5 Key Tips For Your FIRST Day of Bike Racing

[@WaltDoesBikes]

Any quick tips you'd like to share that help you get prepped and ready for race day? Share them here in the comments below!

[@matthewnormand2041]

+1 on course recon. Street View and Strava segments (for elevation) are incredibly useful for this. Also, check the weather forecast and plan and dress accordingly. I remember last year at the Tour de Murrieta road race, the forecast said the wind would pick up considerably sometime during my race. It hit hard (blew down the lap arch) and completely changed race tactics and positioning. The year before that, it was cool and very rainy.

[@lexington476]

Nothing new on race day. Been there done that, was standing at the far end of a 40K TT course with two flat tires 😀. I had put on two new tubes and tires the night before, my first and last time running latex tubes, and the tire sidewall blew out 😀. But I did get a replacement tire for free from the company 😎.

[@3birdsmedia]

When I was getting certified at the LA Velodrome, I totally forgot my shoes.. I lived in OC at the time so completely wasted the day. I'm not an expert, and only have done a few races back in the day, great list, I would only add: try to make some friends and be a friend, you never know when you are going to need that spare tube or gel from a newly made acquaintance.

[@WaltDoesBikes]

Love that tip and very true. I’m notorious for needing a tube or borrowing a multi tool and the homies always have my back. Better to be fun to race with and a friend before and after. Also might help when you need some space in a corner mid race 😉

[@3birdsmedia]

@@WaltDoesBikes LOL they won't push you of the road if they owe you a taco :)

[@lexington476]

Yeah, definitely know your start time. this past June at ToAD, I thought all the cat for start times were 11:30, will it run race it was 11:15, and only the fact that I was going to the bathroom to go warm up and saw everybody lining up on the side of the course to get on the course then I go ask somebody, and like oh crap we got to go. Fortunately I had everything ready except for a warm-up, yeah I got dropped in that race 😀😃😄.

[@WaltDoesBikes]

Appreciate all these anecdotes. Preparedness is key!

[@SweetLike]

Make friends with spectators- I try to hang around with a bike in case someone flats and needs a wheel. In road races I always have extra water bottles in case someone misses a feed. And I always have a pump. Spectators are usually fans, we want to help ッ

[@WaltDoesBikes]

Ah I love this idea! Very true. I did once see a rider borrow a bike from a Junior on the sidelines cuz they were the same height 😆

[@lexington476]

Don't try anything new for dinner or breakfast the night before or the morning of a race... And if it's out of town race, bring your food with you for dinner the night before.... I've had a sour stomach so many times at a running race, cycling event, or a triathlon at an out of town race that now I do bring my food for breakfast and dinner 😎.

[@WaltDoesBikes]

Hahahah one time at the Victorville Stage Race I ate like the most massive meal at Chili’s the night before the first race of the series and I did not sleep at all I was too full and felt so weird… definitely messed with day 1 race performance 😆