It seems there are lots of things you can do to become a successful mountain bike racer. Training. Nutrition. Preemptive bike maintenance. Adequate sleep. Race-course knowledge. However, each of these fundamental parts can still be effected.by other variables. What other variables are their you ask? Here's my list of what went wrong at my last race. Some of them are easily correctable. Others may have no true solution, the fact is sometimes things just happen.
The same rules apply to borrowed bikes as the bikes you own ~
About a month ago, I broke my Niner EMD 9 frame. Just as anyone else who is serious about cycling has multiple bikes, I do too. However, none of my other bikes seem to fit me as comfortably as my Niner. See my last post here so you can read about what the great people at Addictive and Niner Bikes did for me. In summary, they loaned me an Air Nine Carbon for racing. Problem was, I picked up the bike about 5:30 p.m. the day before the race. In a perfect world it would fit me, the tires would have the right pressure, and all the parts would be adjusted to my liking. Unfortunately, I don't live in a perfect world, (and chances are, neither do you.) Here's a quick checklist for race-readiness for you and the bike(s) you intend to use:
While this may seem like the most obvious component, lots of things can effect sleep. Improper foods, eating too late. I got into a serious argument with my girlfriend the night before, and was suddenly full of energy, and couldn't sleep. Maybe I got 2 or 3 hours of sleep the night before the race. Definitely not enough sleep for any type of performance exertion. Things all worked out with us thankfully :) She even brought me my favorite beers post-race!
Injuries, even minor ones, will get worse during a race ~
Back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, foot or hand blisters, cuts, sprains, will all feel each bump, rock, root and stump in the course. More so every lap. If you crash at all, (which seems even more likely when racing) you can take the pain and multiply it by about 10 at minimum. Basically, it's EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to address even minor injuries before it's race day. I had some serious neck pain starting about 3 days before the race. I should have gone to a chiropractor, or taken some sort of muscle relaxers etc. But I'm stubborn, so that didn't happen.
Make sure if you Gel, you don't get any on your controls ~
The same rules apply to borrowed bikes as the bikes you own ~
About a month ago, I broke my Niner EMD 9 frame. Just as anyone else who is serious about cycling has multiple bikes, I do too. However, none of my other bikes seem to fit me as comfortably as my Niner. See my last post here so you can read about what the great people at Addictive and Niner Bikes did for me. In summary, they loaned me an Air Nine Carbon for racing. Problem was, I picked up the bike about 5:30 p.m. the day before the race. In a perfect world it would fit me, the tires would have the right pressure, and all the parts would be adjusted to my liking. Unfortunately, I don't live in a perfect world, (and chances are, neither do you.) Here's a quick checklist for race-readiness for you and the bike(s) you intend to use:
Addictive Cyclery - Where racers go for sweet-ass shit- Ride the borrowed bike AT LEAST one full day, to get parts adjusted to your specific needs. These parts for example can be quickly swapped out for others or adjusted;
- Seat Post height
- Saddle positioning (front to rear)
- Stem length
- Grip style/positioning - especially important with ergonomic style grips like mine: Ergon GP2
- Shifters/brake levers - adjust the angles to be comfortable and usable
- Tire selection
- Select tires for the race course you are going to ride. Small, closely placed tread patterns work well for hard-packed soils, and often rocks, but not muddy tracks.
- Tire pressure is important. Lower pressures can be used on tubeless tire set-ups. With tubes, higher pressure is recommended to avoid pinch flatting. Learn about pinch flatting here:
- Make sure the tire is mounted properly, the directional tread patterns CAN affect your handling ability during the race
- Fork / Shock pressure
- Each suspension component and brand have different weight specs. Start with what is recommended and adjust from there for comfort, and handling.
- Verify the fork / shock are holding the correct pressure. Signs of pressure loss could indicate problems with suspension before they get worse.
- Try to keep the fork stanchions and the rear shock clean so you minimize the chances of breaking important seals.
While this may seem like the most obvious component, lots of things can effect sleep. Improper foods, eating too late. I got into a serious argument with my girlfriend the night before, and was suddenly full of energy, and couldn't sleep. Maybe I got 2 or 3 hours of sleep the night before the race. Definitely not enough sleep for any type of performance exertion. Things all worked out with us thankfully :) She even brought me my favorite beers post-race!
Injuries, even minor ones, will get worse during a race ~
Back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, foot or hand blisters, cuts, sprains, will all feel each bump, rock, root and stump in the course. More so every lap. If you crash at all, (which seems even more likely when racing) you can take the pain and multiply it by about 10 at minimum. Basically, it's EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to address even minor injuries before it's race day. I had some serious neck pain starting about 3 days before the race. I should have gone to a chiropractor, or taken some sort of muscle relaxers etc. But I'm stubborn, so that didn't happen.
Make sure if you Gel, you don't get any on your controls ~
Gu Gels, Hammer Gels, Honey Stinger Gels, all have different tastes, calorie counts, and ingredients. The thing they ultimately have in common however, is they can really annoy the crap out of you. On my 3rd lap, I thought it would be a good idea to eat another gel. This section of the course was quite fast though, and I found it difficult to grab the gel and steer the bike. At one point, with a half eaten gel pack in my hand, I was forced to grab my right grip so I wouldn't crash. In doing so, I goobered-up the right side controls. Sweat, sun, and sugary gel makes for one sticky combination. The next 3 laps I rode were much more difficult because of the 'Sticky Factor' (usually a term reserved for tires and their ability to adhere to the ground).
What was the outcome? ~
Lack of sleep, neck pain, an unfamiliar bike (which was not adjusted) were each contributing factors to my end result. Out of the 10 racers in my class ( Nine Hour Solo - Sport) I got 10th place. In short, don't do like I did. Instead, get rest, give attention to injuries as needed. Don't fight with your girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife etc. Find your inner Zen. Hummmmmmmmm. Dial in the bike. Spend some time with it. The more time you spend beforehand, the better your racing experience will be. I hope this post gives future riders and racers alike a little insight to WHAT NOT TO DO.
Emergen-C! Proud sponsor of Dammule and 58inches.blogspot.comEmergen-C was there too!
My race sponsor Emergen-C came through with another 500 packets, and this time included some new goodies too! They gave me 50 packets of Electro-Mix! A drink mix for Athletes specifically! Here are a few pictures I snapped before the race, when racers were stopping in to grab some Emergen-C goodies. Enjoy!
