Hi guys! I've recently started doing MTB races after being off the bicycle for 9 years (used to be a roadie). To get to the point - I did my first race (also first in 9 years) about two weeks ago and the one thing that really pissed me off was the many cyclists I had to pass along the first 10km of the race. Now I am not the best cyclist, never won a single race in my life, I smoke and drink but one thing I can say is when I get on a bike I mean business. I must say that I got flashbacks from my earlier days of cycling and those old habits and tricks appeared in my mind. Being my first race I thought I would start in the middle of the bunch so that I'm not the slow idiot who irritates those who are faster and need to go through the trouble of passing me. Now I saw the difference with MTB is that it's much more difficult to pass a rider because of single track or terrain limiting the areas around the rider infront of you which really got frustrating to me, and I also don't want to be the guy who shouts at everyone infront of me. So my question is, how do I approach a race or my starting position without making myself a nuisance to other riders but also not reving my patience level into the red because of other riders? Do I start up front, remain in the middle or what? Thanks
