Essential Tips for Junior Racers: Gear, Prep & Mindset

Skill Levels & Learning
1

Make sure to stretch before and after the race. Even if no one tells you. immediately. Don’t go back to the car first.

  • If it is cold, bring extra cold clothes and be sure to wear them. Knee Warmer/Leg Warmer/Boot Cover/Glove/Jacket/Vest/Ear Pad etc.
  • Sub-advice: Wear a thick jacket and pants during the first warm-up of your bike. When your body warms up, take it off.
  • Bring extra ice and water when hot. Prepare twice as much as you think you need, so you can share it with friends who haven’t read it.
  • Don’t be intimidated by intimidating riders when racing with older age groups. Even if you are younger, you are still competing in the race with the same rights as them. Being older doesn’t mean you’re being treated as a coach.
  • Are you a high school student? Ask your principal to join this league: https://www.texashighschoolcycling.org/about
    Bicycling is not everything. Equipment doesn’t make you fast. Spend the money on race attendance and (in some cases) coaching.
  • However. You can’t win if you don’t finish. So make sure your bike is in perfect condition before every race. Learn the basic maintenance yourself. It’s easy.
2

One of the most important things to do is to train the truck. If it is difficult, try high cadence. Eventually, when the junior gear limit is reached, adults are just starting to run. The only way to get into the race is to keep turning the pedals.

3

Well, I think I’m qualified enough to help here.

Step 1: Ride as much as you can and go racing. **** We’re kids, we’re half-adaptable, and our brains go crazy. As a result of the non-stop ride, FTP increased 50 watts, maximum output of more than 300 watts, and other things. Just do it! There is time (most of the year). Go for a four-hour ride and run three races a day. You will be rewarded in the long run

Step 2: Race with a team that cares a little bit about you. Last year I was almost the exclusive support in races where the official leader participated, but in races where he was absent (there were quite a few) I was always a protected player. Support can help, but if you’re not strong enough to be protected, be prepared to work for others. There is no reason to be mean.

Step 3 In a race, fight wisely and challenge to win (learn by winning). If it’s a training ride / race, push it with all your might. Training is aggressive, racing is modest (think it’s a joke? Run away from the group all the time, pushing the pace with the group of escapes in the criterium). Even if they don’t mind for an hour and a half, they burn out and fall out of the fleeing group in an hour and 59 minutes. He immediately fell to fifth place. You shouldn’t have wasted your time staying in a group (if you can win a group sprint).

Step 4: Love this sport and be prepared to go through difficult times. Life is in the way, but it doesn’t matter. Step 5: Practice high cadence splints. He doesn’t usually train with junior gear (for obvious reasons), but he always uses junior cassettes in practice races. Sprints over 150 rpm are hard to master (smash the 53/11 bastards)

Step #6. Don’t get caught in the fucking trap of sponsorship. I know people who race on fucking teams, but all they talk about is free bikes. Do you know? The junior who doesn’t waste time looking for free food wins the race (and the new, zero-achievement racer doesn’t expect free food. It makes people angry and it’s not a good idea.)

Step #7 Provocative remarks may be acceptable in other sports, but not (at first) in cycling. Cyclists are quite nervous (especially Category 4 players). If you have made many friends in the bike community, you can provoke them, but don’t get carried away or approach them in an annoying manner in your first criterium.

Step 8: Get the coach. Absolutely useful. You don’t know what you’re doing. A coach can help (even a cheap local coach is enough. It’s much more important than a high-end wheelset. I also put my wheels in the garage on weekends.)

Step 9 (I’m getting sleepy, so this is the last one). Get on board and race! As much as possible!!!

4

I’m sorry for the harsh way I say it, but I think that strict love is the best love. If someone says, You have to win, you win. But when people say, “You did well, you did well,” they think, “This is enough” even if they lose. (I think this applies to all aspects of life: Are you not doing your job well?) Someone should scold you. Work here is a duty, not a real profession.)

5

Hey guys, are you making a list? Darn it. My list looks like this:

Five gears are not everything. First of all, get a good bike. A cyclocross bike is the best first bike. He can do both road and cyclocross, and in winter he can easily wear a fender. If you get one, you don’t need a luxury racing wheel or a high-end road bike with Di2. Use that money to pay for entry to the race or to travel to a major race.

  1. Run a lot of races. It is not enough to stress this. It’s the best way to understand what’s going on in a group.

  2. Safety first. There is still time to win the race. Don’t risk your own race or anyone else’s race.

  3. Don’t put yourself in the frame. Just because I’m good at sprint, time trial, and track racing doesn’t mean that it’s all there, or that it’s the best field for me. For two years, I was confident that I was a sprinter, but after spending a long time overcoming my weaknesses, I made a remarkable improvement in time trials and track competitions.

Fourth, do not rush to hire a coach. For the first year or so, just focus on riding a bike. Don’t get caught up in the details, but first make sure you have time to ride a bike. After a while, the coach will offer more specific training.

Fifth, don’t forget to have fun! If you don’t like it, think about why you’re on a bike. Is it because of your own needs or because someone else wants you?

 6 - Be respectful. Especially when you’re just starting out, most people are more knowledgeable than you are. Accept it and move forward. Eventually you will be in a position to throw pearls of wisdom, but this is not the stage yet.

  1. Find the right team for you. Geographically closest team doesn’t always mean the best team. If possible, try to find a team that has a program for junior / new riders.

  2. Participate in a junior limited race if possible. The area includes the Rafah NW Classic Junior Stage Race and two races/clinics organized by Axel Merkx himself. It’s a great and fun way to make connections.

  3. Get track practice or train high cadence if the track is not available. When the junior gear reaches the limit, the adult players finally pick up the pace. In order to catch up with the race, it is essential to have the technology to keep turning pedaling.

  4. Participate in volunteering. Spending time on marshals, distributing race packets, and recording results. It is important to participate in many races, but not all of them can be done. This will help to increase the level of friendliness towards you and your junior players. You can also catch a glimpse of the back side of the race that you can’t usually see.

If you really want to spend money on a bike, you should get a professional bike fitting first. This will make it more comfortable, more sustainable, and longer lasting.
If you really want to spend money on a bike, you should get a professional bike fitting first. This makes it more comfortable, more sustainable, and longer running.

6

thanks for posting guys (: don’t be shy,keep them coming~

7

Step #10000 series: Do not train with low gear when running alone. If you are looking for strength, there is no reason to do so. A full sprint at 53/15 is ideal for improving spin capacity, but the gear is too small for the 30-second interval for power building. Threshold training on non-flat terrain and VO2max training are similar. If you’re working out at 350 watts for 30 minutes, you should be able to run at 350 watts. A small downhill to 34 mph and 125 rpm to 230 watts should be avoided.

Use junior gear in training and production races (rules, you idiot). The training race is a great opportunity for high-speed and high-cadence practice (as well as training rides other than power-focused). I love to run in junior gear on the local weekly training criterium. It is a perfectly flat road with a lap of about 3.2 km, and the wind is hellish (i.e., it accelerates from 42 km/h to 60 km/h, which is perfect for high cadence practice).

That’s enough, you bastards.