Originally Posted by Walleye

Hammr, for ten buck's worth of 1/2" PVC I made two 13" high x 48" wide "barriers" which I use to practice on. I take one of them to races just to get a couple of dismounts in beforehand (Inevitably, others want to get a couple of hops in too). I find that I definetly get in a groove with dismounts, and so a few before a race really seem to help me (If you're allowed to ride the course beforehand, you could probably use the race barriers). Practice-wise, I set them up about thirty yards apart from each other, which allows me to dismount/hurdle/ carry/ remount/ pedal/ dismount/hurdle/ remount/ turn around.... Since the 1/2" PVC is pretty flimsy, it's really forgiving if you fall on it (as opposed to a stake driven in the ground, for instance)

You should definetly practice this, because, well... It kicks your a$$. Tonight I did twenty laps of my two barriers (that's forty dismounts, way more than your average race) and feel like a truck ran over my legs. Twice. But you do not, do not, want to pop this cherry on race day. You'll hurt yourself and that spoils all the fun in a sport which is an absolute blast.