Womens Road Racing Clinic/Race? Any interest?

lancerracer

Active Member
I am the race director of the Rutgers Cycling Team and I have received a few requests for holding a woman's race during our circuit race on March 8th at Rutgers.

We are interested in holding a woman's race/clinic which will take on the format of our collegiate intro races. There will be 1 coached lap of the circuit course, in which the pack will ride with 3 or 4 coaches who will go over basic racing tactics and answer questions. After the coached lap, there will be a race, and the coaches will ride along with the pack and ride along with anyone who gets dropped.

We are very interested in growing woman's cycling in central NJ, and we would love to hold this event on March 8th. The cost for the race and clinic will be $15, and we will hold the event as long as we get around 5 women to sign up.

If there is any interest, please let me know by posting here or emailing me at racedirector@rutgerscycling.com.

Thanks!
 

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
Definitely.

I'm working on a series of women's clinics out of Oakland and would love to participate and even bring some of our ladies down for this. Time?
 
Last edited:

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
Chomping at the bit here for more info.

I have other people not from this site that are interested too.
Please clarify time, date and more details... One day license? Isn't your crit on March 7, Saturday? And you're running this on Sunday, March 8? Please confirm.

Thanks.
 

chemgirl

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I am interested in this too....
Never road raced but a clinic would be a good intro.
Unfortunately, I have family obligations this Sunday. Please post again if you offer this again in the future.
 

RacerChick

Hudson Valley Girl
Chomping at the bit here for more info.

I have other people not from this site that are interested too.
Please clarify time, date and more details... One day license? Isn't your crit on March 7, Saturday? And you're running this on Sunday, March 8? Please confirm.

Thanks.

What she said
RC
 

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
If I weren't really interested in this I wouldn't keep checking back.

My weekend plans are being held hostage.
Tell me, is it is or is it ain't happening?
:confused::confused::confused:
 

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
RC, this is driving me nuts!!
What a tease! Hey, remember this one:
"!!It's not nice to tease mother nature!!" - wasn't that a Parkay commercial?

If he'd just say no, we could get all angry and plot revenge and bloodletting and such and get over it. But we're hanging, waiting for something that might not happen. It's as bad as... as bad as... well, it's just plain bad.

The ride I do tomorrow will depend on the ride/race I plan on doing Saturday or Sunday.
And I'm running out of time to make that decision.

AAARRRGGGGHHHH!!

What's most frustrating is that other than spending a week at a training camp(which I'm NOT going to get), this is exactly what I need at exactly the right time to set up the entire year.

C'mon Lancerracer, pull through for us!!!
 

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
Okay Ladies,
I got a response.
Here it is:

***********************************************
Howdy,

We are holding a women's clinic, but unfortunately only for the collegiate riders. Holding a general women's clinic would be a great thing, though we had such a tepid response to our USCF categories that we had to cut back to only a 3/4 and 4/5 race.
We hope to expand the event next year, and will look to hold a women's race (possibly with a clinic of some kind).

Thanks for your interest!
Nick
***********************************************
:mad: :( :cry: :( :mad:

So, anybody else feel like leading a clinic and race for a bunch of non-college age women?

One of my riding buds sent me info on a women's race series out of Branchbrook park in Newark. The first is this Sat. I'm not sure I'm ready for the mayhem that I hear is typical of that place. Though in the wos. category it may be less.

I'll talk to him more about it. Maybe he'll convince me to just do it. Maybe we'll just go to check it out. Maybe I'll just do the shop ride and forget it, I don't know.

If anyone is interested/curious and wants to meet up with us, PM me.:)

Bike reg link:
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=8030
A pdf breakdown of times and categories:
http://www.njbikeracing.com/files/2009/branchbrook.pdf
 

pixychick

JORBA: Ringwood
JORBA.ORG
I know some women that have gotten hurt at Branchbrook in the 4 class. You may want to watch one first before entering. You could also talk to some of the women at the race and see if any of the women's teams have training rides to jump on. Just my mountain bike biased 2c.
 

RacerChick

Hudson Valley Girl
And they want to get more women involved in road racing, yea ok sure ...
Sandy thanks for the follow up

Christy ... :(


Okay Ladies,
I got a response.
Here it is:

***********************************************
Howdy,

We are holding a women's clinic, but unfortunately only for the collegiate riders. Holding a general women's clinic would be a great thing, though we had such a tepid response to our USCF categories that we had to cut back to only a 3/4 and 4/5 race.
 

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
And they want to get more women involved in road racing, yea ok sure ...
Sandie thanks for the follow up

Christy ... :(

Seriously.
Very few college kids know what they have going for them.
It's the non-collegiate women who would really appreciate this.

I have a 23 yr old-just out of college gal who has just started riding with me recently. She says she only got into the collegiate racing scene in her final year of school. She's really into riding now and travels 1/2 hr in her car just to ride with me... She's strong and young and has LOTS of good years to offer to the sport. It's a shame I couldn't get her and the rest of us into this.

Next time.
Sigh.
 

pixychick

JORBA: Ringwood
JORBA.ORG
Seriously.
Very few college kids know what they have going for them.
It's the non-collegiate women who would really appreciate this.

