Beginners Information

Welcome to cycling!  Here are a few tips to get you started!

Join your local club!

The best way to learn and, most of all, to have fun, is to ride with others.  Join a local club and attend their events!  The best place to find out about what clubs are right for you is probably your local bike shop. You can also ask your NYSBRA Regional Rep.  That is what we are here for!  Finally, you can try locating USA Cycling clubs using the USA Cycling “find a club” tool.

Non-Competitive and Competitive Cycling

Join the club that best fits what you are looking for.  You might prefer a “touring” club that focuses on non-competitive group rides or you might prefer a “competitive” club that focuses on racing.  Either way, most local clubs have “fun rides” where the group waits for slower riders at designated spots, like the tops of hills or coffee shops. These are great times to meet other people that share your passion and to learn the techniques to ride safely around others.

Learn the Rules of the Road for Cyclists and Cars

The Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 applies to all vehicles, including bikes, so in general you should ride your bike on the road the same way you would drive your car on the road.  Ride as far to the right as practical unless you are making a left turn.  Drivers are required to respect your rights, but unfortunately they often pay more attention to their cell phones than driving, so heads up!  Here are some Essential Rules of the Road every Cyclist & Driver Should Know (research courtesy of Rose, Homeschooling Adventures).

Getting Competitive

When you first start, “racing” may sound intimidating, even though every race offers opportunities for beginners to give it a try.  Most people imagine a bike race as a big group of cyclists all trying to get to a finish line first.  That is a classic “road race,” but there are actually many types of events that may appeal to you, such as:

  • Gran Fondos, which are mostly fun rides with food stops along the way.  Gran Fondos might have awards for the quickest riders over certain sections, such as the fastest time from the bottom to the top of a specific hill, and some people might race the whole thing.
  • Gravel Grinders, which are becoming an extremely popular form of road racing that takes place mostly on rural, gravel roads.
  • Road Races, the traditional mass start of a group of riders
  • Criterium, which is a mass start of riders racing many laps around a short, closed loop, typically a city block.  This is very fast and exciting for both racers and spectators.
  • Time Trials, which is an individual race against the clock where riders start at intervals such as one per minute.  The riders race to a spot down the road, usually 5 miles or so, then turn around and come back.  The winner is the one to do it the quickest.  This is a great discipline for beginners because everyone rides as hard as they can or feel like.  It is also a great discipline for people who like fancy gear!
  • Cyclocross, which is like a criterium but on grass and through the woods on bikes that are very similar to road bikes but with wider tires.  It is very popular and fun and takes place mostly in the fall.
  • Fat bikes, which are bikes with very fat tires that can go almost anywhere.  Fat bike races often happen on snow during the winter season.
  • Mountain bike races, of which there are several types and take place on mountain bikes.  However, for this beginner info we are not focusing on mountain biking.  If you are into mountain biking, contact the NYSBRA Mountain Bike Coordinator!

There are calendars for all of the above events on the NYSBRA Website!

Categories of competition

Every race usually provides at least one opportunity for riders of all ages and abilities.  That means you either compete against people of similar age and gender, which is self-explanatory, or you compete against people of similar ability and gender.  Abilities are sorted by five “categories” that the U.S. national governing body, USA Cycling, has defined as:

  • “Novice,” formally known as “Cat 5,” which is for beginners to safely learn and enjoy racing
  • Cat 4, which is for slightly more experienced racers
  • Cat 3, which is for very good and experienced racers
  • Cat 2, which is for extremely good racers of potential professional ability
  • Cat 1, which are the best racers, some of which my be hired by professional teams to race for money at famous national and international events.

Riders move up through the categories by buying a membership and then a racing license from USA Cycling and then getting more experience and accumulating points through wins and podium finishes at USA Cycling-sanctioned events.

Next Steps!

  1. Join a local club, ride with others, and have fun!
  2. Find and join a local event using the calendars on NYSBRA.com
  3. If you are going to a USA Cycling-sanctioned event,  become a member of USA Cycling to participate.  A basic membership will get you into races for “Novices.” If you then find you like racing your bike you’ll want to upgrade your membership to a premium membership that serves as your license to race Cat 4 and higher.

Let us know if NYSBRA can help!