I'm new to bike racing, whats the difference between XC DH

D4V1D
D4V1D Posts: 233
edited September 2012 in MTB beginners
I cycle to work 3 out of 5 days most weeks and it's crossed my mind to do a bit of mountain bike racing, but I don't know where to start. Or where to go.

I've read about 12 hour races and that seems to spark an interest. Are there any clubs in North Shropshire for mountain bike racing, were only a stones throw from North Wales.

Thanks very much for you help.
I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
Cube Acid 2010
Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
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Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    about 100mm of travel and 10 kg.

    eg
    XC a fully and an HT
    pbpic3035453.jpg
    pbpic3093894.jpg

    and for DH
    pbpic3035449.jpg
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    I take it the silver bike is for HT, what type of sport is that?. It looks like it has only one gear speed.
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • thel33ter
    thel33ter Posts: 2,684
    HT stands for hard tail - as in no rear suspension.

    And singlespeed is a silly faddy thing for people who are either trying to look cool or really fast.

    Sounds like you would be best doing XC racing, which is basically like road racing, but without the road. DH - downhill is basically going crazy fast down a big hill/cliff.

    Like so http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwTkaLD-rPU
    And now you know, and knowing is half the battle
    05 Spesh Enduro Expert
    05 Trek 1000 Custom build
    Speedily Singular Thingy
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    My bike isn't a road racing bike it's like the silver bike but without the front suspension. I was thinking of buying a bike as a race bike, is XC like single track racing?.

    I don't fancy doing Down Hill but maybe mountain racing, is that single track racing?.
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • thel33ter
    thel33ter Posts: 2,684
    XC = Cross country, basically a mixture of fireroads with the odd bits of singletrack.

    AM = All mountain, a bit of everything really.

    DH = As above.

    This is XC racing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsVzX3oh ... re=related

    Pretty much any bike is up to it, maybe get a cheap bike to see if you like mountain biking before blowing a chunk of cash on an all out race bike?
    And now you know, and knowing is half the battle
    05 Spesh Enduro Expert
    05 Trek 1000 Custom build
    Speedily Singular Thingy
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    I think I'd like it as I use to do a lot of motorcycle off road enduro racing (3hrs). but the cost got the better of me. Thanks for the advice, just need a track or race day lol.
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    thel33ter wrote:

    Sure you could have found a more exciting video - that looked like my style, nice and smooth, especially for geriatrics. Not like the cliffs you guys try and make me ride down, and no giant bike eating roots.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • mak3m
    mak3m Posts: 1,394
    cooldad wrote:
    thel33ter wrote:

    Sure you could have found a more exciting video - that looked like my style, nice and smooth, especially for geriatrics. Not like the cliffs you guys try and make me ride down, and no giant bike eating roots.

    LMAO actually that video reminded me of my time on monkey trail at cannock, should of really pulled over and let them through :P
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    Hope this works,

    This is my first Falcon Everest, I had it back in 1986-87.

    DSC01801.jpg

    DSC01804.jpg

    DSC01802.jpg

    And this is my trusty works bike lol.

    Raleigh trail 2000.

    DSC01799.jpg

    DSC01800.jpg
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    So is that what you've got now? That'll be out of it's depth rather quickly at any sort of mountain bike race.

    XC is the most 'accessible' discipline, courses are lap based, you ride up and down the hills. Virtually any modern bike will be up to that, expect to spend around £300 upwards to get something suitable.

    I would advise doing some non-competitive mountain biking before you start racing though!
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    njee20 wrote:
    So is that what you've got now? That'll be out of it's depth rather quickly at any sort of mountain bike race.

    XC is the most 'accessible' discipline, courses are lap based, you ride up and down the hills. Virtually any modern bike will be up to that, expect to spend around £300 upwards to get something suitable.

    I would advise doing some non-competitive mountain biking before you start racing though!

    Thanks, yes I still own those two bikes. I do ride a section of green lanes/legal forestry tracks (with two others) and I can understand that these bike aren't well suited for thet job of racing. Hence the reson for trying to understand the different formats of mountain bike racing. So I can go out and buy the right bike for the job.

