Mountain Biking - Summer MTB racing

Hi gang,

It seems like a lifetime ago since I last raced, (and it probably is since I haven't raced a full season since I was 16! :( ) so I'm trying to get my act together and get to some of this years local and perhaps National races...if not competing, then at least supporting other riders.

Is anyone else considering racing this year, and if so, what classes are you considering competing in? (I would qualify for the Sports category).

Cheers

Rich

i'm right in the middle of our championship series. Beginner XC 30 -34. I will be cating up to sport in the fall.

Racing sounds sooo awesome. I bike a lot, but usually I go on the trails and stuff like that. I don't know if I have the stamina to race, but it's probably something I'll get more into in the future! Ha, I just realized how much this post did not help you at all, but hey!

Hi Rich,

I'll be racing again this year, but depending on the races here in Germany, it will be in different catagories :confused: .

There will be 7-8 XC races (Hobby Senior) in Berlin, then several Marathon MTB races (Hobby Senior, Senior or Mens) in other parts of the country. It just depends on the organizers and the way they deem their catagories on the day.

I'm looking forward to Germanys first 24 hour MTB race in October. We've got our team of 4 riders booked in already!

We are hoping to come across next year and do a race in the UK, but it depends on the leave plan and financial situation at the time. Hopefully our work place will sponsor us and provide a bus and the travel costs. How do the catagories work in the UK anyway?

I would advise anyone to have a go and race as it's a great laugh. It doesn't matter what bike you have (hey- I've been overtaken by people on supermarket bikes!) just go out and enjoy yourself. You won't get laughed at, just try it. :)

Hi gang,

I can't wait to get back into racing...you're right Weasle, it is a laugh..the people you race against, aren't all up themselves either (well, not the majority ;))...which is quite unique in sport.

I'm not too sure of the ages ranges of the race categories, but the categories are as follows;

Beginner/Fun
Sport
Elite (which used to be the Expert and Pro classes)
Veteran
Grand Veteran

Watching some of the Grand Vets compete makes me hope I'll look as good when I'm their age.

Here's to a whole lot of fun this summer!!!! :)

Rich

Originally posted by Weasel

I'm looking forward to Germanys first 24 hour MTB race in October. We've got our team of 4 riders booked in already!


Wow...that does sound like fun..what preparations are you guys doing for this??

Rich :beer:

Hi Rich,

I will be racing as well.
For mountainbiking I'm in the 'Men Elite' category but I'm going to focus a bit on road racing this season as well.

There's one thing I'm definitely not going to miss this year which is the Salzkammergut marathon in Austria. It will be the first European championship marathon. Can't wait :)
I did great last year on this race and preparing to do even better this year (hope so ;) )

greets,
Gunther

Originally posted by Belgian_dude
Hi Rich,

I will be racing as well.
For mountainbiking I'm in the 'Men Elite' category but I'm going to focus a bit on road racing this season as well.

There's one thing I'm definitely not going to miss this year which is the Salzkammergut marathon in Austria. It will be the first European championship marathon. Can't wait :)
I did great last year on this race and preparing to do even better this year (hope so ;) )

greets,
Gunther

Hi Gunther,

Good luck mate! I'm not too much of a runner, but respect those who can...:)

Did you do any cross last season?

Rich

Nope, did not try cross yet. Maybe next season.

This Salkammergut marathon is actually mountainbiking.
A beautifull race of 115km in the Alpes.

Originally posted by Rich


Wow...that does sound like fun..what preparations are you guys doing for this??

Rich :beer:

Nothing special, just lots of riding. I think the German organizers got the original idea from the 24 hour race in the UK. Its been going for a few years there. Gary Fisher turned up last time and competed. Lights and helmets are compulsory as well :) .


Originally posted by Belgian_dude
Nope, did not try cross yet. Maybe next season.

This Salkammergut marathon is actually mountainbiking.
A beautifull race of 115km in the Alpes.

The longer bike races in Austria and Germany are called Marathons. They range from 40 to 140+ kilometers. The shorter XC races are roughly 12 to 25+ kilometers. :)

I want to do the Gardasee Marathon in Italy next year. Europe's biggest bike festival with around 15000 people!! :D I will have to get some training in before then.

Originally posted by Weasel


Nothing special, just lots of riding. I think the German organizers got the original idea from the 24 hour race in the UK. Its been going for a few years there. Gary Fisher turned up last time and competed. Lights and helmets are compulsory as well :) .

The longer bike races in Austria and Germany are called Marathons. They range from 40 to 140+ kilometers. The shorter XC races are roughly 12 to 25+ kilometers. :)

I want to do the Gardasee Marathon in Italy next year. Europe's biggest bike festival with around 15000 people!! :D I will have to get some training in before then.

That sounds like a great laugh! I've often thought about doing the Red Bull 24 hour here in the UK, but seriously need to get fitter before I even comprehend it.

