can'trideforshitonthefirstloopitis.

[ellipsis]

...never jumped a bike over things racing but it sounds similar to the first few laps at the start of a speedway meeting for me, or did,( haven't been on a speedway track for a long time...hips, knees, arms all asking the same question and causing doubt in the mind about your desire to be there...as soon as the adrenaline kicked in, when the heat was on, it all just slipped back into place, (like you were born to be smashed up on a dirt track)...

[Ktmboy]

blaze a cone first.

Ha ha. That actually is what a few guys I know do. Even before they do a 3 hour cross country. How the hell they ride so good is beyond me.

The arm pump thing could be the handle bar set up. Son used to get it really bad as we used to have the bars rolled forward of the fork centreline.

Due to watching all the young pros now riding with the bars rolled back and making the adjustment his arm pump has decreased quite a bit.
I think just chilling out on the first lap is a great skill to take on. Get rid of the red mist.

[Jay GTI]

Disclaimer: definately not an expert.....

Raglanash is right, if you have your physical fitness sorted it's only your head holding you back, going out there pumped on adrenaline and thinking of all the possible things that can go wrong (conciously or sub conciously) will make you ride like crap, lots of tension stops your muscles working.
Being fit and well hydrated is a large chunk of riding skill and the rest is thinking your way into it, I tend to go out to Woodhill with a list of things to achieve so I'm thinking through how to improve my cornering, braking and clutch control on the way out there, once I'm there my focus is already on looking for improvements so it's easy to get in the rhythym and easier to just ride without worrying about everything. I do think through my riding skills before I get on the bike, I will practice clutching up the front at home wandering around the house (may look stupid but there's no trees to hit!).

My advice would be to do specific exercises on the bike to hone your skills rather than riding a loop as fast as you can, once you know you have the individual skills right you won't get wound up trying to do everything at once, get the muscle memories right and you can focus on the track.

Yeah there may be something in the mental aspect, but it's really just a case of letting my body go through what I guess I could describe as a heat cycle. Honing skills and building muscle memory would certainly help, really do wish I had a paddock or similar at my regular disposal so I could work on the core skills.

On the way to a ride I would grip the steering wheel as hard as I could till my forearms started to pump a bit, then relax and repeat a few times, it seemed to help some, maybe it was just releasing a bit of lactic acid?
One thing I do remember and tried last time out in the bush was to have a packet of chips to eat first, nice n salty ones, that noticably helped to stop that horrible forearm cramp that stops me being able to pull the brake lever

Mmmmm chips.... I have a few things I have to eat the morning of a ride, chips unsurprisingly isn't on the list, but I do take on proper isotonic (i.e. not powerage) fluids and keep drinking them.

Nasty illness, right up wih gasgasitis.

Big one for me is training, getting taught to stand on the sole of your foot vs the arch means I grip more with my knees relaxing my arms, elbows wide so you twist the throttle like a key makes it alot easier ( stronger arm positioning ), keep your elbows up gives you control, grease the clutch/brake perches, my throttle tube has a bearing, thin hand grips, deft family gloves, it's all helped with arm pump.

I'd recommend birchy or Brody training, really helped me anyway.

I still get it bad though, the arm pump alot less, but first hour I don't gel with my bike so good ( arguable I ever do, but feels better after an hour ).

I used to race mountain bikes, I always ride on the balls of my feet as I used to have no choice (it's where my shoe/pedal clips were) and it just feels odd riding with the pegs in the arch. Elbows up and all that stuff in practice too.

Ha ha. That actually is what a few guys I know do. Even before they do a 3 hour cross country. How the hell they ride so good is beyond me.

The arm pump thing could be the handle bar set up. Son used to get it really bad as we used to have the bars rolled forward of the fork centreline.

Due to watching all the young pros now riding with the bars rolled back and making the adjustment his arm pump has decreased quite a bit.
I think just chilling out on the first lap is a great skill to take on. Get rid of the red mist.

Sod blazing a cone, I haven't smoked up for about 20 years, but I had the nickname captain co-ordinated from when I did and it was a serious piss-take, so um no....

Rolling back the bars is an interesting one to try, been reading about that set-up (it's how you tell how old the owner of a bike is apparently ha ha).

Really not a red mist issue though, just a complete unco until I get the first ride done then have a rest.

[jimmy 2006]

My 2c.

If you haven't given xc races a go before it sounds like it is time to try.
I don't know if they still run them but the Top trail rider series or even the woodhill 2 man races are good casual rides.

go along with the mindset that you will drop to the back of your start group and just try ride the track and complete the race. not come first.

