what type of race should i do ?????

ghost43

hi there people, i need yr help i got my new norco fluid two a few weeks ago but not to sure on what type of racing i should do i like the look of 4x but dont no if my ride can take the pounding

please is there anyone that can help me!!!!! :?

xtreem

4x no problem.
And you should consider DH, it's a lot of fun.

Btw, are you planing of winning or just for fun?

Banned!

is this your first bike? first 'proper' bike I mean? the fact that youre asking this question at all concerns me slightly.

if so then I shouldnt race at all, not for a while anyway. get to know the bike. racing isnt just about gong fast these days, the trails are very demanding and require a high level of skill to even get to the bottom, let alone compete!

go to race days and have a look see. its f**king scary though, those guys are nutters.

Alex-nutsaboutbiking

yer i agree with J.C, if it is your first proper bike spend alot of time getting to know your bike first dont dive in at the deep end cause it'll end in tears.

and if you are realy desperate to race id go down the local 4x, BMX track and try it out with m8s first and maybe do a few "just for fun" races with them(if there is such a thing )

ghost43

hi there cheers and i have been riding for some years now but it my first full sus but i look at 4x and downhill bt would my norco fluid two take tht sort of pounding or do i need to change anything

cheers for the advice

Banned!

the NF2 isnt a downhill bike and neither is it a 4x bike. its a do it all trail bike. riding either of these disciplines will result in a very broken bike.

xtreem

I think you'll be fine. The bike is designed to take some beating, and I don't think you'll break it.

Btw, are there 20ft+ drops/jumps on a 4x track or DH course in UK?
I don't think so, or I'm wrong?

cullen_bay

there are no massive drops on a 4x course, i would be concerned that you have too much travel to compete competitively in 4x, maybe stiffen the rear suss? just so you know, 4x doesn't have many big hits, if your a fluid rider, its best do do 4x on a dj style bike with 100mm forks. if 1 were you, id enter a race in the fun category and wind your forks down to 120mm (zochi ata right?) and add air to the rear shock.

KonaKurt

I also agree with JC and Alex, racing is a serious business.Last year I considered myself skilled and good enough to think about trying a race or two, but I have since learnt that at best, I am just average compared to most who compete in any category of race, even those who finish last! I've decided to just forget the whole idea, because ALL races (even those that claim to be simple for beginners, etc) are quite demanding and require some serious training...

I don't think everyone should rule out training for races, otherwise there simply wouldn't be any (!) but I do think that most 'average' riders should treat racing very cautiously...

KK the average.

xtreem

Maybe he isn't average, maybe he's good. At least he could try one race.
Who knows maybe he'll win.

Imo, 4X is a bit brutal, 4 maniacs are pushing eachother, and at some point you will fall.
But for DH you have the whole track for yourself.

And remember one thing, fitnes is very important.
And good track knowledge is worth -30sec or more on downhill.

KonaKurt

I was assuming that Ghost was new to MTB and has only been biking at all for " a few weeks"...? My point is that it takes time to learn riding skills and to train to the level required to compete.

KK.

Banned!

its not so much as 'how long have you been riding' as 'how much racing have you done'

as I said before, being able to ride a bike and ride it fast wont get you anywhere in a race where youre practically horizontal on the berms with 3 other riders alongside you, trying to nudge you out at 45mph. being efficient at this cycling lark isnt nearly enough.


and he certainly cant do that on the bike he owns.

ghost43

well i have been riding for a few years doing XC ok and also i was planning on buying another bike but should it be a hardtail or full and can u tell me wot i should get for 4X riding cheers

xtreem

For 4X you'll need 100mm DJ bike.

And because you were doing XC before, do you have decent air mileage?
Are you confident when taking double jumps?
Because 4X is downhill with lots of double jumps.

grumsta

What about doing Enduro events like the avalanche trophy rounds at kielder and ae?

http://saabsalomonavalanchetrophy.com/uk/events.aspx

xtreem

grumsta wrote:

What about doing Enduro events like the avalanche trophy rounds at kielder and ae?

http://saabsalomonavalanchetrophy.com/uk/events.aspx

+1 to that.

You were XC rider before, so you're fit and your curent bike will be spot on for that job.

Stuey01

OP, your bike will be fine to have a go at both 4x and DH. It is an ALL mountain bike after all, i.e. jack of all trades, master of none.
Will you be super fast? very doubtful as you don't have right tool or experience. But the bike you have is good enough to have a go at both and later on when/if you decide which form of racing is for you then you can buy some specialist equipment.

I'd encourage to try it on your current bike before potentially wasting a load of cash on a bike that you will use a handful of times before deciding against that particular discipline.

And don't expect to be good, you will be left in the dust by more experienced racers, but how else are you gonna learn?

Lot of tosh being spoken on this thread.