Originally Posted by pinkrobe

I got the shock of a lifetime when I started MTB racing after being a roadie for a while. The physical energy requirements are quite different, and the punishment dealt by the trail was a factor I hadn't counted on. Mtn racing is like a 90 minute time trial through rolling terrain with hairpin corners and 2x4s littering the road. There is no rest, no draft and the climbs are always longer than the descents.