My boss will probably sign me to amateur race in few months.
He will be selling beer somewhere on route and it will be just for fun and my first "race". It is more like 130km trip with some timed parts for pros and wineries and other "distractions" for the normal people.
130km is a lot longer than the 50km that i signed up for. The semi competitiveness of your ride sounds like fun, like it's multiple short races mixed in with some scenic in betweens.
Thanks! It's not too long of a ride, just 34 miles, but it's going to be a lot of elevation over that distance. It's not as much as like a mountain bike course but more than a road course. Just aiming to finish and have fun!
I have a love/hate relationship with elevation. The bikes I've had for the last two years were either not geared for more than city riding, or too heavy to be climbing rigs. But after getting a new road/gravel bike a few weeks back, I've been jumping out of the saddle for some climbs and actually really enjoy them!
At this point, I'll take elevation over headwind! Pace yourself, and enjoy!