I found the hardest part riding for an extended period of time at a reasonable pace rather than than all out speed. (i'm not at all fast though) When we trail ride we hardly ever ride for over 25min without stopping for someone, having a yarn or choosing where we are going. So the endurance of riding for a couple of full laps gets you pretty fast.

[nzspokes]

I know what you mean. My first few trails are rubbish. I go back to the car wondering what im doing there but next time out im a different rider.

For arm pump these may work for you, http://www.stegzmoto.com.au/STEG-PEGZ.html

Ive been thinking of making a getto version with door stops.

[Katman]

I go back to the car wondering what im doing there but next time out im a different rider.

Maybe you've just gone to sleep and you're dreaming.

[Jay GTI]

My 2c.

If you haven't given xc races a go before it sounds like it is time to try.
I don't know if they still run them but the Top trail rider series or even the woodhill 2 man races are good casual rides.

go along with the mindset that you will drop to the back of your start group and just try ride the track and complete the race. not come first.

I found the hardest part riding for an extended period of time at a reasonable pace rather than than all out speed. (i'm not at all fast though) When we trail ride we hardly ever ride for over 25min without stopping for someone, having a yarn or choosing where we are going. So the endurance of riding for a couple of full laps gets you pretty fast.

Not fast, never going to be fast, I know my limits However one thing I'm good at, once I've got the mojo, is riding forever. I'll happily ride for well over an hour without a stop and have done plenty of times when I go to trail rides without any ride buddies. Should be enough to keep me going between fuel stops or whatever.

I know what you mean. My first few trails are rubbish. I go back to the car wondering what im doing there but next time out im a different rider.

For arm pump these may work for you, http://www.stegzmoto.com.au/STEG-PEGZ.html

Ive been thinking of making a getto version with door stops.

Not sure about those stegz, they seem popular with desert racers, who basically never sit down, but might not work so well in XC racing.

[BoristheBiter]

I used to get this and sometimes i still do. I think it is just depends what mood I'm in.
As for arm pump main thing I found that gave me was arm position.
Once I was shown to keep the elbows up, making me grip the bars on an angle and not straight, the arm pump disappeared.

Every time i get it now is because of arm position.

As for racing I too would suggest the Woodhill 2 man (finished for this year).
It is a nice easy way to see if racing is for you.
I did it for two years and found the first year to be great but the second i just didn't enjoy it so just stick to trail rides as there are plenty of them through the year.

[Jay GTI]

As for racing I too would suggest the Woodhill 2 man (finished for this year).
It is a nice easy way to see if racing is for you.
I did it for two years and found the first year to be great but the second i just didn't enjoy it so just stick to trail rides as there are plenty of them through the year.

Yeah had planned to do the Woodhill 2 Man series this year, but the guy I was going to partner up with has given up riding and is racing karts now and I was reluctant to go solo. Now I've just decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. Definitely not trying to be competitive though, just want to be part of an event, finishing a race is enough for me.

[jimmy 2006]

watch the first 40 seconds of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZjT0kfVP-w
something you hope you never do at the start line.

[BoristheBiter]

Yeah had planned to do the Woodhill 2 Man series this year, but the guy I was going to partner up with has given up riding and is racing karts now and I was reluctant to go solo. Now I've just decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. Definitely not trying to be competitive though, just want to be part of an event, finishing a race is enough for me.

I have no mates so did the solo. Knew i was never even going to get close but did it anyway.
I have way more fun riding trails, and it's cheaper.

[scott411]

Yeah had planned to do the Woodhill 2 Man series this year, but the guy I was going to partner up with has given up riding and is racing karts now and I was reluctant to go solo. Now I've just decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. Definitely not trying to be competitive though, just want to be part of an event, finishing a race is enough for me.

the Bel-Ray cross country's start soon and are a good ride, MNZ tho so you have to by a day licence,

Also the GNCC's start this weekend, they are good as well, and with out a mass start my be a bit better way to start,

[Jay GTI]

the Bel-Ray cross country's start soon and are a good ride, MNZ tho so you have to by a day licence,

Also the GNCC's start this weekend, they are good as well, and with out a mass start my be a bit better way to start,

The Bel-Ray XCs look good, GNCCs are all a bit of a distance away (but doable). A few options certainly, plus there's the Waitemata XC series although a 3 hour iron man may be pushing it with my experience

[jimmy 2006]

that Bel ray just out of huntly is such a hard ride in the dry. I've never been so beaten up.

Give the riverhead hundred a go in clubman. 50km track.

[nzspokes]

Not sure about those stegz, they seem popular with desert racers, who basically never sit down, but might not work so well in XC racing.

Im going to give it a try. Reckon it may be of use.

But im aiming it to be a sub $10 mod.