Racing

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    • #127537

      Hello all

      last year i participated in my state championship race series and the first race took place where i live so i thought hey ill be able to get a feel for racing without traveling so i gave it a try. Long story short a guy right behind me punctured his femoral artery and at the time (i was 13) i was the only one there to help him. i managed to apply a turnicate and stop the bleeding to get him out of there but i did not finish the race. this year im thinking i dont want that to be my only racing experience especially since im fairly serious rider. so basically my questions are the race is in september what can i do now to be getting ready for it? also what gear? nutrients? training programs? weight loss? (i weigh 135 but could use some loss sinice im 5’11) i also work out and are there any muscles i should target?
      thank you for your advice it is much appreciated

    • #127538

      also i generally just wear like an athletic nike shirt and shorts when i ride is that good? should i get something else? and i know i may be getting ahead of my self but where would i go to get a sponsorship?

    • #127539

      also i am looking for easy upgrades to make myself and my bike faster
      right now im riding a 27.5 hardtail not setup tubeless, stock everything, it has remote lockout air fork xt rear deraillure, deore crankset and front derailure 3×10 setup aluminum stem bars seatpost and everything else i use clipless pedals and love them
      just looking for any good upgrades the cheaper the better

    • #127540

      One thing I would do is get some bike specific clothing. Shorts with a liner and a jersey. When I’m racing, I like to wear something that fits to the body, you won’t have to worry about snagging your clothes, plus cycling clothes will help keep you cool.

      For training, I would try to put in as many miles as you can. That would help your aerobic fitness and also riding skills which can always improve, no matter how good you are. If you have a road bike, I suggest putting some miles in on it leading up to the race. A road bike is an excellent way to really improve your endurance.

      A good, reasonably priced upgrade to your bike is go tubeless. You will save on weight in your wheels, which is a huge bonus as it is a rotating mass, plus you can run a lower tire pressure (better traction) and have better puncture resistance.

      Make sure to check your brake pads and your chain, plus ensure your shifters are tuned up. In one race I did, I was running an old chain. About 2 or 3 miles into the course, and in the top 5 of my class, I snapped my chain on a tough uphill. That ended my day quick!

      Hope that helps and good luck!

    • #127541

      thank you very much are the jerseys you use skin tight or loose fitting?
      and my wheels are not tubeless ready nor are my tires (but i need new tires anyway) can i somehow make them tubeless or will i need new rims

    • #127542

      I have both type jerseys. For road biking, and if I’m racing, I wear the tight jerseys. For normal mountain biking, I will wear baggier jerseys.

      You don’t need tubeless rims or tires. You would buy a Stans kit, which one depends on your rim width. My rims are 34mm, so I had to buy the freeride kit. The kit has a a rim strip with a presta or shrader valve to seal your spoke holes (I also like to put a strip of gorilla tape around the rim). Non-tubeless tires work fine, the Stan’s seals them. It will be easier IMO if you do it with fresh tires. If you’re replacing them, I’d just do the Stans at the same time. You can make "ghetto tubeless" without the kit to save money, I’ve never tried it, but just Google ghetto tubeless and there are plenty of YouTube videos showing you how.

    • #127543

      ok thank you i think i will try that the advice is much appreciated

      but to be clear you are saying that it is better with new tires but they dont need to be tubelesss?

    • #127544

      That’s correct. Google your tire brand and tubeless or Stans and you will most likely find discussions about how that tire does being set up tubeless. I don’t know what type of terrain you ride, but you can pick up tubeless ready tires that aren’t ridiculously expensive. I’m running WTB Bronsons, paid $35 each and they are tubeless ready. The wheels hooked up to my non-tubeless rims easily and I had no trouble getting the bead to seat on the rim. They are working great for me here on the dry hard pack in Northern California, but are supposed to be even better in more wet areas.

      I found this video from MTBR helpful to watch before I did the install.

      Stan’s Playlist

    • #127545

      i just talked to the guy at my LBS and hes gonna work with me and im looking at about 200 for wtb rims for tubeless (much nicer than my current) with rims spokes nipples and something like a TCS trail boss front and back so im gonna get some work done then go with that option

    • #127546

      Good deal! Rims are a good investment, particularly if they’re lighter, and tubeless!

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