How can I improve in XC

[Foxhound013]

Just like the title says, does anybody have any suggestions. I know seat time is a must but training wise, any good workout plan that I should give a shot. Any riding techniques I should try out that help you guys go faster. I'm in the first year class and would love to be fast enough to race b next year but doubt that'll happen lol. I just wanted to see what everyone thought for training and good techniques to practice. Thanks guys.

[brewster426]

Ride with someone better than you. You'll be amazed at the things you pick up on when you watch someone that can truely haul *****!

[airmobile101]

Originally posted by brewster426
Ride with someone better than you. You'll be amazed at the things you pick up on when you watch someone that can truely haul *****!
Couldn't have said it better myself. You ride with a faster group, you will pick up quick. Something I did also is worked on my technique.

[Scro]

Mountain biking or swimming are both good choices for cross training to work on your stamina.

[johnsoninc86]

I'd say riding with someone faster than you would be the best way to get fast quick. That, and riding a lot. When you ride, don't just joy ride, ride with a purpose! Try to push yourself harder through every obstacle. A lot of the guys in the lower classes aren't slow because they're out of shape, they're slower because they don't hit obstacles and push as hard as they need to. They coast too much, don't hit mudholes hard enough, don't hit hills hard enough, and generally don't know the limits of themselves and their quads yet. The fast guys wait until the last possible moment to brake going into a turn, and they're wide open as soon as they're out of the turn and onto the next... that only comes from experience, or watching someone thats faster than you show you how to hit sections harder than you ever thought possible. When you get to doing that, thats when conditioning becomes an issue...

Hope that helps, just keep riding, and push hard everytime you go...

[Foxhound013]

Do you guys think playing around with a dirt bike will help me get faster too? I found a deal on a ttr 230 I couldn't pass up and I've been playing with it a little. I'm goin riding at Attica soon with some friends so I'm definitely gonna try to keep up with the faster guys going with us and try to pick up on some techniques. My next race is july 16th so I don't have very long but I think I should have shocks. Hoping to finnally plaque there lol. Any thing you guys know of that can help me work the muscles in my arms to prevent arm pump?

[Honda07]

Arm pump,haha I pretty much was outside every day in the winter stacking fire wood & cutting trees down for my conservation class. My first MX ride this year, I wasn't even breathing hard. As redneck as that sounds, it deff helped me out a ton.

[kt23]

#1 tip - keep the quad moving - even if you are wore out. Try to run the last lap like the first. I usally have a bad first lap, good 2nd, third sucks and the fourth i can pick it a bit.

[fomospede]

i ride mtb like its a motorbike 1.5 -2 hrs on wednsdays
also i always keep it loose and stretch all the time
and hold on loosely
and the shock upgrade helps too
but alot is mental focus

about the race
let the idiots go and pace your first lap and look and memorize the trail
my last lap is always my fastest
becuase if you ride like a jackwagon on the first lap when its tight u waste to much energy!

[airmobile101]

Originally posted by Foxhound013
Do you guys think playing around with a dirt bike will help me get faster too? I found a deal on a ttr 230 I couldn't pass up and I've been playing with it a little. I'm goin riding at Attica soon with some friends so I'm definitely gonna try to keep up with the faster guys going with us and try to pick up on some techniques. My next race is july 16th so I don't have very long but I think I should have shocks. Hoping to finnally plaque there lol. Any thing you guys know of that can help me work the muscles in my arms to prevent arm pump?
Too be dead honest, I never got arm pump until the day I installed Flexx bars. Those darn things made my forearms work even harder with all the movement. lol Then I removed those and installed Percision clamps, it made it worse !!!! I come to realize those awesome antivibe products are not for me.

[89trx250r]

great advice in here and id just like to add theres a reason borich has his famous last lap charge where he wins 95% of his races cause he paces himself and looks for the fastest way thru the woods :)

[fomospede]

Originally posted by airmobile101
Too be dead honest, I never got arm pump until the day I installed Flexx bars. Those darn things made my forearms work even harder with all the movement. lol Then I removed those and installed Percision clamps, it made it worse !!!! I come to realize those awesome antivibe products are not for me.

funny those things have helped me alot but are physiques are night and day!
airmobile is skinny
and i am not!
everyone has there own fit
so get comfy and it wont happen overnight!

see you at the 10hr
:p

[airmobile101]

Originally posted by fomospede
funny those things have helped me alot but are physiques are night and day!
airmobile is skinny
and i am not!
everyone has there own fit
so get comfy and it wont happen overnight!

see you at the 10hr
:p
150lbs soaking wet with gear! lol

[matt1106]

Ive been working really hard to get in shape for racing this year and the things i think that help the best is when ur riding, like some of the other guys have said, you gotta ride like your in a race and push yourself as hard as you can as long as you can. if you can do that for 2-3 days a week for 2 hours a time, ull be surprised how much better you get pretty quickly. im not talking about trailriding with your buddies either. find a section of local trails make a decent sized loop and just hit it. Another thing that helps, its to spend some time fine tuning your bike, u would be surprised how much little things like moving your throttle or levers helps keep your hands from getting as tired, tuning your suspension is huge (aftermarket suspension is even better). another thing ive made a habit of doing is power shifting, keeps your clutch hand from getting as tired and allows you to maintain a better hold on the bike.

