I have entered the Brass Monkeys next Sunday and as it’s my first taste of competitive riding thought best so ask for any big do’s and don’ts.

In the 4 hour race and have no illusions that I will be anything other than a back marker so if you “proper” riders have any tips to keep me from getting in your way please let me know.

One thing, I normally ride with 1 earphone in at a moderate volume, can hear whats going on around me. Is this a bad idea??

Cheers

not much etiquette to be worried about, but keep your wits about you (eg no headphones) as the fast guys can be pretty impatient when overtaking!

If someone says on your left, don’t move left they’ll be coming past you on the side.

If there’s no obvious overtaking point you don’t have to give way to anyone, it’s their job to get past you.

Ditch the earphones, they are usually banned anyway. You’ll have enough to keep you amused anyway.

And don’t worry. It’s really friendly. All the hardcore racers are in their off season anyway so don’t really give much of a sh*t. Any shouting you hear is simply because it’s really hard to announce yourself quietly whilst hurtling down a track with foam coming out of your mouth!

Enjoy the experience, it’s brill.

One thing, I normally ride with 1 earphone in at a moderate volume, can hear whats going on around me. Is this a bad idea??

yes, so don’t

even if you can hear things you will wind some people up. Organisers rules tend to be black and white to stop people arguing the toss

Go at your own pace – it is easy for the red mist to descend without realizing it and going too hard too early, even if you do plan to sit at the back.
Remember that they have other categories starting later in the race so don’t be surprised when suddenly loads of fresh looking riders come blasting past.
Don’t be tempted to carry every piece of kit with you – it is a loop and as you go through the timing gate you can always stop and nip back to the car to collect something if you need it. However, make sure you do have a inner tube, pump/CO2, multitool, chain link and breaker with you because having to walk the whole loop with a mechanical is a right pain in the butt

ditch the headphones
listen for the calls from behind
watch out for the fast up hills, can’t ride down brigade
my experience (not UK based) is the good guys can pass sensibly and will give you respect, it’s a tight track when you get the call look for a spot to pull over and let them through, if you can try following their lines for a bit 🙂
the mid pack idiots who think they are winning (half way through the field) will try and pass badly

some useful information there.
Will be sure to leave the headphones in the car..

If anyone is there and see’s the back marker needing a push up the hill feel free to lend a hand!

Agree with the others. Definately lose the earphone, you will need to pay attention.
You are very unlikely to hold anyone up. Anyone who is loads quicker than you is quite capable of getting passed, anyone who isn’t won’t be held up much while you wait for the next wide bit.
My advice is always to talk. As an overtaker I will shout ‘rider’ from 30-odd yards back, then ‘on your left/right/inside/etc’ from 10 yards back, and always say thank-you when someone lets you passed.
As an overtakee I will find a sensible place and call ‘on my left’ and just let the bike run wide on a corner, costs minimal time for both parties.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for space, if you’re on a tricky bit and someone comes hurtling up behind you shouting ‘left’ it’s better to shout ‘I’ll let you passed at the bottom’ than try to move over and get it wrong.

I’ll chuck my hat in as a moderately quick rider…

Best way to approach being passed is to keep riding but just move off the racing line slightly if possible, the amount of people that (generously) throw themselves into the undergrowth or slam on the anchors when you call to pass is amazing! As a passing rider, I normally have momentum and have allowed for the fact you are moving, when you suddenly stop, I have to make a quicker decision how to deal with it, also as the passer I have to benefit of being able to see what’s going on, the rider in front doesn’t have eyes in the back of their head so can’t see what’s going on as easily.

I generally call from a fair way back to warn and then call again to let you know what side when I’m a bit closer, sometimes it may be a while before I want to pass anyway, we get knackered too!! Most of the time there’s no need to do anything as I’d generally make it my issue to get past without affecting your race. Most real quick riders will be the same, we’ve overtaken a fair few riders in our time so get ok at doing it, as most people say, it’s the mid packers that will present the trouble if there is any.

Don’t forget this doesn’t apply to people in your own race, you only need to give track position to other faster categories so that you don’t affect a different race, guy’s you’re racing in the same cat are behind you for a reason!

Don’t use headphones, they’re banned. You won’t need ’em anyway, you’re gonna be racing, not riding. You’ll need to use every sense you’ve got available. Have a bit of banter with your fellow racers, the amount of miserable feckers I see is amazing, you’re doing this out of choice!

Enjoy!

For all of the comments about headphones being banned and not using them, I seem to remember the guy who went on to win the Torq in your sleep 12h race was wearing headphones the couple of times that I saw him out on the course.
That was a Gorrick event and there didn’t seem to be any issues with it there.

There seems to be a bit of a trend for people to take one hand off the bars and point left or right when being overtaken.

