Pete Johnson, DMRC†
Road Racing is massed-start cycle racing on roads or circuits. First rider over the finish line wins, with anything from twenty to almost 200 competitors, depending on the event. In the UK, events range from short Youth and Juvenile (under16) races of 20km or less, through club level events for adults of between 40km and 100km, to Elite-level one day races of 200km or more.†The majority of adult racing takes place on public roads, though there are an increasing number of circuit events, either on roads closed to other traffic or on specially constructed circuits, some which are shared with other sports like motor racing and kart racing, others are purpose built for cycling. All under-16 racing takes place on traffic-free closed circuits.††
Q: How do I get in to road racing?
A: The ability to ride comfortably and safely in a bunch of riders is perhaps the essential skill of Road Racing. Road Racing has a strong club-based culture, so a great place to start is by joining a club which regularly runs training rides on the Public Roads. This will help you to learn how to ride in the company of other riders and what the basic etiquette of group riding entails.
Road Racing beginners usually find their feet in easier events and there's no better place to start than Circuit Race meetings. These events often have several races catering for a range of abilities and age groups and are an ideal environment in which to learn the bike handling and tactical skills necessary to succeed, without the additional stress of being on the public highway. Lap distance is usually between one and four kilometres, so if you get dropped, catch your breath and wait for the main group to come round, and join again! A†British Cycling membership and Licence are usually needed for most events.
Duncan Putman, DMRC
Q: What are the Road Racing Categories?
A: All junior and senior licence holders, male or female are categorised by their ability. Riders of the same ability category continue to compete together in races irrespective of their age category, except in the case of age related events.
- at the 31st December of the previous year was listed in the top 10 in the Senior Men's National Cross Country MTB Rankings
Q: How do I get points?
A: Points are awarded on the basis of the result gained and the level (i.e. status) of the event. These points go towards a rider's licence category and towards their National and Regional rankings and the National and Regional rankings of their club or Team. Click here for more information.
More general Road Race information can be found here.
