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Cross country versus marathon


Pronutro

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Excuse my ignorance, but what is the difference between a cross country event and a marathon event?

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If I'm not mistaken a Cross Country (XCO) event is a lapped race on a short course (like Fountains in PTA or like we had with the world cup in PMB last year) mostly on single track with steep climbs.

 

A marathon event (XCM) is on  a longer course (like the Clarens race, Sabie, etc) over a longer distance. Terrain varies from Jeep Track to sigle track to dirt roads and district roads.
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Ok, so most races are actually marathons? Your definitions seem to only include longer/stage races, what would something like a 30km 'funride' fall under?

 

And just to confuse the issue a bit more, what is an enduro? The enduro I have seen on TV was a bit like downhill MTB on a short downhill-ish course, but the enduros we have here are 70km+

 

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Ok, so most races are actually marathons? Your definitions seem to only include longer/stage races, what would something like a 30km 'funride' fall under? Half-marathon....

 

And just to confuse the issue a bit more, what is an enduro? The enduro I have seen on TV was a bit like downhill MTB on a short downhill-ish course, but the enduros we have here are 70km+

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From what I have managed to fathom a marathon is 80 k's (50 miles), that's for the MTN series anyway, and others seem to follow suite.?

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The reason I asked is cause I want to perhaps get another, better bike - and the majority of bicycle manufacturers websites have their bikes categorised by XC/Marathon/All Mountain/Downhill/Freeride.

 

I know I don't fall into the All Mountain/Downhill/Freeride categories, so am just trying to establish whether I am more XC or more Marathon, so I can look at the right sections when viewing the bikes.

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It is not really about the type of race you enter, but rather in how YOU want to compete in the said race/event. I have a XC racing hardtail (GT Zaskar) but ride more for fun and do the "classics" in KZN (Typically 40-50kays) and do some jolling around in the sugar cane and I am extremely happy doing it on my XC machine.

In the same way if you want to do a proper XC event on a trail bike it's all good.

Buy a bike that YOU want, that YOU will enjoy riding and be comfortable on and then pick and choose the event you smaak at any given time.

Its about comfort and the way the bike makes you feel on the trail/track/climb/decent etc. If you want to be competitive in the events then it is another story I guess but for me and 99% of all fun riders out there its more about the former.
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Me also not competitive no. Well, I suppose competitive is relative, but you know what I mean. I am not going to make the top10 kinda thing.

 

Think I will prefer longer (slightly less technical, although not void of technicality) events (80km+) so I'll look at the marathon section then

 

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...what mackie said....

I currently ride a hard tail. If I were to by myself a new bike it would be something along the lines of a trail bike with more travel up front and the rear than a marathon/xc bike but not as much as a free-ride/all-mountain/DH bike - something along the lines of a Specialiced Stumpjumper http://www.specialized-sa.co.za/contentbike.php?range=204 or a XC bike like the Morewood Zula. Have a look at this site and see if you can find something http://www.obike.co.za/ They have some really good prices.
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is all just marketing these days - what ever happened to just having a mountainbike.......

 

 

 

locally it seems most guys are wanting XC race type bikes where as in places like the States your 5" or so trail type bikes are the norm for most riding.......

 

 

 

 

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So is XC = hard tail, or is Trail = hard tail, or am I misunderstanding? What is the difference between XC and Trail? Now I am confused again. I thought XC was Trail.

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