Want to start racing xc

[Allmountain]

I have been into xc riding for about a year or so now and got my giant xtc1 2 months ago. I was just wondering where can I start and weather need to be a member of a mtb club or anything like that. Keep in mind that I am not the most fitest guy In the world And would be looking at doing the easiest races to start off with. By the way I live in melbourne:D

[akashra]

Closest to you would be the Knobbysports crits (www.knobbysports.org), which I haven't heard anything to say it's not starting back up when daylight savings ends. That event is held every Wednesday night starting at 6:30, at Bushy Park, $6 entry. The Bushy Park track is probably the simplest non-STXC track you're going to find in the country, but it teaches you to keep your speed through corners. Expect about a 5 minute lap for D grade, or a slightly-sub-4 minute lap for the front of B.

If you feel like racing *this* Sunday, Dirt Riders (www.dirtridersmtb.com) have round 4 of their Winter series out at Beaconsfield (Dallas Brooks) being run. Race entry will cost you $10, and $15 for a day license if you don't already have them; alternatively you can pay $80 + whatever the club fee is for an annual license, which covers you for insurance at any races you compete in nationwide. If you want to join another club, I'm happy to give you a list of local clubs, though I may be a little biased since I'm on the Full Gas Pedallers (clubfgp.com.au) committee ;)

Every Thursday night we have the Kona Dirt Crits held at Westgate Park (www.fullgaspromotions.com.au), nice and close to the city. For the next few weeks you'll still need lights, but it's graded the same way - A, B, C grade, and should enough turn up, D as well. $10 entry, $80 for 10 races.

The Dirt Riders Winter Series round would be a good place to start - it's a reasonably easy track though not the easiest around, and they'll run grades from A to D - A grade will probably do 5 12 minute laps down to D grade who would do I something like two 20 minute laps (the same lap, they're just slower).

For other races in the next few weeks, you've got the Bendigo 6 (www.mtbbendigo.com) hour next weekend, the You Yangs Yowie (yowie.gmbc.com.au) the week after, two weekends off (in Vic), and then the Kona Surf Coast 6 hour at Eumeralla (Anglesea, www.surfcoast6hour.com.au) - a very easy track to start out on. Entry is a tad steep for that one though, I must admit. Week after that you've got the Golden Triangle Epic, again at Bendigo - pick from (from memory) 25, 50 and 100km or some similar distances.

That should get you started with some basic info on what's coming up :) For all of the above races except the Knobbysports crits, you need either a competition MTBA license or day license.

[krizbike]

I have been into xc riding for about a year or so now and got my giant xtc1 2 months ago. I was just wondering where can I start and weather need to be a member of a mtb club or anything like that. Keep in mind that I am not the most fitest guy In the world And would be looking at doing the easiest races to start off with. By the way I live in melbourne:D

Heya,
as Akashra said, you have the option at races of paying the $15 fee for the day if you aren't a member of MTBA. To be a member of MTBA, you also have to be a member of a mountain bike club. So, you are looking at $100 or so.
I would advise doing a couple of races first to see if you like it or not. If you get hooked, then it's worth joining a club and MTBA since there are plenty of races around VIC so you'll start saving money pretty quickly that way.
oh - check the MTBA web site for upcoming events and races.

cya,
Chris

[Mooy]

A good site that has most of the vic races listed is http://www.mountainbikevictoria.com

They should have everything you need as far as what races are on, but as Tim said, you should check out a crit, thats the best way to start.

Cheers

[vogmae]

Been covered but I started racing this year so here's how I went about it.

First race was the Woodend BMC 100K, thing. Didn't need to be a member of a club, mass participation so a mix of serious and novice and intermediate. Bloody hard for a first go. Then I joined a Melbourne club (http://www.ftf.com.au) and did some of their (public and friendly) old fella's rides in the summer and have also done some of their intro to racing mornings which they have offered a couple of weeks before their club races. These are great and really worth while.

Raced two of their club races, would have done more but family/time in the way. Being a club member just means I don't hae to pay the extra registration at races for a day licence, but at the moment I haven't done enough racing to come out in front, and at the moment I also haven't had the 'experience' of being in a club (if that makes sense).

The crits that are mentioned are short and fast, so just think of it as racing as fast as you can. The XC events like the Beaconsfield race tomorrow are like XC running where distances are reasonably short (if you raced D grade then you might only be racing for 30 - 40 minutes) but because of this you are still pretty much on the limit for a lot of it. Then there are enduro events 3+ hours which are much more about endurance and are of course hard but a different sort of hard. The crits is about aching chest from being at your max heart rate, the enduros are aching body from pushing yourself for 3 or 6 or 8 (and so on) hours but as a mere mortal you race them more slowly than the crits since you want to get to the finish.

I would do some of the local club races. You meet other riders at your level, and they're short and quite social (chatting afterwards and so on). Then you can find others to ride an enduro as a team (for example) where you race it as a relay so you don't race for 6 hours but share it amongst 3 of you and so on (which I haven't done but seems to be very social and everyone highly recommends it).

[Allmountain]

Thanks for the help guys, I'll probably go down and watch one or two of the races first but I'm still very keen about having to go. By the way I forgot to say before that I'm only 16 years old, does this mean that I have to enter in junior races?

[akashra]

There typically aren't any age categories in club level cycling - only at state level does anyone really consider age, or in road cycling.