Get, Set, Go For Mountain Bike Racing

So you think you have done enough biking that now you can participate and very well win a mountain bike race. But before you think of the preparation that a first time racer requires you must have an unbeatable fitness level. Be it a mountain biking race or any other sport, fitness is one thing that holds a key role in winning. Once you are sure that fitness is right at its place then start warming up for the forthcoming mountain bike race.

For a first time racer, taking part in a novice race is a better idea. Consisting of three to four laps with one lap consisting of several miles, a novice race takes one to two hours to complete. A few pointers before you participate -

Before The Race

=>Check Your Bike - Make sure that your bike is in good working condition. The first thing that needs to be checked up is the gears. And if you think winning has anything to do with the suspension and hydraulic disk brakes then think again. Also do not forget to carry a puncture repair kit and a spare tube for the race.

=>Food and Water - Take a good meal and water before starting off the race. You can also carry an energy bar along with you on the race.

=>Pre-Ride - Pre-riding the course many a times give you an edge over others. Get to the venue sufficiently early and study the course well.

At the time of racing, try to save every bit of your energy. Do not deplete all your energy in the first half of the race and then be left out. The Terry Scarr website has many participants sharing their views about their races and other related news.

"Do you know that the first mountain biking world cup series took place in 1991."

Now that you have stepped into the world of racing, you need to know the different types of mountain bike racing that take place.

Common Types

---> Cross Country - Covering around 6-8 kilometers of distance, Cross-country is held on a varied terrain circuit. Here riders of the same team can help each other in the race. The professional level races cover more, around 30 miles. He NORBA rules do not allow any technical assistance.

---> Downhill - Held in steep downhill terrain, downhill racing is a time trial event in which the player with the lowest time wins in the end. This race involves more speed and rougher terrain as compared to the cross country race.

---> Freeride - These competitions focus more on skill rather than speed. The course contains various cliffs and obstacles and the winner is decided on the basis of the choice of route taken, time to complete the course and style used to complete the race.

---> Four Cross - In this event, four riders are sent on the same course from the starting gate to the finish. This format race takes place in the world cup too. It is also known as 'mountain cross" or "bikercross".

---> Marathon - This race is known to be the toughest forms of racing as the racers have to cover more than 80 kilometers and that also on the mountainous terrain. Races that exceed 100 kilometers are termed Ultra-Marathons.

---> Super D - A mixture of cross country and downhill type of racing, super D is mostly run downhill but also contains some portions of uphill racing. Megavalanche is one of the famous styles of Super D.

Simple to get into and the least extreme of the various styles of biking, cross country mountain biking is one of the most popular types of mountain biking. A regular feature at the Olympics, this type of biking style promises adventure, variety and freedom to the biker.

Cross-Country (XC) Mountain Biking is the first type of racing that ever happened involving the mountain bike. Mass start, these races make racers bike through a trail marked from point A to point B. However the race track varies is size. The average race may cover some 20 to 30 kilometers distance and involves the racer to display remarkable bounds of endurance.

There are some mountain bikes that are specially designed to meet the needs of cross country racing. They are lightweight and have only a small amount of suspension. The best types of cross country mountain bikes focus on the minimizing the pedaling effort of the racer.

For one of its kind cross country mountain biking experience one needs to possess a remarkable level of fitness, an appropriate mountain bike and accessories and lots of skills and techniques to have an edge over the other racers.

A cross country race that takes two hours to complete many a times requires the biker to work and train very hard. There are various websites that provide tips and techniques for the beginners to win cross country races.

"Scott Beaumont started racing BMX at the age of four and has won several titles for England and became the World BMX Champion in 1995 and 1996."