First Race.. beginner or sport?

[Sirshredalot]

Not quite sure what these classes are. When I was racing xc almost 20 years ago (fuck, I'm getting...more rad) there was toker class, advanced toker class, and the roadies who wore spandex, shaved their legs, and weighed their food raced expert. So basically, figure out how much weed you smoke relative to your competition, including what you plan to smoke immediately prior to or during the race, to determine the amount of suffering you are going to be able to endure, and thus determine your class. If you don't smoke weed while riding you must race as an expert.

This post has inspired me to step up my game this season.

[joetron]

First race ever? Race Beginner unless the course is significantly suckier than Sport. Just relax and focus on having fun. If you win or podium, move up to Sport for the next one.

[smartyiak]

My first XC race, I signed up for “sport; the only reason: beginner was 1lap, 7mi and sport was two laps....I didn’t want to pay $30 for 7miles. Ironically, I dnf’d around mile 5 with a mechanical.


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[californiagrown]

Apparently the only MTB racing anyone has done areound here has been XC haha. 95% of posters didnt read the OP and talks about or assumes that this thread is about an XC race. 5% has actually read the OP and offers advice about Enduro, and nobody has assumed OP was talking about DH racing. I think its funny how at odds that is with the winter time bro-brah, sendier-than-though attitude on these boards haha.

[mtngirl79]

What I think is odd is that my brother raced in the 90s and early 2000s, both xc and downhill and the categories have been beginner, sport, expert and pro the whole time as far as I know.

[ACH]

What I think is odd is that my brother raced in the 90s and early 2000s, both xc and downhill and the categories have been beginner, sport, expert and pro the whole time as far as I know.

There is a special hand shake or high sign to get into "toker" class

[Danno]

There is a special hand shake or high sign to get into "toker" class

Dave's not here, man.

[Ted Striker]

Not quite sure what these classes are. When I was racing xc almost 20 years ago (fuck, I'm getting...more rad) there was toker class, advanced toker class, and the roadies who wore spandex, shaved their legs, and weighed their food raced expert. So basically, figure out how much weed you smoke relative to your competition, including what you plan to smoke immediately prior to or during the race, to determine the amount of suffering you are going to be able to endure, and thus determine your class. If you don't smoke weed while riding you must race as an expert.

Pretty spot on, hilarious but completely true. I was racing 20 years ago too. One of my buddies was super fast on the downhills and kinda slow on the uphills, only because he smoked an insane amount of weed. So he was in sport. I quit weed every summer to race, so.....expert. Ha. I was probably the last expert guy to race in a t-shirt and not spandex, my go-to was a shirt with The Fonz on it saying "Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyy" with both thumbs up. Those spandex roadies were hard to beat though as they put on so many miles when all the trails were wet all spring (in MT) and they eventually sucked the fun out of mountain bike racing for me for a lot of reasons. Now everything is thuper serious.

heh... me too. A lot of truth in these two posts.

[detrusor]

We had a team, started as team vice (for vice wrench) then later became team face (face rides) 20 plus years ago in Montana. The super serious team from the competing shop in town was always pissed because we were pretty fast but def fell into the toker class. Keg hits or shotguns at the top of the climb etc.

That said, if you haven’t raced go beginner, if you kick ass move up next time.


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[plugboots]

We had a team, started as team vice (for vice wrench) then later became team face (face rides) 20 plus years ago in Montana. The super serious team from the competing shop in town was always pissed because we were pretty fast but def fell into the toker class. Keg hits or shotguns at the top of the climb etc.

Reminds me a bit of good ole Team Hugh Jass

[beaterdit]

Not quite sure what these classes are. When I was racing xc almost 20 years ago (fuck, I'm getting...more rad) there was toker class, advanced toker class, and the roadies who wore spandex, shaved their legs, and weighed their food raced expert. So basically, figure out how much weed you smoke relative to your competition, including what you plan to smoke immediately prior to or during the race, to determine the amount of suffering you are going to be able to endure, and thus determine your class. If you don't smoke weed while riding you must race as an expert.

This is pretty spot on but yeah, everyone here assumes XC racing.

My girlfriend signed up for her first race next week, also a ladies only. This one's a "mini-enduro", that means after work so, only two laps. She tried to enter beginner and the race organizer told her no and put in expert/pro. Given her ability I though sport would have been appropriate but what do I know.

Mtngirl it seems there's a growing consensus for beginner class. I'd say you're good either way. But I'd do sport, hahaha!

[mtngirl79]

Tiger is weird. I rode some of the trails from last years course and they arent steep and gnarly, but they are kind of pedally and techy. There is definately going to be a big home court advantage. Hopefully I'll get a few more days out there, but I'm good at sending it, not pedalling it. Lol. Def beginner.

[alias_rice]

You gonna use an ebike?

[mtngirl79]

Lol. It would probably be real had to muscle between the vagtrees.

[rideit]

Do I need to use urban dictionary to find out what a vagtree is?

[mtngirl79]

Do I need to use urban dictionary to find out what a vagtree is?

