I guess I will have to figure it out on my own. Then people wonder why cycling race participation is down. USAC made the rule to allow this yet all I see is hindrance from cyclists. I just asked a simple question.
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Here’s your answer:
No one is trying to be a hinderance. They are trying to say that there is a big difference between Cat 5 and Cat 3 (which essentially a 3/4 race will turn into) and that there is a reason that Cat 5 exists. Cat 5 being a crash fest is way over blown in my opinion. Crashes will happen at every level and it’s a good idea to get your feet wet with at least one race in the lower category so you can know if you actually do belong at the higher level or if you should stay in Cat 5 for a bit and get a handle on it. Because if you do need to improve your handling then in a much tighter, faster, and more aggressive 3/4 field is not the place to learn that. Cat 5 fields tend to be slower and just a bit more spread out so mistakes don’t necessarily have as high of consequence.
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Curious, what race is this and where is it located?
People are trying to be helpful. There’s some very experienced racers on this forum. Knowing how to handle a bike and racing safely in a peleton are two very different skills.
If you insist on ignoring people’s advice, I’d suggest you take a look at the British Cycling Racesmart series of videos that will help you understand how to ride safely in a race.
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You’ve been given the exact answer on how to do this at least 3 times above… The rest of the responses are trying to help you and the people you’d be racing with by explaining how this is a bad idea.
I hope you don’t take things so personally when you inevitably get yelled at repeatedly in a pack of 3s for clearly not knowing what you’re doing. Good luck.
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I can see where you’re coming from but honestly it’s eye opening just how fast cat 4 (lowest cat in the UK) is.
My normalised power was 100w less than the 7th placed rider and you think club chain gang is close riding then it’s totally different. I took what I thought were conservative lines and spacing and was passed everywhere and got shouted at lots!
If I do race again it’ll take a while to get used to it, and would want to be as safe for others while I learn.
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On at least 3 occasions, you were given very clear advice on how to do this. A number of individuals offered you some well-meaning suggestions. What you appear to have reacted against is not the lack of information offered, but rather the consensus that what you are proposing does not seem a terribly good idea.
They say internet advice is worth what you pay for it and you are of course very welcome to ignore the suggestions in this thread.
I hope you enjoy your racing and stay safe, whatever category you choose.
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Thank you very much
Davy Crockett classic in TX
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Have you heard of the survey where 80% of drivers thought they were safer than the average driver (presumably 50th percentile)? I wonder if a similar survey has been conducted against racing cyclists? It would be interesting to see those numbers in general and in relation to racing category…
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Never heard of it.
Who needs to learn peleton riding safety if you’re all the way in the front the whole race? Am I right or am I right? 
. Come on! Live a little!
That’s a joke btw before you guys get your carbon fiber pitchforks out.
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what do you reckon is a decent w/kg for a cat 4 racer? I know it’s hard to say because of all different rider types but a rough est will do.
My guess is 3.5 w/kg
4 watts/kg for a decent cat4. When I was racing Masters 45+ cat4 I was 4.1-4.2. I won a couple crits and podiumed a few road races.
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I am aiming to get to 4w/kg for Spring time. Currently AT 3.36 just gained 10w today on my ramp. Then it’s down to racing at Hillingdon (london crits) lol
2.8 - 4.25 W/kg depending on the type of race, how efficiently they can race, their weight, and how good their sprint and anaerobic capabilities are.
If it’s a flat race then W/kg doesn’t matter at all really. It’s all watts, so if you’re a heavier rider then you can get away with a lower W/kg. But the climby-er it gets the the more important the weight side of the equation is.
I think I was around 67 kilos and did around 200W normalised. 7th did just over 300 normalised. In short I didn’t bring a knife to a gun fight, I brought a spoon to a tank battle.
Pan flat circuit, if you look in my history I think I linked my Strava activity for it.
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It all depends on the race and how you choose to ride it! There’s no magic w/kg that will make sure you’re able to do hang with a certain category. I’ve seen a cat 4 crit where I rode 5w/kg for 35mins, a 3/4 where I was in the break for 90 min at 4.3w/kg, an E/1/2/3 where I’ve cruised round in the bunch at 3.3w/kg for 80 miles. The main thing that I found makes a difference is being able to repeatedly go above threshold many times.
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Racing / group riding is a shared risk environment. The experience of others and the decisions they make directly affect your safety and the other way around as well. The advise you are getting from people is for your safety and the people around you (which could be them as well.)
In my 2nd or 3rd race, I was towards the front of the pack (4/5) in the middle. We were going 27-28mph and the road narrowed so both sides pinched in and I was literally shoulder to shoulder with the two riders next to me and could not move side-to-side if I wanted to. I was fortunate not to over react and go down and take a whole bunch of people with me. I never experienced that in a group ride before or after theat race. In a 3/4 there is more of an expectation of race experience and being able to handle tight situations like that. In a 5 or 4/5 people give each other more space, but things do happen.
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This is what every experienced racer I have spoke too has said.