    Here are a couple of bike I like the look of, what do you guy reckon to them?.

    http://www.davemellorcycles.com/product ... ctid=15291
    http://www.davemellorcycles.com/product ... ctid=16440
    http://www.davemellorcycles.com/product ... ctid=16492
    http://www.davemellorcycles.com/product ... ctid=16496
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • thel33ter
    thel33ter Posts: 2,684
    At £850, this blows all those others our of the water.

    http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s2p2290
    And now you know, and knowing is half the battle
    05 Spesh Enduro Expert
    05 Trek 1000 Custom build
    Speedily Singular Thingy
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    My trollsense is tingling. :?
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    My trollsense is tingling. :?

    WTF!. say what you mean man. If people can't have a chat what the point of having a forum?.





















    PS your trollsense is probibly tingling all the time living in North Wales. lol. :P
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    You want me to say what I mean?
    Fine.
    I reckon you're just trolling the forum. You don't own a mountain bike, and have never ridden anything that resembles what could realistically be called "mountain biking" trails, or terrain.
    However, you have decided that rather than just try it, and see if it's your bag, you want to race instead.
    So you either have way too much self confidence, or consider MTBing to be so easy that you can immediately step in and race (rather belittling the people who train hard for their events), or, and this is where my money would go if I were a betting man, a complete buffoon.

    Is that better, or would you be happier had I just left it at what I said before?
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    You want me to say what I mean?
    Fine.
    I reckon you're just trolling the forum. You don't own a mountain bike, and have never ridden anything that resembles what could realistically be called "mountain biking" trails, or terrain.
    However, you have decided that rather than just try it, and see if it's your bag, you want to race instead.
    So you either have way too much self confidence, or consider MTBing to be so easy that you can immediately step in and race (rather belittling the people who train hard for their events), or, and this is where my money would go if I were a betting man, a complete buffoon.

    Is that better, or would you be happier had I just left it at what I said before?

    Go back and have a read through my posts, I don't know where you have picked up all your negativity from?. Don't you want new people to get into mountain biking?. (perhaps it's a post whore count thing 14460) I'm asking for advice. I've shown the two bike I currently own, and I've stated that I use to race 3hr motor cycle enduro's, so I do have some level of base fittness way above a couch potato. I've always trained, running/cycled as part of my fitness for motor cycle enduro racing, with http://www.worevents.com/. I can see that off road motor endours and DH use the same techniques. I live in sy4 which has enough B-roads and some green lanes - forest tracks which I train on.
    I have noway implied or stated that I would ever win an XC race, I would take great enjoy from racing with like minded peolpe. Or are they all A holes like you, tell me know before I buy the XC bike.
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Yeehaa is our resident ahole. He gives the rest of us something to aspire to.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    cooldad wrote:
    Yeehaa is our resident ahole. He gives the rest of us something to aspire to.
    You mean you dream of my ahole?
    Well, I can;t say I'm happy about that, but whatever makes you tick.
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    cooldad wrote:
    Yeehaa is our resident ahole. He gives the rest of us something to aspire to.

    To be honest I'm not shocked, I'm only on my 9th post and I've already met this forums tough guy, you can spot them really easy by the super high post count.

    http://www.monkeyreview.co.uk/2009/03/2 ... -toughguy/
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    "Tough guy" is a bit rich coming from someone who believes he's going to be immediately competitive at something he's never tried.
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    "Tough guy" is a bit rich coming from someone who believes he's going to be immediately competitive at something he's never tried.

    Put your money where your mouth (typing fingers) is and let meet up. you can show me how good you are, and how uncompetitive I am.
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    D4V1D wrote:
    "Tough guy" is a bit rich coming from someone who believes he's going to be immediately competitive at something he's never tried.

    Put your money where your mouth (typing fingers) is and let meet up. you can show me how good you are, and how uncompetitive I am.
    Haha, you're doing it again! :lol:

    Seems I was right on calling you out as a troll then.
  • GhallTN6
    GhallTN6 Posts: 505
    Invest some money in a magazine, or two to get an idea of what you can be in for, or go to an event as a spectator to see what the fuss is all about and the kit they use.

    Me, I've just learnt to swim, I can now do a whole length (of the 10 metre pool), in the style of a doggy, so I'm thinking, what do I need to swim the channel next week.. that's what you are basically asking to some of the peope on here though.
  • Get a bike (at least a cheap HT) and get out in some forests or singletrack or some decent XC before you even think about racing.

