Southridge U.S.A. Mountain Bike Races

With the ever growing popularity of mountain biking comes the increased number of mountain bike race events popping up all over the place. Sure there is the Red Bull Rampage but how many of us could even dream of entering such an event? Well if you do your homework you can find some challenging mountain bike races for us normal people.

If you are a Southern California resident and want to test your riding expertise with others your age and skill level then it's getting easier and easier to find races that you would be able to enter and be able to be competitive in. One of these race series is put on by Southridge U.S.A. and offers races for cross country and downhill riders as well as what they call Super D. Super D is a mixture of both and consists of some technical cross country riding as well as a little downhill mixed in.

The Southridge U.S.A. race series takes place at different times of the year and usually has a winter and summer series with races held at various locations. One of the more common locations is in Fontana because it is setup for cross country, downhill and Super D all in one location. The classes are broken up by skill level such as beginner, sport, expert and pro as well as various age groups. There is also a breakdown for men and women. Your class will determine how many laps you will be doing.

If you are unsure whether or not you would want to race in this series it's always a good idea to come watch a race or two so you can see what you are in for. It's also possible sometimes to ride the course on days when they are not racing on it if it doesn't interfere with the actual race. In some cases you can ride the course on the practice run on the day of the actual race but will have to pay any shuttle fee as well as sign a waiver.

You can sign up for the races beforehand or on the day of the race. It does get a little hectic with everyone trying to get organized so it's probably a good idea to register beforehand. You can race one race or as many as you want but if you want to get points for the series then you will need to race all or most of the them. You can also get a membership which will give you discounts on race entry fees so if you plan on doing most of them then it will pay for itself.

Of course you need to have the appropriate bike for the type of race you are doing. The downhill runs can be very rocky so a downhill bike with a full face helmet and pads is recommended. The Super D can be a little rough as well so a hardtail most likely won't cut it and if you are worried about falling then it's a good idea to wear some pads for this one too since it's also on the rocky side.

Keep in mind that when you are doing a race its different from just riding the trail. You will be pressured to go faster than you normally would and if you are too slow other riders will be coming up on you looking to pass. So if you aren't comfortable being pressured then you should think twice about entering the faster paced races like the downhill race. Once you get used to how the races work and the pace you can improve your times and become more competitive. Mountain bike racing is something you should try at least once to see if you are interested in it and overall just to have the experience. You can get more information on the Southridge U.S.A. website.

Posted by Jim Bernstein