G e r h a r d Odendaal Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 The CWC one? Yip. Looks like a bit of rain on friday afternoon to make things a bit interesting. My first xco....
G e r h a r d Odendaal Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 (edited) I can't ******* believe what I just read. Believe it, and speak to guys that have done the "hell and back" race..... Edited January 20, 2014 by Gerhard Odendaal
Capricorn Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Wait. What? I feel like I'm in the twilight zone. Somehow I seem to recall a comment about S-Works bikes being amazing, technically capable bikes. I must have had my glasses fogged up at the time... you wrote and thought too much; i just shook my head at that bit of rubbish. Heinrich Hattingh, G e r h a r d Odendaal and Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 3
SwissVan Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Yeah Swiss, but the question begs - if it's too hard (bith physically and technically) why not try it out and get better at it by at least trying it out and assessing your weak spots, then concentrating on them to improve? Thats the million $$ question, why dont people try it and stick to it?My first mtb race was +/- 1997 and was a club XCO race, i nearly died (i was triathlon fit but not mtb fit). I loved it and came back for more and more and used marathons as training for XCO. But even in those days the amount of riders doing XCO (club races never mind provincal or nationals) was really low, especially compared to the marathon events. I simply think XCO is to intense for most people to have fun.
SwissVan Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 I can't ******* believe what I just read.Believe it, and speak to guys that have done the "hell and back" race..... LOL ja... RSA must be the XCM marathon capital of the world.
jcza Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 We suck at XCM as badly as we suck at XCO at the world champs. Burry was the exception. Thankfully we have Greg Minnaar. RocknRolla, G e r h a r d Odendaal and RockCoach 3
Brian Fantana Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 I think most people here are making it look like XCO is too tough for an average guy. In 2007 when I was still into "racing" I did a full season of XCO nationals in elite category. In hindsight it is that training and experience that gave me physical strength, mental toughness and skills. All the above can be applied on marathons as well. The last two years I have nit been fit at all. I still ride our provincial XCO series, on my 150mm trail bike, and it is awesome. Many obstacles on National level XCO courses are the same difficulty as obstacles on local enduros, but in XCO you have to ride them while you are close to max heart rate. It is an awesome experience, and some of the best training for marathons and enduros. LazyTrailRider, Rapunzel and Sidewinder. 3
G e r h a r d Odendaal Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 I can't ******* believe what I just read. What do you mean though?
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Yip. Looks like a bit of rain on friday afternoon to make things a bit interesting. My first xco.... Rain makes things faster. Except when it's torrential. Then it makes things fun. Like when I wiped out this past saturday. Twice. Laughed so bloody hard at myself. Perfect way to end a kick-ass ride - faceplant in the parking lot. And you know what? It made me feel like a kid again. When I used to purposefully wipe out just to see how I'd land. But yeah. People just don't want to improve their skills. I see it all the time in Tokai. They have no idea that they're missing out on the MTB holy grail - singletrack. It not only improves your skill if you work at it, it improves your bike handling, your fitness (threshold efforts - trust me on this one) and so on. I just shake my head and wonder why. Lone_Ranger 1
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 What do you mean though? That nobody in their right mind would say that there was too much singletrack at a venue. Okay - in a "race" like the MTB Burger or theMTB Argus, too much ST is a bad thing purely 'cos of the numbers. But as for normal events with a smaller attendance, singletrack (or dual track so that there are passing opportunities) is the ideal scenario. Threshold all the time, concentration, technical skill and so on. And if you're not ready for a certain section - USE THE B LINE!!! G e r h a r d Odendaal 1
Brian Fantana Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Here are two examples: Jared Graves (Enduro Pro) doing XCO for fun and training: Alban Lakata (Marathon ace and former XCM world champ) riding XCO world cup #2 - Nove Mesto 2013:
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 I think most people here are making it look like XCO is too tough for an average guy. In 2007 when I was still into "racing" I did a full season of XCO nationals in elite category. In hindsight it is that training and experience that gave me physical strength, mental toughness and skills. All the above can be applied on marathons as well. The last two years I have nit been fit at all. I still ride our provincial XCO series, on my 150mm trail bike, and it is awesome. Many obstacles on National level XCO courses are the same difficulty as obstacles on local enduros, but in XCO you have to ride them while you are close to max heart rate. It is an awesome experience, and some of the best training for marathons and enduros. LOL. You should have seen the faces of the guys I was riding with on Saturday when they asked how much travel I had, and I answered 170mm... But I can ride that thing all day long.
Sidewinder. Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 I think most people here are making it look like XCO is too tough for an average guy. In 2007 when I was still into "racing" I did a full season of XCO nationals in elite category. In hindsight it is that training and experience that gave me physical strength, mental toughness and skills. All the above can be applied on marathons as well. The last two years I have nit been fit at all. I still ride our provincial XCO series, on my 150mm trail bike, and it is awesome. Many obstacles on National level XCO courses are the same difficulty as obstacles on local enduros, but in XCO you have to ride them while you are close to max heart rate. It is an awesome experience, and some of the best training for marathons and enduros. The joke of it is that now the enduros are being dumbed down to introduce more riders, so even without the mistakes that come with riding in the red zone-xco is becoming more technical than the enduros. Have you seen the how technical EWS is? Madness... Captain Fastbastard Mayhem 1
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Here are two examples: Jared Graves (Enduro Pro) doing XCO for fun and training: Alban Lakata (Marathon ace and former XCM world champ) riding XCO world cup #2 - Nove Mesto 2013: Photos like that just reiterate how much of a machine the Gravester is. I mean, winning the first XC race he entered this year, with a blown-out fork...
Sidewinder. Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 (edited) BTW, Graves won with a busted fork. Edit:damm your fingers mayhem! Edited January 20, 2014 by Sidewinder.
Brian Fantana Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 Photos like that just reiterate how much of a machine the Gravester is. I mean, winning the first XC race he entered this year, with a blown-out fork... Yip, he is the "new" Brian Lopes. I have massive respect for riders who achieve success in multiple disciplines. Captain Fastbastard Mayhem, Raab, RocknRolla and 1 other 4
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