Mud Sweat & Gears 20....13!!!

evo3ben

IMPO you cant get fast at XC mtb with out training on the road. I am out on the mountain bike once a week for a few hours at a steady pace mainly for handling skills and everything else is either on the road or turbo trainer. Its just to difficult to do a proper training session fitness wise off road with walkers, gates etc. To keep my hr in say zone 4 consistantly for an hour, off road just would not be possible. I know its boring out on the road or on the turbo but in reality, its the only way to get fitter and faster.
Each specific training ride will give you a different average speed. Hr and power are really the only way to go to get the best out of your training, and to get it done mostly on the road or turbo.

VWsurfbum

and unfortuntly that why there is so many fast people in the races who cant turn or descend for toffee!

evo3ben

Yet they still win or come close to it. Bear in mind that Cross Country racing is exactly what it is, not down hill or trail centre racing. Handling skills are very improtant dont get me wrong but fitness is the biggest factor impo and if you want to race because you want to get the best results possible then fitness training is what you need. You need to be fit enough to do the speed to learn how to handle at that speed if you get me lol.

VWsurfbum

Oh yeah I agree, but that just makes it worse, its just a road race but off road.
Thats why I like the more technical races like danbury (when it was there) codham, and the races like thetford and Tunstall are boring.
I have entered into a gravity enduro instead of round 1

evo3ben

I know what you mean

bridlewaybasher

This series will be my first ever race experience (at age 25) Cant wait!
I consider myself to have good bike skills (comming from a motorbike and mtb Trials background) but my fitness levels are pretty low. For these reasons I am planning on entering the 'open category' to start with. How competative is this category?
Do you more experienced guys run a 1 x 10 set up for these races?
Also any other advice for a first timer? ... other than: ride as much as possible between now and the race, dont get lashed the night before and have fun!

IhateDNS

Think this is my forth year and still in category Open some take it to seriously and I think some shouldn't be in this cat.
Just enjoy don't worry about riders over taking you or that you may get in the way (what I use to think this!)
It's down to the rider over taking not you to move out the way. BALLS TO THE LOTS OF THEM

Tips:
Most riders shout on your left or right as they pass giving you a warning.
It's only an hour race no need to carry backpack with lots of bits you normally carry on ride. If you get a flat are really going to fix on the sidetrack.
Drink water
Don't wear to many layer you going to get hot.

See you at the back

Bridlewaybasher You looking to do all MSG ?

WindyG

I'm doing the first 2 rounds in the Open cat to gain more experience and then doing 4 of the others in the Vet cat.

bridlewaybasher just enter to enjoy it and aim to finish don't worry about what others are doing ,open should be a mix of all skill levels and ages.

hopper1

Really looking forward to Tunstall. Will be the end of a busy MTB week, with a coaching day on the 11th, then the Olympic Park on the 13th. Will be well psyched up by the 17th :twisted:

C0LL0

you'll be buzzing after the Olympic course

bridlewaybasher

Thanks for the advice guys.
In answer to your question IhateDNS, I intend to enter as MSG many races as I can. This currently stands at 7. I will miss the Thetford round as I am away on business.

hopper1

C0LL0 wrote:

you'll be buzzing after the Olympic course

If it doesn't kill me! :shock:

C0LL0

There has been a couple of ambulance cases so far since the led rides have been going on. Nothing life threatening yet,,,,,

stylish

The thing I like about the MSG Courses is the fact they are so different, to label Thetford/Tunstall as boring is harsh, they just throw up different things, being relatively flat means you have to carry more speed, something other locations don't need, to me i liked Hylands, i just gelled with the place, where as i didnt go much on Danbury.I missed last year due to health issues, but can't wait to get back, and see how much things have changed.

C0LL0

BE good to see you again out there Darren, Just hope we get better weather this year for MSG. Hylands last year and Codham were simply awful

stylish

Can't wait to be back out again, the winter series has been a nightmare due to the weather, as I still have to be very careful with my eye (14 stitches in it that won't tolerate mud) had a cracking ride at round 2 then sat out round 3.

