|
Advice on getting involved in organised
mountain biking events
 Mountain
bike racing
Cross Country and Marathon
Riders start together (massed start) and compete on a marked
lap (typically three to six kilometres) with climbing, descending,
single-track and technical sections (tight turns, narrow tracks,
rocks, mud or other difficult terrain). Less experienced riders
tackle fewer laps. Elite level riders race for up to 2 and
a half hours and an even longer "Marathon" category made its
debut at the 2003 World Championships - Marathons can be 50km,
100km or even 150km in length.
Enduro
As well as hard-core Cross-Country and Marathon racing, there
has been a huge growth in Enduro racing in recent years. Enduros
comes in many forms - 100km and 12 and 24 hours (often with
two and four man team options) are just some of the popular
options. Huge fields make for a great atmosphere and, whilst
the more able riders treat them as seriously as any other
race, for many they are a chance to enjoy riding in company
or have a weekend away with friends. Two very popular events
are: Mountain
Mayhem and Sleepless
in the Saddle
Downhill and Four Cross
In Downhill riders race individually against the clock pitting
themselves against a challenging succession of jumps, bumps,
berms (cambered corners) and drop-offs on a course which is
predominantly downhill - often dropping between 300 and 600
metres in perhaps 2.5 km of racing! Races usually last between
2 and 5 minutes. 4-Cross pits 4 riders at a time against each
other over a short, mainly downhill course: usually a mixture
of natural and man made obstacles including stutter bumps,
double jumps, table tops, step ups, drop offs, moguls, bermed
or off camber corners and gap jumps. First over the line wins
and events usually involve a series of qualifying rounds or
"motos" and then semis and finals. The start is controlled
by a BMX-style mechanical gate.
Contacts
British Cycling is the internationally recognised governing
body of cycling in the UK. It administers the sport in the
following disciplines: BMX, cycle speedway, cyclocross, mountain
bike, road and track. For more information on mountain bike
racing, go to the BC
website. The race calendar and entry details are on the
website and most races can be entered on line.
Non-competitive events
Over the past few years there has been a huge rise in the
popularity of organised off-road 'marathon' rides. (The term
'marathon' is a bit of a misnomer as they usually run over
a range of distances.) Perhaps the best known series of events
is the Merida
MTB Marathon Series.
The Merida events are two-day affairs where the Saturday
is for entrants to sign on, enjoy the trade village, test
bikes, take part in one of the Saturday rides and skills courses,
get last-minute repairs done, listen to some of the specialists
talking about their field of expertise and for digging in
at the pasta party. The Sunday is riding day.
All rides are mass starts and the courses are fully marked
so that no map, compass or navigation skills are required.
There are four different courses at each event to choose from.
The Mini Marathon, with its approximately 25km course, is
specifically set out for families and beginners, a short course
that is approximately 50km long, a medium course that is approximately
75km long and a long course that is normally around 100km
long.
Other similar events: Rough
Ride
Trailquest
Orienteering on mountain bikes - organised by the Trail
Cyclist Association.
|