[toast2266]

Tiger is weird. I rode some of the trails from last years course and they arent steep and gnarly, but they are kind of pedally and techy. There is definately going to be a big home court advantage. Hopefully I'll get a few more days out there, but I'm good at sending it, not pedalling it. Lol. Def beginner.

Just rode tiger for the first time today and mostly agree. None of it was super gnarly, but there were lots of sections that I'd describe as untrustworthy. It was hard to ride those trails blind with much speed - stuff that looked like you could come in hot, only to find a tight corner just out of sight. Knowing the trails well would be a significant advantage.

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[mtngirl79]

Yeah and lots of little built up up and over things where the down is super sketchy...

Untrustworthy is how I felt all day!

[californiagrown]

Yeah and lots of little built up up and over things where the down is super sketchy...

Untrustworthy is how I felt all day!

Protip- on fully rigid you just gotta be very active on the bike pumping, cornering, popping, and getting in a pedal stroke here and tgere. Very physical trail to ride with any flow or speed.

On OTG, take the inside line on everything and straighten corners out. It may look sketchy and rooty, but just get light and float through.

Predator is pretty gnarly but the faster you ride the more tech and gnar you jump over on the all the natural and built up doubles.

Legend and megafauna are better ridden fast and light.

Tiger trails are def newer and more tech than galby. Less jumpy or northshorey. The roots get real slick in the rain, especially predator gets sketchy.

[mtngirl79]

Yeah, I'm use to steeper terrain with gravity on my side instead of against me.

[mtngirl79]

It's just a different type of trail than I am use to. Same as toast said. Hopefully I'll get some more prerides in after they announce the actual course.

[californiagrown]

Yeah, I'm use to steeper terrain with gravity on my side instead of against me.

Don't you ride Galby a bunch? Ive never heard anyone describe galby as steep, and for good reason. What trails at tiger did you ride? Do you know what your course will consist of yet?

If for nothing other than the pure fun of it, you should really try to get a lap in on EBAD (killer new loamer trail that is nice and steep), and on NOTG next time you get down there for a ride. Should be "official" on Aug 3rd.

[mtngirl79]

I rode off the grid and fully rigid. I had intended on riding all of last years course, but I got out the door later than I had wanted to and I had my dog so I cut it short as it was too hot.

Those two trails were super pedally and just.. different... it was hard to carry much speed and the tech sections were almost like traps rather than challenges...

I dont think Galby is a super steep mountain by any means, but the down trails aren't pedally, and most are steeper that OTG and Fully Rigid.

I dont even really ride Galby that much anymore except to lead womens rides and when I dont have time for elsewhere... I ride "other places"

I'm a slog and suffer up the fireroad to bomb down type rider, so pedally downs are going to really kick my ass.

Whatever, tho. I'll do the best I can. These girls I talked to said the course would be announced august 1.

[californiagrown]

I rode off the grid and fully rigid. I had intended on riding all of last years course, but I got out the door later than I had wanted to and I had my dog so I cut it short as it was too hot.

Those two trails were super pedally and just.. different... it was hard to carry much speed and the tech sections were almost like traps rather than challenges...

I dont think Galby is a super steep mountain by any means, but the down trails aren't pedally, and most are steeper that OTG and Fully Rigid.

I dont even really ride Galby that much anymore except to lead womens rides and when I dont have time for elsewhere... I ride "other places"

I'm a slog and suffer up the fireroad to bomb down type rider, so pedally downs are going to really kick my ass.

Whatever, tho. I'll do the best I can. These girls I talked to said the course would be announced august 1.

OTG has a pretty similar, but probably steeper gradient than SST, and is super, super fast. IDK how you had trouble carrying speed, and that is not meant to be a shot at your skills. fully rigid is the reason i don't ride OTG much anymore even though OTG is razy fun, because you have to ride that after OTG and it is just not very much fun so no argument there at all haha. But OTG is is crazy fast and fun and the short tech sections are easier and more fun the faster you go.

like i said, if you want steep and tech, ride predator (is a legit rowdy DH track). If you want a steep natural loamer, ride East Bound and Down (brand new and off of inside passage). I wouldnt worry too much about Fully Rigid, it is really the only trail like it on Tiger (flatish and very techy).

[mtngirl79]

OTG has a pretty similar, but probably steeper gradient than SST, and is super, super fast. IDK how you had trouble carrying speed, and that is not meant to be a shot at your skills. fully rigid is the reason i don't ride OTG much anymore even though OTG is razy fun, because you have to ride that after OTG and it is just not very much fun so no argument there at all haha. But OTG is is crazy fast and fun and the short tech sections are easier and more fun the faster you go.

like i said, if you want steep and tech, ride predator (is a legit rowdy DH track). If you want a steep natural loamer, ride East Bound and Down (brand new and off of inside passage). I wouldnt worry too much about Fully Rigid, it is really the only trail like it on Tiger (flatish and very techy).

I'm not sure why you are so invested in arguing with me. OTG has 300 feet of climbing according to trailforks. That's probably why I found it pedally.

SST is probably the least steep down trail on galby, especially if you arent counting the upper part/golden spike. While not steep, it only climbs 11 feet.

I dont ride SST all that often because I think boring.