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86
Joined
3/29/2017
Location
San Diego, CA
US
I've only been riding for 3 years (I'm 37) and signed up for my first GP (it's a month away). Outside of the common sense stuff (hydrate a ton, diet sensibly, keep working out/doing cardio, and pacing myself), is there any good tips or tricks?
I was thinking of taping some of those energy gel's to the side of the bike (like a cyclist would do, but near the tank) and have them handy so I don't have to go into my pack (I plan on wearing a camel back and filling with water) mid-ride for quick energy if I needed it.
I was also thinking of taking 1-2 ibuprofen before to keep my back and knees loose, and wearing a vented all white kit so I don't get as hot from the sun (I'm in SoCal), and maybe wrapping one of those cold towel's around my neck too keep me cool? Tons of tear offs? Should I run hand-guards or not really? Are new tires a good idea or would it be overkill?
My goals are not too lofty - just finish and not crash but most importantly, have fun and get a feel for it.
Thank you.
I was thinking of taping some of those energy gel's to the side of the bike (like a cyclist would do, but near the tank) and have them handy so I don't have to go into my pack (I plan on wearing a camel back and filling with water) mid-ride for quick energy if I needed it.
I was also thinking of taking 1-2 ibuprofen before to keep my back and knees loose, and wearing a vented all white kit so I don't get as hot from the sun (I'm in SoCal), and maybe wrapping one of those cold towel's around my neck too keep me cool? Tons of tear offs? Should I run hand-guards or not really? Are new tires a good idea or would it be overkill?
My goals are not too lofty - just finish and not crash but most importantly, have fun and get a feel for it.
Thank you.
If you go to a race and do all kinds of stuff that you're usually not doing, you don't know how your body will react to it and if it even helps.
A few years ago I did a 3hr race and I told my wife to pour ice water over me when I come into the box. Well the water was so cold that it shocked my body and I couldn't breathe properly. I had to stop like 5mins before I could continue the race. Should have tried it before...
Same with energy gels or whatever you plan to eat or drink. Try it before.
The Shop
Vented gear might be good depending on weather. A full camel back should be all you need as far as hydration and personal prep goes.
For everything else I would focus on bike set up. Where is the GP? A lot of the SoCal GPs that are held at MX tracks just cut new trails into the areas surrounding the tracks so it's in a lot of heavy brush. In many of those cases hand guards will be beneficial. A larger tank could help depending on the terrain and speed of the course. New tires are always a good idea too. Definitely use tear offs and if you've never used them before make sure you try them a time or two on practice days leading up to the race.
good luck!
Those races are too wide open and fast to worry about grabbing an energy pack or anything like that.
Don't stack too many tear-offs on or you won't be able to see at the start. After the first lap or two you probably won't really go through too many.
Some of the light weight hand guards are nice for roost and rocks.
For the tires, kinda depends on the current condition of the tires on your bike and your budget. If they still have a good amount of life left I wouldn't replace them just because your doing a race.
Biggest thing is to just relax and have fun!
But seriously, stay loose on the grips and sit back and ride. It's a long one...
Have fun and embrace the blisters.
Tried it once and was hooked. Within 4 days I had a bike of my own (A used one from Craig's list of course). It's sort of taken over and has priority over all my other hobbies. I'm an internally competitive person, and I like seeing progression and this is something that rewards all other "good habits" in life -- good diet, stretching, weightlifting/cardio/cycling, etc. Fun to see myself passing people who have been riding much longer. That does not happen often, but when it does, it's rewarding.
I'm not going to switch tanks for this- I'll run the mellow mapping (less fuel-demanding) and just pace myself. I'll put like 10 year offs on and see how it goes.
These things are pretty good too (http://www.glacier-national-park-travel-guide.com/with-clif-organic-ene…) energy-wise. More substantial than a simple gel yet easy to digest.
I keep bringing up food b/c when we burn motos I get super hungry super quick. I probably have some sort of low-key blood sugar issue too, so whatever.
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