Lets here your tips and tricks for riders of all skill levels including but not limited to best setup, training, and diet.

I will get it started, I don't have a lot of experence but here's what i've learned so far.

Drink plenty of water even days before the race, also mabey a water hydration system for the race (camelback) I mix mine 50/50 with water and gatorade.

Its a long race, make sure you use the bathroom before it starts!

Always have extra googles, tires on rims, and air filters. You never know when you or someone else may need them, Don't forget your tools!

Don't follow the rider in front of you too closely, if they wreck or make an error this will give you time to go around instead of making a wrong turn or wrecking into them. This is especially important on hills!

If money isn't an isssue beadlocks and tireballs would be nice.

I like to run around 5 psi in my front and rear tires, your results may vary due to the roughness or muddyness of the course plus your weight.

Oversized gas tanks can be nice to have.

Bananas or potassium pills are good to take in before a race to help prevent cramping.

Try to stay moving to prevent your googles from fogging up, there are also no fog googles available now.

Pratice your holeshots! Getting out front in these races is very important, it is usually very hard to pass in these races.

Make sure you finish the race! Being wreckless and tearing up your ride is way worse than finishing towards the bottom of the barrel.


Well its time to leave from work now, I will add more later if you guys don't steal all my ideas! :D

Everything you said was about the meat and Tators of it.......

I say set your Bike up for softness..... you arent takeing big jumps so you can get away with a really soft shocks.... mine are so soft that when i hit my 40ft double on my Mini Track i broke my entire air box and had to buy another... thats soft.....

The Camel Bak is GREAT for races over 2 hrs long ... if it is a hareschramble you can get a way with driking water or IMO gatorade before the race.... GO TO THE PISSER BEFORE THE RACE..... <<<< best one i heard from ya luke....

Best excersise is RIDE RIDE RIDE....... oh and ride a little more.... too much muscle with hurt your ability to be quick with reaction..... be lean and have good endurence built up.... ( i say that yet i dont do it)....

Good tires and stock wheels is good enough.... beadlocks are only if you have the opertunity to pop a tire or if you want to run LOW air pressure.....

Tools Googles Gloves Handguards and LUCK......<<<< thats what i look for when i go..... MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THEM.....

In dusty conditions BE CAREFUL...... you can follow the guy infront of you on his BUTT only if he has a clear view of the track ahead..... if not you both should back off and be careful unless you know what is exactly infront of you..... do not follow the bumper of the person infront of you up a hill like LUKE said..... they could come back down even quicker than they went up.....

Look past the Trees not at them.... stay Stock width not wider.... or u will be taging trees all day long..... (Jeff Strose)

Stand up as much as you can, even if it may be hard at first it will help you with the bumps so u can use your legs as BIG SHOCKS...... ( Jonny G)

Time for me to go back to work.....

Also no drinking in the days before a race, alcohol will dehydrate your muscles making it more likely that you will get cramps. :(

No lifting heavy weights at the gym for your training, if you are going to lift weights use light weight and high reps to build endurance.

ALWAYS keep up on the maintence of your quad, oiling the chain, changing the fluids, adjusting the valves, checking the tread life on the tires, proper jetting, fresh fuel, keeping the cables oiled and clean, checking for loose connections in the wiring, good brake pads, grease all moving parts, make sure all bolts are tight, any of these things plus more can keep you from finishing a race so make sure they're all good to go.

Let the faster rider behind you pass. he could cause you to wreck or you could wreck and he could hit you but most importantly by following him it could reduce you laps times because you'll be trying to keep up with him because he's faster.

No shortcuts! If you get caught cheating not only could you lose your place that you finished at but other racers will look down on you as a cheater. -_- Although it was an accident getting off course cost Bill Ballance a 1st place finish this year and put him back to like 4th place I believe.

Always try to look ahead, not seeing a big creek rock sticking out of a hill your climbing is never a good sight, especially when you don't see it till your about to hit it and flip back down the hill or bend a tie rod or a-arm. :(

Get to the race early so you can walk or bicycle the track so you can know what to expect.

Look out for spectators, they like to think that they're helping a racer out sometimes until they get you turned in the wrong direction or get in your way while they try to help someone get unstuck.

Don't tell your woman that you're going to the races, she might start trying to find something more constructive for you to do, like laundry or dishes! :(

:D :D :D :D




I second that ... i had a buddies wedding party to go to two days before a race and i was still hung over and that was a HORRIBLE day of raceing... felt like i ran the track on foot with a 200lb bag on my back..... if you want to do anything constructive in the raceing scene then DONT DRINK for about 3 days before the race.... its Highly recommended not to drink before the race either.... My buddies were next to a guy on the Starting line at a Haspin Acres Race and he ran over to the fence grabed a BEER and shotgunned it right there and came and jumped back on his quad.... needless to say they had to pull him out of the woods and pull his quad out in about 3 peices.... DUMB ARZZ..... :wacko:

Oh i forgot.... right before the race to help you from cramping ... do some of the hardest stretching you can think of..... the more flexable you are and the more toxins you get out of your muscles the better for the long run....

