My lad is 6 1/2 and really getting into his mountain biking. Happy doing Whinlatter or Gisburn blue. We do some local bike skills coaching and from this saw an ad for a local cyclocross race. On a whim he decided to enter the under 8 category. The race was today and he loved it. He might not have come first but he didn’t disgrace himself and kept going for the 20min or so it took.

His favourite bit was the more technical off road sections through the trees, and several people commented how fast and confident he was, riding when others were pushing.

Given this does anyone know of a more MTB race for under 8s? We’re north of Leeds and wiling to travel a bit. Thanks.

I’d find your local CX league and see when their season starts (it’ll be early Sept).

Most leagues have U9/U12 races or something similar.

Actually, having looked at Yorks league, I remembered they have summer cross too. A few left..

https://yorkshirecyclocross.com

Thanks for the link. I think this race was actually part of their series. But he was looking for something a bit more mountain bike orientated. He really enjoyed it but his faves were definitely the more technical and the descent sections!
It’s not being mega-competitive – it was the racing with a load of other kids who love bikes and the high fives and cheering at the end he really liked

CX leagues are great for younger kids and they soon develop a gang of mates to muck around with after racing.

Crank-it racing did a kids mtb xc event at Gisburn today. They combine it with a skills session first – low key and lots of fun. Not sure what the minimum age is.

I think the Midlands mtb races include good events for younger kids.

“Proper” mtb racing only starts age 12 (juvenile class).

Are you Northwest based? the NWCCA league has an under 8’s section too, registration is open now and there are around 14 races this winter spread throughout the North West.

Whether you are a member or not you can use the events filter on British cycling website

This will give you all so you can choose
I can’t remember guisburn blues but based on guisburn red the blues would be way more technical than anything classed as kids XC which tend more towards a CX course in our experience

Rider Ability differs massively between different places. We are down souf but local type races where we live seem to involve kids who don’t do much actual riding (lots of classroom stuff and riding round cones) whereas some of the events we have to travel for competition is stiff from local clubs.

We aren’t part of a club so we get excluded from some members only races but the loss of real riding time to actually join a club is not worth being allowed to enter some extra races so we only “do opens” but your local club might be one of the “good ones”

We also found the “good clubs” with competent riders rather than some classroom approach are much more social. Kids racing each other one minute then going off riding together with and without parents and making friends.

The same clubs also seem to be open races anyway so you aren’t missing out if you don’t join (for us there are great clubs 1-2 hours drive away but I can’t do that every week)

See if there are any Go-Ride races near you https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/go-rideracing/