1. A sense of adventure, you do not need to be the fittest, fastest bike rider out there, a willingness to ride hard and compete is what is needed. The club caters for all levels with riders from eleven to over eighty. There will be up to seven different grades of racing, including two women only grades. It might take a couple of races to find the right grade for you, but you will end up in a grade you will be competitive in.
2. A bicycle, does not need to be the latest and greatest, I started racing on a 20 year old steel frame with a second hand groupset I had built up for commuting. A lot of racers use the same bike for commuting, group rides, training and racing.
3. A helmet that conforms to Australian and New Zealand Standard, AS/NZS 2063:2008—Bicycle helmets.
4. A Cycling Australia Licence, which includes insurance coverage for you and your competitors.There are a couple of choices, my recommendation is buy a three day licence for $51.20 from, it gives you three races to see if you like racing, and if you upgrade to a full licence Cycling Australia will refund you $49. Also Cycling Australia licences do offer 6 month licences in June. No matter what licence you have, you need proof on the day, either your licence or a printed copy of the Cycling Australia receipt.
5. Turn up on the day, pay your nomination fee and try your best. You are not going to die, though my first race it felt like it accelerating out of every corner, trying to catch the wheel in front.