An Introduction to Youth Circuit and Track racing
If you have any questions please ask at Friday training.
Age Categories
On the British Cycling website races are stated by category. The youth racing categories are:
| Category | Age Group | Age on 1st Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Youth A | Under 16 | 14 or 15 |
| Youth B | Under 14 | 12 or 13 |
| Youth C | Under 12 | 10 or 11 |
| Youth D | Under 10 | 8 or 9 |
| Youth E | Under 8 | 7 or below |
Often in races the U12’s and below will race together and U16’s and 14’s will race together. This is sometimes dependent on numbers and safety.
Sometimes there are so many competitors that they have to be split up into individual age groups so it is important that the riders know their actual category and supporters are patient.
Licence
You will need a racing licence to take part in most events. The easiest way to do this is apply on the British Cycling website to become a member and tick the box to have a racing licence which is a free add-on to your membership for youth riders.
Cost depends on age group.
You need a minimum of a silver membership – Costs are shown on the British Cycling website
Please remember to select Wolverhampton Wheelers as your club so that any ranking points you get will go towards the clubs ranking.
If you think that you may only try out one or two events then you can get a day licence for many events. You will also need to fill out a parental consent form for each race meeting.
Gear restrictions
The gears that youth riders are allowed to use on the track or on a circuit are restricted. This is to stop them pushing too hard a gear with the possibility of damaging knees and encouraging a smooth, circular, quick pedalling action. The gears will need to be blocked prior to an event so that larger gears cannot be used. Once they are set do not unblock them so that they get used to the required action. Ask one of the coaches or the welfare officers at Friday training if you need help.
The gear restrictions are (distance travelled per pedal revolution):
| Category | Road and Track |
|---|---|
| Youth A | 6.93 metres |
| Youth B | 6.45 metres |
| Youth C | 6.05 metres |
| Youth D | 5.40 metres |
| Youth E | 5.10 metres |
Points
The first three girls and first three boys in a Youth A or B race are awarded BC ranking points as shown below.
| Standard Event | 1st – 3 pts | 2nd – 2 pts | 3rd – 1 pt |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Series Event | 1st – 6 pts | 2nd – 4 pts | 3rd – 2 pts |
| National Championships | 1st – 9 pts | 2nd – 6 pts | 3rd – 3 pts |
Where a Youth race includes riders of both genders and/or both A and B categories,then points shall be awarded as if all categories and genders are separate races.
For Youth C or younger category riders, no points shall be awarded.
Any points gained go towards individual and club ranking
There are no ranking points for Aldersley Track League, however points are awarded within the track league and there is an award for the overall league positions.
Entering races
Some youth races can be entered on the line. However many are pre entry, online. National series races are usually pre entry only. The details of closing dates etc can be found via the event listings at the BC website. Where we list events on our website, we will usually provide a link to the entry details in the listing.
You will need a helmet – No helmet, no ride!
Finally,
Have a go and good luck!