OBRA Categorization Guidelines
Upgrade Rules
Road/Track riders may not upgrade without the express consent of the Executive Director.
To speed processing, please include a race resume or other documentation with all requests.
Please send all upgrade requests to .
Road Upgrades
For an upgrade, all points may not come from a weekly series.
Points for combined fields will count only for upgrades from the bottom most category with the exception of 4/5 fields- For example, 1/2/3 fields will count only for upgrades from 3→2. 3/4 fields will only count for upgrades from 4→3. 4/5 fields will count toward upgrades to 4→3.
Guidelines and Notes by Category for Men:
5→4: Experience in 10 mass start races or 15 points.
4→3: 20 points in the previous 12 months; or experience in 25 races.
30 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade.
3→2: 25 points in the previous 12 months
40 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade
2→1: 30 points in the previous 12 months
50 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade
Guidelines and Notes by Category for Women:
4→3: Experience in 15 mass start races or 15 points.*
20 points in the previous 12 months is an automatic upgrade.
3→2: 25 points in the previous 12 months
40 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade
2→1: 30 points in the previous 12 months
50 points in 12 months is an automatic upgrade
*If you plan on racing outside of Oregon you must qualify as a 3 using the same criteria as the men. You will receive a special designation on your license.
Qualifying Distances for each category
To qualify for upgrading points, races must meet distance standards. Races shorter than the minimum distance do not qualify for upgrading. However, if a road race is less than the road race minimum but above the criterium minimum, it will count for upgrading using the criterium points schedule.
| Category | Class | RR | Criterium and Circuit |
| 5 to 4 | Men | 15 mi. | 10 mi. |
| 4 to 3 | Men Women Junior |
25 mi. 25 mi. 25 mi. |
20 mi. 15 mi. 15 mi. |
| 3 to 2 | Men Women |
50 mi. 40 mi. |
20 mi. 15 mi. |
| 2 to 1 | Men Women |
80 mi. 50 mi. |
30 mi. 20 mi. |
Points awarded for Criteriums and Circuit Races
Number of Starters |
||||
| Placing | 5-10 | 11-20 | 21-50 | 50+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
5 |
1 |
2 |
||
6 |
1 |
|||
Points awarded for Road Races
| Number of Starters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Placing
| 5-10
| 11-20
| 21-50
| 50+
|
1 |
3 |
7 |
8 |
10 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
|
5 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
|
6 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
|
7 |
1 |
3 |
||
8 |
2 |
|||
9 |
1 |
|||
Points awarded for Stage Race GC (Cat 3→2 and Cat 2→1 upgrades only)*
| Number of Starters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Placing |
10-19 |
20-35 |
36-49 |
50+ |
1 |
5 |
7 |
10 |
20 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
8 |
18 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
16 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
14 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
12 |
|
6 |
3 |
10 |
||
7 |
2 |
9 |
||
8 |
1 |
8 |
||
9 |
7 |
|||
10 |
6 |
|||
11 |
5 |
|||
12 |
4 |
|||
13 |
3 |
|||
14 |
2 |
|||
15 |
1 |
|||
* For points earned in stage races, GC and stage places both count for points, but only up to a maximum of 20 points for a cat 1 upgrade or 15 points for a cat 2 upgrade from a single stage race. TT stage places do not count toward an upgrade. For stage places, use the appropriate road/crit schedules. When deciding whether a rider qualifies for an upgrade, an administrator will take into account points earned in qualifying events per the table above. In the case of a rider who is marginally qualified, the quality of the events and the level of competition may be taken into account.
Road Downgrades
A rider who wishes to downgrade may request a downgrade. Such requests will be evaluated individually. In no case will a rider be allowed to downgrade to category 5.
Cyclocross Categories and Upgrades
Cyclocross categories are self-selected. Riders should take the following guidelines into account when choosing a category.
CCX Category based on Road or XC Category
| ||
|---|---|---|
Road Category
| MTB XC Category
| CCX Category
|
1 |
Pro |
A |
2 |
Cat 1 |
A |
3 |
Cat 2 |
B |
4 or 5 |
Cat 3 |
C or Beginner |
Masters – Age 35+ (unless otherwise noted) and ability graded as outlined above.
Guidelines for upgrades will be 3 top 3 finishes or 5 top 5 finishes in a 12 month period.
Mountain Bike Categories and Upgrades
OBRA allows self-selection of category as Cat 3 (Beginner) Cat 2 (Sport) or Cat 1 (Expert). Pro class is only available through upgrade through OBRA or by having a current USAC Pro license. *Masters 45+ Men are not required to upgrade beyond Cat 1 but may do so by meeting the upgrade criteria. Masters Women 35+ are not required to upgrade beyond Sport.
Mandatory upgrade rules:
• 3 finishes in the top 3 in any class with a minimum of 15 competitors for men and 10 for women in a 12 month period.
• Cat 3 → Cat 2
• Cat 2 → Cat 1
• Cat 1 → Pro
Downgrade rules:
A rider may downgrade one category when:
• They have no significant results for 2 seasons or at rider's discretion and approval of OBRA.
Track
ATRA Upgrade Guidelines
All track upgrades are processed by the Velodrome Managers using the following criteria:
Points: National championships, Category A, B, or C track race will be 7,5,3,2,1 for each event. For all other events, upgrade points are 5,3,2,1 and are based on an omnium of the evening's races. Additional Consideration:
A rider may be downgraded for the following reasons: unsafe riding; lack of ability to compete in current category; or lack of placing within current category. |
All upgrade questions should be sent to: