How to Train for the Criterium Bike Race

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Criteriums, or "crits," are a genre of bicycle road racing and are typically held on a closed course of less than one mile. These races are particularly popular in the United States, as the races are spectator friendly and can be held on city streets and around public parks. Criteriums are also fast, and because of the nature of the course on which they're held, they require excellent bike handling skills and the ability to accelerate quickly and often.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Step 1

Work on your pack skills. In cycling, the pack is the main body of riders. In a criterium the pack is moving quickly and there's often very little room to maneuver among the dozens of handlebars, elbows and wheels. Check with your local bike shop for group rides and practice criteriums. These rides can mimic the dynamics of an actual race.

Step 2

Practice cornering. A criterium course, by its nature, will encompass several tight turns, and a cyclist who can corner effectively stands a much greater chance of success. Cornering requires the ability to choose a smooth line through the turn, lean the bicycle, and accelerate. Find a closed course or improvise a series of turns in an empty parking lot, and practice until you're comfortable.

Step 3

Practice accelerations. In criteriums, riders are forced to accelerate suddenly out of corners and along straightaways. You'll need to be able to adjust to these bursts of speed. In the 2003 publication "Bike Racing 101," authors Kendra and Rene Wenzel recommend the following: find a gradual hill, and while going uphill accelerate fairly hard but remain seated until your cadence is about 90 RPM. Hold this effort for one minute. After resting for five minutes, continue to practice these surges until you can no longer match your initial performance.

Step 4

Practice sprinting. Many criteriums come down to a bunch sprint, in which the group makes a sudden, powerful dash for the finish line, called the "jump." The jump requires coordination and explosive power, which comes only with practice. The acceleration for the sprint truly begins about 500 meters from the finish and increases in speed. The jump happens in the last 150 meters. Your practice should mimic these efforts.

Step 5

Begin criterium specific training no later than February. Competitive cycling typically begins in spring and lasts through the summer, so training intensely in the late winter will best prepare you for these events. A typical 5-day workout will include a mix of medium-paced endurance rides and hard intervals, or accelerations, as outlined in step 3.

Resources

TrueSport: How to Race a Criterium

Article Written By Matthew Ferguson

Matthew Ferguson is a writer living in Savannah, Ga. He has been writing for over 10 years and his work has appeared on various online publications. A collection of his short stories was published in spring 2010. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University.

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