! Fingers crossed for you!
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RACE REPORT - Oh Boy!
My first bike race ever (Cat 4/5 Crit) and it was embarrassing. I got blow away. Got dropped after 1.5 laps out of 10. Placed 24th out of 31. There is only one technical part of the course with three 90-degree turns (slightly uphill) and it was the second time through where I lost contact. I was braking around those corners and it cost me. All the sudden I was behind and my effort to catch up not only failed…it hurt. Then I basically did a bunch of laps alone. Got lapped. Caught a few guys who blew up long after me. In the end, I’ve done solo centuries at nearly the same pace!
Some takeaways:
- Lay off the brakes (it’s a horrible addiction).
- Get in the drops. I hardly ever do this. A buddy showed me photo of me in the race and I looked ridiculous. No one else was up that high.
- More group rides! I don’t do a lot of these and to be honest, I’m anxious in the pack, especially at these speeds on corners. The first lap felt easy in terms of effort (right in the middle of the pack!) but I’m not yet comfortable with it.
- Get younger! I was by far the oldest guy in the race. Well, one other guy was a year older but he was behind me. After that the next oldest guy was 11 years younger. Big jerks!
You guys were all spot-on with your advice. Those that said it will take 10+ races to learn how to crit should win a prize.
There are 3 more in the series. I plan to do at least one more if not two but right now I’m licking my wounds and will wait to decide. I would like to see if I can hang for a couple more laps.
Oh, and I never even looked at my GPS.
Thanks again for all the support and advice.
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These first three, and especially the second IMO, are safety things so definitely work on being comfortable in the drops. Nice work putting it on the line!!
I think just about everyone goes through 1 and 3. Experience in 3 helps with 1. But you gotta train and ride in the drops.
Again, you toed the line… and that is awesome! Kudos!
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Kudos for getting out there….your experience is no different than 90+% of the USAC membership. It is the Way Of The Road.
Definitely get back out there for at least another one…take what you learned from today and apply it to the next race. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Welcome to the Peloton!
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No need to be embarrassed (your words), sounds like the first race experience of vast majority of people. 100% practice the things you mentioned and return for sure. Few more races and far more things will be automatic!
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Great first race, brother!
I was there with you - don’t get down on yourself. A lot of really dumb braking was happening in the first few laps on the corners, as people were figuring out how to take the line. One brake touch, and you lost 4-5 wheels. The 15 teammates from the host team in that race made for another challenge, as they sent a break up the road with 7 people, and the other 7 stayed back to block (or also didn’t have the fitness). It was super challenging to get around them, and they chased down every attempt to bridge.
Keep getting back out there, and also get out to other races! Try the Sunday race down near Cincinnati - it’s a “hot dog” crit, and quite a bit different experience.
It never gets easier, you just get faster.
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That’s pretty similar to my experience with my first crit(s).
Those are good ideas. Aside from being faster the drops will be significantly safer. Better handling in the corners and you can’t tangle bars with people. To avoid (some) braking I’ll let a gap open before a corner. It allows for a bit of space and gives me somewhere to accelerate into during/shortly after the turn.
Do it. I think solving number 1 may be all you need, to just hang throughout the race.
For context: my first 3 races, I was off the back by mid-race. By the end of the summer race series I was winning enough to cat up to cat 4 and then cat 3.
Don’t underestimate the energy cost of repeated braking.
Solving number 2 will help a lot too, but may not be completely necessary if you just learn to bend your elbows.
Don’t try to hold wheels. Other people surge too much.
Hold position mid-pack, get a bit lower, and don’t brake.
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This is huge. If you’re doing 200% out of every corner and everyone else is doing 150% then you’re gonna be cooked way faster.
Yeah I ride maybe 50% of a crit in the drops. Usually it means I’m tired, I’m about to sprint, or the pack is super strung out.
Agree with this. Other than moments where it is going fast and single file it’s not about holding a wheel but being in a certain position. Holding a wheel is a good thing for beginners to focus on as it sort of takes the guess work of lines and cornering out of their hands. But really it should be more about being the in the pack and sheltered from the wind.
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Good criterium racers always move up…In the ever important task of conserving energy sometimes it takes energy to save more energy. I realize that sounds counter intuitive, however, sometimes if you need not be afraid to hit the wind and pedal if it yields a better position. Obviously there are better times than others to do this and it’s beyond the scope of this thread to detail every possible scenario. And I understand if your fitness may not be at the level it needs to be to do this now but, eventually the idea of moving up/spending energy to save energy will be a skill you will need to do well IMO.
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Another point…Really good criterium races can hold their position well. It can be a fight up front especially in the final laps. I wish I had some great tip but I don’t. It sort of takes a strange mix of confidence, respect, stupidity, skill and faith in the guys around you not causing a crash fighting to keep your spot (if it comes down to a group sprint).
In a recent race I did one of the best jobs holding position in the last few laps in decades. Part of it was every lull I moved up. When it was on I found some of the best wheels and just rode really tight. I was motivated as the race before I got DQ’d for something really lame. Long story but, the point is I was pissed. I think I channeled that energy and motivation to the second race. I drove 6 hours so while I wanted to go home I also didn’t want to go home on such a bad note…When you line up to race it’s not strava, it’s not a group ride. It’s a race. Get mentally tough and send it!
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Final point. Get geeky. I’m not who I used to be; overweight, old etc…but, I make sure I have tire psi dialed, aero clothes dialed, socks dialed, drive chain clean and running flawlessly, timing of food and food/nutrition dialed, super organized and ready to rock. It probably sounds and looks stupid but, no detail is too small. Look for every advantage because everyone else is doing the same. Oh you’ll have the odd ex-pro mountain biker or triathlete on a round tube 1980’s bike but, they’d be way faster on top shelf stuff. And that’s the point. Don’t give an inch here. If you have money now spend it on state of the art awesome fast equipment and don’t look back. Don’t be ashamed that you make good money and want the best stuff. We work long hours all week and kill ourselves being dads and moms. We are not pros. Spend some money have some fun. All the crr and aero gains are real and can make a difference in energy conservation.
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Didn’t read all the responses so this may already have been mentioned. While looking at power during the race is in most cases pointless, a serious deep dive into your race data after the race is really important and can teach you a lot, especially when you’re new. And make some notes.
I suggest setting up auto lap on your head unit so you’ll get automatic race laps in your data file which makes it easier to figure out what happened where.
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A couple of things that I don’t believe have been mentioned.
Talk to people. Yes, you’re there to race and most people aren’t in the mindset for a full blown conversation but, a nod and a ‘Hi’ to your fellow racers is often welcomed. This can really help to calm any nerves.
Doing this and turning up regularly to a race series will get you known. If your a safe rider who’s willing to try and do a bit of work, this can be a huge bonus. Other racers will often let you back into the line as they’ll have an idea who you are.
I’ve never found being anything other than friendly and polite to set me at a disadvantage. If anything, people now say ‘Hi’ to me 
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