Mountain Bike Racing - 24 hours of Moab 4 n00bs?
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My friend and I were talking about doing 24 hours of Moab this year and much to my surprise, my wife said she would like to try it with us. We don't have any interest in being competitive so we aren't concerned about lap times etc... but I am a little concerned about the safety of my wife. I'm sure she can get where she needs to be fitness-wise, but I'm a little worried about her technical skills which are basically 0. I don't want to discourage her, because I would really like to see her get into bikes more. Can anyone offer any advise? What is the difficulty level of the trail? Are the technical sections short enough for her to carry the bike through anything she isn't comfortable with?
I'm sorry I cannot answer about Moab specifically from personal experience. From what I've read about the event, it sounds pretty laid back as far as how people approach it. I know our own NORBA 24-Hour race here uses a fairly non-technical and very well-known, well-traveled loop that most any mountain biker need not fear. Remember the promoters have to accomodate a very wide variety of abilities and still be able to provide a safe enough environment to satisfy the insurance.
Be sure to provide her with an overkill of good lighting. If that means springing for an HID setup, you ought to seriously consider it for her. Nothing kills night riding for an less experienced rider than not being able to see properly.
uphillbiker
02-15-07, 07:23 PM
I agree--the hardest part of a 24 hour race is the night portion, especially if you've never done night riding before. Get the Trailtech 30 Watt HID (flood version) with about 10 or 15 Amp-hrs of battery. Put it on the handlebars.
Chucky212
10-18-08, 07:28 PM
This video shows some of the technical sections of the course; 24 Hours Moab video (http://www.superhumanmag.com/content/view/954/92/)
CrimsonKarter21
10-18-08, 07:36 PM
Does anyone know if the Ben Bostrom that did this race is the Ben Bostrom???
Does anyone know if the Ben Bostrom that did this race is the Ben Bostrom???Yes, he is the Ben Bostrom. Miguel Duhamel was also on his team.
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image/archive/menintights.jpg
actually that picture is Eric Bostrom, Ben did the race solo
Chucky212
11-04-08, 01:06 PM
The socks are a nice touch