Sponsors
Event Updates
Talkeetna Grinder this Saturday @ 12 noon – click HERE for detailed course description.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, SIGN UP HERE!
BASE ACCESS:
Several of ABC’s races will be held on the military base this year. If you have any intentions of racing or spectating at any of the base events, please provide your info for approval HERE. You will not be allowed on base without providing your info.
Active military members or anyone with a military ID are exempt from this requirement.
Key Information
Categories
- A – Experienced racers with a high level of fitness, or riding 5+ times per week.
- B – Experienced racers with intermediate fitness, or riding 3-5 times per week.
- C – Racers with developing fitness, or riding 3 or fewer times per week.
- D – Never raced before and want to try it out. D is only available in the Women’s Series events.
- Master 45+ – Those over the age of 45; this division tends to be fairly competitive.
- Master 60+ – Those over the age of 60; this division tends to have racers with varying experience levels.
- Master 70+ – Those over the age of 70; this division tends to have racers with varying experience levels.
- Note: all racers are free to self-select their category (i.e., if a racer is 47 years old they do not have to race in the master 45+ division).
Memberships
An active Arctic Bicycle Club membership is required to participate in races for insurance purposes. Money collected from membership dues goes toward improving the Arctic Bicycle Club as a whole.
Individual Membership is for racers 18 and over. We allow up to 4 children to be listed on each adult profile as a form of family membership. Simply go to the account page and scroll down to add child.
Junior Membership is for racers 17 and under. We want to encourage young riders to experience the joy of cycling. That’s why all riders 17 and under with an active junior membership ride for free in any race they sign up for! Each junior must be accompanied by an adult at each event.
Online Registration
Online registration ensures our events run smooth and helps reduce the workload on our volunteer organization. Please only use day of registration as a last resort. Our registration system helps us verify that every racer is a member of the club which is required by our insurance policy.
On Site Registration
On site registration will be available for most events but we encourage everyone to sign up in advance online.
Refunds
As a policy Arctic Bicycle Club does not refund race fees. Planning and developing an athletic event that ensures adequate support and supplies for participants is difficult. We rely on the registration information to provide us with an accurate participant count. Because this is vital to the success of our events, there will be no refunds once a registration has been processed.
BIB NUMBER
At check- in you will receive a seat post timing tag that displays your bib number. We ask that you return the seat post tag at the end of each event to ensure it is available at the next race.
EQUIPMENT
A standard road bike is generally the most common bike for road events. You can ride any type of bike technically as long as the specific event allows it. The two most common types for bikes are the standard road and the time trial bike. Time trial bikes are not allowed in any event with a mass start or when drafting is allowed.
Types of events
Time Trial
Racers are separated by 30 second intervals and drafting is not allowed. Most people start their road racing career at a time trial. Time trials tend to be the best introduction to road racing as pack riding is not involved, it’s just the individual racers against the clock.
Hill Climb
Racers leave in a group, but gravity is your true competition. Drafting is allowed.
Road Race
Racers leave as a group (known in cycling as a peloton) by division and complete a set number of laps or distance. Road races tend to be longer in nature (1-3 hours) and require racers to work together in order to break away from the peloton. Drafting is allowed.
Gravel
Gravel races take place on – you guessed it! – unpaved roads. Gravel is a catch-all term for unpaved surfaces, which may include gravel, dirt, mud, packed sand and other nasty things. Riders can also expect short(er) stretches of pavement connecting long(er) stretches of gravel. Most gravel events fall in the 40-100 miles, range. Racers tend to start in one large group, and drafting is allowed. Any bike is welcome, but most racers will prefer a cyclocross or gravel-specific bike with clearance for tires in the 33mm-44mm range. Tire choice and pressure will depend on the quality and proportion of road surfaces.
Criterium
A criterium, or “crit” is a super fun pack event based around tactics, strategy, and skill. The pack races for a set amount of time and the first racer to cross the line on the final “bell” lap wins. Drafting is allowed. Crits are typically very high intensity from the start.
Pursuit races are all about chasing down your prey. Start times are staggered by time deficits or ability levels, but the goal is always to work with those around you to bring back the leaders.
Fondos are long distance semi-competitive rides, usually involving large fields of racers at different ability levels. What may start out casual may end competitive, while early efforts often give way to social finales. Is “social” a euphemism for beer stops? Perhaps – fondo means many things to many people, some more fun-loving than others.
Zwift races happen on Zwift, the global virtual cycling platform. Racers need a smart trainer, a Zwift account, and an internet connection to participate. ABC organizes its own Zwift events across a number of formats. Zwift races tend to be short (under and hour) and fast paced, so don’t skip your warmup. For all the latest ABC Zwift action, check out the ABC Zwift home page.