General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Xterra race with no bike.... help! Rss Feed  
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2015-01-09 3:59 PM

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Subject: Xterra race with no bike.... help!

Hi there,

I have been doing tri's for around 10 years and this year am thinking about breaking into off road races.  I have an Xterra in my backyard but I have one problem.

I don't have a mountain bike and really am not ready to put big money into one without knowing if I will like this type of training or racing.  Does anyone have any ideas for me as to what I can do?  I don't have any friends who have mountain bikes that would work for racing so that is out.  I may be willing to put a little money into a bike but not much.

I would also love some training tips if people have them!

 

 



2015-01-09 4:08 PM
in reply to: #5081810

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
What area are you in? Perhaps someone could loan you one? You break it you buy it kinda agreement. I'm out because I don't really have anything to loan you. I do have an old Gary Fisher, but it is old and likely not suitable for a competition these days.
2015-01-09 6:46 PM
in reply to: crea0029


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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
Have you tried offroad at all?

I bought a junk yard bike for groceries. Point is, if you move around town, you may not want to do it with an expensive bike. You can buy a very cheap mountain bike, try it on trails. If you like it and decide to race, then buy an expensive one.

I am talking 50$ or so. You don't look for the brand, just one that works fine and does not need injection of additional money.

Try to find one with a good shifter (just try it). It is much more important on trail biking then road biking. Whenever you loose equilibrium because you get stuck, slide or simply climb more then expected, the reflex is to down shift. You must therefore be able to do it fast.

Another alternative, once a year, big cities do a sale of all bikes they found. Those are stolen or abandonned bikes which were recuperated by the city and not claimed back. I don't think you can try those however so you are taking a greater chance.

You will obviously not enjoy it as much as a good bike but it might be sufficient to try it out once or twice or as much as needed to make up your mind.
2015-01-11 8:56 AM
in reply to: crea0029

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
I hope you're not thinking of trying the race on a borrowed bike without having done any MTB riding prior to the race?

I have entered one Xterra triathlon and the bike course was fairly technical. I did the Sprint and I heard the Olympic race was more technical. I would expect that the technical / difficulty of bike course is going to vary a lot from one Xterra race to the next. So I suggest you find out what the trails are like at the race you want to enter and make sure you have some experience on trails of similar difficulty. If you race on a technical mtn bike course without any MTB experience you could be in shock. If you can get a chance to ride the course ahead of time that would be great. Some things that come to mind...

- I hope that what I wrote above doesn't sound too discouraging because mountain biking can be a ton of fun. There is a good chance that you will love it. I plan to do more Xterra racing in the future.
- I agree that buying a used bike might be a good way to try some trails. I disagree that you should completely ignore the brand. I would at least try to find a "bike store" brand rather than a "department store" brand like Huffy. If your bike feels like a tank it won't much fun to ride.
- Riding with other people can be more important when you're mountain biking that when you're road riding. It's safer if you are in remote areas. More experienced riders can show you where to ride. You can also learn a lot by watching other riders. You will be amazed by what skilled mountain bikers can do.
- There's no shame in walking sections of trails that are too challenging or scary. Keep at it and you will learn to ride where you used to walk. (And it will feel great.)
- I have fallen many times while mountain biking. Almost all of the falls were at low speeds on tricky parts of trails and they were no big deal.
- If you are not walking at all you should try to find some more challenging trails. If you not falling at all you should try to find some more challenging trails.
- Aside from Xterra racing, MTBs are versatile and good for commuting and getting aournd town. MTB riding is great for improving general bike handling skills.
Don
2015-01-11 9:16 AM
in reply to: donw

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Master
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Mishicot, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!

Thank you everyone!

I am doing my research now and thinking about the bike now because I won't be out there for a while due to our cold WI winters.  I do want to practice because I have heard that this course can be difficult.   After so many years doing road tris, I feel like I know a lot but this is an area of new territory for me.  I think I am going to keep my eyes open in the next few months for a bike.  Even if I don't do many off road tris, I will have the mountain bike as a cross training piece.  Now to figure out what bike....

