I used to race XC back in the 90's as a 13 YO kid. I was crap but as it turns out I made some lifelong friends because of it.
I raced Enduro for a few of years from 2012 to 2016 but my fitness went down, amount of time to ride went down, disposable income went down, tracks got harder, other riders got better and I couldn't keep up so just lost enthusiasm.
I also did some 24 hr racing which was great fun but the vibe kind of disappeared, especially at Mountain Mayhem.
We had our 1st child in 2015 so that definitely marked the end of racing. I'm 45 now, still OK on a bike but no intention to race again at all mostly due to other priorities and it's a lot of money to shell out to prop up the bottom of the results sheet.
Got into mtb bitd for xc racing as much as riding but drifted away from it in my late teens / the early 90s. Then did the early Kona/Merida 100s as challenge rides, trained to get to 6hr finishes after being ruined by the first one!
Raced multi-day stuff a bit in my mid-late 30s, enough to itch itches and be happy with what I got out of it, no feelings of unfinished business etc. Haven't had any urge to race since. I think it's because I don't like my rides or how to spend time being dictated to me? So unless a ride/race is particularly inspiring or motivating the only reason I'd be there is for the social and there's events that cater for that better than timed races.
We had our 1st child in 2015 so that definitely marked the end of racing. I’m 45 now, still OK on a bike but no intention to race again at all mostly due to other priorities and it’s a lot of money to shell out to prop up the bottom of the results sheet.
I really dont get the chance to train , 4 kids means Ill never be as competitive as I might have been, I still like the challenge, Im racing myself & the trail as much as other people
No, once I start adding any form of measurement to my riding I lose the fun aspect I’m after.
i don’t mind chasing mates down something or the mighty ‘stick game’ on a jump but once I add an official racing element or Strava, etc it’s not fun anymore.
apart from the Megavalanche. I bloody love that race.
Weirdly, in that context, I don't use Strava. Well maybe once a year. But racing outdoors and on Zwift gives me enough timed stuff
I do - xc and I love it. Not especially fast, but have a few good results and I've won one race in my life! I am pretty competitive and love pushing myself hard. I subscribe to the view that the finishing position doesn't matter a jot - the reality is that I'm racing myself and pushing as hard as I can and see where i end up, and I love doing that. Been racing the Gorricks for 25 years, and positions haven't changed much in that time! You get to ride great courses without walkers and dogs etc and get a proper lung busting workout. Atmosphere is universally great too with like minded people.
I used to Time Trial with the occasional road race thrown in. Was at a decent level but stopped when work and kids made it difficult to get the hours in riding to perform at that level.
Bigdaddy has highlighted one of the attractions of racing between the tapes. You can assume the course will be free from walkers or dogs.
I remember a particular corner at a southern xc where I knew I could take a blind corner at full speed because there was a rut on the exit to catch me. I wouldn't do that on public land but that day I loved the feeling of launching into the unknown without worrying about hitting anyone.
Did a race last year, first time in years. Definitely went way faster than I normally would but not into the business of the whole event. I'd rather go on a 'normal' day and ride when it's quieter with a few mates and just enjoy the trails and hang out.
apart from the Megavalanche. I bloody love that race
in a rare moment of form/luck I once found myself having qualified for a front row start in the challengers, bang in the centre.
That’s basically the Goldilocks start for a middle aged weekend warrior. Any faster and I’d have been stuck at the back in the main event.
Looking down the Ski slope, then back to the hundreds of riders behind, Alarma!
Something I’ll never forget.
I even stayed upright until I failed to make the corner, completely misjudging my speed into the right hander.
Still, only a few weeks to the next one.
You go so fast down that snow. The first time I did in 07 I’d never skied so hadn’t seen anything that steep. My little bro and I could barely traverse it to get to the start line.
we both thought ‘how hard can it be to go down in a straight line?’ 500m later I was untwisting my bars and looking for the peak of my helmet and he was trying to figure out if he could ride the rest of the course with no front brake on his hardtail!
Yeah, it looks really slow on video in a group, as you’re all falling at roughly the same speed, I was amazed how hard I hit the snow bank.
Bigdaddy has highlighted one of the attractions of racing between the tapes. You can assume the course will be free from walkers or dogs.
That’s really interesting to me. Where I am in Oz most race events are at places we can ride 7 days a week for free. They’re also very quiet outside the major population centres so I know i can go full beans whenever I feel like it. I rarely consider that anyone else will be on track.
ride the rest of the course with no front brake on his hardtail!
Always fancied doing the Mega on a Hardtail. The Qually race it would be a real disadvantage though.
TBH, the point for me was when the prize money for a win was barely enough to cover the entry and fuel to get to and from the event. Even if it was only 20 miles down the road.
When i started getting regular top 10 finishes in national events i could guarantee that even a 10th would get me (give or take) enough to cover my entry, and a win would (probably) cover my costs for the weekend.
Then it got progressively worse, races got shorter and less interesting, prices went up (sometimes nearly doubling) and prizes went to shit. Even a win would only cover entry fee plus 20 quid over.
The final straw was a national event (nearly 30 quid to enter) where i got 30 quids worth of wheelies vouchers for 3rd and my team mate got 50 for the win... they'd also cut race distance while we were gridding up and removed a section of the course that someone had spannered themselves on. Someone who wasn't even involved in the event, just someone riding round the course.
Haven't "raced" since.
My mate finished the season, and hasn't raced since either.