I'm doing the last one on Sunday, my last race on my Anthem, before the arrival of a nice new shiny 29er..........so if you're there, look out for me, I'm crap at remembering faces, and when we last met I only had 1 eye to use......

kitbag101

Hi all

Just getting into mtb and looking at entering a few of these races, what kind of race is this and what's difficulty level, I am 47, quiet fit but only been on a bike for 8 months, go out most weekends for a good 30+ mile ride round places like rutland water.

Just want to put my training to some use and give a race a go just to bench mark if I need to work a little harder can normally keep up a 14-15 mph over gravel paths a good trails, don't know if that's any good.

Just want to have some fun and its a good excuse to get out for the day.

Ian

pilch

kitbag101 wrote:

Hi all

Just getting into mtb and looking at entering a few of these races, what kind of race is this and what's difficulty level, I am 47, quiet fit but only been on a bike for 8 months, go out most weekends for a good 30+ mile ride round places like rutland water.

Just want to put my training to some use and give a race a go just to bench mark if I need to work a little harder can normally keep up a 14-15 mph over gravel paths a good trails, don't know if that's any good.

Just want to have some fun and its a good excuse to get out for the day.

Ian

Hi Ian, its a good race series... worth a go, but I would recommend the Friday Night Summer Series http://fnssmtb.wordpress.com as the perfect intro into xc racing - all within an hour of kettering

kitbag101

Many thanks pilch
Looks well worth a try,

paulbingham

Having done the last 2 round of Thetford Winter series, i'm looking at doing the MSG or at least some of them, in the open cat. Can't take it serious as i'm just not that good, so plan to go easy, stay at the back and have fun. Unfortunatley the first one clashes with teh Mud and Mayhem dualathlon as well, (which i'm doing as a first!).
I know thetfords flat (im local) but it can be quick, and if you don't kow it, things can hit you before you know it! It was interesting doing the Rollar coaster in reverse sunday (WSrd4). If the MSG course is similar, i know i'm in for fun again.

stylish

Only Paul and his team will know where the lap will go, but if you ride Thetford regularly, you won't have much to worry about, but you can bet at some point he will find a nasty bit to go up.

I do chuckle at people who moan about Thetford being flat, perhaps they should count revolutions of the pedals and see how many times they turn in a race there, one thing the place isn't is easy, because you never stop turning the cranks, even on the rolling downwards parts.

evo3ben

Thetford is relentless! You have to work hard everywhere. Tunstall will be the same.

I will be racing in the 'Open' cat too. Be good to catch up with people on here and put names to faces 8) I will be wearing a 'Rock Racing' race kit this year so please come and say hello

WindyG

I'm looking forward to Tunstall, never been there before but as it seems to be like Thetford I won't be out of my depth be good to see how my Scott HT is in a race compared to my Anthem.

stylish

As im over 40 i can use the bad memory excuse, but i cant think which part of Tunstall were racing on! from memory one side is fairly flat, and the other is a bit more up and down, but still fun neverthless.

see you all there.

C0LL0

There is that big bomb hole half way round on last years course and that very very draggy grass section at the end

but looking forward to get back to two hour races, I'm not cut out for four hour races (yet)

stylish

It will be good Collo, i like Tunstall, only ever done 1 race there that was dry, all the others were really grim.....

Looking at the BC website, the race is 1 hour 45 minutes and not 2 hours, so who knows....

hopper1

stylish wrote:

It will be good Collo, i like Tunstall, only ever done 1 race there that was dry, all the others were really grim.....

Looking at the BC website, the race is 1 hour 45 minutes and not 2 hours, so who knows....

Bonus

C0LL0

anyone riding the course on Saturday with Steve Manser and Graham BC commissionaire ??

bigdawg

dont believe this looks like the weather is picking up where we left off last year...

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/E ... /long.html

IhateDNS

:evil: Only a month away Codham Park hope not going to be a mess. No sand trench this year please