MTB orienteering

I’ve been roped into taking part as a pair for this event:

http://www.darkandwhite.co.uk/challenge-events-outdoor-activities.asp?race_id=355

Has anyone taken part in such an event before. I really have no idea what it entails other than using a map to find as many control points in the alloted time. I have reasonable map reading skills from hiking/mountain biking, but is there anything specific I should be aware of? I’ve seen pictures on bar-mounted map cases – I’m not going to bother with that, I’ll just stuff it in my Camelbak – will this be a faff? How often does one need to refer to the map?

The only vaguely competitive events I’ve taken part in are Mountain Mayhem and SITS, always in a 4-man team. I’m not concerned with riding for 3 hours, but what sort of pace does the average person set?

Ta

is MTG about?

If you’re relying on the compass in a GPS unit, ensure that it is calibrated before you set off…

Last time I attempted one, we had the immortal line “Hang on, what time is it? What the **** is the sun doing over there?!”

See you there 🙂

I’ve done quote a few of the dark and white events – they’re really well organised & good fun.

You get given a map (A4 sized) and a clear plastic bag, along with an A4 sheet with details describing the CP locations. I HIGHLY recommend getting/making a map board. Mine is made from a £1.50 plastic chopping board, with 6 holes drilled in for zip ties (one round the stem, the other two to wrap round the bars either side of the stem) and some bulldog clips. You reference the map A LOT, and do a lot of route planning/changing/checking you’re in the right place on the move, so to have it in your bag will slow you down lots… I’ll picture mine later if I remember and post here -very easy to make.

Pace wise, the winners would prob podium in XC races…..

Chopping board sounds like a good idea – I can eat my sarnies off it after the race 🙂

I suspect my map skills may be below par given this is specific orienteering event. My mate is slightly better, but not much. Are GPS units permitted (I have an iphone which I used when MTBing) ?

Agree with cp, map board on the bars is a very good idea, taking a map out of your pack for every decision is a massive faff. Boards are great, tough it seems to take some people some time to adapt to not being able to see the front wheel on techy downhills. Oh, and bear in mind that GPS are usually not allowed.

Aside from that, have fun. If it’s Trailquest/score format (pick your checkpoints) try and avoid climbing on singletrack. If it’s MTB-O/linear format, remember the shortest route isn’t always the fastest!

Your map board sounds exactly same as mine cp.MTG seems to have disapeared recently.

This event is a bit different to most in that it uses an orienteering map aswell, and is likely to be mostly forest based, so navigation is going to tricky-rama – so don’t be put off if it’s all a bit nuts. Back to pure OS maps for future events.

What everyone else said about the map board.
You’ll soon get frustrated with watching everyone else riding past, glancing at the map on their bars, while you’re fumbling to get yours out of your back pack.
Never done a D&W event, but if it’s like MTQ, all the CPs will be on Public RoWs and easy to find. It’s far more about route planning than navigation. There’s no heading off in to the undergrowth on a bearing like there is with foot orienteering.

As for pace, it depends a lot on the terrain. I generally plot a 45km route for three hours and mark the map with a highlighter pen. Keep an eye on the time and have a few options pre-planned so you can cut back short if you’re out of time or extend your route if you’re ahead.

Definately a map board, if funds allow get a rotating board such as mapdec, if not make a board out of a plastic corragated sheet as used in ‘for sale signs’ and a few bungees to keep the map on. Fasten on to the bars with zip ties. 10km an hour doesnt sound far but start with this and see how you go. Use tarmac to climb hills and descend off road. Dont forget pen and compass.
you can get mapboard from http://www.racingsnakes.com (On Sale)

What most above have said, getting the map out of a pocket will be frustrating, unless you have a photographic memory.
I did what MTG does and use to plot a route of where I wanted to go then see how I was going on time after 2 hours and adjust from there. The last event I did with Dark and White was well organised but the climbs were tough, i’d not ridden that area at all and although I looked at the map and realised the roads would be steep until on them I hadn’t appreciated how tough.
Good luck and enjoy it.

[slight hijack] I’ve got a polaris map board that I don’t need. Yours for £8 posted. Email in profile for images[/slight hijack]

Mr LadyAlex refuses to use a mapboard for Trailquests (we love the Dark and White ones) and keeps the map in his pocket to ensure he looks cool. 🙄 IMO rummaging for the map every few minutes is an unecessary faff.
Last time the map fell out of the pocket, so we have paid extra to have two maps, one of which will be on a map board on my bike 😆

You might want to take a small clear bag to put control descriptions in and a couple of elastic bands to put it on your arm, think of controls as clues to where the checkpoint is located e.g west of track on tree.
Good Luck
Mick