Viewing 16 posts - 41 through 56 (of 56 total)
  • I'm thinking of entering a race… how badly will I do?
  • njee20
    Free Member

    Categories go:

    Beginner
    Fun
    Open
    Sport
    Expert
    Elite

    Getting progressively longer (in distance) and faster as you go down. Not all series will have all of those categories. IIRC at the British XC Series Open is the easiest/shortest – 3 laps, 70-90 minutes or so.

    Edit: as Molly says – there are age categories too, again, not all series will have all of them. Master has been abolished this year from most. They will be a bit more serious at the front than Open, but have a broad range of abilities usually.

    Master: 30-39
    Veteran 40-49
    Grand Veteran 50-59
    Super Veteran 60+

    cubicboy
    Free Member

    The Open on Saturday seems to be beckoning. Hmmm. New tyres… hmmm.

    Great intel. Thanks.

    longstuff
    Free Member

    Cheers guys!

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    Just do it!

    I did most of the Hit The North races and despite being monumentally unfit enjoyed every minute.

    The only reason I didn’t come last was usually Binners stopping for a fag.

    I am the least competitive person going, but I got so much out of it – it remains one of the most entertaining things you can do on two wheels.

    My Mrs volunteered as a marshall, which was great as we both got to enjoy the craic and meet some truly excellent folk.

    akira
    Full Member

    Last race I did, I pootled round, chatted a bit then got cramp in both thighs, got a bit tired and lapped a few times. Didnt come last, overall much fun. It was on the fat bike so I had a get out of jail free card to play as well!

    dirtyrider
    Free Member

    From the email I just got

    Entries on the day are available only for Fun, Open and Under-12 categories. The Open and Fun races are at 2:30 pm on the Saturday – entries close at 1:30 pm. For this round only, the Under-12s racing takes place on the Sunday at 10:30 am, delivered by Go Ride Coaches on a separate course. Enter on the day or on-line.

    njee20
    Free Member

    Bloody hell the fields are big. 93 Experts 😯 , I may not come last.

    cubicboy
    Free Member

    Does the Expert race run at the same time as the Open? Is it the same race?

    njee20
    Free Member

    Neither.

    Expert runs just behind Elite and Junior, setting off at 12:30, 12:31 and 12:32 on Sunday, so all 3 races are on course at the same time, but are entirely discrete races. Elite is 6 laps, Expert is 5 (probably, not actually checked, subject to change anyway).

    Open is 3 laps, and is on Saturday afternoon, at 2:30 it seems from the post up there ^^^

    monkeyfudger
    Free Member

    Bloody hell that’s mad, there were probably 90 people all in at the race I was at this weekend.

    njee20
    Free Member

    The fields are all massive actually, interesting to see.

    Expert is so big as it contains most of master too, as they’ve done away with it.

    Luckily Sherwood has a really long start straight to hopefully spread everyone out a bit, Or at least give me a chance to move up!

    cubicboy
    Free Member

    Does the course follow the standard Kitchener route or is it different? Questions, questions!

    njee20
    Free Member

    Different, a load of trails that won’t be part of the way marked routes, and some that are.

    Rorschach
    Free Member

    I’d forgot about the abolition of masters.Gonna be interesting!

    monkeyfudger
    Free Member

    ^ This is the best part of racing sometimes! New bits of trails that mixed with old stuff making it feel awesome again!

    singletrackmind
    Full Member

    Forget about fun being easy.
    Look up on Timelaps the podium times for say Gorricks or Southern XC races. The pot hunters podium placed riders would be top 25% of open if they moved up a cat and could maintain the lap times for 1 more lap.
    This is of course a massive generalisation but some ‘fun’ lap times are bloomin quick, they are just over a short distance.

Viewing 16 posts - 41 through 56 (of 56 total)

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