How To Find Motocross Riding Buddies
How To Find Motocross Riding Buddies – So you bought a dirt bike after some nagging from your riding buddies? You’ve noticed the Instagram photos of your friends traversing logs and splattering mud with numbers on their helmets. Suddenly feeling more and more curious about this whole career thing, but don’t know who to ask or where to start?
Last spring I bought a race bike and spent the year competing in a full season of local cross country races (hare scrambles). Obviously I’m no pro, but here’s a year’s worth of lessons I’ve learned, most of them, the hard way.
How To Find Motocross Riding Buddies
An off-road motorcycle race of varying distances and times in which competitors ride around a marked course through wooded or other rough natural terrain.
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Unlike the wide-open, well-manicured tracks and jumps of motocross, on the other hand, Cross-Country races traverse a more rugged track laid out in the woods. Race organizers walk and mark the track with arrows and remove little obstacles to make the course as challenging as they see fit for their given series. Courses can be pristine, sweeping double track through the woods, or tight technical single track through rock gardens, over logs, muddy creeks, and everything in between.
To start the race, competitors line up in rows based on their skill level. Faster riders start in the front rows, slower riders go to the back. In this setup, racers compete directly against other racers in their class, but must also navigate traffic from other competitors on the course at the same time. Most local series have a “trail rider” class for people who want to pay a few dollars to ride the course but don’t want to compete for points.
To start the race, the announcer gives the first row of competitors a 10-second warning, then the flagman waves the green flag. Officials will repeat this process until all rows have been released from the track. From there, competitors complete as many laps around the course as possible until time expires or the leader completes a predetermined number of laps.
I make a lot of jokes, but the cliche is true, “Dirt bikes. The most fun is to hurt yourself.”
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Racing is not for everyone, and despite my jokes, while potentially threatening, pain is not necessary for racing. For those of us with a competitive spirit, or anyone always looking for more opportunities to challenge themselves, dirt bike racing is hard to beat.
Race weekend is a family affair. Many people roll up the night before, unpack the RV, start a fire, and camp. Mom, dad and the kids can race in their respective classes. At the same time, as you meet the same people weekend after weekend, you’ll begin to realize that you’ve built a racing family as well. You may be competing against the same people every round, but you’re still fist-bumping your biggest rival at the finish line, even if you don’t come first.
Here on the east coast, public riding locations are pretty hard to come by and often mean a long drive to get to. Racing in the local off-road series means having access to exclusive trails on private property. A particular race series may return to the same property each year, but a new course will also be cut to keep things interesting and conserve ground.
I would never discount the value of taking riding lessons or hiring a coach. With that said, I cannot overstate the fact that racing teaches riding skills at an exponential rate. Sure, you can learn bad habits, however, by watching people who are faster than you, you will discover new ways to overcome obstacles. Furthermore, as noted elsewhere, the urge to save energy almost forces you to learn to ride better because you’re tired of feeling tired.
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You also need to know where to go. Here in southwest Ohio, we have at least three racing series to choose from (OXCR, IXCR, and KXCR). Although not exactly local, there is also an AMA Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series here on the east coast (there are rounds in Indiana, West Virginia, and Ohio that I know of). A tap on the shoulder of a few friends and some googling will undoubtedly lead you to a local series.
From there, spend some time biking. Spend a few bucks to fix those tedious repairs you’ve been putting off. Get a new set of brake pads, and if you haven’t already make sure you have a good skid plate and some handguards. An investment in a good set of knobby tires is also a smart decision. If it’s dry, almost any tire will do… if it’s muddy, the extra money spent could mean the difference between going up the hill and getting your bike for the third time.
I’ll repeat this until I’m red in the face “The first rule of Zombieland is Cardio”. I started racing after adventure riding for a few years. It was a unique experience. For me, adventure riding means riding hard trails, but it’s almost always a group activity, and you’ll always have a break somewhere. Racing means giving it everything you’ve got until the clock stops. In my case, that was riding flat for 2 hours in Kentucky. You’re tired, and when you crash, you’re even more tired picking up the bike. The effort is compounded, every time you put the bike down, you’ll get more tired, and you’ll make more mistakes because you’re tired. The fitter you are, the less you are affected by pushing too hard and taking the bike, and above all the fewer mistakes you will make later.
That said, it’s not necessary. I sat on my butt a lot in 2019. Obviously I didn’t finish well because I was tired, but it still finished. I don’t recommend signing up for a gym membership before racing, try it out and see if you like it, and use that as motivation to get in shape if you’re having a good time.
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With that, there is fit and there is bike fit. In my previous comments, the body wants to put in the least effort possible. Cardio is good, but not at the expense of seat time. Riding a bike in rough conditions can mimic bike cardio and help teach you the skills necessary to keep the bike upright in bad conditions.
Most of us mere mortals probably won’t make it to the podium on day one. Career is humbling. I thought I knew how to ride when I showed up to my first race. Boy was I wrong… After a few turns, I asked if I could finish. Riding home, I asked if I could still race. That night I asked if I was happy. After a week or so, I realized I had so much fun and couldn’t wait to do it again.
For some, staring defeat in the face is a motivator. They feel compelled to keep going, just to finish. That’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so don’t forget what makes cycling “fun” for you. There’s nothing wrong with signing up to “trail ride” a race and just enjoy access to fresh singletrack that you wouldn’t have a chance to ride otherwise. Looking back at some of the tracks I rode, I wish I had slowed down to enjoy the scenery. Above all, don’t sacrifice your body or your bike just to cross the finish line. Also, there are course marshalls throughout the trail to help keep people moving along the track. I’ve seen course marshalls bike up steep hill climbs for trail riders to keep people going.
This answer will be different for everyone. From my perspective, I struggle with starting, sharp turns at high speeds, and generally staying on the bike. I find that most people struggle with hills, both ascents, and steep descents, and especially what to do when they get “stuck”. It’s worth your time to find a place to ride locally and practice all of these things. Be willing to get stuck, try obstacles you find scary, and work on improving your balance on and off the bike. Doing the hard things slowly will pay dividends later.
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You also need to know some basic maintenance on your bike. What to worry about when you are having trouble starting it. Knowing how to fix a flat tire is also a smart skill; not necessary for the first race, but it will probably make it more enjoyable if you get a flat, compared to packing up a broken bike and going home. I also recommend you know what basic tools you need to work on your bike so you can carry some, along with some small tools while racing. I bent foot pedals, twisted front forks, and knocked handguards were often requested in early races, those things are pretty annoying when you’re already struggling through a race. A set of vice grips, zip ties, and an Allen wrench can