 

 

2015-01-11 9:33 AM
in reply to: djmikula

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
Go buy a cheap Walmart bike and go for a couple of easy rides. You should know fairly quickly if you will like it or not. If you don't like it you can always keep the bike for riding on greenways, just tooling around the neighborhood, etc, or just donate it if it's not your thing. Another option is checking with local bike shops and see if there's an upcoming demo day or if you can rent one. At least ride a few times before the race and always ride your own ride or you will get yourself hurt real quick. Lastly, be careful because you may really like it and lose all desire to do regular triathlons again


2015-01-11 9:34 AM
in reply to: donw

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
Originally posted by donw
- There's no shame in walking sections of trails that are too challenging or scary. Keep at it and you will learn to ride where you used to walk. (And it will feel great.)

There's no shame but doing this in a race can certainly interfere with other racers. There's nothing more frustrating to come up on a doable tech section only to find several people standing there in the middle of it.

My advice is do lots of mountain biking!

Ted
2015-01-11 6:14 PM
in reply to: csharp1171

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
Originally posted by csharp1171

Go buy a cheap Walmart bike and go for a couple of easy rides. You should know fairly quickly if you will like it or not. If you don't like it you can always keep the bike for riding on greenways, just tooling around the neighborhood, etc, or just donate it if it's not your thing.


I (respectfully) disagree with this advice. Buying a clunker at a box store is a sure fire way to make you hate mountain biking. Those bikes (with "full suspension") can weigh 40 lbs. I would definitely search out other folks who mountain bike and see if there is one you can borrow or do your research and find one used through a LBS or on craigslist.

Mountain biking is so fun but a totally different kind of riding. Definitely get out on the trails and learn those skills! Another option is if there is an REI store near you they often have beginner MTB classes starting in the spring.

Good luck!
2015-01-11 8:16 PM
in reply to: djmikula

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
I just saw this company on the news yesterday - Spin Lister.

You can rent a bike from anyone using their site. I checked your town, unfortunately there was nothing listed, but it might have something for you down the road.

https://www.spinlister.com/
2015-01-11 9:19 PM
in reply to: #5081812

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
Come spring a lot of stores should have demo bikes you can try out to see what you like. I would suggest working on your fitness and then demo in spring. I think there is a way bigger difference in the range of mtn bike performance over cost than for road bikes. I would suggest in at least buying a mid range bike from a good vendor rather than going the Walmart route. I would look on Craigslist or call local shops to see if they have used demo bikes or if they take trade ins.

Xterras are a ton of fun!
2015-01-11 11:39 PM
in reply to: donw

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
Originally posted by donw

I hope you're not thinking of trying the race on a borrowed bike without having done any MTB riding prior to the race?

I have entered one Xterra triathlon and the bike course was fairly technical. I did the Sprint and I heard the Olympic race was more technical. I would expect that the technical / difficulty of bike course is going to vary a lot from one Xterra race to the next. So I suggest you find out what the trails are like at the race you want to enter and make sure you have some experience on trails of similar difficulty. If you race on a technical mtn bike course without any MTB experience you could be in shock. If you can get a chance to ride the course ahead of time that would be great. Some things that come to mind...

- I hope that what I wrote above doesn't sound too discouraging because mountain biking can be a ton of fun. There is a good chance that you will love it. I plan to do more Xterra racing in the future.
- I agree that buying a used bike might be a good way to try some trails. I disagree that you should completely ignore the brand. I would at least try to find a "bike store" brand rather than a "department store" brand like Huffy. If your bike feels like a tank it won't much fun to ride.
- Riding with other people can be more important when you're mountain biking that when you're road riding. It's safer if you are in remote areas. More experienced riders can show you where to ride. You can also learn a lot by watching other riders. You will be amazed by what skilled mountain bikers can do.
- There's no shame in walking sections of trails that are too challenging or scary. Keep at it and you will learn to ride where you used to walk. (And it will feel great.)
- I have fallen many times while mountain biking. Almost all of the falls were at low speeds on tricky parts of trails and they were no big deal.
- If you are not walking at all you should try to find some more challenging trails. If you not falling at all you should try to find some more challenging trails.
- Aside from Xterra racing, MTBs are versatile and good for commuting and getting aournd town. MTB riding is great for improving general bike handling skills.
Don



What Don said 100%. On road I am top 5% all AG at nearly every race except worlds (top 25% in 35/39).

