What's a good "race" for a beginner?

Hi all,

I'm no expert as I just started riding recently and have decided that I would like to participate in some kind of race or event. Not to be competative, but just for my own personal achievement.

I currently ride the fullerton loop and if i exert myself, i can finish in just shy of an hour.
So my question stands, what's a good entry level race or even that i should start training for? Any details of the race such as length, time, lots of climbs, etc would be helpful.

thank you

 

You can start with the Southridge races in Fontana. In the fall you can do the Mt. Sac Fat Tire Classic in Walnut. Races at Bonelli Park in San Dimas are always fun. These courses aren't too technical and the climbs aren't too taxing.

I'd go to Geoladders.com to get the course routes and then do them whenever you get the chance. You can compare your times to the results in the class you plan on participating in.

 

The race at Bonelli Park and the one at Mt Sac are both good beginner races, spectator friendly, and a pretty good venue. Both aren't for a few months though.

 

The Mt. SAC Fat Tire Classic in Walnut is an excellent race to start at: 2 laps for beginners, which is about 12 miles and 1200 feet of climbing. Cool vibe. too. It's held in early November. With that time on the Loop though, I'd go for the Sport class, which is three laps. Have fun!

 

And BTW...

Once you start racing, it's quite difficult to NOT be competitive. Racing is quite a different animal than riding. You'll find that you'll be a bit more focused and you'll navigate a course faster and with more skill than if you were just going for a ride.

Work on your climbing. You kind of have to get away from The Loop to do that. Though The Loop has a few climbs, they're much shorter than what you'd experience at most race venues.

 

you could try the naked crow in pasadena.

 

If you're willing to roll out to Temecula, Robert's series (Racers and Chasers) is super chill and a great place for beginners.

 

+1 on the Southridge races in Fontana. Great atmosphere and a great course for your first race! Check out their web site for the info.

www.southridgeusa.com

 

Any of the Racers n Chasers races at Vail Lake. They are run by a local racer, Robert Herber and are a very relaxed, low key atmosphere.

www.racersandchasers.com

(edit: qua77ro beat me to it)

 

I agree with these posts. Just enter one and try it out. Always an A+ experience. It just takes one to get you hooked.

 

+1 on the Naked Crow Race in Pasadena (Altadena, to be more exact). More grassroots without all the fanfare of the big races. Its also relatively around the corner (end of July). Here is the site:

http://www.altadenanakedcrowmtnbikechallenge.com/

Fontana and Bonelli races are also great. Only problem is that the Fontana winter series doesn't start till January next year.

If you train right after the Naked Crow you could try the Triple Crown Series in the fall: Mt Sac, Bonelli and Fontana.

Also, for some good high altitude racing in amazing settings and on one of the best singletrack courses in SoCal, try the Rim Nordic series:

www.rimnordic.com

 

A good one to check out is the Rim Nordic Series. A great XC course, usually around 7-9 miles located across the street from Snow Valley Ski Area just down the road from Running Springs.

The course is a nice mix of single track trails, with some dirt roads, one fairly tough climb, some rollers, and a pleasant mountain atmosphere. Beginners do 1 lap, Sport 2 laps, Expert 3+ laps. And there is at least one race per month through September, which gives you a chance to do a couple of races and get the hang of it. And, they sell cheese burgers at the Start/Finish area for an after-the-race snack.

Cheers!

 

I agree with others, Racers n Chasers races are great fun.

 

RIM NORDIC is by far the best...I have taken my friends to that race for there first...super fun and quick awards

 

I did my first and only race last year at Mt Sac. It was a blast. And I am looking to do more this year. Anyone have any info on the Naked Crow course?

 

Racers and Chasers for sure!

 

www.teambigbear.com

Team Big Bear also has 4 races left this season.

May 31
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Shoot Out 1
Cross-country
Open Air Big Bear Event # 2 - www.openairbigbear.com




June 6-7
Elings Park, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Bike Festival
Cross-country / Super D / Down Hill / Slalom



June27-28
Rim Nordic, Running Springs
Cross-country / Super D
Super D Series Final – www.rimnordic.com

July
Big Bear Lake
12Big Bear Shoot Out 2
Cross-country
Cross-country Series Final