First Race.. beginner or sport?

**mtngirl79** · 06-29-2018, 04:13 PM

I signed up for beginner but all my friends are saying I should switch to sport. I'm pretty intimidated by the whole thing, plus I will be riding a hard tail...

They say you cant win doing beginner because its beginner, so you better win but then if you do win you're sandbagging..

**beaterdit** · 06-29-2018, 05:14 PM

Agree with your friends, do Sport. Worst case you're DFL and you have a learning experience.

DLF in Sport>winning Beginner.

**NW_SKIER** · 06-29-2018, 05:15 PM

Seconded^ go fuckin get em, girl.

**buttahflake** · 06-29-2018, 05:25 PM

Here’s the deal, from a guy who raged sport, but was mid-pack at best in expert. You need to show up on the start line in a total lather. Get a good, hard warm-up in. Be sweating when you take your spot on the line. And then hammer for the hole-shot.
Nothing hurts more than the first ten minutes of a MTB race. Know this going in. Fight through any thoughts of quitting. Find a groove, and go. Some gals are gonna fly going up, catch them on the down! Hammer the tech bits. You got this. Pretty soon you’ll want a road bike. Just sayin’!

**CantDog** · 06-29-2018, 05:29 PM

Beginner. Unless you've raced other disciplines race as a beginner. If you win, move up.

**buttahflake** · 06-29-2018, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by CantDog

Beginner. Unless you've raced other disciplines race as a beginner. If you win, move up.

Yeah, I agree.
But what I said above still applies. Get a good warm up and hammer the start.

**toast2266** · 06-29-2018, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by beaterdit

Agree with your friends, do Sport. Worst case you're DFL and you have a learning experience.

DLF in Sport>winning Beginner.

Thirded.

Based on your (op) posts on here, you ride plenty. You're not a beginner rider, even if you're a beginner racer. Race sport and expect to get your ass kicked. If you get beat bad, that's fine. If you don't, even better.

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**beaterdit** · 06-29-2018, 05:57 PM

Forgot to add- GIVE EM HELL MTNGIRL!!!

**Supermoon** · 06-29-2018, 06:04 PM

I know nothing about racing, but if the people you ride with say sport, I’d go for it.

You don’t get faster by beating people who aren’t as good as you. Chasing people better than you is a great way to get better quickly.

Give em Hell.

**toast2266** · 06-29-2018, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by buttahflake

Pretty soon you’ll want a road bike. Just sayin’!

Ugh. Quit making mountain bike racing sound terrible. We're not trying to talk her out of the race altogether!

**plugboots** · 06-29-2018, 06:18 PM

It's been covered, but sport or beginner will be fine. A lot of times the beginner is 2 laps and sport is 4, and expert is 6, or something. I did a lot of expert, and that 6th time through that shitty steep loose gravelly section, (or whatever), sucks. Plus after the 2nd lap, you're usually alone or with 1 or 2 other people, so you kinda just want to call it good.

**ACH** · 06-29-2018, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by toast2266

Ugh. Quit making mountain bike racing sound terrible. We're not trying to talk her out of the race altogether!

Lulz

MTNGIRL, role sport, keep the focus on fun.
As mentioned earlier, get a good warm up in before the start because it's likely that you'll be going anaerobic for the first leg of the race.

**Skistack** · 06-29-2018, 06:23 PM

Sport. More laps = more fun. And if you don’t think you’re going to puke then then you’re not going hard enough. Enjoy!

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**mtngirl79** · 06-29-2018, 06:28 PM

It's an enduro... cant I warm up on the first climb? Pretty sure I climb first?

I'm mostly worried about climbing in the time limit... I can almost keep up with some friends that race expert on the down..

**beaterdit** · 06-29-2018, 06:32 PM

Fuck yeah!

You'll usually climb first but then cool down waiting to start. Try to get another warm up before you race by pedaling around near the start area. It's hard with enduro cause usually you have to get in line and wait. If you roll up to the next stages with no or minimal lineup just slam a gel with some water and giver. Don't wait to cool down if you can avoid it.

Give'er!

**toast2266** · 06-29-2018, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by mtngirl79

It's an enduro... cant I warm up on the first climb? Pretty sure I climb first?

I'm mostly worried about climbing in the time limit... I can almost keep up with some friends that race expert on the down..

It varies from race to race, but in every enduro I've ever done, the time limits for the climbs are super generous. Like, you could pretty much walk up the climbs and still be well within the time limit.

**Jonny Snow** · 06-29-2018, 06:45 PM

If it's a larger race, go beginner. Sport is harder than you think.

**buttahflake** · 06-29-2018, 06:52 PM

Enduro, no one said nothing about Enduro. On a hardtail? Beginner it is.
I was so hoping you were going full-spandex! You really should try an XC race sometime.

**mtngirl79** · 06-29-2018, 07:36 PM

I ride the hard tail at northshore... I'm pretty good at the hardtail..

**ACH** · 06-29-2018, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by mtngirl79

It's an enduro...

Oh, yeah that's a bit different on the warmup end of the spectrum, I thought we were talking XC as well... I would still roll sport though.

**mtngirl79** · 06-29-2018, 07:40 PM

It's at Tiger mountain.

**toast2266** · 06-29-2018, 07:50 PM

Is the course any different for sport and beginner?

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**mtngirl79** · 06-29-2018, 07:52 PM

They haven't posted it yet but probably

**::: :::** · 06-29-2018, 07:53 PM

I have no idea which one

Just do it and have no expectations other than to enjoy the challenge

Go luck

**Sirshredalot** · 06-29-2018, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by toast2266

It varies from race to race, but in every enduro I've ever done, the time limits for the climbs are super generous. Like, you could pretty much walk up the climbs and still be well within the time limit.

In my limited experience, this has been the case. So long as you're fit enough for the total vert and you can handle whatever the tech is, you'll be fine.