Getting Started Guide

Joining a Club and getting a Licence

Getting started in competitive cycling is easy. To race you need to be a member of a Queensland cycling club and also have a Cycling Australia race licence. You can join a club and obtain a licence online through through the Cycling Australia Membership HQ or click the button below or alternatively contact our club secretary directly who can help you complete and application form and accept your affiliation fee.

Licence and Membership Fees
If you'd like to just give it a go to see if you like cycle racing you can purchase a 3 Ride licence for $44.00 which allows you to compete in 3 club level events within a 3 month period. If you like it and decide to join after this period the 3 ride licence cost is taken off your membership fee.

Membership runs on the calendar year 1st Jan to 31st December, not from when you join. If you join between 1st July and 30 Sept you are eligible for a 6 month discount, and from Oct 1st can you join for the following year and get the last 3 months of the year free.

• Masters membership will allow entry to Masters events only and graded racing at club or club-combine level.
• If you want to race in other events (including open and championship events) and contest Masters category events (including Masters state and national championships) you should join or renew in the Elite category.

Membership fees cover joining Cycling Australia, compulsory insurance cover and the $30 club membership fee (which is waived for juniors 19 and under). Joining or renewing online is $5 cheaper. ($25 club membership instead of $30).

Why join our Club?

Your first race!

Which grade do I enter?

Types of Events

 

 

Here is a list of all of our course locations with maps and elevation profiles.

Click on the Calendar link in the menu and you select one of three different views:

The Bicycle

Any standard racing bike is OK. The handlebars need to be standard ‘drop’ bars. ‘Tri-Bars’ are not allowed in normal criterium/road races, but are OK for time trials. The ends of the handlebars must be plugged to prevent injury during a collision. The latest, most expensive bikes are not essential! Remember, it’s the strength in your legs and your mental attitude that has the greatest bearing.

Naturally the lighter the bike the better. But there are many other factors such as stiffness and correct size/riding position. Aluminum frames are light and stiff (good power transfer to the wheels but poor ride), steel frames are reasonably stiff, give a good ride but are heavier. Carbon fibre frames give a good ride, but may not be really light or stiff. Of course quality is a factor and a very good steel bike will race better than one with a cheap and nasty aluminum frame. The quality of bike components (group-sets) are not a critical factor in winning races. However, higher quality components are more reliable and slightly lighter.

Probably the most important part of a racing bike for HPRW events, are the wheels and tyres. For time trial events where drafting is not allowed, the aerodynamics of the wheels are important. In road races and criteriums, riders who plan to spend much of a race ‘out the front’ or in a breakaway from the bunch, might be better off with aero wheels. Unfortunately, these wheels are heavier than standard rim wheels.

For sprinting and quickly climbing hills, you are much better off reducing the rotating mass on your bicycle, by using standard depth, lighter weight rims. If much of your race is ‘sitting on other riders wheels’, the need for aerodynamic wheels is not such an issue. Most riders reach a compromise with shallow depth aero rims that are reasonably light, but still slightly aerodynamic. For time trials or distance training where quick acceleration is not a factor, the heavier deep section aero rims are better.

Light weight tyres and tubes also reduce the rotating mass. Look for tyres with higher flexibility in the sidewalls (high TPI) as they produce a slightly lower rolling resistance. Kevlar beads in tyres are preferred over of steel wire to reduce weight (and rotating mass).

The ‘lower rotating mass’ issue is also a factor with your crank arms as they also are rotating and affect acceleration. Obviously lighter cranks/pedals and shoes are recommended.
 

Gradings

HPRW adults riders generally race in 5 grades, A, B, C, D and E. At your first event, the club handicapper will ‘check you out’ and make an assessment of your ability and advise a suitable starting grade. Please consult the handicapper before racing, rather than guessing what grade you should be in. 

In ‘Open’ club events, you are required to race in the grade allocated to you by Cycling Queensland. Before entering your first 'open' event you must apply for an open grading with Cycling Queensland. Complete this Grading Application Form and then get it signed by the club handicapper Terry Bourne before submitting it to Cycling Queensland at least 2 weeks prior to entering. The online entry system should only allow riders to enter an open event in their correct grade.