Please don’t do this as it scares the crap out of me. Keep both hands on the bars so you don’t wobble around. Flailing arms just give me something else to avoid.

As above – best not to slam your brakes on as I’m often only a couple of feet behind you and won’t be expecting that.

GB

PS re headphones – Tim wasn’t wearing any this year. Ant has done at times in the past, maybe you’re thinking of him.

Don’t forget this doesn’t apply to people in your own race, you only need to give track position to other faster categories so that you don’t affect a different race, guy’s you’re racing in the same cat are behind you for a reason!

you can use your eyes in the back of your head to do this coupled with a photograpghic recall of the start list of the various categories on the track with you 😉

unless they call out “race leader” or “elite rider” 🙄

if it is a BC insured event then the following rules apply

5.7.8 A rider or helper must not use offensive or abusive language during the race, act in an anti-sporting manner, be disrespectful to the officials or ignore the race regulations.
5.7.9 A rider must act in a polite manner at all times and permit any faster rider to overtake without obstructing.

“without obstructing” doesn’t mean having to leave the racing line, it covers people deliberately obstructing an overtake i.e. moving left when a call “on your left” is given by the faster rider

a technique of sprinting the fast open sections and resting the tight singletrack and “stalling” on climbs to block an overtake is as far as the gamesmanship should go and in reality should get a warning under 5.7.8

You’ve played the game ‘road rash’ right…?
It’s like that. Just muddier..

DrP

the mid pack idiots who think they are winning (half way through the field) will try and pass badly

Not just limited to idiots, towards the end of the 4 hour race everyone will be approaching exhaustion and struggling to get enough oxygen to keep the muscles going, let alone the brain. Bad overtaking becomes simple incompetence rather than ignorance or malice! No excuse for aggression though.

Just be aware of what’s around you, look behind every now and again especially when approaching a narrow section. If faster riders are approaching then start looking for a place you can let them past, and communicate what you are going to do.

As everyone else has said, ditch the headphones.

And remember to have fun 🙂

I think the genuine thing to say is don’t get intimidated, but don’t be ‘unhelpful’.
It’s everyone’s race – if there’s a place to pass, then use it (applies to passer/passee). If there’s no place, then wait (applies to passer/passee). The level of skill and experience will dictate when and where these situations apply!
Seems fair, no?

DrP

Road rash… Nice.

Do you bring your own wepons or are they given our at registration?

big n daft. I doubt they’d be many people would give away a position in a race just because the person behind asked to pass them, if you wanna come past, then do so, if you can. I wasn’t talking about deliberately holding people up as well you know I suspect.

Blazin, I was merely highlighting that there is no requirement for the slower rider to do anything other than keep riding their own race. A lot of people seem to think that shouting “elite rider”, “rider” or “race leader” means that everyone in front of them should leave the course and let them by

for me the best way forward in XC racing is

DrP – Member

I think the genuine thing to say is don’t get intimidated, but don’t be ‘unhelpful’.
It’s everyone’s race – if there’s a place to pass, then use it (applies to passer/passee). If there’s no place, then wait (applies to passer/passee). The level of skill and experience will dictate when and where these situations apply!
Seems fair, no?

DrP

afterall everyone wants a good race

You are best served to ignore the others. It is your own race that you should put your attention towards. Good luck.

I just treat others like I’d like to be treated, seems to work. Mostly I rely on my karmic bow-wave to pass slower riders.

It’s usually apparent if someone behind you is in your race. If they have been there huffing and puffing for a lap and a half closing in inch by inch, then they probably are. If they close in on you in a few seconds and zip by effortlessly, then they probably aren’t 🙂

But yes – don’t stop if someone comes up behind you – it’s worse than keeping going. But you don’t have to dive into the bushes like some people do. We can manage*.

* not that I’m elite or anything near it, but I’ve done a lot of passing all the same 🙂

The Eastern region races have always said the onus is on the overtaker to pass safely, but personally speaking if the overtakee moves out of the way it is very much appreciated! I never expect anyone to move over and will communicate loudly – ie shouting “passing on your left/right”.

I would expect anyone I’m trying to get round to stick to the racing line and I’ll pass when I think its safe.

watch out for the fast up hills, can’t ride down brigade

It’s ok I haven’t entered, that pretty much sums me up 😳

Just remember, you may make a few seconds up on a downhill, and receive some bravado points, but you have to finish and crashing doesn’t help. Know your limits and race in those, and save pushing them for training when a crash doesn’t hurt your results.

All this advice is much appreciated.

Does anyone know if there is a pit area or do you need to carry everything for the 4 hours from the start?

There’s a feed zone so you can bung your bottles, gels, vodka there…