I’m after some advice pleeeze…

I have a hectic life with a three-year-old and a young baby. I run a business too, which can be very challenging. Sleep can be hard to come by.

I was just reading a thread on lightweight tyres and it made me look at the upcoming XC race at Sherwood Pines. I’m considering giving it a go as it’s something I’ve never done.

My stats from the dreaded Strava are 46 / 1704 for the Dog / Monkey Cannock loop and 93 /3058 for the Pines Kitchener.

I’m 48 and not a particularly strong rider.

Will I get smashed to pieces?

Thanks

You’ll be DFL – is there a noobs race?

Come and do the Open race on Saturday and find out. You may come last, someone has to, but does that matter? You’ll never know if you don’t try, and you can still have fun whilst not doing well!

I think you can enter Open on the day, double check though, pre-entry closes today IIRC.

You definitely have to pre-enter the Sunday races, included Veterans which is your age category, but you’re more likely to get a kicking there. Alternatively, as this is the Nationals, consider looking if there’s a Midlands XC race or anything, standard of competition may be slightly lower.

How will you do?
I have no idea,but the good thing is that there is only one way to find out.
A hundred things can go right and wrong on the day,so if you get to the end without a mechanical,a puncture,throwing up,hitting every tree or OTBing yourself to A&E,give yourself a pat on the back and come back and tell us how it went.
Oh,and have fun,it’s all about the fun,so ignore the super vets with the death stare ,and just go for it. 🙂

^wot e sez. Im fat, 40 and on a HT and don’t really give a shit. Usually get mid table im a MTB race, back 3rd in CX.

Love it.

Thanks for the replies – sounds like I’ll get a thumping. May well give the Saturday Open race a whirl.

I currently run Mountain Kings – are race tyres a good idea or is it just a load of hocus-pocus?

Just ride what you have. Give yourself a baseline. Where’s this race anyway?

Sherwood

So not a hilly race

Enjoy.

46/1704 on the Dog/Monkey loops means you are actually a decent rider.

I wouldn’t worry too much, you won’t be first but you absolutely won’t be last.

I’m doing the Open category on Saturday – I’ll be the one on a grey Latitude trying not to come last.

Just go for it, I came second to last in my first race last year but still had a blast (in my defence I did fall on each of the stages, and was baked from a day at bpw previously)
And btw, your in the top 2.5ish percent on strava for the monkey, so I wouldn’t worry too much…

you’ve got nothing to worry about you’ll not come last and even if you did so what someone has to. I came last a few years back in the macc supercross . In fact so last they were dismantling the course as I went round. I had a great time.

Loved my first race – came 46 out of 130 odd people in the open category.

Didn’t love my second race so much, never made it to it due to a stonker of a cold and regret it. Now too busy to get any time in to race.

Definitely give it a go, I had the most odd morning: severely whipped by a lady on a BSO who was about 8km ahead of me, the big fat guy on a tiny thin carbon framed Italian thing, wearing a Velo helmet who burned past a group of us on a steep hill as if we were standing still.
Seeing a group of riders burn off at the start, only to see them all sitting together at the half way point munching on some food having a chat.

i find racing more rewarding now ive got kids, mortgage etc

time on the bike is precious and theres something about being 100% focused that only racing offers, well sometimes anyway

I used to train, and get really bothered about doing well. Never really cracked much higher than somewhere in the top third, and certainly never podiumed no matter how hard I worked at it.
(Could have just entered Fun cat races I suppose but where’s the satisfaction in carpet bagging?)

Gave all of that up and just ride for fun now, no eye on training or anything like that. Whenever I enter races, it’s just for the fun of caning it round on a closed course as fast as I can, without the need to keep watch for little kids towing dogs.
It’s a laugh, and I still seem to manage top third without troubling the podium.

So don’t worry about fitness, or position in the field, just go and give it a bash. If you smoke the field in Open, next time go for your proper category, simple.

Have fun!

I’m bit like Mattbee, don’t really train any more, although I did win quite a bit in my time, albeit nothing above Sport category. Still do it because it’s fun. Troubling the last quarter of Expert generally, but I still enjoy it!

It doesn’t matter. I did my first (motorcycle) race a couple of years ago, came DFL and had a brilliant laugh doing it 😀 If you want to give it a go, give it a go- you’re only here once! The ups of racing more than mitigate the downs, of which there will be plenty, but a couple of hours’ hindsight and a beer sharp give the crap a nice rose-tinted hue 😆

How do rate on Strava isn’t an accurate forecast of how you’ll do. Unless you’re the fastest I guess.
Racing is quite a bit different with the nerves, number of riders, attitudes etc.

As the others have said have a go and find out. Don’t set off too fast, treat it as a learning exercise and give yourself a low benchmark to bet in the next race. I found it’s better to be towards the back and then pass people as they slow up rather than going balls out and being passed.

You’ll have more fun that way and want to do it again. What’s the worst that can happen?

I came dead last at Hit the North. Because I stopped for a fag and a chat, so I didn’t have to do another lap, and then forgot to finish

I feel that its that type of professionalism and uber-competitiveness you’ll probably want to aim for….

