Thinking About Racing
© Gary Perkin
XCO:
The best place to begin your XCO racing experience is to participate in a local club event. Provincial events are becoming more popular each year, and are encouraging newcomers by offering easier en-route alternatives around the really technical bits. This means that the courses will be no less technical for the advanced or elite riders who regularly compete. From there, you can participate in National events, and if you’re up-to-speed, then the African Continental Champs, and/or even the World Cups or World Champs.
Age groups are split by 2 years, i.e. Youth (13/14 yrs); Junior (15/16 years) etc, so everybody has a chance to race within their own capabilities on the same course. The older and the more advanced you get, the greater the number of laps you will do.
Your starting point is to purchase a racing license from Cycling South Africa (CSA); from there you will need a bike and equipment (see 'getting started'). Then, familiarize yourself with the rules of the discipline, and get to know how feed zones work, how to overtake or let riders pass without being disqualified.
DHI:
Riders who master the technical challenges that mountain biking present search for more adrenalin in the form of downhill racing. Not only does skill get you through, but this competitive bunch also maintain a high level of fitness and strength – particularly upper body!
Motivation will quickly come in the form of watching the world’s greatest in action, either on TV, a World Cup Event, or at our Nationals held nation wide. A great place to start is within the provincial races near you. Once again, a license is necessary to race.
XCM:
If the technical challenges of mountain biking are not your scene, or perhaps you prefer spending many hours traversing wonderful terrain with breathtaking scenery, then give the marathons a try. Endurance is key! From distances beginning at 60km, you are guaranteed your monies worth in relation to time spent pedalling! A good level of fitness is required, and a good starting ground would be with your local club outrides, especially the longer ones. You will need a license to participate in events to earn championship points, and this will assist in you being seeded as you enter more events. Although there is a mass start, your finish time will be categorised according to your age group.
CLASSICS:
Once again a mass-start format with your finish time being categorised according to your age category. Even if you finish 120th overall, you may well be (e.g.) the second Veteran Lady to cross the line, in which you claim your accolade! Ride socially with your club to get an idea of what you are in for. Events offer a great atmosphere with like-minded participants, and a social chat about the race and refreshment after it all. This is a fantastic transition from road cyclists considering the off-road experience. Skill is not paramount - your skills will develop over time and the more you participate, so get going for 2012! Don’t forget that you can walk through any section that might scare you a bit… A licence is required to participate in any of these events. See the Calendar for the action-packed year that 2012 has to offer!