[huckqueen]

Hi hunnies. Just joined and wanted to say hi. I've been reading the posts here for abit and have found them very helpful.

I am contemplating my first DH race this weekend at Mt Snow. Unfortunately is has been raining and then some more raining for sooo long. My husband fears that it will be to muddy and not fun for my first race. There is another race up there next weekend that I could try but it could be just as muddy & slick. This NE weather has not been very cooperative so far this season. Just wanted to get opions on first time DH racing in the mud. Should I try it or wait till next weekend and hope for better conditions. I have been struggling this year with XC riding and have much more fun blasting down a hill... so I'm itching to try a dh race. I would imagine that mud means more potential slipping, falling, and crashing. I don't have much armor (full face, knee/shin & elbow). I would also imagine that tires selection would be important in the mud.

For freeride (and hopefully downhill) i'm riding a bullit (new for this season!), and for XC a yeti 575. p.s.... i'm also closing in on 44... so I really want to give this a whirl before I realize how old I really am!

 

[weimie]

I grew up on the East coast but live in Boulder now and I'm not missing the rainy/wet weather one bit. The only thing I can say about muddy riding/races is be careful...you're gonna slip and slide. The rocks and ruts out there can be pretty hairy but it'll make you laugh! You'll be riding along and then the next thing you know you'll be sliding along It's fun but it can be pretty hairy.

If you are going to do the race please, please wear a full face helmet and some body armor. Better safe then sorry and you'll need all the protection in a wet race. It'll give you more confidence also!

Good luck and have fun!

 

[stephanie]

I say go for it, though exercise a certain amount of conservative caution (i.e. don't go blasting down a technical rock/root section at top speed only to get yourself in trouble). I second the notion of full face helmet and armor. Advice for rock/root/slick sections: no front brake. Let your back brake do any work. Also, resist the urge to brake while ON the rock/root. This is easier said than done but it should make crashing less likely.

IMO, there is never a better time to try a new race/ride than the present. And, take it from someone who lived in W. Mass for the first 25 yrs of life, there will be many, many rainy days (that probably outnumber the dry, especially when it comes to racing in the summer). In other words, if you wait for the conditions to be just right, you might not get to race/ride much.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck to you in your races!

 

[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

Bullitgrrl,

My name's Jenn and I've been mountain biking, downhilling and racing for two years. My second race was a National in the mud/rain. I would not recommend doing your first race in extreme conditions like that... wait for better weather. You should also stock up on your protective gear. DH racing is nothing to rush into.

At the national, I broke my thumb at the joint in practice when I slipped in the mud. After that my orthopedist wanted me off the bike for eight weeks, so I missed most of my first season. I'm stubborn, so I raced anyway. I had fun at the race, but the ordeal was a bit scary. The worst part was missing so much riding that year.

My blog about that race is http://conversationswithmud.blogspot.com/2004_06_01_conversationswithmud_archive.html.

Could you try a tamer race in your area?

Be safe!!! And welcome to the Monkey!

 

[stephanie]

My first dh race was at Bootleg Canyon in NV. It is very technical, extremely rocky, is very exposed, and has high consequences for screwing up. I went there with my No Brakes teammates and followed the non-rippers down the course. I rode with caution and was successful without any crashes.

On the other hand, I broke my ribs riding cross country last year with a stupid crash.

My point is that you can hurt anywhere, at any time, on any type of race course. You can get hurt in your first race or your 100th race. Beginner, expert, pro...the risk is always there. BUT...don't be afraid of the 'what if'. You may be worried about the mud, but you'll also feel great when you make it to the bottom of the course!

 

[nanhar]

Welcome! I am so glad that there is someone else out there that is over 40!

I am 49 and have been racing DH for 4 years. I live in So Cal where the ground is hard and rocky. We hardly ever get a chance to ride in the rain and mud. My first experience with muddy, slick terrain was in Whistler and I found out that it takes alot of work and luck to ride safely in those conditions.

If you have experience in the mud, than you will have a much better time but you might want to consider riding and practicing in it but hold off on the race. Speaking from experience, broken bones, sprains, etc. take much longer to heal the older you are.

The younger set (that includes you Steph) is more resiliant and bounces back much faster after crashes and various mishaps. Also after being married 25 years, I do tend to listen to my husband when he tells me to "reconsider" some of my decisions.

There will always be another race on another day.