I have a 23 yr old-just out of college gal who has just started riding with me recently. She says she only got into the collegiate racing scene in her final year of school. She's really into riding now and travels 1/2 hr in her car just to ride with me... She's strong and young and has LOTS of good years to offer to the sport. It's a shame I couldn't get her and the rest of us into this.

Next time.
Sigh.

sounds like the guy was trolling for girls ;)

mature women seem to know what they want and aren't afraid to look for it. The best we can do is lead the young ones.
 

lancerracer

Active Member
Hello...I am sorry I haven't been able to update you all. When we originally planned to have the clinic on Sunday, we planned to have it on our circuit race course. However, after the snow on Monday, our course basically looks like a bomb went off.

Due to the state of the course, I have spent the last 5 days trying to get the course read for a race, and in the process I had to change it. Because the course was changed, it is now too small to run more than one race safely on the course, and there will not be enough time to run extra fields.

I am sorry I didn't let anyone know sooner, but I have been spending most of my time trying to clean up the mess from the snow. We all really wanted this to happen, but the weather and the subsequent potholes were not in the plans.
 

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
Well 'snow' happens.

Thanks for trying to put this together, anyway.
I guess you can take a few things from it:

1. You do have an audience of eager participants who are willing to travel for such an event.
2. Be it a single event or a larger fostering of women riders all it takes is a consistent effort and faith that it will happen. So, build it and they will come.

And as far as the clinic goes, build it real soon, 'cause we're hungry for it.
Even if it starts small with 5 people, it will grow when word gets out since there just isn't much available for women who want a little more than the pokey 5hr group ride to the coffee shop.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
1. You do have an audience of eager participants who are willing to travel for such an event.

Albeit, a somewhat hostile one at times judging from some replies in this thread.

And as far as the clinic goes, build it real soon, 'cause we're hungry for it.
Even if it starts small with 5 people, it will grow when word gets out since there just isn't much available for women who want a little more than the pokey 5hr group ride to the coffee shop.

So let me ask, what exactly would you expect to be involved in this? If I were to take on this challenge, and I'm speaking hypothetically here, what would you as a user expect to see? Fast riders? Men, women, or it doesn't matter? A closed course? Refreshments? Or is the essence of what you're looking for a basic A+ road ride which is geared for women riders in that they may not be out for blood that particular day? Or a closed course where some experienced road racers do some laps and give racing pointers?
 

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
Albeit, a somewhat hostile one at times judging from some replies in this thread.

I think you saw frustration more than anything. If I appeared hostile in any way, it was not my intention and I do apologize. My statement on revenge and bloodletting was strictly tongue in cheek and I hope that is apparent in the rest of the post.

So let me ask, what exactly would you expect to be involved in this? If I were to take on this challenge, and I'm speaking hypothetically here, what would you as a user expect to see? Fast riders? Men, women, or it doesn't matter? A closed course? Refreshments? Or is the essence of what you're looking for a basic A+ road ride which is geared for women riders in that they may not be out for blood that particular day? Or a closed course where some experienced road racers do some laps and give racing pointers?

If you were to take on that challenge you would do great things for a few and maybe for many, many women.

I'd want to see a clinic where strong riders can be taken from where they're at, be assessed for their strengths and weaknesses and get guidance and training in their lacking areas so that they can each reach their higher cycling potential.

I don't think it matters if it's just for women, as long as it's open for women and that they don't get lost in the shuffle. If it's always survival of the fittest and the fastest in a group, women tend to get dropped pretty quickly.

Refreshments? I could care less.(Though nutritional guidance would be a plus.) Closed course? Unnecessary. Good, varied, lower traffic roads where it's possible to ride two abreast at times, would suffice. An A+ road ride for women isn't a clinic and doesn't leave room for those that are trying to get there. I would expect that most women are not out for blood but for pushing themselves into their highest and best personal potential.

All these things, I base on experience with a program I've been running for a year out of Oakland. It's been very successful and has been met with applause and gratitude from the women(and men) that have been a part of it. From beginner riders through B+ riders(on alternating days) we do weekly rides where we work on skills, technique and yes, sometimes just enjoying being together and riding. Men do ride with us but policy is 'Ladies Rule' and the men can't run away with it. Why is it successful? There's nothing else like it and it gives what group rides can't.

The shortfall? B+/A is where it ends because that's where I am. I simply can't give them what I don't have. I'm just at the cusp and fighting like hell to break through into being a solid A rider.
I was really, let's just say, desperate for this clinic(and an Arizona training camp I was hoping for a scholarship to-but got beat out). I pictured that either of these would give me the keys to breaking through and that I'd take those keys back to work on and to share with my groups. I've taken us this far on what I've learned or ascertained from reading, watching, common sense and pure determination. Now I need more and I don't think books alone are gonna cut it. Why do I care? Because I want more. I want to be better than I have any hope of being and I want to do it now, 'cause chances are, I'm not going to be getting any younger.

We've touched on this idea before, Norm. You've been tossing it around. What can I do to convince you to just do it? You know you've got my support 150%. And from what I've seen in returns from my efforts, I promise you, you'll get back more than you put in... in karma alone.
 
Top Bottom