The internet is full of amateur bike racing videos and “race breakdowns.” The overwhelming majority of them are exactly the same. There are some channels that provide genuine race insight that you can learn from, but even those lessons are hard to apply when you’re doing it yourself. Most videos are no different from the general, vague tips everyone gets: “stay out of the wind", “be in the front but not at the front,” and “save your matches for the end.” Most bike racers are taught to race in the same way most people learn chess: you are taught how each piece moves, but not how to put them together to beat your opponent.

The end result is that most racers are guessing when they compete, even if they take themselves too seriously to admit it (especially in the lower categories). If you lack the experience and racing instincts that come from it, I have some tips for you. These may or may not work for you, but hopefully you will get the idea and figure out what works best for you.

Header image courtesy of GMSR/Angelica Dixon, the rest are by Bicycle Racing Pictures.

But wait, who are you to give me advice?

I am but a lowly cat 2 who loves bike racing. I am not genetically gifted nor am I the best road racer in the world (not that they’re giving you racing advice anyway). I’ll never be the fastest guy in any field. Heck, you might be faster than me! That means I didn’t get to my lowly cat 2 status on my strength. I enjoy trying to figure out how to beat the game of road racing as a mental challenge, and that’s what I’m here to share with you.

5 Tips to Become a Better Bike Racer

Too far forward is better than too far back
I will take the racer getting passed in the sprint over the one saying “I was too far back” any day. The one getting passed actually made it to the sprint! This might go contrary to the idea of staying out of the wind, but people who are too afraid of eating wind are rarely in a position to jump in the break or participate in the sprint. When the field gets strung out, those are the ones way at the back, having saved their matches for nothing because they can’t get to the front anymore. Err on the side of being too far forward instead of too far back and you will eventually learn how to “be near the front but not at the front.” So next time, be there and get passed in the sprint. The following race, dial it back a little bit: maybe you dialed it back too much. Maybe not. Continue repeating as you learn and calibrate how to get into position. Eventually you will step on that top step.
Give yourself more road for making moves
Depending on the course, getting into position without burning all your matches can take time. In bike racing, time means road. Things are going to happen around you on your way to the front of the field: surges, close-calls, other teams making moves, maybe an attack, someone in front of you flats, etc. With any of those, you might lose a few or maybe a whole bunch of spots. You have to factor that into your positioning, and that means moving up a lot earlier than you probably think you need to. If you get to the start of the last lap and think “ok time to get to the front” then sorry, you already lost. You’ll either not be able to get to the front or spend all your energy getting there without any left for the final showdown. So plan ahead and give yourself time to get in the position you want to be far before you think you should be there. You’ll get there fresher, less stressed, and ready to defend. That leads to my next point.
Defense is easier than offense
It’s pretty easy to steal wheels in beginner-level bike racing. That gets significantly harder as you move up the categories. There are plenty of reasons why: better racers, better handling, more aggression, less fear, etc. It’s also just easier to play defense: you get to stay protected from the wind, you might not have anywhere else to go, you can make yourself larger with your elbows and push out instead of pushing in. By contrast, when you’re playing offense: you’re in the wind, pedaling hard to keep up, you might be dealing with several teammates together, and you still have to scare someone else off of a wheel. If you give up, you still have to go find a spot further back somewhere. Offense just takes significantly more effort, and may cause you to unnecessarily burn matches. That is why teams plan to be in position ahead of time.
Observe and React to how the field is behaving
Pelotons are a funny kind of phenomenon. Like birds flying together in the sky, they ondulate and move in waves; never in a straight line or fixed shape. In bike racing, the field reacts to a lot of things, most of them out of your control. The primary variable is the road: corners might be tight, areas might be bumpy, yellow line rule might be in effect in some areas, etc. Your job is to observe how the field is reacting to these things and act accordingly. For example: there might be a sharp corner in a 2 lap race. First lap around, everyone sprints out of that corner and you’re caught in the back, suddenly suffering. Now you know: make sure you’re in the front before that corner on the next lap or else you’ll have to dig deep just to catch back on. Another example: there’s a u-turn on the course and everyone takes the inside line, causing a slowdown and a surge on the other side. So you take the turn wide with more speed and can keep your effort more level. Observe. React. Get results.
See someone, say something
This is a fun one. I do this every time I race with teammates: if you see a teammate and are close enough to say something, say it. Doesn’t matter what it is. “How are you feeling?” “Who went on that last attack?” or even a joke. Austin King rode up to me mid-race at the GMSR Crit when we were in the 4s and said “I taste blood in my mouth” and I couldn’t do anything but laugh. A little comic relief can go a long way when you’re suffering in a bike race. Don’t be afraid to talk about tactics either, or yell out instructions. Most racers aren’t paying attention; and those that are probably have their own plans. So next time you’re racing and end up next to a teammate, say something. Anything. Better teammate communications makes for better, more fun racing, and hopefully better results.