Please note that in open events, riders must wear official club jerseys/ knicks. Approved HPRW jerseys and knicks are available from the club. Should you wish to wear a 'sponsored' kit during an open event, this must be first approved by the club and fees paid to both CQ and to HPRW by completing this Sponsored Uniform Registration Form.

Know Your Strengths

HPRW have different races that suit different riders. Criterium racing is very much a battle of tactics (drafting, breaking away, sprinting) while time trials are simple tests of endurance and strength. Novice riders quickly learn of the benefits of ‘drafting’ behind other riders. The reduced wind resistance can save up to 30% of your energy compared to cutting straight into the wind.

Athletes generally have either a slightly higher proportion of ‘slow twitch’ or ‘fast twitch’ muscle fibres. Those with a higher proportion of slow twitch muscles generally have a higher aerobic capacity (we’ll call them ‘stayers’). They can convert carbohydrates and oxygen into energy at a continually high, steady rate. These types of riders do well in time trials and road races/criteriums where they can ‘grind away’ into the wind, sometimes breaking away from the bunch and they generally try to ‘break the heart’ of less powerful, fast twitch muscle riders.

On the other hand, fast twitch muscle riders may have a lower aerobic capacity but higher anaerobic capacity. Anaerobic activity is expending energy at your maximum rate for 10 to 20 seconds. During this period, muscles are not using oxygen - instead, stored chemicals in the muscles are converted into energy. People with higher ratio of fast twitch muscle fibres are better at sprinting - they can ride faster over a shorter distance, but fade quickly and need time to recover. If ‘sprinters’ can use their sudden burst in a bunch finish, they will almost always beat slow twitch muscle riders.

Obviously training can boost any rider’s overall strength, especially their aerobic capacity. In fact one rider’s aerobic capacity can produce a greater short term output than another (weaker) rider’s anaerobic output.

Short anaerobic sprints while training, will improve a rider’s speed ability for fast finishes. However, the gain will always be related to the person’s percentage of fast twitch muscle fibres.

Riders who have a high aerobic capacity (slow twitch muscles) and also a high power to weight ratio, are better at climbing longer hills. Such skills can come in handy at some of the HPRW road race locations. While not in the category of the French Alps, a couple of the climbs in the Pine Dam and Somerset Dam circuits are reasonably long. Practice hill climbing and you’ll get better at it. There are a few places worth considering, such as Mt Mee and Mt Coot-tha. Mt Coot-tha has a 2.34km section on Sir Samuel Griffith Drive from the Simpson Falls turnoff to the top of the mountain near Channel 10. There are white painted lines at the start and finish. Keep accurate times over the section to check that your training is working. As a general guide, ‘A’ grade riders will complete it in 8-10 minutes, ‘B’ grade in 10-12 minutes, ‘C’ grade in 12-15 minutes and ‘D’ grade over 15 minutes.
 

Race tactics

The following are basic hints for beginners to become competitive racers in HPRW. Once you know your strengths (and weaknesses) you can start thinking about tactics before and during a race. Knowing the strengths of your competitors comes with experience.

Obviously, if you’re a sprinter, you’ll do everything in a race to try to ensure a ’bunch’ finish and spend the least possible amount of time ‘out in the wind’, to conserve energy. Stayers can weaken sprinters by trying to break away and forcing them to use up all their anaerobic strength just to keep up. Longer hills are the best places to try these moves.

Of course it’s not that hard to break away from a bunch if you really want to. But if you end up by yourself, it can be very difficult to maintain the same pace as the bunch behind you. However 3 or 4 riders who work together by sharing the lead may be able to achieve this, especially if there is a large number of sprinters in the following bunch (none of them may want to sprint to catch up). During a breakaway or a chase, riders won’t be too happy about someone sitting at the back of the bunch and not doing a turn at the front. The bottom line however, is that everyone is entitled to ‘ride their own race’.

There are also some great tips on Wade Wallace's site Cycling Tips
 

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