Hi, I’m 14. I’ve been wanting to be a professional cyclist(road cycling) for basically my whole life but have never really been encouraged to do so. My dad, for all of my life has encouraged me to play football(soccer) which I have been playing for eight years, I don’t mind playing football but I prefer watching it, I would like to do road cycling! I have a mountain bike at the moment and do about 10 miles Monday, Wednesday and Friday with 20 on a sunday. So basically what I’m asking is it too late to start racing? Would I have a realistic chance of making it as a professional? I watch all of the professional races on the television so I know the rules and stuff. I am willing to work very hard! I know it wil probably take a lot but I will try! Thanks to anyone that answers!:)
You are at a good age to get into competitive cycling. However you will need support to get started. You need a bike. You can’t even consider training for racing without a road bike. At your age training rides will be 80-100 km(50-65 miles) Many places have youth programs for new cyclists where experienced cyclists teach young riders what to expect when they race. Watching races and riding races are two very different things. You should join a cycling club to learn how to ride in a group. There is nothing more dangerous than a new racer with no pack riding experience. I would say you need at least a year of club riding before even considering a race. A realistic chance of becoming a professional? your realistic odds are fairly slim, probably 5%. But you can have a lot of fun along the way, make good friends, learn new things, have great experiences. Just because something is hard and uncertain doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing. I have had the chance to ride with riders who have competed at the very highest levels, including 2 world champion road riders and numerous other great cyclists. That alone was worth all the effort
It’s never too late, in fact most professional cyclists are in their 30′s.
With the miles you’re doing you are on a great start. But you’ll need to drop the mountain bike eventually and upgrade to a touring bike. The difference in bike types and design is that a touring bike is not only lighter and faster, but it’s designed to be more ergonomically comfortable for longer distances.
Personally, I’m a mountain biker, but I have nothing against road cycling. It’s a great sport, but I wouldn’t want to take my mountain bike on a 10-20 mile drive, it’d be super uncomfortable.
Since I live in the Adirondacks in upstate New York, I ride technical downhill. My rides are in short bursts and I have a heavy, durable bike designed to take the punishment. Dual shocks and front/rear disc brakes to slow me down so I don’t slam into a tree going 30mph. All of this stuff adds a lot of weight to a bike, which after some distance can wear on your legs.
If you can easily take a mountain bike 10 miles on the road, I bet you could take a lighter, faster touring bike a good 25-30 miles and not even feel it.
References :
You are at a good age to get into competitive cycling. However you will need support to get started. You need a bike. You can’t even consider training for racing without a road bike. At your age training rides will be 80-100 km(50-65 miles) Many places have youth programs for new cyclists where experienced cyclists teach young riders what to expect when they race. Watching races and riding races are two very different things. You should join a cycling club to learn how to ride in a group. There is nothing more dangerous than a new racer with no pack riding experience. I would say you need at least a year of club riding before even considering a race. A realistic chance of becoming a professional? your realistic odds are fairly slim, probably 5%. But you can have a lot of fun along the way, make good friends, learn new things, have great experiences. Just because something is hard and uncertain doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing. I have had the chance to ride with riders who have competed at the very highest levels, including 2 world champion road riders and numerous other great cyclists. That alone was worth all the effort
References :
Hii, If you want to take cycling as a profession than you should try joining some cycling clubs.They would be really helpful for u and trey researching online so that u can join some good professional academy.
References :
You need to ride a lot more 10 miles is just a warm up for most pro’s. You want to get a good road bike and join the local bike club. If you can’t keep up with the locals you don’t have a chance.
References :
50 miles a week?
dude
try 300
i will say yes it is too late
at least race with some local guys and find out
no one just starts as a ‘pro’
you have to beat some amateurs first
seriously
odds are about as good as driving for NASCAR or joining the NFL
THOUSANDS of guys want to do that
wle
References :
Yes, it will be a difficult journey for you.
Call your closest bike shop and ask them where you might be able to pick up an application to get your junior license from the USCF. In fact, you can probably get one online. I got my juniors license when I was 14- way back in, er, 1975, the same year I spent my entire savings on a Zeus Cronos road bike. $867, or enough for 2 semesters of college at the time. My parents nearly killed me. I still have the bike, by the way.
Note that you will have to pay for the privilege and you will also have to have conforming equipment- you can’t ride just anything.
To become pro, you’ll need to race enough to earn points and move up in rankings. This means that you’ll pretty much have to exclude everything else in your life except school- movies, video games, ball games will all become a thing of the past while you concentrate on your skills as a rider and activities to make you stronger.
References :
It’s never too late! I’m 15 with the same aspirations as well. keep riding, and eventually get a road bike(I know, it’s a lot of money, I spent 2 years saving, but it was well worth it).
Would you have a realistic chance? Most people will say no, Walt Disney says "If you can dream it, you can do it"
and a big problem will be time constraints from school, during the winter months, I can only squeeze in 20 miles in a hilly area before the sun goes down. but in the spring/summer seasons I can do a lot more(I just need the rain to go away!). So use the sunlight you have carefully.
also do a longer ride on the weekends, for me it’s usually a 45 – 50 mile ride, (don’t attempt a 50 mile ride unless you have a bailout plan)
And the last thing: rest days they are more important than training days, listen to your body, if it’s very sore one day, take the day off.
References :