Speed

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I just started cycling and my first race is in two weeks. I was wondering if someone can estimate how fast (miles per hour) women in CAT four average in lets say a 40 mile race and a 10 mile time trial.

I just started cycling and my first race is in two weeks. I was wondering if someone can estimate how fast (miles per hour) women in CAT four average in lets say a 40 mile race and a 10 mile time trial.
Depends upon course for both and the tactics adopted by the racers. The average speed is not very useful indicator of difficulty. A mass start race is dictated by the surges of the pack. If one can't keep up with the pack, game over. If it's hilly, it will go as fast as the top climbers push it, then 20-40 on the descents. If it's flat the speed will vary from 15 while dawdling to 25 or so when someone is pushing the pace. If you have just started cycling, there are some things about riding in packs that you should be aware of - always protect your front wheel - if someone else's rear wheel overlaps your front wheel, you have essentially given up control of your bike to the stranger in front of you. For whatever reason, a rider may decide to dart twelve inches or more to the right or left instantaneously. Before this happens either ease up so that your front wheel is behind their rear wheel or speed up to get your handlebars equal with theirs'. Don't stay an extended time in a location where your front wheel is not protected(some exceptions but remember the general rule) When cornering, try to keep an eye not only on the rider immediately in front of you but the rest of the riders ahead of you so that you can anticipate where you need to be. Unless you are the lead rider you are going to have to follow someone else through the corners. This means not trying any creative last second maneuvers like countersteering at the last second to make it through the corner. If the other riders made it through, so will you. The reason to keep an eye on everything ahead of you is that when something does go pear shaped, you can aim for the open spots. Don't focus on the riders going down as most people will hit what they are looking at. The last thing off the top of my head is relax. You don't want to have a death grip on your bars as this leads to problems when there is contact - a relaxed rider absorbs impact and a tense rider bounces off out of control.

Here's a flat 35km time trial. Divide 35km by the women's 4 times then multiply by 1.6 to get an approximate miles per hour.

http://www.ncnca.org/road/2004/DunlapTTResults.html