Also got my sites set to do the Three Peaks Cyclo-cross race this September....fingies crossed! :)

Rich

Good luck Rich, that is one hard race! :eek:

i'm planning to do some XC racing this year, but i'm in Germany now and it seems harder to find races than in the states... maybe there are a lot of races i just can't seem to find them on the web?

in the US i raced Sport class, but here in Europe it seems like they split it up not by level (Beginner/Sport/Expert/Pro) but by age - i did an XC race in Sept 2001 in Garmisch and i was in the Senior class (I'm 31) - although i find that pretty annoying since there are plenty of racers in the 30s that are good - and i am better now at 31 than when i started racing at 28... and after we finished and the 20s group was riding, the announcer says 'and here come the fast guys' when i had a faster time than most of the 'fast' group... but then also in our group we had a guy that would defintely not be in Sport but Expert in the US - he lapped me at the end of my 4th lap on his last (5th) lap - i'd rather race against someone of my ability than someone my age... and it seems like it makes it easier in the US for beginers too to not have to start with the huge Sport/Expert guys in the pack (regardless of your age).

i found the Marathon series of about 8 or 9 races i think and there's a race here nearby in Garmisch-Partkirchen in June but, alas, i will be in the US that week...

also in general, for my taste i'm used to Sport XC races from 15 to 30 miles (24-48km) and here the XC races are too short and the Marathon races too long... of well, i guess i will be learning to do some longer races this year...

'Mountain Bike' magazine list some other races in Austria, Germany, etc. but just list a small town and i have to idea where they are (i asked my German girlfriend and she didn't know most of them either) so i'm having a hard time finding races that are nearby (i.e. i can't tell if it's by Berlin or Stuttgart or Wein or nearby in Bavaria or Tirol)... any help a little here...

in the US - OK, i should say in Portland OR, Austin TX, Seattle WA, and Massachusetts - there was a race series (usually NORBA) with races every weekend in the region usually meaning 2-3 races a month within an hour or two by car...

it seems to me that racing in general is less popular here in Europe than in the US...

also, i'm really into Adventure Racing like the Hi-Tech Adventure Race in the US or Sea2Summit in BC - these are multisport races usually with teams of 3-4 where all do all events together - usually MTB, trail running plus ohter stuff like orienteering, kayaking, ropes courses and other special skill tests - anywhere from 3-4 hours (Hi-Tech i did Jul 98, Sept 98, Jul 99) to 2 days (Sea2Summit - i did Sep '99) to even longer (EcoChallenge and Raid Gallouses at 7-10 days although these are too long, too tough and too expensive for me). Does anyone know of any Advneture Races in Europe?? and if so any help on finding some partners?

i've been trying to find people to train with here in the area of Munich and i joined the DAV MTB group (M97) but it's mostly tours instead of hard-core race training...

if the season goes well, i think i will do the TransAlp Challenge which i think is September...

as of now, i know of a race in Tirol in August i think, and then a race in Gardersee which i might do - although it seems like if i go so far to Gardersee i have to do more than just a race - looks like we're doing a 4-day MTB trip to Gardersee for Easter weekend...

Originally posted by nathank

but then also in our group we had a guy that would defintely not be in Sport but Expert in the US - he lapped me at the end of my 4th lap on his last (5th) lap - i'd rather race against someone of my ability than someone my age... and it seems like it makes it easier in the US for beginers too to not have to start with the huge Sport/Expert guys in the pack (regardless of your age).


Hi Nathank,

I agree with you, I think it's pretty poor that somebody who is obviously better classed, drops down a group to get a better result...it's against the sports ethics.

I'd love to try a race in the States...in the UK, there are only a few really good race courses available..what with the geography of our Island, it's only in places like Wales and Scotland, where you can have a true 'mountain' bike race...

Good luck this year! :D

Rich

Rich, i agree with you, dropping down a class so you do well is often called 'sandbagging' in the states... most of the races in the US have some kind of rule where if you win 2 or 3 times in a class you have to move up...

but actually i was meaning that the *race itself* did _not_ have any ability classes - only age groups. so in this case it wasn't the choice of the rider who lapped me - he was in the 30-40 group same as me which was his (and my) only choice instead of an expert group b/c there wasn't an expert class... i guess if he thought there wer better riders in the 20s group he could maybe switch, but then are the better riders really in the 20s group and is it allowed to switch?

i think the fastest riders were split between then 20s and 30s groups although i think one guy under 18 and two over 40 guys were also the top finishers... at the very least maybe these guys could race at the same time but then only compete against there age group...

i like the US NORBA system with Beginner/Sport/Expert/Pro levels and then also a Clydesdale (for heavier riders 200lb+) and Masters (i think 40+) although they usually ride with the other groups too... then in the really big races NORBA does break down awards by age group within the classes, but then you have <18 Sport Men, 18-23 Sport Men, 23-29 Sport men, etc.. with the same classes also for expert and beginner... and then usually unless it's a really big race, all Sport class starts together and you have a different color plate based on class so you know who you're competing agianst.

anyway, it just seems more logical and fun to split based on abilty rather than age... i don't care if the guy next to me is 17 or 45 or 27 as long as we're close to the same level, but someone my age who's really slow or really fast is less fun b/c they're no longer really a competitor - pretty much no matter what i do i'm going to beat the beginner and get whipped by the expert...

but then i've only done one race in Europe, so maybe they do usually have ability classes too...

