Crew or no Crew Support Pro’s and Con’s (2of 2) When racing or riding wi…
Crew or no Crew Support Pro’s and Con’s (2of 2) When racing or riding without crew it requires good planning from the cyclist to see where to refill the bottles and how to get proper nutrition’s. Water can be found at stores and gas stations easy. Nutrition supply (carbs, vitamin and minerals) is tricky and means you must use what’s available if you are without crew support. Plus … you must decide how often and how much you want to use. That’s for fluids and nutrition. That part easy causes a lack of fluids and nutrition because it is a compromise that will never be perfect. And that’s not only in a race. It’s critical to train the situations making it often a compromise in training too. Training it helps making decisions for the races. I know my approach may not be good for everyone and therefore I often do not explain publicly what I use and how often I refill my supply, but I am ok sharing information in personal discussions. It’s something everyone must test and learn herself/himself. In addition, not having the support car at night or in foggy situations slows you down because the lights we use are not as bright as car lights behind us. Now you must carry enough lights and batteries to survive the full race distance. That’s ok for one day but getting into multiple days it’s tough to plan for it and stay safe. I learned the lack of safety by not using crew support in two races. The approach must be a bit different and that was an interesting learning experience for me in 2025. I tested lots of different options for batteries, lights, hydration and nutrition during training rides and in some cases during races in 2025. So this year was an interesting year of learning and finding new approaches for racing and riding. Lesson learned comparing 2023/24 seasons with support crew and now 2025 without support is that the average speed difference is at least about 1.5-2 mph (2.5-3.5 km/h) at least even in 12/24/48 hour races on repetitive routes. Funny situations had been a few scenarios with flat tires. No issue and quick fix with crew while without crew I decided a few times to keep racing with flat tire for up to 11 miles (Sebring 24 hours 3 miles and Florida500 11 miles to the finish line). Not a preferred solution but it’s a compromise when doing everything alone. So, what might be the reason for me to go without crew support? The benefit of self-support is cost … If you cannot find a sponsor who covers most if not all crew cost than it’s a big cost savings factor. Plus since I am no pro cyclist and I do not see myself as a top racer neither I want to be able to get to end of a race without support and admitting it’s a cool feeling finishing some of those races.
