Grant Park Crit (Page 2)

Sounds awesome!!!  And for $20 (beginner) even if I do get too hungover it won't be that major of a money loss.  Either way I'm sure I'll be out there to check it out.

Okay, I have a question... what about warm up? At Twilight, I saw the Pros riding trainers - would that be the norm for everyone else too?

Yes Mindy, that's the norm.  Alternate option is to ride around elsewhere beforehand.  If you don't think you need that much warmup, often there's a break between classifications where they let the next group circle the course once or maybe twice. 

Your best bet though, is the trainer or rollers.

Crit's are super fun.  You have to be comfortable in a pack surrounded by others, you have to be hyper aware of them, you have to handle your bike, notice the surges and stay with them, and be ready for the final sprint.  You will probably be riding at max capacity for most of that 20-30 minutes unless you're REALLY fast, and remember, you're in a pack.  There's surges and slow downs, so it's not that steady pace you train for in triathlon.  It's a lot of hard efforts with very short recovery periods.  It's also one of the best adrenaline rushes I've ever had.  If I can, I'll be doing this one.

Typically the shorter the race, the more warm up. Trainer or riding around would be fine. A lot of the issues regarding riding in a pack etc. I think will be less of an issue in a beginner crit but there will be other people around so you would need to have decent bike handling for the sake of all involved.

Also, yes, there are people who will attack off the front etc. A lot of this has to do with team strategies that people may not be aware of if you are riding "solo." Again, this is probably less of an issue in a beginner race because I would doubt anyone's talking team dynamics in a beginner race! I would think in this case if someone attacks off the front, assess whether you think they can sustain the breakaway. If not, let them burn themselves out. If maybe, the group will probably chase.

Biggest tip: keep yourself shielded from the wind and stay in the draft of the rider behind you. DON'T get yourself out front. The other riders will be happy to let someone go up front and do all the work for them...so don't be that person! Save your energy.

Bumping since it's this weekend and online registration ends on 8/20.

Thanks for doing that...

Last invitation to come out and try something different...It doesn't get alot more exciting than doing a crit, folks!

I can't make it. I really, really wanted to but it's just not in the cards.

I am going to miss it as well (Steph is gone for a girls weekend out and I am racing Nationals) ... but be sure to root for and encourage the Frazier Cycling kids.  Great group of boys and girls that will surprise you with their speed and bike handling skills.  They take racing seriously - even when racing with the growns-up in the catergory heats. (Most are Cat4/5 but a few are Cat 3.)

They will be in blue and black kits, with a good number of them riding Blue bicycles as they are a team sponsor.

I guess I should have asked this before.... will there be race day registration or online only?

GF lives in grant park so assuming I end up there saturday night i may bring my bike down and try and head over to watch.

will probably be on my bright yellow single speed mtb looking like I do in my avatar if anyone sees me say hi.

I was considering trying this when I first saw the post but still injured and don't want to risk making it worse.

There's definitely day-of registration...So far, we've got 185+ pre-registered racers BUT only 20 folks in the Male/Female Beginners categories...That's gonna be a wide open race: Grab your road bike and come on down!