    In my opinion
    Specialized Rockhopper Comp 2009.
  • t0pc4t
    t0pc4t Posts: 947
    My first proper riding was a race, Kona Bikefest, I thought pottering round on an old heavy hardtail was mountain biking and I was totally wrong.

    It shot my confidence to pieces and was an unpleasant introduction to something I've grown to love.

    Not saying anything about being competitive, I have no idea about your fitness adn how quickly you could adapt your MX skills but I'd go with what LJ has said and try some 'normal' riding first.

    Apart from anything else it will answer the XC or downhill question for you as you'll know what sort of terrain you like riding and the sections that excite you the most.

    It would be a total shame to spend 3k on a race ready downhill rig and then find that XC is your bag (it's where my heart is btw)
    Whether you're a king or a little street sweeper, sooner or later you'll dance with the reaper.

    Cube Curve 2009
    Giant Anthem X4

    FCN=6
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    GhallTN6 wrote:
    Invest some money in a magazine, or two to get an idea of what you can be in for, or go to an event as a spectator to see what the fuss is all about and the kit they use.

    Me, I've just learnt to swim, I can now do a whole length (of the 10 metre pool), in the style of a doggy, so I'm thinking, what do I need to swim the channel next week.. that's what you are basically asking to some of the peope on here though.


    If you read my first post properly, you'd understand that I'm trying to find a club-event to see what MTB racing is all about. I never said that I'd be taking part on my first visit or that I'd exspect to win. Dose that make me a troll?, I think not.

    As to your analogy; well the only way I can make a connection is if I'd just taken my stablizers off. :P [/code]
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    LjStronge wrote:
    Get a bike (at least a cheap HT) and get out in some forests or singletrack or some decent XC before you even think about racing.

    In my opinion

    I have a cheap none suspenion bike which I have been using to do some green lanes-forest track on.I've already killed the head bearings once and had to replace the Bottom Bracket Crank Bearings thingies as well. Heres my training route I use.

    28miletrainingroute.jpg

    6miletrainingtracks.jpg

    2miletraining.jpg
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • D4V1D
    D4V1D Posts: 233
    t0pc4t wrote:
    My first proper riding was a race, Kona Bikefest, I thought pottering round on an old heavy hardtail was mountain biking and I was totally wrong.

    It shot my confidence to pieces and was an unpleasant introduction to something I've grown to love.

    Not saying anything about being competitive, I have no idea about your fitness adn how quickly you could adapt your MX skills but I'd go with what LJ has said and try some 'normal' riding first.

    Apart from anything else it will answer the XC or downhill question for you as you'll know what sort of terrain you like riding and the sections that excite you the most.

    It would be a total shame to spend 3k on a race ready downhill rig and then find that XC is your bag (it's where my heart is btw)

    Thanks for your understanding reply, along with nicklouse, thel33ter,njee20, the people that have answered after yeehaamcgee have got the wrong end of the sh ity stick.

    As to spendine 3K on a Down Hill bike, well thats why I'd started the thread, to find out the different aspecs of racing DH as to XC. I still haven't found out any information on where to ride, but I've found out that £300 - £950 is the way to go for a XC bike.
    I'm not a racer, but I like to churn out 2-3hr rides,
    I love Cannock and Llandegla cycle parks.
    Cube Acid 2010
    Upgraded RockShox Reba RL Forks, twin air.
    Updrade RockShox dropper seat post.
    Went tubeless DIY style using a 20" BMX tube. Lasting well.
  • sounds to me like you need to get yourself a descent bike, maybe join a club and get out and ride different trails etc. Maybe attend a race event and see what its all about. Learn the different disaplines and styles of bike there are then decide which direction you want to go in.

    MTBing is lots of fun but a reqiured amount of skill and fitness is needed, especailly if you want to race.

    Need to learn to walk before you can run.

    As for the people giving you stick/banter on here i think they seem to forget that they were beginners at some point.
    pain is weakness leaving the body...
  • WierdBeard wrote:
    As for the people giving you stick/banter on here i think they seem to forget that they were beginners at some point.

    Got my first race tomorrow, no way do i think i will be in the top 50 let alone the top 200 but im taking part for fun, i mean its a local winter series, not the olympics.
    Good luck with what ever you find mate and just remember to have fun, thats what it is al about at the end o the day.