First TT

[limewave]

I have my first Mntn bike TT--actually, my first race on a bike ever. It's two weeks from tomorrow. I'm so nervous. I've only been mountain biking a few times this spring. I am definitely going to make time to go this weekend and hopefully next as well--even if I have to get up at 4 AM and go before work. Mntn biking is not my strong point, but I do really enjoy it.

Anyone have any tips or suggestions to help me out with my first race???? I could use some encouragement. I'm starting to get butterflies in my tummy.

Thanks.

[SalsaMTB]

Good luck! I did my first time trial last weekend and had a blast. I'm so excited for you! Everyone is nervous before the race, it isn't just you! Here are some tips I'll give based on my experience. Some of the more experienced racers might have better advice....

1) Pre-ride the trail! If at all possible, pre-ride the trail prior to race day. I didn't ride the trail at all before my race, which was OK, but it definitely helps to know the trail a little.
2) Warm up! Obvious, but it's important to get a good warm up before the race. There will be a bunch of other people there, so see where they warm up. Sometimes there will be a small loop that you can warm up on, sometimes just a dirt road. Get your heart rate up and your legs warm!
3) Pace yourself. It's a time trial, so the sprint at the beginning isn't important. I liked having a computer on my bike so I knew how far I had to go and could pace myself. The trail I raced on did not have any mile markers
4) Finish strong. When you're near the end, give it everything you have. You don't know if it will come down to seconds and it would suck if you didn't give it your all at the end and lost by a tiny bit.
5) If you have to walk, be sure to get out of the way for people on their bike. Don't block the best line for someone climbing/descending.
6) Bring water! Make sure you have enough water for warm up and the actual race.
7) Learn to pass. Do you have people to ride with? If so, try passing them on a trail. See how it feels to go off the main trail, the distance needed, etc to pass someone. Also, be sure you pick a good time to pass someone, warn them, etc.
8) Have fun! Just try to relax and have fun. Enjoy the ride and occasionally check out the scenery. My last race, I remember going through a pines section, looking up and seeing the sunlight hitting all the trees and it was amazing.
9) Recovery. I like to have a recovery drink after the race. It depends on your mentality going into it, but if you're out there to push yourself to do the best you can, a recovery drink might not be a bad idea

I see you're from Michigan. Where are you racing?

[limewave]

thanks for the tips! They seem very helpful. I'll have to practice passing this weekend. Fortunately, the TT is on the trail I normally ride, I'm very familiar with the route. However, it's going to be a 13 mile loop--I've only done 10 of it so far this year.

The race will be at Owasippe, north of Muskegon on the west side of the state.

[RoadRaven]

OK... so here I discover something.

It had never occured to me that you could/can/do do TTs on a mtn-bike off-road/on-trails....

Just never occured to me.

[SalsaMTB]

So......how did the race go???

[limewave]

Oh, its not until this coming Saturday. I'll post a race report if I survive

[limewave]

I've posted a race report in the Race Results section.

For those who haven't mountain bike raced before, it's really hard