Check out my Sponsorhouse profile: http://www.sponsorhouse.com/members/denmother

 

[Velocity Girl]

I would say that if you feel you can ride the course within your limits in those conditions, go for it. Your first race shouldn't really be about "racing" anyway. You're getting a feel for how things work, what it feels like to be in "race mode", and what a freakin' awesome adrenaline rush it is. In conditions like that just take the same caution you would use as if you were out for a normal ride....but if that means not riding, then you should forgo the race. Living in the PNW we ride in the rain and slop all the time. Racing in it I do take extra precautions, but those are the same that I'd take on any given day. You can also always show up for practice and if it's not working for you forgo the race until you're more comfortable with it.

 

[stephanie]

Welcome! I am so glad that there is someone else out there that is over 40!

I am 49 and have been racing DH for 4 years. I live in So Cal where the ground is hard and rocky. We hardly ever get a chance to ride in the rain and mud. My first experience with muddy, slick terrain was in Whistler and I found out that it takes alot of work and luck to ride safely in those conditions.

If you have experience in the mud, than you will have a much better time but you might want to consider riding and practicing in it but hold off on the race. Speaking from experience, broken bones, sprains, etc. take much longer to heal the older you are.

The younger set (that includes you Steph) is more resiliant and bounces back much faster after crashes and various mishaps. Also after being married 25 years, I do tend to listen to my husband when he tells me to "reconsider" some of my decisions.

There will always be another race on another day.

Check out my Sponsorhouse profile: http://www.sponsorhouse.com/members/denmother

True, ol' Rodg does have a good bit of advice.

Also, I've had good teachers along the way, nanhar included! I do tend to take the advice of others, and have definitely developed a more cautious side over time.

You could also go up and practice, as was suggested, just to get the feel of "racing".

 

[TreeSaw]

I would say that if you feel you can ride the course within your limits in those conditions, go for it. Your first race shouldn't really be about "racing" anyway. You're getting a feel for how things work, what it feels like to be in "race mode", and what a freakin' awesome adrenaline rush it is. In conditions like that just take the same caution you would use as if you were out for a normal ride....but if that means not riding, then you should forgo the race. Living in the PNW we ride in the rain and slop all the time. Racing in it I do take extra precautions, but those are the same that I'd take on any given day. You can also always show up for practice and if it's not working for you forgo the race until you're more comfortable with it.

I'm with VG on this one. I've ridden Mt. Snow and they have some nice trails...very rideable and fun! Good luck to you! Perhaps we'll meet up sometime for a ride (I'm in Saratoga Springs, NY area).

 

[S.K.C.]

Stephanie:

I say go for it, though exercise a certain amount of conservative caution (i.e. don't go blasting down a technical rock/root section at top speed only to get yourself in trouble). I second the notion of full face helmet and armor. Advice for rock/root/slick sections: no front brake. Let your back brake do any work. Also, resist the urge to brake while ON the rock/root. This is easier said than done but it should make crashing less likely.

...excellent advice.

My first DH race and my 4th time down a mountain ever, was at Diablo a long time ago. It was pouring out during practice, but I figured I might as well pin it and take advantage of time spent on the course.

This was a bad idea. Not only was I sketchy about the terrain I was riding, but I had to deal with steep, rocky, chutes which were slick with rain and mud. At the time I could barely ride over stuff like that in dry conditions let alone the rain.

I wrecked like 6 or 8 times during my first run but stayed with it. During one section you had to hop a really deep and wide water bar (ditch) - well I didn't have enough momentum, cased the landing on the other side and the mud was so deep that it literally brought me to a near instantaneous stop. All my weight got thrown on to my lead foot, dropping my heel with enough force to sprain my ankle. Plus I had broken a toe washing out in a corner on a previous run.

I almost questioned what the hell I was doing and kind of felt like packing it in and forgetting about DH. I went to practice the next day to qualify anyway, - it had stopped raining so that was good. Well - while I was in the parking lot gearing up I ran into Marla Streb. Yup, THAT Marla Streb. I had missed Am practice, so she let me catch a gondola ride w/ her to the top. During that ride I asked as many questions as I could, including a few about the really crappy weather, and how she approached practice the day before when it was raining. She just looked at me and said: "Yeah, it was really bad out yesterday but I thought I'd give the course a try anyway. After 3 runs I just said fu@k it! -It's WAY too muddy to risk injury..."

