I've done something really really stupid

[Bushranger]

I' ve been on my MTB maybe twice. I am concentrating on road biking, but have been doing spin only for four months, and been on my new road bike six times.

As an anniversary present to my dh we have entered a 6 hour endurance race here in Oz. Its a 9km loop, with uphill and downhill and all in between. I have nil skills and I am terrified of upsetting experienced riders.

Any basic etiquette I should know? My plan is for dh to go first (we are taking turns so one of us can look after the kids) and let me know what the course is like, and let the fast ones get ahead. Apart from that, my plan is not to die.

Look forward to your advice!

[crazycanuck]

Well..first off, don't just rock up on the day & expect your hubby to explain the course to you! That doesn't make sense to me. Can you go out there & check it out before hand? I don't mean to be rude but...

One thing-if someone says "rider" MOVE as quickly to the left as you can. I hope the organizers drill it into everyone's mind to say "please" and "thank you". People will zoom past you but don't panic.

Is this the Beechworth chain gang event? Sounds like tons of fun!

Ensure you have a nutrition plan, don't go hard out on your first lap, HAVE FUN!!!

[Bushranger]

Yeah, our plan is to have a look this week, but I have been there a few times before so its not unknown. Yes, its the Beechworth one. I wanted dh to give me some low down on any major changes to the route in case we did not get there this week because of work/kids etc. Not rude at all, happy for the feedback!

[crazycanuck]

*Phew*!

Just remember when you're wandering around the course prior to the event, give it a shot two or three times. That way you can visualize the course & remember where to speed up or slow down. Don't forget to make a list of stuff you need! Extra clothes-you'll sweat then cool down so be careful!

I've heard about the Beechworth race & sounds like tons of fun! Have you ridden Mt Buller (?) or where the 06 Commonwealth Games MTB course is (i can't remember the name now).

We rode a bit of the area & then "walked" part of the XC course OMG...

There are some great tracks in Vic & would love to explore them one of these days! It;'ll be a while before i can do anything technical in terms of Mtn biking due to my right leg. However, my goal is to be able to participate in the 12hr in December

Have fun!

[Melalvai]

One thing-if someone says "rider" MOVE as quickly to the left as you can.

In Australia you pass on the right? It seems logical, it had just not occurred to me.

[madisongrrl]

In Australia you pass on the right? It seems logical, it had just not occurred to me.

It depends. Mountain biking is different than triathlon where USAT rules dictate that you stay on the right and pass on the left. For mountain biking, it will depend on the rules of the race director and what organization is governing the race.

Our XC race series are governed my Norba. We also have additional rules as per the director of the WI state series. For our series you are supposed to ask for a pass, then the rider in front of you should move either left or right (depends on terrain and situation). It's all about safe passing and communication. If there isn't room to pass, then you have to wait until it's "safe".

[madisongrrl]

Any basic etiquette I should know? My plan is for dh to go first (we are taking turns so one of us can look after the kids) and let me know what the course is like, and let the fast ones get ahead. Apart from that, my plan is not to die.

Look forward to your advice!

You definitely need to pre-ride the course a head of time. Maybe the day before or the morning of. It is dangerous not to ride before hand....especially for some one just learning to mountain bike.

Know the rules of the race. They should either be in the flyer or the race director should go over them at the beginning of the race. If someone asks to pass you, move over if you can. If you can't, tell them it's not safe and let them pass you once the terrain opens up a little. The important part is to communicate, be polite and let the person behind you know what you are doing so they can react safely.

If something is too technical to ride, dismount your bike and run around it. Remember that you have to people who are riding have the right away over people who are running. So you'll have to move out of the way.

I'm assuming that you'll be trading laps with your hubby. Let him do 2 laps in a row to start. It will thin the pack out a little more before you enter the course.

[Bushranger]

Thanks ladies - will absolutely give the pre-ride priority. A few pals have done the course, and its supposed to be not very technical, but as safety and courtesy to other riders is my own priority, if there is any doubt, I won't do it. The biggest challenge apparently are some steep and long uphills.

I am being strongly encouraged by IRL pals to give it a go, and they are all experienced MTB's, so rest assured I am not being flippant about this.

Here's a description of the route:-

"The SIX HOURS IN THE SADDLE course is a little over 9km loop which is a mix of fun flowing singletrack (80%) and some fire trails. The course should be achievable by almost all fairly competent mountain bike riders with a reasonable level of fitness. The course itself is achievable by all except for the complete novice or inexperienced mountain bike rider. Each lap of the course will take an average of 25-30minutes to complete. The course will be take the easier trails at the Beechworth MTB Park"

When I say "nil skills", I can easily navigate hilly single track as that is what we generally have locally anyway, and pretty much what we start the kids on as soon as they can get on a bike. I am just no good at rock hopping and scrappy downhill. I have, up until now, been on an old badly fitting Mongoose that I have had for about six years, and just got my second hand Specialized and started to get a bit more technical, so I am not a total beginner - more going from a focus on fun and leisure to treating it as a sport. My road biking and spin classes have given me some good stamina uphill, as well as endurance.

Didn't want anyone to think I am a total greenhorn being irresponsible, if that is the impression I gave.

[tulip]

How old are your kids? If they are old enough to help and not get too tired out, okay, but you might want to consider the assistance of a sitter or an auntie or uncle to help. My brother does these 24-hour mtb races on teams, and always has his kids there but always has help with them. They get tired and bored, afterall.

[Bushranger]

Older girls are 5 and 7. Baby is happy to gurgle about. Plus we are going with another family who are similar to us in nearly every way, and they have done this twice before. So at all times the kids will have 2 adults. As we all spend a good amount of time camping, biking and hiking together for extended periods of time we don't see any problems with the kids at all. They have all been outdoors/adventure kids since they were born. Trust me, the 6-hour is just another day out for them. If the weather is bad, we have my sister's in-laws here in town who are happy to have them for the day. This is just a 6-hour, so its just a day thing, not an overnight. At the 12-hour and 24 hour we will be having totally different arrangements. Probably a huge group of us non-biking and biking mates camping and all pitching in together.

We are going to have a planning meeting in the couple of days to work out arrangements for hydration, nutrition, repairs etc and ensure that we have a well planned, well stocked transition area.