Getting Started

Ready to make the jump to bike racing?

Maybe those friendly city limit sprints introduced you to your competitive side and now you’re looking for something a little more serious. Perhaps you want to check a bike race off your bucket list. Or maybe you just know how much you’d enjoy the camaraderie of training and racing with a team.

Whatever your reason, USA Cycling can help!

Utilize your local resources. Find your Local Association now.

If you want to get in on the local race scene, your USA Cycling local association (LA) is the place to turn. They have the ins and outs of everything bike racing in your area. Your LA can answer your questions about how to get involved and can even recommend area cycling clubs for you to contact. Click here to find your LA now.

Learn from more experienced racers. Find a club that fits you.

Finding a cycling club is a great way to prepare yourself for the next step. If you’re not already a member of a club, consider joining one and take part in the group rides and other learning opportunities. First, you should probably contact the clubs you’re interested in and discuss your level of cycling, just to make sure it’s a good fit. Click here to find clubs in your area.

Get thee to the start line. Choose your first race.

USA Cycling sanctions nearly 3,000 competitive and non-competitive cycling events each year in the United States. Needless to say, there’s a race in your area. Click here to find a race in your area now.

Are you licensed to race?

USA Cycling issues several different types of licenses including racing, coaching, officials, mechanics, race director, and UCI support. Each license has different categories and disciplines-specific versions.

If you’re looking to compete in a USA Cycling-sanctioned race in the United States, you’ll need a USA Cycling racing license. There are two ways to obtain a USA Cycling racing license:

• You can buy an annual racing license ($60 for adults; $30 for junior or collegiate) which covers you in all USA Cycling races and expires on December 31.
• OR, if you don’t plan to get your money’s worth out of an annual license, you can go one race at a time with one-day-licenses which cost $10 each. These can be purchased on site at the race you choose to enter.

If you’re planning to race outside of the United States, you’ll need an international license and a Foreign Permission Letter.

To learn more about what type of license you need, or to buy your license now, visit the License Information page.

How you’ll benefit from buying an annual license

If you decide to go with the annual license, several benefits in addition to the over 2,600 cycling clubs and 34 Local Associations come with USA Cycling membership, including: national results and rankings system, quality insurance coverage, great discounts from our Member Benefits Providers and access to USA Cycling’s athlete development programs that provide opportunities at training camps and eventually, international racing, World Championships and the Olympic Games!

Need more info?

If you want to learn more about bike racing, from racing tips to bicycle maintenance, check out USA Cycling’s EnCYCLINGpedia where you’ll find lots of useful information!

For questions about USA Cycling membership or licensing, don’t hesitate to contact the Member Services Coordinator for your region.