Hi all. I'll be in Austin for a conference this coming week, so I'm bringing my bike so I can try out my first crit.

So as someone who usually does 3-4 group rides per week (averaging 16.5mph including some fairly agressive 8-10% grade hills), what should I be expecting? I know to get there early to test ride the course (4:30pm, I think?), memorize corners, etc. But in terms of the actual race, what will it be like?

I'd love to see an uneditable post on here for new guys like me... something that answers basic questions about racing.

Thanks in advance. If you see someone Thursday night for the Cat 4/5 race looking absolutely terrified, that's probably me.

-Joel

Check out this link for some excellent technical suggestions to keep you (and us) safe. Note to Driveway webmaster -- we should copy this and modify it for the Driveway and post it as a tab. http://www.canberracyclingclub.org.au/documents/summer_crits

As a newbie myself (10 races), I'll do my best to field this question:
First: Accelerations. The overall pace of a 4/5 race averages about 23 mph, but the range is between 15 on tight corners and 36 on the few descents. In between is an endless series of acceleration where you HAVE to hold the rear wheel in front of you tight or get shelled, off the back, finished (But you can wait for the pack to come around again and hop back on). Depending on the course, you will encounter from between 2 and 7 hard accelerations per lap. Expect about 11-13 laps for the cat 4/5 race. So you may encounter as many as 90 or so 5-second all-out efforts to hold the wheel in front of you. These will blow you up by the first 4 or 5 laps if your are not used to it. Or haven't trained specifically for them. And its not so much a question of strength, but rather timing, positioning, and anticipation. Knowing exactly when the acceleration is coming and smoothly matching it without loosing the wheel in front.
Second: Cornering. The pack goes into the various corners of the track with more speed than you will be comfortable with at first. Your bike will lean at an angle such that you can't pedal during the apex of the turn. And you will be surrounded by other riders that may or may not hold their line well (especially in the cat 4/5). Then bam, out of the turn comes the acceleration. Make a mistake in how you set up for the turn or worse, tap the brakes, and you are again done, finished, shelled, out the back.
Third: Aggression. You have to be comfortable asserting yourself within the pack. Its a very turbulent, changing environment. Not like a road ride. You will rarely hold the same wheel for more than 1/2 a lap. See an opening to a good wheel -- take it, now! The wheel you are following is falling back in the pack -- Abandon, now!!
Its an absolute blast. You'll love it. Good luck!!

Thanks guys! That's a great idea. I'll work on putting up a what to expect or general information for people new to racing at the Driveway page. Thanks for the great web resource.

Joel,
The races at Driveway Austin are probably the best way to introduce yourself to the sport. Smooth pavement, a wide track, no potholes or cracks or reflectors on the roadway.

The pace will be faster than what you are used to but then again, you'll be riding in the slipstream of a large pack, so you probably won't notice it so much. You'll find that the tighter the turn the harder the effort coming out of the turn. The course has a handful of gentle turns and hard turns. Most people report that sitting in the back of the field is fairly easy, and this may be a good idea for you the first time, although know that sitting in the back can amplify the effort you have to make to stay with the group.

Since you'll be racing the 6:10 Hotel Alsace Resort & Spa Cat 4/5 race and since you'll be getting there early as indicated in your post, pre-ride the course and then hang out and watch the 5PM Junior 4/5 and the Bettysport Women's 3/4 race followed at 5:30 by the Mellow Johnny's 3/4 Race. This should give you a pretty good idea of how the pack expands and contracts before, through, and out of turns.

Very new to this, what is holding the wheel?