how old is too old to train to go pro?

joemw

that is not at all true. i was very much a mediocre runner in high school, most likely because running breaks my body down very quickly and i couldn't put any miles in without getting hurt. skip ahead to my 25th birthday when i started actually training on my bike, not because i wanted to race, just because i love exercise. i got pretty good pretty fast and people noticed and encouraged me to race. so i did. and i won my first cat5 race, consisting of just two 16mile laps with 1500' of gain per lap, by over five minutes after attacking at the base of the climb on the second lap. and yet, my freakiness lies in my anaerobic capacity, which i truly never knew. looking back i can see it went unnoticed, as i used to be able to do upwards of 50 pull-ups and well over 100 push-ups when i was into that sort of thing.

so, again, a freak is a freak and it's not something that can be taken away from you, nor do some freaks ever realize their true nature

just the same, odds are that the OP isn't a freak.

Pendejo

Point taken, but obviously there are different levels of freakishness. Yours was (at least) enough to win a Cat 5 race early on. But we're talking about professional-level freakishness.

jrtalon

aww poor baby, it pisses u off that i want to become a pro waaa waaa, go cry to momma little boy.

jrtalon

I don't believe in genetic potential. I believe in hard work, being consistent in ur training and proper nutrition anyone can achieve anything. I know I have 2yrs or so before I can even race with the local clubs I'm not stupid I know this isn't going to happen over nite but I'm not going to let anyone tell me it can't be done. I'll train over the winter enter some cat 5 races come spring and work my way up.

xcmntgeek

Awwww, you don't believe in genetic potential... that's really romantic. To bad its also total bull. I've seen it... helped coach juniors as well as other cyclists on my collegiate team. Guys skate by and become a cat2, others work their a$$ off and are perma-4s. Welcome to reality.

Justin

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BlueJersey

Dude, people here are trying to give you some prespective so that you would know what to expect. Obviously you haven't ridden or raced with others. My cat3 team mate just started racing maybe last year as a cat5. He is a cat3 now. Here is kicker. He weights 180lb and he can climb. He actually won a very, very hilly race against some of the best East coast cat4s. He has done 2 stage races and consistently placed the top 10. He is also 35 years of age.

You said about training??? Do you know how to train? Since you haven't raced before, do you know what you need to train to be competitive??? Let me spare you the agony. It will take you maybe 2 years to get a sense of ideas as to how you must train, if you self coach. Given that you probably have less than 1 thousand miles under your legs, your body can't do much in terms of training.

oneradtec

Good genetics are real. When you see someone like Lance Armstrong win the World's at age 21 you better take notice. No one wins the World's road race at age 21. Well...fast forward to present. Lance has now won 7 Tours. We should have known that we would hear from Mr. Armstrong in a big way. No one wins World's at 21. Guys like that come along about once every 30 years.

Lemond was that kind of freak. He was winning some big races at a very early age. It was almost like he skipped domestic racing completely. He did junior world's and got the attention of the big teams in Europe. Next thing you know he is in Europe, winning the World's road race, racing with Bernard Hinault, and finally winning three Tours de France. Lemond was incredibly gifted....but he worked very hard too...as did Lance.

jrtalon

I know I appreciate almost all of the advice here (obviously u know the one I don't appreciate very much). I'm learning how to train thats why I'm reading these forums. For the next couple months I just want to get miles under my belt and get my legs used to riding long distances.

oneradtec

Yes, that is important. You need to build a good base of fitness. Start looking at the big picture. Forget about 2006. Start thinking about next year. Spend the rest of the summer, and the coming winter, building base fitness. Just log the miles. You will, by default, gain power, speed, and endurance. I'd also recommend that you join a club and do a lot of club rides if possible. Start building a good library too. Greg Lemond wrote a great cycling book several years ago. Find it on Amazon. Arnie Baker(Smart Cycling) also wrote a good book. Also check out Jamie Paolinetti's DVD's...'The Hard Road' and 'Pro'. Also get the documentary DVD titled 'Overcoming'..which features team CSC. You might also learn alot by building a good collection of pro races on DVD from World Cycling Productions. You need to get a racing license and start moving up the USCF categories. When you get a good finish, you will gain points to upgrade to the next level.

The longest journey begins with a single step. The first step is to decide that you want to go for it. Then follow through with action, discipline, and dedication. Ignore the dream stealers. Most americans have no idea what they want in life. Actually knowing what you want is half the battle. Any man without a vision shall surely perish.

Success is opportunity mixed with difficulty. You have the opportunity before you. The question is...can you survive the difficulty?

Hope to see you in the Tour in 5-6 years. Become so good that you cannot be ignored! Put some wood in the fire(hard work) and you will surely get heat(rewards). Good luck.

Rocket^

Hard work alone won't take you into the pro ranks. If it did, there would be a whole bunch of us that dedicate huge amounts of time training that would be there. I wish you the best of luck.

ewan52

look im not going to drop to the level of the gutter here but i just dont see how someone who has been riding for a few weeks and hasnt even done a race can ask this question. im not saying i dont want you to become pro, thats stupid, im saying that your kind of disrespecting the whole system that cycling has in place by asking this question before youve even started bike racing. wait a year see how your going then maybe, and its a big maybe, you might have a shot at being a pro of some sort by the time you turn 28-29.

alfeng

Quite true.

Someone else can confirm this ...

It is my understanding that the CAT3 (?) guys in my area ride between 60-and-100 miles PER DAY ... with as many climbing miles as possible (e.g., mountain roads). At close to competitive speeds, no doubt. Does that sound right to the aspiring/competitive riders?

I guess the question that jrtalon has to ask-and-answer for himself is whether or not he is willing to minimally put in that kind of on-the-bike training.

Lonnie Utah

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ishiwata

then why'd you ask in the first place?