Who Can Race? Need Your Opinions please!

Just do it. Who cares about what your riding? And if some one does care that your not riding latest and greatest marketing hoax, Well then they're just a douch bag. It's about having fun. There's always going to be sandbagers but how cool would it be to beat them with a cheap bike.

One of the coolest things I've ever saw racing was about 12 years ago at a Lake Castaic DH race. All these guys showed up on their decked out DH rigs and this one guy showed up on a Schwinn beach cruiser. The guy on the cruiser killed it. He was fast and he had style getting some serious air. He left every one in aw scratching there heads and asking, "Who da hell is this guy"? I don't know how the guy placed but I know it wasn't bad because the dude was fast.

 

Agreed..... but.... letting the Bike redefine you is not bad either.

Before racing I was about 185-190 lbs, high cholesterol (270), smoking, chest pains and a mess. My first MTB race I was DFL (dead f***ing last). I still have pictures of my blubber falling out of the folds of my extra large jersey, rolling down the backside of Fontana.

I decided I wanted to do better and started training regularly, every day, eating right, living a healthy lifestyle. With a vengance! Completely turned my life around, not because of my kids or family or health, but because I got the MTB bug and wanted to race better.

For a time the bike wasn't the tool, it was the purpose.

Now, several year later I'm 140lbs, 173 total cholesterol, about 7-8% body fat and in the best shape of my life (at 45 my doctor told me I have the body and heart of a 25 year old athlete.). Interestingly I haven't really done much on the racing scene (consistently Cat 3 top 5 with only one serious win, moving up to Cat 2 now). So while a quest for better racing drove me forward in the end the changes my body and mind went through made it all worthwhile, even though the results weren't ground braking.

My advice to nervosa and anyone thinking of racing MTB: Don't think about how good your bike is, how tough the competition is, the race venue, the registration cost or if your skills or fitness are up to par. As Nike would say: Just Do It. The only thing that can happen is that you will better yourself. Racing only takes you forward!

 

^^^^Like other's before me^^^^^

I say get out there and give it a shot.
You sound like your hearts in it, so go for it.

 

Racing cat 3 is for fun. You might not realize that until all the women and children who start after you all pass you in the first couple of miles.

 

BIke?? Motor?? Mostly in the MIND!

 

Just get out there and ride! I've only done two mtb races in my life - over the hump in oc and southridge challenge xc. At both races I was on the starting line, chatting it up with other beginners and we were cracking jokes, laughing, and having a good time.

There was a such a diverse group of riders in the beginner classes - beater bikes and high-end ones, riders in great shape who would have faired well in sport classes and some weekend warriors happy to be outdoors and exercising.

Great experience, I can't recommend it enough and I'm looking forward to the Southridge series come January! Go for it!

 

Who Can Race? Anyone that can pay for the race fee.:wave:

 

You will DO IT:bang:

 

Do It!!!!....since it will be your 1st race....don't worry about what place you finish or how fast.....JUST FINISH....the next race do your damnedest to beat your 1st race time...every race try to beat you previous best....that is all that really matters...well atleast to me....you can never control who you are racing against and wether they are sandbagging or not....use the other racers to push yourself and beat your own times.....pretty soon you may find yourself on the podium.....

 

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Racing is fun...even for pack Cat 2 riders. You find you push yourself to do some things that might otherwise be on the edge of the comfort zone, but at least you know that everybody else is riding so if they can do it, so can you...

I ride a 1997 GT LTS-1 originally bought to race downhill that is now my only rig...since DH courses need more skills and travel than I have, I use it only for XC and will on Super-D this upcoming season.

Tip: When you find yourself getting barely passed by someone else, try to latch on and hang with that person...that usually helps when finding the best line going downhill...and when you know a singletrack section is coming up, check behind you to see if you're getting lapped or ready to get passed by those that might start from waves behind you...letting one or two of those go by gives you a breather but also builds confidence when you follow them through the tight stuff.

If a racer gives you grief for being slow...TS...that racer should have been a little bit faster to pass you earlier.

 

Peddle your ass off....!!!!! and go for it...!!!

 

I'm pretty sure that most people could ride a Big Wheel and still beat me, but it won't stop me from going out and having fun at a few events here and there.

Go for it.