New to Road Cycling - Any advice on getting better seeding?

[Karman de Lange]

http://www.pedalpower.org.za/seeding/

[tombeej]

I'm new to the roadie thing too. 

What about buying one of those CSA "racing licenses" - will that help seeding?

 

As Pengiun says, those top racing batches are made up of the top age category riders in the country. Besides obviously having to be the right age for these Vet categories, you need to have paid some serious dues to earn the right to be up there, along with a high national seeding.

 

It takes years of racing to really learn how to race safely and effectively in the bunch. You have to pay your school fees, and the best place to do that is to start in the lower batches and work your way up. 

 

The higher up you go, the faster and tighter the racing will be, and the less people will tolerate someone who doesn't know how to handle themselves in close quarters at 40km/h+ deep in the bunch.

 

It's totally different to mtb where you're really only worried about picking the right line on a trail and doing your own thing (if you stuff up it's your own problem, but if you stuff up in a road race you'll take down others with you - with generally far more serious consequences than mtb. The injuries tend to be more serious for obvious reasons).

 

So just chill and enter your first road race with minimal expectations except to have fun. Then learn the art of bunch riding from the safety of your club rides so that when you start moving up the batches you won't be a danger to yourself and everyone else around you.

[nonky]

OK, thanks everyone for all the great advice re road races - much appreciated.

See you at the races! 

[nonky]

As Pengiun says, those top racing batches are made up of the top age category riders in the country. Besides obviously having to be the right age for these Vet categories, you need to have paid some serious dues to earn the right to be up there, along with a high national seeding.

 

It takes years of racing to really learn how to race safely and effectively in the bunch. You have to pay your school fees, and the best place to do that is to start in the lower batches and work your way up. 

 

The higher up you go, the faster and tighter the racing will be, and the less people will tolerate someone who doesn't know how to handle themselves in close quarters at 40km/h+ deep in the bunch.

 

It's totally different to mtb where you're really only worried about picking the right line on a trail and doing your own thing (if you stuff up it's your own problem, but if you stuff up in a road race you'll take down others with you - with generally far more serious consequences than mtb. The injuries tend to be more serious for obvious reasons).

 

So just chill and enter your first road race with minimal expectations except to have fun. Then learn the art of bunch riding from the safety of your club rides so that when you start moving up the batches you won't be a danger to yourself and everyone else around you.

will do, thanks for the advice.

[Cas_1]

Yes, thanks everyone. Checked the PPA website and seem I have index for road riding somehow.

[JA-Q001]

you can now see your seeding using Cycleevents as well.

 

[Long Wheel Base]

If you are genuinely stronger than all the other guys in the back groups at fast one just make sure you at the front of your batch and trust me there will be faster guys in the same batch and you can hook on with them. It will give you a good idea as to if you are up there or still need some work. Like its been said above holding a domestic racing license doesn't guarantee you entry into the vet groups, Your seeding still needs to be low enough. Also for a race like 947 sometimes there are non licensed guys with super good seedings that end up getting put in the vet groups. Vet racing is a completely different ball game, Iv seen it so many times where a strong A or B group rider gets put into a vet group and within a few kms is off the back. Open racing is just one consistent pace, Vet racing is 100kms of intervals. So get your seeding down and then consider a racing license and try vets. Once you get the hang of it, its lekker.

[Skubarra]

For me part of the fun was working my way up through the rankings/seeding groups. It really don't take more than 3 or 4 races to get to a seeding group that resembles your ability (with PPA nowadays on hillclimb TT is enough ) , from then on you will actually have to improve your ability to improve your seeding

[Wez-O]

To get into those elite or veteran batches you need to hold the racing licence as well as have a seeding index lower than 19.9. So I dont think it will automatically work. Holding a racing licence and then approaching the organizers to consider other circumstances, may however sway their minds.

What he said!

 

I'd recommend just racing one or two road races, dominating E and F groups, building your ego and seeding up in a 2-3 month period and you will be all good. Thats what I did when I made the wonderful jump from MTB to road 

[Long Wheel Base]

you can now see your seeding using Cycleevents as well.

 

Seeding.jpg

Except for some reason i'm not there????? I am alive and well on PPA though.

[Wez-O]

Except for some reason i'm not there????? I am alive and well on PPA though.

Perhaps they have mistaken you for some bloke named Lance?

[Long Wheel Base]

Perhaps they have mistaken you for some bloke named Lance?

I flipping hope not, I don't ride that brand of bike. OR do any of the stuff he does/did in his free time.

[Frosty]

I am new to road cycling after starting off with MTB only. I have quite a good MTB seeding but no road one. Any tips on getting into a better seeding without having to start right at the back of the up and coming Value Logistic Fast One race?

what MTB races have you done and how do you compare to the winner's time?

 

On the PPA website I see there are MTB races in the (road) seeding.

[Cas_1]

what MTB races have you done and how do you compare to the winner's time?

 

On the PPA website I see there are MTB races in the (road) seeding.

I did most of the USN / Trialseeker races(50km / 70km)  last year and was between 10-30min behind winner for most of them. I see only one of my races are listed on PPA website? 

[Frosty]

I did most of the USN / Trialseeker races(50km / 70km) last year and was between 10-30min behind winner for most of them. I see only one of my races are listed on PPA website?

I know the USN series appears on the PPA seeding.

 

If you enter the Carnival City Macsteel National Classic, a plan can be made to place you in a group that matches the seeding index from that race.

 

You MUST enter BEFORE online entries close (11-Feb) and I know that a good result at this race will help you get better seeding a at a few other races.

 

The only problem is that you will require a Championchip to get a result that will be used by other races this year.

 

For everyone else, please don't ask which races, as we're still working on a solution.