You’ll get your highest ever finishing position. Top third is always a nice target in any race. More than making up the numbers. See how you get on.

And if winning is important, enter the beginners race. I won my first mtb race (beginners) and it’s been downhill ever since!

If you purposely start at the back, set off last, you can only get better, you can’t do worse. Its vastly better psycologically than sitting up front and getting dropped by the pack.

Ride ss/fatbike/unicycle.That way you have an inbuilt excuse and beating anyone is a bonus (did me ok for years).

Great thing about XC races is there’s a bunch of folk on course. You don’t need to be winning it to have fun. You just have to try that bit harder to catch that guy in front who you catch glimpses off occasionally when the trail opens out…or dig deep at the end to stop that guy that’s on your tail the last lap getting past… enjoy the little victories 🙂

And then when you race again and you recognise that guy who finished two places ahead of you last time, you know you can keep up with them this time…

Razzing around on bikes is fun. I race occasionally for fun, it’s just a different sort of riding. Everyone should try different sorts of races once or twice.

Great thing about XC races is there’s a bunch of folk on course. You don’t need to be winning it to have fun. You just have to try that bit harder to catch that guy in front who you catch glimpses off occasionally when the trail opens out…or dig deep at the end to stop that guy that’s on your tail the last lap getting past… enjoy the little victories

I don’t race mtb but do a lot of running races, and it’s exactly what IA says that makes the race itself fun. I’d add that it’s also an excuse to run somewhere new, and the atmosphere before and after a race is usually fun.

I race XC…. usually the Gorricks and monkeys. Reasonable fitness but never going to pull up trees. Just like being part of them, sticking a number on the bars and getting involved in mini battles.

My fear, like yours, was that I was going to come last. I’ve never done it thus far. and it’s surprising how rewarding a sprint for 20th place can be.

Don’t worry too much about race kit. Just cycle with what you know and don’t change any bits on race day!

Go for it! You may win, you may get handed your @rse on a plate, but you’ll probably enjoy it.

And if you don’t you can a least “retire” knowing racing’s not for you

Go for it.

I’ve done a few different types of races. They are all fun. I never expect to trouble the podium I just try and push myself a little bit. Whether that involves fitness at an XC race or riding out of my comfort zone at an Enduro its all good riding experience which is hard to match when you are just out for a ride.

I’m thinking of entering a duathlon – how badly will I do?

Having seen this, I’m tempted to enter. That said, I ride a BFe with heavy wheels, fat tyres and a chain guide. I imagine I’d be in for a kicking.

Can you enter on the day?

Go for it Cubicboy, I entered the Nutcracker year before last, was local to me so was a no brainer from that point of view. I managed 2 laps out of the scheduled 3 and the two people who stopped me from being last were the ones who pulled out on the way round. The categorisation of men and women also hid the fact that a girl in her mid teens on a very old/early model full sus bike beat the whole of our field.

Razzing around on bikes is fun. I race occasionally for fun, it’s just a different sort of riding. Everyone should try different sorts of races once or twice.

+1. Forget about position and just race the guys around you. I’m never going to win anything, but I do them mainly because it’s the best excuse I get for riding at full pelt like a nutter without having to stop or wait for anyone.

Thanks for such great responses.

Typically how long do the races run for, and distance?

Also, I’ve not been riding MTB too long so could I get away with entering the Beginner’s race (in an attempt to win at all costs)? 🙂

You’ll do OK I reckon. Probably better than you expect.

I wouldn’t enter beginners in your position, you’ll probably get more out of racing people of a similar level.

I’m only a very occasional xc racer but still comfortably came top third in my only race this year.

Looking forward to giving it another go at the MTB madness midweek races.

Typically how long do the races run for, and distance?

Normally it’s about 90 mins for an average Joe. Distance – probably 4 laps of 5-6km but that’s deceptive as there is usually not much open flat stuff so it will feel a lot further.

Can you enter on the day?

Fairly sure you can with the open and fun cats on Saturday, not any of the Sunday races.

Provide you finish you could ride with a broken leg and not come last. There will be a dozen DNF’s but the results will only show laps and you’ll be a long way off the bottom. You’ll also be a long way from the top too.

Numpty question, Whats an Open class? i’m guessing fun is what it says it is

Fun means the slow easy race (although it’s not that slow!)
Sport is the slowest serious category (and is pretty damn fast)
Expert is even faster
Elite is stupidly fast
Master is for older people but still stupidly fast
Vets is for really old peope and still fast
Grand vets is for incredibly old people who are finally starting to get a bit slower

Most races are part of a series so you’ll collect points for each race and someone will win the series. Also if you are in Sport you’ll be collecting BCF points to move up to Expert and eventually Elite.

Open is for people who fancy a race but don’t have a license and just fancy a one-off rather than competing for the series. It’s generally slower than Sport overall but usually contains some fast people who either don’t want to mess up the series competition for the people who are doing it or are pot hunting.

If you are having a laugh, enter Fun. If you are faster than Fun but want to test yourself whilst not getting too involved then Open is for you.

That’s how I understand it anyway.