XC racing how to train for it????

do interval training and go to www.bikejames.com

Also check out Joe Friel's "Mountain Biker's Training Bible." It helped me a ton with setting out a training schedule for the year, breaking down when to do what to peak strategically for chosen races.

If you're just starting out, ride as much as you can, and do some races. Move up in category if you win. Losing will motivate you in off-season training. As you get stronger, do not assume that bike time alone will continue the fitness learning curve. You will have to do a lot of work off the bike. When off the bike training time comes around, train like you race.

I found that the difference between Cat 2 racers and Cat 1 racers was simply time spent following a training schedule. Cat 2 racers may have moved up after a season of racing and one off-season training. Cat 1 racers had spend several years racing and off-seasons training. Pro riders had that much more time under their belt. I also found that what separated elite pro riders from mid-pack pros was not just work, but something intangibly "natural." For example, I carry most of my mass in my chest, and have very short legs--a very poor body type for xc racing. So I gave up training for xc, and now I just have fun racing DH, super-D, etc.

Good luck. Have fun!

I'm thinking about doing a few XC races for the first time.

I raced motocross for a lot of years and I'm looking for something new to do competitively, XC seems like the perfect fit.

Any suggestions for a good bike to start with? $1000 to $2000 range

If you want to buy new, your options are fairly limited in that price range. Santa Cruz has a few builds just under the $2000 mark.

Consider buying a used bike. Many racers will use their rides for one season then sell them during the winter at a pretty good price. These days, almost everyone is making decent bikes. Just look for bikes that are in good shape. Feel free to post up a parts spec for further input.

Hi guys,
I just signed up for a 4hr relay race. I'm going to start in a team of 2 or 4 people (no decided yet) and I would like to get some tips on strategy and preparation. One lap is only 2,5km in length and pretty flat but there might be some obstacles build on it.
I usually race enduro, so I'm kind of used to short sprints. For that reason I thought it might be good to go all out for one lap and switch after every lap? But maybe that makes us loose too much time in transition?

I don't want to focus all my training on this as it is just a little race for a good cause, but still, as soon as it's a race I want to go all out!

Hope you can give me some good tips! cheers