MTB Cross-Country Racing
In a little over a decade mountain bike racing has
gone from being a minority sport invented by
Californian hippies - where it was fine to stop half
way round the course for a cigarette - to being a
full-blown Olympic discipline with professional riders
and big budget teams.
The spirit of the early days lives on though and
mountain bike racing can be as frenetic or as relaxed
as you want it to be. You can aim to do well in your
class or you can make a point of coming in last,
deliberately stopping to admire the view and help
stranded racers mend their punctures.
It really is the taking part that counts. Of course,
at the top of each class of riders there are those who
take the whole thing seriously but for the great
majority of riders it's a day out riding with friends
and fellow enthusiasts, a chance to see what everybody
else is riding and to hang out at the finish area and
cheer on the other classes.
Speed machine
There is no need to go out and buy a special race
bike, so long as the mountain bike you currently own
is well looked after and isn't a cheap and nasty one.
You can always spend more when you improve your skills
and need greater performance. Invest in front
suspension as soon as you can afford it, it's worth an
extra 10 mph for downhill sections.
Race training
At its simplest level, training is just getting out on
the bike regularly and testing yourself against
friends. If you get serious you will want to invest in
a heart rate monitor, you will join a gym and you will
spend a small fortune on carbohydrate energy bars!
What many would-be racers forget is that exercise
recovery time is just as important as the hours spent
on the bike. It's vital to rest so the body can catch
up with the stresses you have been putting it under.
To improve as a racer you will need to work on three
key areas :
- Endurance - putting in the miles, on a road bike
as well as an MTB
- Power - explosive sprints up short hill climbs.
- Speed - sprints and interval training.
Get specific advice from the trainers at your nearest
sports center.
Keep Hydrated
It's ritical to drink often during exercise,
especially when racing. A water loss of just 5% can
reduce muscular work capacity by 30%. When thirst hits
you're already dehydrated. Man racers use CamelBaks -
a plastic bladder in a slim rucksack. A tube and bite
valve lets you suck out water. With this tube draped
over your shoulder it's easy to stay hydrated
Tip
If you want to win a cross-country race you've got t
opunish yourself from the start. Get clear of the
bunch quickly and you'll be first onto the narrow
single track. If you don't get a good start, you may
get stuck behind slower, less skilled riders.
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