I raced the Oly Don is talking about and was at the top 45% overall. I was too timid on some really technical stuff and walked it (laundry chute) but was able to ride the rest of the course so - so. That was my least fit season due to the premature birth of my now 4 year old. I raced it again in 2011 and rode much stronger. Xterra is tough and can be technical (and dangerous). My worst fall in 4 races was on



2015-01-11 11:40 PM
in reply to: simpsonbo

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
The run from being so exhausted and tripping on a root.
2015-01-11 11:55 PM
in reply to: Moonrocket

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
my 2 cents...

with the experience I have now with XTERRA and MTBing...I'd say (a) don't go in half way. Buy a decent hard tail. I'd suggest a 29er or 27.5.
Hard tails are fairly inexpensive and quite useful for general riding, in case you don't love XTERRA and MTBing.
(b) ride a lot before you go race XTERRA, being timid or have poor skills will set you up for injury.

my suggestion is something like bikesdirect.com or a bike on sale. you can try getting a good used MTB but many times these are pretty beat to heck.

and get the right size. getting a ill-fitting MTB is bad. It's not rocket science, but it should fit you properly.

Also you don't need a carbon frame, ALU is fine.
2015-01-12 7:38 AM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
Originally posted by autigers_1998

Originally posted by csharp1171

Go buy a cheap Walmart bike and go for a couple of easy rides. You should know fairly quickly if you will like it or not. If you don't like it you can always keep the bike for riding on greenways, just tooling around the neighborhood, etc, or just donate it if it's not your thing.


I (respectfully) disagree with this advice. Buying a clunker at a box store is a sure fire way to make you hate mountain biking. Those bikes (with "full suspension") can weigh 40 lbs. I would definitely search out other folks who mountain bike and see if there is one you can borrow or do your research and find one used through a LBS or on craigslist.

Mountain biking is so fun but a totally different kind of riding. Definitely get out on the trails and learn those skills! Another option is if there is an REI store near you they often have beginner MTB classes starting in the spring.

Good luck!


X2, I bought my first Mountain Bike off Craigs List for 100 bucks. It was an older Trek 6000 26", added pedals and I was in for 150 for a pretty decent bike with reliable components and it did not weigh a ton. Rode that for about 1.5 years and decided I liked MTB'ing enough to purchase Salsa Mamasita hardtail (HT) bike. I wanted full suspension just because I get a bit sore in the back from riding a HT but decided I would rather spend 2K on a very nice HT than 2K on a low-end Full Suspension (FS).

ETA: My Salsa hardtail 29er is great for putting around on to run errands or riding up to the gym on which also played a role in buying a HT over FS.

Edited by Batlou 2015-01-12 7:40 AM
2015-01-12 12:27 PM
in reply to: crea0029

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!
Just because it's winter doesn't mean you can't start riding and trying it... Head down to Milwaukee and Ray's indoor MTB park. You can rent a bike and hone your skills. http://www.raysmtb.com/

Now, it's not like riding a mountain bike on trails, but it will give you an idea. Like it? Then think about buying a bike. Used is a great way to go. You can buy a used hardtail if you're still testing the waters. Or buy a used rigid singlespeed and really build up your skills, then rent/demo a proper race hardtail for the race. Surely bike shops in Green Bay have rental and demo bikes, right?

And I'm serious about the rigid singlespeed, especially if it's relatively flat where you live. Learn to ride the trails on a bike with no suspension and gears; then riding it on a bike with a suspension fork and gears will seem like cake. Plus it's about the cheapest option when it comes to bikes.
2015-01-12 10:19 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Xterra race with no bike.... help!

Canmore Mountain Biking: Devonian Drop Junction 4…: http://youtu.be/-pluOm7OB0Y
Canmore Mountain Biking: Blue Coal Chutes Trail b…: http://youtu.be/5AD-DypcoeQ





Canmore Nordic Center, Coal Chutes, Top Section, …: http://youtu.be/TeMUZmlml_c

Edited by simpsonbo 2015-01-12 10:21 PM


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