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Newbie Racer Questions (Peddlers Event in June)


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Pfft.  You're going to need the following (in no particular order of importance):

Spandex - everyone knows they are faster than baggies

$300 mtb-specific sunglasses - even if it's overcast (or even dark) you must wear these on your helmet to indicate that you are a true racer

Chamois cream - you can't go fast if your junk has any friction

Supplements and a nutrition/hydration plan - you've got to feed the engine!  Just to be safe, you're going to want to hire a nutritionist to plan all your meals pre, during, and post race

Skinny tires - 2.1s or smaller - Rolling resistance is your enemy!

 

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of for now...

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17 minutes ago, olddbrider said:

Pfft.  You're going to need the following (in no particular order of importance):

Spandex - everyone knows they are faster than baggies

$300 mtb-specific sunglasses - even if it's overcast (or even dark) you must wear these on your helmet to indicate that you are a true racer

Chamois cream - you can't go fast if your junk has any friction

Supplements and a nutrition/hydration plan - you've got to feed the engine!  Just to be safe, you're going to want to hire a nutritionist to plan all your meals pre, during, and post race

Skinny tires - 2.1s or smaller - Rolling resistance is your enemy!

 

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of for now...

Yep, guilty of these back in the day. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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4 minutes ago, Ridenfool said:

Would the people behind the counter at Whataburger qualify as nutritionists?

LOL I don't think so.  My problem was using riding as an excuse to eat and drink as much as I wanted of whatever I wanted.  Trying to lose ~10lbs while not negatively impacting my riding strength which as been an issue in the past.  I'll still be slow though... 🙂

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2 minutes ago, RedRider3141 said:

Depends if it is Pre or Post ride.

Post ride for me. I found years ago that eating before a ride was a mistake more often than not. I'll just suck some Hammer Gel mid ride and drink plenty of water and dissolve the occasional electrolyte tablet. Then, after the ride I'll make up for those poor, defenseless, lost calories.

My RHR training regimen used to include a beer and a Rocky Burger at the Saloon post-ride. I would like to believe that I was dealing with the finest in professional nutritionists there. The only racing I've ever done was as a member of the RHR Saloon's 24 hour team, "Spokes, Rims, and Nipples" back in the day. In all honesty it was more of a party that also involved taking a lap every now and then.

The only race I'm in these days is the race to the cooler. That usually begins at the part of the ride where I can start to smell the cold, refreshing beverages waiting there. 🍺

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Have you started shaving your legs yet? Multiple choice:

A. Yes, gotta practice like you play.

B. No, I'm taking the swimmers approach and training with extra drag

C. I shave my legs anyway. Do you have tickets to the livestock show? Nothing will get in my way of showing these calves. 

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19 hours ago, CBaron said:

 

True story here. A few years ago the Mrs and I raced the Huntsville TMBRA race. I was in Cat 2 older than dirt class (50+). A guy shows up on the starting line wearing cut-off blue jeans, tennis shoes and a t-shirt. I don't remember what he was riding so it must not have been too bad or too good. But the big thing was he had on a back pack with floor pump sticking out about a foot above his head. Everybody on the starting line kind of snickered but nobody said anything I heard. He lined up next to me. At the start I remember he didn't exactly jump off the start line so I never saw him ride. After the race the Mrs shows me a video of the start. He waited until everybody was 50 to 100 feet ahead before he started. He went about ten feet and pulled the bike up on the rear wheel. For as long as there was video of him (15 to 20 seconds), he rode that wheelie with the floor pump sticking up behind him like a radio antenna.

I only saw him once during the race. He went by me like I was standing still. But since most everybody passes me that way I didn't think much of it. Except the image of being passed by a rider wearing cut-offs and a t-shirt with the floor pump sticking up above his head. Yes sir - that spandex and brightly colored kit made me faster. Just not as fast as somebody who didn't seem to care about his kit. He must have finished well because he was in the top five at the next race.

The point to this - just ride. If you want to race - race. We are doing this for fun so go have fun. If you like to compete - I say to make sure you compete on the race course, not in the pits, or the bike shop.

Edited by cxagent
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Team Meat Weapon once had a couple racers show up in cut off jeans and a "customized" t-shirt with cut off sleeves for their races.  Was awesome to see.

Team Mojo also used to do beer handups to the racers and had quite a few stop by and slam a lonestar in the middle of their race!

Never take the race too seriously.  Takes the fun out of it.

Reminds me - I am thinking about getting my trek Y-bike built back up as singlespeed and do the TMBRA out at pace bend.

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8 minutes ago, Shinerider said:

Team Meat Weapon once had a couple racers show up in cut off jeans and a "customized" t-shirt with cut off sleeves for their races.  Was awesome to see.

Team Mojo also used to do beer handups to the racers and had quite a few stop by and slam a lonestar in the middle of their race!

Never take the race too seriously.  Takes the fun out of it.

Reminds me - I am thinking about getting my trek Y-bike built back up as singlespeed and do the TMBRA out at pace bend.

I've even seen a couple of MeatWeapons race on a tandem at PB and beat Weaver!  I've got a nice framed photo of the pair in the dining room.  2 doods on tandem were awarded the #69 number plate, oddly.

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18 minutes ago, Shinerider said:

Team Meat Weapon once had a couple racers show up in cut off jeans and a "customized" t-shirt with cut off sleeves for their races.  Was awesome to see.

Team Mojo also used to do beer handups to the racers and had quite a few stop by and slam a lonestar in the middle of their race!

Never take the race too seriously.  Takes the fun out of it.

Reminds me - I am thinking about getting my trek Y-bike built back up as singlespeed and do the TMBRA out at pace bend.

I'm thinking about joining the SS Fray at PB as well.

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38 minutes ago, spicewookie said:

I've even seen a couple of MeatWeapons race on a tandem at PB and beat Weaver!  I've got a nice framed photo of the pair in the dining room.  2 doods on tandem were awarded the #69 number plate, oddly. 

Oh crap, I remember that.  Awesome!

Can you imagine a tandem show up to the Peddler Pass race?  THAT WOULD BE HILARIOUS

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I remember one of my last races... I was lined up with riders I knew I'd have no chance against. But my shop owner sponsor was in the crowd so I though to myself, "Just get out front until you hit the trailhead."

See, at the beginning of the race there was maybe a hundred yard out and back on flat open land that brought riders to the trailhead. I guess it was done this way to break up the large group so as not to clog up the trailhead entrance right at the very beginning of the race.

Anyway, that's exactly what I did... Jack rabbit start and then push like hell for as long as possible until I reached the trailhead. And guess what...

Now I used to be quick on short distances, but somehow I caught all the fast guys off guard and was out front by the time we made the turn to come back to the trailhead, and led into it. It was pretty cool. I maybe finished in the last 10 out of the 30+ riders, but my sponsor had their photo of their shop's jersey-wearing rider leading the pack, even if it was just for the first 20+ seconds or so.

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1 hour ago, Shinerider said:

Can you imagine a tandem show up to the Peddler Pass race?  THAT WOULD BE HILARIOUS

I've got a tandem, just say'n....

It wouldn't be that bad, it would just be slow.  I've ridden everything at Warda and RHR, and we were not the last people through the (non tandem) event.

-CJB

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