Entering a race as a novice mountain biker?

[mlo]

Hey guys, I’m thinking of registering for the Hotter n Hell 100 mountain bike race in Wichita Falls,TX, on Aug 24. The race is like 11 miles for the beginner class, but I’m wondering if it would be wise to try to enter with the little biking experience that I have ( been riding about a month).

I can ride about 5 miles on pavement, and I’ve started weight training and jogging recently, and I’m 2 hours away from WF so I can make it into town to train on the loop. Any input from experienced riders/racers is greatly appreciated

Thanks!

[uekiya]

You have plenty of time to get in shape for the race. Ride as much as you can, practice your techniques, enter the race and have fun. You will get the experience of racing and also meet people to ride and train with. Don’t put this race off. I put off entering races for 10 years always with an excuse of not having enough time and I regret that 😢 . I did my first race this month and had a blast 😃 . Also try to find out who else in your area is racing and ride with them if possible. Best of luck. I’m sure as heck not a pro but I hope this advice helps.

[Dustin Gaddis]

Should you enter – YES! It’s crazy fun! But, you should have realistic expectations too. Since you’re new to the sport and haven’t even done an 11 mile offroad ride yet, your only goal should be to finish without getting hurt. The race will be a full-out balls to the wall pace, for the entire 11 miles. Even in the beginner class the guys up front will be flying…you’re going to see what ‘fast’ really means. Races are great for putting everything in perspective LOL. 😆 They really are a ton of fun though, and even if you finish dead last you’ll still have a good time being part of the race and hanging out with a ton of other riders before and after the race. You’ll learn a lot too.

Read this: http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-ev … bike-race/

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