sistrurusman

I am VERY new to mountain bike racing and just had a general question about an entry level race bike. I plan to enter my first ever mountain bike race this fall. I just recently purchased a Giant Talon 29er 1 and was just curious if I would get laughed at for trying to race in it, AND if it would be decent for entry level racing? What do you guys think?

dminor 

It will be fine for racing and you will fit right in. Have fun!

Yotsko

You won't get laughed at and it should be just fine for racing.

pcrover

Nothing wrong with that bike and nobody really cares what you race unless you beat them...

JonathanGennick 

Race the bike. You'll fit right in, just as dminor says.

Last year I did the bike portion of a triathlon and saw racers on everything from bling, carbon-fiber bikes to regular road bikes to hybrid bikes and even a few mountain-bikes. No one laughed at anyone. We were all too busy pedaling our hearts out and having some good fun.

Mexican Street Dog

I just raced my first and second mountain bike races ever a couple of weeks ago. I have a really old Cannondale that I have updated that works really well. It's a rigid with a nine speed. No one laughed and some folks liked it. I lost both races, came in last last last, but had a great time and will race again. Fun!! Run whut yuh brung!

sistrurusman

I just wanted to thank you guys for your responses. I did race in my first race on Labor Day weekend, and I too came in Last Last Last in my category. I also, however, had a GREAT time and can't wait to do another! The local series here has one or two left this season, and I just can't wait to get at it!

As for the bike (Talon 29er), it did very well. As you guys said, nobody laughed at it, and some even liked and asked about it! Thanks a lot guys...this is a great forum!

The WC Cyclist

Yeah XC here is a very different vibe to say road crits. Mtb riders seem to be a lot more welcoming. Maybe it because a newbie isn't at risk of bringing down the whole peleton. low grade XC racing is basically just an individual time trial with everyone on course at the same time. The varying degrees of fitness usually split everyone up on the first hill and everyone just rides their own pace. I think the first race is hte hardest as you have all these pre-misconceptions that its going to be all serious and you will be scrutinized by everyone but its just not the case. Everyone loves a newbie because its usually a chance for them to beat someone this week

Debusama

I race a fully rigid steel bike with 1 x 8 drive-train that I got from a guy on Craigslist for $220. I'm mostly a roadie who does an occasional endurance race, so I'm not willing to invest much in my mountain bike. That said, I don't know if I really would benefit from spending more as there is something to be said using a simple bike with very little go wrong in a 24-hour race.

dminor 

^^ Especially at a venue like Riverside - - there's not much there that's beyond the reach of a cross bike, really. Now if Gino & co. were to bring back racing at Schweitzer or something, that might be an entirely different matter .

Doesn't matter what you ride, really, as long as you're having fun. I've done the first three Wed. Night XC races at Riverside on my long-travel-pig trailbike b/c my hardtail is temporarily laid up; but I'm having a ball - - it's kinda fun to pass people on a climb aboard a 40+ lb. bike on platform pedals .

tollhousecookie

I would not laugh...but I might yell at you. Best of luck.

benajah

Generally people check out your legs before they check out your bike. As long as everything works, you can race about any bike.

Underground

My first race, the only thing I paid attention to is clipping in really fast and holding my line on the start. After that, it was pure fun. Last lap it was a contest between myself and another guy, and we were not even in the same age group. We got a good laugh at the end of the race.