Mountain Bike Racing Tips

If you have been riding mountain bikes recreationally and are looking for more of a challenge - then a mountain bike race is usually the way to do it. Mountain Bike Racing, whatever the level of competition and expected results & outcomes - is a thrilling experience, but excitement can quickly turn into anxiety and intimidation as the race approaches. In this post, we use some of our experience of racing mountain bikes to put together some basic tips and tricks to help you get the best result from your mountain bike race and enjoy it as much as possible.

Train, Train & Train Some More

Enjoyment of almost any physical activity increases drastically the fitter you are, and when racing, the fitter you are - the better result you will achieve. Depending upon your goals, your training programme and schedule will vary from getting out on the bike multiple times a week to working with a specialist coach. The main tip to take away from training is to ensure that you train hard. It’s important to remember that the more you push your body in training - the better you will perform when racing.

Eat & Drink When Riding

What you will need to consume on the bike will be largely dictated by how long the race is. It’s a given that you will need to rehydrate whilst on the bike, so think about how you want to carry & drink your water. Many MTB racers choose hydration packs with a water bladder, while some prefer to use more traditional bottles and cages. There are advantages to both, but water bottles & cages are lighter than hydration packs and do not cause a sweaty back under race conditions.

There are plenty of nutritional supplements that you can purchase, which have been designed to be easy and convenient to eat whilst riding. We recommend opening up these supplements to make eating during racing even easier.

Visit The Course

If access, time and logistics allow it’s a great idea to get to know the course by riding around before the race. It’s unlikely that you would be able to or would want to immediately before the race a visit early on is recommended. If you cannot do this, the race may be covered on Youtube or social media - giving away some indications of the route and conditions.

Practice Overtakes And Passing

One of the biggest challenges in a mountain bike race, especially for newcomers - is the art of overtaking and passing your fellow rides, gaining valuable positions up the order. Practice passing a friend whilst riding, issue the instruction of passing left or right - then go for the overtake. It’s also a good idea to practice getting passed, moving slightly to one side to allow another rider to pass safely.

Warm Up

Ensure that your body and muscles are warmed up before the race start. Some spinning for ten or fifteen minutes is recommended, as well as a few harder efforts at a similar pace to what you will be racing at.

Pace Yourself

It’s very easy to get caught up in the very fast start of a mountain bike race - when you begin to compete. Take a steadier start, and ensure that you are able to continue to ride and perform throughout the full course.

Finish It!

Try not to obsess over positions, which is the incredibly tempting for those with a competitive streak to do so. For your early races, aim to finish the race before worrying about positions. As you gain more experience, you can focus on your positons and standings.