12 replies to this topic

[dave32]

Caution, newbie here.  I got the biking/racing itch again (after a 13 year vacation) and bought a new road bike with every intention of racing again next year.  I've been logging some good off-season miles and look forward to some group rides/races in the spring.  I've had a couple of questions and would appreciate any feedback.  First,  I had a USCF license back in the early 90's and was wondering if any of my points or experience would "transfer", for lack of a better term, to the new governing body, USA Cycling I believe??.  Second,  I live in O' Fallon, MO and I am looking for some more serious riders to train with.  If anyone knows or needs a contact please let me know.  Thanks.

dave32mcginnis@hotmail.com

[seth_s]

dave--

I quit as a Junior Category 3 racer for 6 years in the late 80s and early 90s, and I was still a Cat. 3 when I came back, but this was in 1994.   I think they've changed all license numbers from the 1980s and early 1990s and sort of wiped the slate clean, so to speak.   I think you might have to start all over again as a 5--but you still might want to call the USCF to make sure.

[Pfood's Pfunny Pfriend]

I was a junior cat 3 back in the 80's and I quit for about 14 years.  When I came back they told me that all files were converted to the computer in the early 90's and they had no record of me.      so I had to start again as a Cat 5 which was fine since I had no business racing in the 3's at my age.

[seth_s]

Pfood's Pfunny Pfriend, on Dec 14 2005, 11:46 AM, said:

I was a junior cat 3 back in the 80's and I quit for about 14 years.  When I came back they told me that all files were converted to the computer in the early 90's and they had no record of me.      so I had to start again as a Cat 5 which was fine since I had no business racing in the 3's at my age.

Yeah, I think that's what happened to all the files--I mean, I remember when licenses were these huge green paper cards that were obviously not computer generated, maybe even hand typed?  This was back in the day when Howard Althoff was district rep, etc.   .  .

[MikeR]

If you are now old enough to race masters, you can earn upgrade points in qualifying Masters races under the new rules.  This is a possibility if you are concerned about being in a Cat 5 field at your "advanced" age.

[phawley]

When I got my license last year (after not having had a license since 1989), they said they would give me my old number if I could find it, but their old records were gone. They also said that one can come back in at the same Cat one was before, so I guess they take your word for it in that case.

My old licenses went out with my old Sisters of Mercy tapes and Mark Gorski posters (sorry, Mark, but we all must move on ;), so I had to receive a new, big number with my new license! :(

Patrick

[aaron hinni]

I stopped racing in the early 90s as well, and got back a few years ago.  I put my old license number in the form when applying for my new license, and they started me back at the category I left off.

We'll look forward to seeing you next season.  Welcome back.

[dave32]

Thanks for the info all.  I'm affraid my old UCSF card and number are long gone.  It may be just as well to begin in CAT5 to see what I'm getting myself back into.  I probably need some people yelling at me to hold my line and stuff to refresh my reflexes so to speak.  Would 36 put me in masters territory or am I still a spring chicken?

Dave

[phawley]

dave32, on Dec 15 2005, 06:57 PM, said:

Would 36 put me in masters territory or am I still a spring chicken?

You're a masters racer after 30, however...in my day (when I was 15), the masters were the old farts who were slow and the seniors were smokin'. Nowadays, those seniors are now masters and enjoy smokin' the masters races, so don't go racing masters expecting an easy time (right, Mr. Kennedy!).

[dave32]

A little help please.  The USCF says categories are assigned by experience/ability and not by age so how does being a "master" or "junior" play into classification and who races with who?  Are there different cats within the masters?  I thought when I was last racing (it's been a long time ago) that if you were a cat 3 it mattered not if you were 18 or 45 you raced each other.

[aaron hinni]

You can race with your category, and you can race in your age group.  Basically, if you are a 3 you can race with the 3s, but if the promoter offers a race in your category (like a 35-40 race), you can race that as well.  A lot of folks will race multiple races in the same day.

[dave32]

Thanks for the info!

[shill]

you will be ok at 36 racing masters, until tracy gets to the "new" masters age for st.louis, and they up it again so they won't get beat every weekend.

late