The New York Times has an interesting article with some useful tips from Christian Vande Velde and Jonathan Vaughters on how to begin your career in road racing.  Christian is expected to be chosen for the U.S. road racing team for the Beijing Olympics, and Jonathan is the manager for the newly sponsored Team Garmin/Chipotle H3O.

A tip on purchasing a bike:

But don’t feel pressured to overbuy, Mr. Vaughters said. “The difference between a $500 bike and a $1,500 bike is huge,” he said. “The difference between a $1,500 bike and an $8,000 bike is very small.”

It’s pretty good advice, especially for someone with a limited budget.

Unsurprisingly, the Team Garmin/Chipotle team uses Watts, and power readings to track their progress during training.

“Watts is the most reliable way to gauge effort on a bike,” Mr. Vaughters said. “It’s the best way to track your progress from day to day, and also to set training parameters.”

Some good advice for riding in a pack:

Mr. Vande Velde said, “Do not look at the wheel of the rider in front of you,” or stare down at the road. “Scan far ahead for any obstacles,” he said, because they’ll arrive very rapidly, and then quickly glance at the road just ahead. “Your eyes should always be moving.”

There’s quite a bit more in the article including a recipe for sushi rice bars, and other info regarding nutrition and training.

New York Times with Team Garmin-Chipotle H3O