Fire away with your queries, MTB related or otherwise. Send your questions to neil@neildonoghuecoaching.co.uk
Hey Neil,
I found your web page after flicking through old copies of MBUK and after looking at your site something on the “Ask The Don” section of the home page caught my eye “Want to start racing but dont know where to begin?”
This has been going round in my head for almost a year now, and some advice from someone who has actually been there would be much appreciated.
The racing i would like to get into would be of the Gravity variety, either DH or Enduro DH stuff. I am in the forces and currently live in the north of england in yorkshire.
I am aware of the Northern Downhill series and the 661 gravity enduro series, however the people i have spoken to have talked about race licences, british cycling memberships and some kind of point based system, all of which have confused me a little!! What do i need to enter races? and what would you reccommend? I ride a Giant Reign X1.
Your experience, advice and insight will be greatly appreciated.
Nick
Hi Nick,
I started racing years ago now, back in the mid 90s. Then you had a lot less choice of regional series’ so you pretty much had to jump in at the deep end and go to the nationals.
Now there is a good choice of regional and grass roots races.
For national races (now called BDS- British Downhill Series) you need a race license from British Cycling if you want to compete and gain points.
I would definitely try a regional race to try it out and see if you like it. I can’t recommend the Pearce Cycles races enough. They are really well organized with a great bunch of people running them. The tracks are good, nothing too crazy and have a pretty relaxed atmosphere. You don’t need a Dh bike, people will be racing on all sorts. Obviously a Dh bike makes your life a bit easier, but not essential.
At most Dh races you will be seeded for your race run. Meaning that the less experienced/ slower riders go first and the fastest go last. So you should be following (and be followed by) someone of a similar ability, meaning you shouldn’t have to worry about getting in the way of anyone.
I’m not 100% sure, but I think you can enter the Pierce series without a license or points. They are a great stepping stone up to the BDS.
The new 661 Gravity Enduro series may be a really good option for you. They are the most relaxed races I have been to and really cater for the general Mountain biker. People ride on anything from hard tails to 6 inch trail bikes. You don’t need a license, just get your entry in early. You are timed on 5 (mainly Dh) stages on the Sunday and the ride between stages is very social, with a bit of banter thrown in.
Racing can be the best fun you ever have on your bike. Just remember you are there to have fun. Everyone feels some nerves but the ones who enjoy it the most always do the best. Remember everyone started somewhere and for every 16 year old in their dads motor home with a 6 grand bike there are 20 guys on second bikes they pieced together off eBay.
Cheers,
Neil
Hello there, Neil!
I am Max from Romania. Obviously you don’t know me. I added you earlier this year since I am a fan of your riding, I find some of the footage you’ve had in Earthed very smooth and the MBUK/Santa Cruz team around Will Longden had to be one the coolest teams ever. Rant over, it’s not about this.
I just read your tweet on Vital about the Lobo and I happen to have one around. This is a bike with a lot of history for us. It first belonged to a friend in the US who raced a year of NORBA events on it, then he passed it on to another good friend who took it twice to national championships victories and some Red Bull events. After that he put a Shiver on, cracked the frame and repaired it. I got my hands on it in 2006 and raced it myself with decent results on national level from 2007 to 2009. After I got a proper modern DH bike I gave this bike to two of our more talented kids in the area, who couldn’t afford a DH bike. The cool thing is, they both got sponsors because racing this bike to good results. The best placing it’s got has to be a 5th in Elite on the most demanding track in the country, in a field of Session 88′s, V-10′s, Supremes and other newschool bikes. The frame is cracked again and I thought about retiring it this winter after some 11 years of prolific racing. The only thing is that now I found a good frame for a low price somewhere in Mexico and think about keeping this bike alive, since we have some more fellas without a full suspension bike… You catch my drift.
Do you have any more parts from your Lobo? You mentioned something about Rock Shox cable pull disc brakes, maybe there is some more… If you have some time and think it’s worth it, please let me know! Tell me what you have, if you still have something, and we’ll figure put a price.
Thank you for your patience!
Have a great day!
Mx
Hi Max,
thanks for the email. Sounds like you have a pretty cool scene going on in Romania.It’s great that you are helping out kids by passing down the kit. I cant believe that you have got an 11 year old Lobo still going strong after cracking twice!
Maybe i was being a little harsh on the old Lobo’s, at least you haven’t got a thermoplastic one- i hope! I raced the junior World Championships in Are, Sweden in 1999 on Steve Peat’s Lobo because he was injured. That wasn’t so bad, in fact it was pretty cool, some nice factory GT touches.
Well i would be glad to help, i will have a rummage around in the garage, i’m sure i have the old brakes somewhere, although to be honest, i reckon you would stop quicker if you dragged your foot in your back wheel like a brakeless teenage youth on a BMX. They really weren’t Rock Shox finest hour.
I think i still have the SDG big boy saddle that came on the bike, so i can stick in the post if you want that as well. Actually, maybe not, i may need a mortgage to send that to Romania.
Send me your address Max and i will make sure you get some thing cool in the post.
Cheers,
Neil
Jumps and Drops