I like the idea of a clydesdale class, but hopefully this will be the last Summer I'd qualify ;)

Richard

Originally posted by nathank

but actually i was meaning that the *race itself* did _not_ have any ability classes - only age groups. so in this case it wasn't the choice of the rider who lapped me - he was in the 30-40 group same as me which was his (and my) only choice instead of an expert group b/c there wasn't an expert class... i guess if he thought there wer better riders in the 20s group he could maybe switch, but then are the better riders really in the 20s group and is it allowed to switch?


That's odd...in the UK, it's ability they go on, not age..hmmm..Europeans eh (j/k)



and then also a Clydesdale (for heavier riders 200lb+)


That's a great idea...maybe I can get myself out of that class too before the summer! :D

Rich

Nathank, unfortunately in most cases in Germany, you are only allowed to enter in your age class. Having said that, I race in the Hobby Senior class (I was born in 69), but have raced in Hobby Mens class (because we turned up late for a race once and missed our own race :rolleyes: We were allowed to race in this younger class purely because we were older and were more likely to get our arses kicked. Which we did. :D

If I became too good and started winning everything in the Hobby Seniors then I would be politely asked to get my butt into the Masters class, where the better riders race. If however I became too good for this class as well, then an exception would have to be made so that I could join the Mens class (born 1983). If, and I mean its a big if, you beat all these guys, then you should not be racing at this level but on the national stage.

Anyway, as I said before, it all depends on the race organizers themselves and their classes can differ widely. The organizers of my races have chosen these catagories for XC racing:

1. Hobby Schüler/Schüler (Schoolkids) D.O.B 88/89
2. Hobby Girls D.O.B 84/85/86/87
3. Hobby Youth/Junior D.O.B 84/85/86/87
4. Hobby Men D.O.B 83 and older
5. Hobby Women D.O.B 83 and older
6. Hobby Senior D.O.B 72 and older
7. Youth D.O.B 86/87
8. Junioren D.O.B 84/85
9. Men D.O.B 83 and older
10. Women D.O.B 87 and older
11. Masters D.O.B 72 and older

Marathon races as you know are totally different again, but most times you will be allowed to enter Mens or if they have them Senior Mens.

Try looking at this WEB SITE (http://www.bike-magazin.de) for a list of races in your area. Click on races and then the part of Germany you want. :)

thanks Weasel that's the deifinitely the best site i've seen listing races in Germany... i still have a hard time knowing what's close b/c it just lists the Ort like Vilseck or Neukirchen and i have no idea where any of them are (except Garmisch) but i guess i can use an internet map program...

yeah, i'll probably be racing either Mens or Hobby Men's (born '70)--- i guess i don't quite know the competition level here to know which is the right class -- in the US i'm a solid Sport Class where i'd probably destroy the begineers but get lapped in the Expert racers...

although i do find the age instead of ability classification strange b/c some of the top cyclists and mountain bikers are in their early 30's (OK, he rides road, but Lance Armstrong is less than a year younger than me - he'll be 31 in september, Jan Ullrich is 29, Eric Zabel is almost 32, Jens Voigt is 31 this year) so saying the under 30 group is the 'Best' seems odd to me... obviously in Road cycling almost nobody is better than Lance right now... i don't follow pro racing too much, but it seems to me that most riders have the most success between about 27 and 32 -- right on the line between these groups ---- there are usually a few young guys on most teams - just did a quick lookup and Germany's team w/ 14 riders has one 25, one 26 with an average of about age 29 -- and at the amateur level experience probably counts more than raw physical ability, so i would guess the peak for most amateurs is 28-34 --- i was way better from 28 through present than when i was younger... i just didn't have much riding experience and i didn't know how to train and i didn't know my body and how to handle my weaknesses - or how to keep the discipline to not go out and get drunk and skip a ride b/c i was hungover...

i got serious about racing when i was 19 at the university and trained hard for about 8 months (i knew nothing other than ride really hard all the time and i rode 100s of miles per week) and then pretty much quit racing and disciplined training until i was 27... i have no idea why --- well, er.. mabye i do... maybe b/c i went home for a summer to do an internship and didn't ride at all for 2 whole months and then a friend called and said he was doing a local race and i joined him - psychologically i was still at the level of 200+ miles/week but physically i wasn't - it was like a 15 mile sprint race (like a warm-up i thought) and i totally 'blew up' about 3 laps before the end, had to get off the bike, and couldn't even finish the race --- probably my worst athletic experience of my life, 'what's wrong with me? why won't my legs do what they're supposed to?' --- and then a few weeks later my race bike was stolen... i guess it took me a while to recover from that one...

i'm not sure how competitive i'm going to try and be this year --- i haven't found anyone to train with, nor have a found a race 'culture' to hang out with to help spur me on to train more... maybe i'll concentrate more on epic rides and big tours like Gardersee and TransAlp.

if you end up down in Bavaria/the Alps, i'm always looking for riding partners... (nathank@att.net)