PIR Debut

I had my first bike race ever last night and it was a blast. Now i know why these cyclists are so hooked to their sport, to the gear and the culture - it is fun, addictive and good for you (as long as you don't lay yourself out on the road too much).


Here's an aerial view of the PIR track - it's about 1.95 miles around.


I decided to man-up and hop in the Cat 3/4 division, which is relatively ambitious for a first bike race, but i figured my tri training and rides with Patrick and Jay would have me fit enough to at least hang in - and that was the case. I guess we were averaging around 27-28mph which is flying for that group, fast enough that we didn't get passed by the Cat 1/2/3 crew, which almost always happens.

For the most part i hung out in the back third of the pack to try and get a gauge for how people ride, be safe (even though it is NOT safe in the back) and get comfortable - oh, and NOT GET DROPPED. I only made one real move, and that was leading into the last set of curves (lower right on picture) on the last lap to try and get out in front of the group to be safe, and, you know, try to make people hurt at the end.

I popped with about 300y to the finish, but no-matter. I had a really great time and will definitely enjoy more bike racing in the future.