[400excracer]

I would recommend doing the P90X workout. It works everything! It is quite a commitment, but it is worth it. Pace yourself. dont ride above your head because you will make mistakes that will cause you to crash or get stuck which will zap all your energy.

[nkillian9]

im assuming u have a camelback its a must for a 2 hr race, like a few has said pace yourself save your energy for the latter laps, i like to run in a high gear not in the power but not lugging the bike either, i save the hard throttle for rough sections, in the rough sections get on the back of the bike and gas it lol, and just breathe you will be amazed at how much you will hold your breath in a heated battle and not know it, just let them go around if its an early lap, let them wear themselves out, as far as arm pump goes just try not to think about just try and get ur mind on something else once you over come it the first time it sets in in a race then the rest of the waves of arm pump aint quite as bad, and like dude said p90x is tough as crap but really good for your endurance

[matt1106]

another huge thing with arm pump, is to stay loose during the race. hold on to the bars tight, but keep ur arms loose and free so they can absorb as much as they can and it makes a huge difference

[nkillian9]

and having proper bar to peg to seat height, is a big help

[finsteratv]

Originally posted by nkillian9
im assuming u have a camelback its a must for a 2 hr race, like a few has said pace yourself save your energy for the latter laps, i like to run in a high gear not in the power but not lugging the bike either, i save the hard throttle for rough sections, in the rough sections get on the back of the bike and gas it lol, and just breathe you will be amazed at how much you will hold your breath in a heated battle and not know it, just let them go around if its an early lap, let them wear themselves out, as far as arm pump goes just try not to think about just try and get ur mind on something else once you over come it the first time it sets in in a race then the rest of the waves of arm pump aint quite as bad, and like dude said p90x is tough as crap but really good for your endurance
haha my now ex girlfriend does p90x and it is pretty good. now i've heard alot on arm pump but could you guys explain? i dont think ive ever experiened it.

[nkillian9]

get out and ride as hard as u can for awhile and u will experience arm pump,

[89trx250r]

its when your forearms get soo tight from holding on and clutching and breaking that you can barely squeeze your hand tight or hold on any longer.. thats arm pump

[finsteratv]

Originally posted by 89trx250r
its when your forearms get soo tight from holding on and clutching and breaking that you can barely squeeze your hand tight or hold on any longer.. thats arm pump
i dont get it that often but when slammin trails and constantly braking and clutching i now know what that feeling is haha.

[Foxhound013]

Thanks for all the tips you guys have provided, I can't wait for the race this weekend. I'll have new shocks up front and be ready to roll. Anyone else racing the maxc july 16th race in bloomfield indiana

[brewster426]

It's unbelievable how much riding with a good group of guys can help you. My cousin used to race 250 pro-am nationals. And I'm good buddies with Jackie meadows. I've learned a whole lot in the past few months and I'm 50 times better on a motocross track than I was when I first started riding. TT is my favorite though. You just have to travel a lot from where I live to race TT. There's mx tracks everywhere.

[Foxhound013]

I'm definitly improving, I finished 4th today in the 1st year class. The thing that amazed me is I got a bad start and also came off the bike once cause I nailed a tree. Gotta say though, I think the dual rate Jet shocks up front helped a lot. My last finish was 7th, so this was my first time plaquing, 4th out of 18, not to bad lol.

[89trx250r]

congrats man 4th is good :) just keep practicing...and try not to hit trees they tend to hurt:D

[Foxhound013]

So heres the dillema guys, next race is august 27th for my series, but casey is putting on the cornstalk 100 (100 miles or 4 hours whichever comes first) on august 7th, should I run it for practice so i don't go nearly a month and a half without racing?

[fomospede]

hey you might want to check facts!
it is 6 -10mile laps and casey is a 3rd and up track
my guess is that it will be a 2.5 =3 hr race
i will be there so come on down and say hi !
#302 450er

[Foxhound013]

Wasn't 100% sure on the hours thing just knew it was supposed to be 100 miles, I've just heard from a few people that if we don't hit 100 miles we'll stop at 4 hours, not real sure. If i end up goin I may try to come by and say hey, my guess is your racing so good luck, and more than likely i'll cya at the starting line lol