So if that's how Marla felt about it, and she's a pro... well...

All I can say from my experience is that if you are just starting out, and have the same skill set that I had when I first started, you're really going to beat yourself down mentally and physically. It was pretty tough for me to come back from that first experience. My advice would be to skip a few races if you have to until the conditions are dry. The Mt. Snow Beginner/Sport DH course is a lot easier in my opinion than some of the race courses at Diablo, but to each their own.

Slowly work your way up to more challenging situations while riding - don't try to go all out when you are a beginner. By gradually increasing your amplitude, your bike handling skills will have time to develop and grow with you. In doing so, you are learning proper form in your bike handling skills, and riding within your abilities.

Most of all you will have fun!

Hope this helps.

 

[stephanie]

Slowly work your way up to more challenging situations while riding - don't try to go all out when you are a beginner. By gradually increasing your amplitude, your bike handling skills will have time to develop and grow with you. In doing so, you are learning proper form in your bike handling skills, and riding within your abilities.

Most of all you will have fun!

Hope this helps.

Great advice. How many of us have had to go back and un-do bad habits?!

 

[huckqueen]

Wow! Thanks for the warm welcome and all the advice.

I'll definitely be wearing a full face helmet, knee/shin protector and elbow protector.

I have ridden at Mt Snow, Jiminy, Diablo, and even Whistler (it was raining)... both dry and wet/muddy conditions. Just never in a race, that extra adrenaline will definitely be a new experience. The only racing I've done is 24 hours and adventure racing.

nanhar... cool! Nice profile site. I hear you on the longer recovery time as you get older. My husband & I are planning a 2 week mtn bike trip out to the PNW late summer, so I really have no interest in getting hurt.

I like the idea of going and checking out the practice runs..., getting into race mode. If I really feel uncomfortable with the practices then I'll wait for another race.

Thanks, again. I'll keep you all posted as to what happens.

 

[starrbabes]

The very first tiime my husband wore a full face helmet, he crashed face first into a tree trunk. Thank god he had that helmet on. Make sure you have yours!

 

[huckqueen]

Well I did it. I was nervous, scared, excited, WOWing & OMGing! A fun time. It was muddy.... and I was the first racer to start (yikes!), though it did get drier as the runs progressed. I made mistakes and learned stuff for the next time. The water bars really scared me... didn't want to hit them at speed. And I crashed at the bottom of the last woods section. I tried to get back on my bike, a couple of times. But my seat was to high and I was still in the muddy rocky stuff. Someone yelled run it... geez wish I had thought of that sooner! Ed (husband) said he was yelling it but I didn't hear him. Time to get more body armor and start thinking about the next one!

 

[nanhar]

Well I did it. I was nervous, scared, excited, WOWing & OMGing! A fun time. It was muddy.... and I was the first racer to start (yikes!), though it did get drier as the runs progressed. I made mistakes and learned stuff for the next time. The water bars really scared me... didn't want to hit them at speed. And I crashed at the bottom of the last woods section. I tried to get back on my bike, a couple of times. But my seat was to high and I was still in the muddy rocky stuff. Someone yelled run it... geez wish I had thought of that sooner! Ed (husband) said he was yelling it but I didn't hear him. Time to get more body armor and start thinking about the next one!

Congratulations and welcome to the "Dark Side". Where did you race?

 

[weimie]

Congrats on doing the race! Doesn't it feel awesome to accomplish that!

Water bars scare me too....that's something I need to work at. Usually by the time I come up to them I'm so tired and I have hand pump so bad I can barely bunny hop them so I end up slowing down and just riding them. Oh well.

Seriously...way to go on doing the race

 

[zoey]

Fabulous! I can't wait until I'm up to race speed. Congrats on the great race.

 

[stephanie]

YAY! :love: :love: :love:

You are officially part of the DarkSide club...congrats on going out there and toughing it out! Hope you have many more fun races in your future!

 

[S.K.C.]

Hoo-Yah!

Congratulations Bullit! Glad to hear you had fun and that you are uninjured from your race. Keep up the good work - take each race as a learning experience and build upon the knowledge you have gained.

...welcome to Down Hill.

 

[huckqueen]

Totally psyched to be a part of the Dark Side!

The race was at Mt Snow in VT.

Good luck to those racing there this weekend at the Norba National!