I'd include Smith goggles, The scott ones with tear offs just get muddy if wet.

Steering damper

lower tire pressure in back makes for an easier ride

always look to the next turn and ride your own race (not somebody elses)

breath!!!!

dont ever take gloves off

monkey butt shorts are good to have

Get lots of rest before a race:
1. Don't stay up late, go to bed early
2. Stay away from your women, this will suck the strenght out of you
3. Eat healthy, no fast food
4. Take vitamins
5. If you smoke(whatever) do it after the race not berfore!

Even though you ride allot, you must still excerise
1. Workout 3 times a week, not for muscle mass, but for endurance!
2. Swim, ride bike, or jog
3. Stretch every morning and every night and especially before a race!

Be mentally fit in your mine and for heaven sakes wear the proper gear
1. Like boots, helmet, gloves, knee gaurds and elbow pads, chest protector.
2. If it's a long race have a camelpak!

Also have a check list to make sure your ride is in top working order.
1. Check your chain
2. Check tire pressure
3. Check all your bolts to see if anything is lose.
4. Check handlebars for right position and tightness
5. Check suspension setup for what kind of race your doing
6. Check clutch and brakes as well as brake pads if necessary.
7. and make sure your number plate is secure
Well I have to take a nap now!

I do better when I am with my woman night before...

:D Good nights sleep........

do not pull the velcro on your gloves to tight around your wrist. Keep it as loose as possible, it helps to reduce arm pump.

Its the little things that count.....

Thanks Dustin................. :D

here are some good ones:

1)Duck Tape:
if its really muddy and wet...wrap duck tape around the top of your boots and tape them onto your riding pants...this way your feet dont get wet and cold...also you may want to tape up your front bumper so that no mud clogs up the radiator.

2)Handguards
you may want to buy some of those big styerfoam wraparound hand guards to put over your normal ones...this way it deflects more mud and water and keeps your hands dry and on the grips

3)Energy
DO NOT eat oranges before the race...this spikes your energy level and causes you to be boosted on energy..but only for a small amount of time...then you wear out very fast...a better drink is 50/50 water and gatorade or 50/50 water and some other energy drink

4)Spares
always bring a spare set of gloves, goggles(equip with tearoffs), tires/rims, and a chain...these parts are the most likely to be needed during a race then any other part and may be essential in a rocky or muddy race

5)Water
dont try to fly through the water, if your airbox is open it may cause your bike to stall...take it slower or lean back on the seat and try to wheelie through it to keep dry...this way all the water stays on the rear fenders and not all over you and your bike

Thanks for the tips Racer! B) I like the duct tape on the boots one .. doesn't look pretty, but it can literally be the difference between 1st and 2nd .. VERY hard to ride with COLD feet!

I hear ya... those are good one....

Go for the holeshot and never look back. Like stated it is very hard to pass, so everthing you can gain in the begining is a plus. Run a comfortable pace if you are getting passed by riders way faster than you dont try to keep up it will just wear you out. Its a long race theres plenty of opportunities to gain postions. In my opinion a camel back is a must, if you get thirtsy out there and have nothing to drink you will not race good.

things to have on the quad:
good tires
steering stabilizer (must have)
skids (must have)
the best shocks you can afford, shocks will make you faster than any motor mod you can buy in the woods.
Nice smooth power out of your quad is what your looking for, you dont want sudden blast of power it will also wear you out.
I run roll off googles, they have been great to me so far.

The only way to get in shape is ride ride ride, theres all kinda tricks but if you just go run a smart race at a good pace youll finish good. Whenever you get your endurance up and your nerve your ready to go to the top.

Very good advise!! :D

Rico

Breathing. It may sound like a given but when your really concentrating you sometimes forget to breath. I know when I first started racing I would forget to breath and then be gasping for air. If you make a conscious effort to breath and relax you will not pump up as much. It definitely helped me.

This will also come with time and getting comfortable as well...BUT... is still very true ....

Easier said than done....

Anything more? This is all great stuff. How does this compare to the WORCs series and what Steven B posted in the XC forum? I would love to get into any kind of racing just didn't know where to start. I guess getting in better shape would be first. :blush:

Theres alway more....

Just dont have time to post it right now.... :D

I followed some of those steps and they seemed to work good.
Here's couple must have!! Tear off or roll off goggles!, apply sun tan lotion before the race, do a good ride a week before the race, & thats all I could think off.
Got a camelbak but I didn't really needed it after all, wasted about 3/4 of it by letting it pour out during the race, I had a hard time keeping the mouth piece in my mouth.
Hey DirtDevil, theirs a Dune race at Oceano Dunes(Pismo) on October 22-23(search for the thread), in Nov. theirs going to be a WORCS event in Mesquite, NV(hour past Las Vegas) that I'm going try to attend.

there is some realy good info here guys i could use this stuff because my first race is at unadilla next week end

This is good stuff. I wish I would have read this post before I started xc racing. I think the one that sticks out to me is the breathing. I noticed I wasn't breathing correctly so I make an effort to breath right now and it has helped a lot. Stretching is another one. I don't get near as sore the next day if I stretch really good before the race. I usually start stretching that morning right up until the race. The more you do it the better you will get as with most things. I think your nerves call down and you run your race. That is another thing i have been focusing on is setting my pace right out of the gate and running my race. This has consistantly made me faster this season. Thanks for the good hints.

ziptie your camelback hose to your chest protector. this way it isnt flapping around and its always there when you need it. another is dont worry about what place your in, if you keep thinking about that your likely to mess up because your not concentrating on the race. mental prep is one of the biggest things that will win or lose your race.good luck to all!!

Uh, and another... HOLD ON! haha. I started racing in '06 and ever since then I STILL cant loosen up my grip on the bars, I got the death grip goin on out there and come in after every race and cant use my hands for anything cause their torn up with blisters... A pro in Whiplash gave me a great tip that I havent been able to try yet but he said to use the Med. tape but go around the tops of your palm all the way around and keep it at a comfortable "tightness"?? so that its not to tight but not too loose its going to rip off, but after that go through each of your fingers, the webbing, and take paices of the tape and double layer it and then go around again on the tops of your palm... Then you are good to go... I also saw a guy had some lil things called "limb savers" The only Limb Savers I have seen are for hunting and I havent found anything like what he had... Anything from anyone?

I have some things ive noticed....if you get too tierd and your really sore and all your muscles are tightened up take a break for a couple mins. It might drop you bake a couple places but once you get back on you will feel a 100% better and you will be able to ride much faster and better.

Also things to practice are rutts....learn how to navigate them and if you cant get around them learn how to ride threw them without getting stuck.

Trees dont move....

Excercise!!!! It is a must!!! Don't take any breaks, geeze, you'll lose the race that way!!

You can run you shocks a little softer but you don't want them too soft. Otherwise they'll just blow through the stroke and bottom out and wear you out faster and possibly cause you to bobble or crash. Also they can do something called packing up. This happens when your shocks are too soft and you hit an obstacle or a series of obstacles and the shocks can't rebound fast enough and you hit the next obstacle at half or full stroke. You also don't want them too soft because your quad will want to lean in corners because the front is diving down.

I dont know about this, but it works for me. I will chew one or 2 pieces of gum before and during the race, seems to help with dry mouth

I am only 5hrs of training into this XC stuff and the part about breathing is RIGHT ON! I will literally say it out loud while im riding and in my opinion it does 2 things...............helps with arm pump and takes your mind off the pain.



I am now 10 hrs into training and i suggest you buy some blister resistor gloves by moose racing.

I have whooped the arm pump thing with lots of riding
I have whooped the monkey butt with monkey butt powder.
I have reduced the thumb fatique with a softer carb spring
And i sure hope that these new gloves i ordered work because my hands are TORE UP!

The blister resistor gloves are worth every penny. I am now doing 2 hr training sessions with no blisters.

to train for arm pump during the winter i get on a stationary bike with 2 dumbbells in my hands the entire time. i just keep them moving to get my arms pumped. all ive found for arm endurance.. i started with 5 lb dbs and i do 15lb now for 45 minutes to an hour. your arms will KILL by the end but thats the point!

ill throw in some tips

1.) Is be smart and do research biology class and antomy has helped me think of ideas that help during a race.
2.)Pace your self i cant stress that enough i like to keep a spot and hold it comforatbly around the 2 or 3rd lap i really start to push myself with every thing ive got left now i know the track so i can ride hard and be safe
3.)Nutrition
a. eat a banana or two before the race to raise potassium levels and reduce cramping
b. no protein the morning before a race protein take a long time to digest eat high carb things like oatmeal (not instant kind but it will work) bread spaggeti/pasta
4.)Believe it or not cardio is important your arms pump up partly becouse of lactic acid build up this is coused from your body not being able to get rid of the used blood you want good blood flowung in and the bad flowing out. Things like high blood pressure and smoking (plague build up) will kill you in this so quit and start eating right
5.)Your bike
a. RED LOCTITE EVERYTHING if it can come off in a race it will trust me racing is brutal on a quad if it can loosen it will if you think it wont it will
b.Check your bike over dnf's....wellll......they suck i hate them, personally they are embarrassing.
c.Suspension the race is long and will tear you apart save for a godd suspension set up i cant stress that enough
d.Flexx bars (if you have a practice bike use a standard bar as this will help build strenght and reduce how much you feel arm pump)
e. If you can afford a steering stabilizer get one they safe you from breaking parts and wrists. Dont buy the stick wons they heat up really fast and ive actully made them blow up before from impact

im sure its not all in there actually im positive any question just shott me a pm if i dont know the answer ill find it for you

Good points xc1993, I use a stock bike for practice and it beats the piss out of me in every way possible but on race day i can ride full speed for the whole race and still ready to ride when they say its over.