Races

i have entered a few races here and there, nothing you could call regular though, just whatever i feel like doing. You dont realy need to do anything special, turn up, pay your entry fee ($10 or so for club races and more for 4hr, 8hr etc races), pay for a day license ($15 covers insurance and stuff - you can pay for a yearly license which is about $90 and you can race as often as you like and only pay for entry fee), and thats about it, generally most club style races will last 1 - 1.5 hrs around tracks of usually 5-9kms in length. There is different grades, most will race C grade, if you are particulaly fast than you may go B or A grade. C grade is very hectic as has the most riders (maybe 20 riders), it is alot of fun though and the riders give each other plenty of room (usually) for passing and that, most tracks are generally 80% single track so you need co-operation between riders for passing.
If you have done a 24hr event in a team before it is nothing like that, bit more intense and the riding is mostly done very close to each other, very good training though as you pretty muich are ont he ball for most of the race.
Check out the mtb clubs and there calanders for event dates, ie http://www.ccomtb.org.au/, http://www.mwmtb.com/, http://www.wsmtb.com/ , these are the main 3clubs in sydney area, you can go to any event that you like, if you join mwmtb you can go to wsmtb events etc.
Give it a go, yo will enjoy it
Don

Come & give it a go. WSMTB hold the biggest races in the Sydney area at Yellowmundee, their next race is 22/4 and if you haven't had enough racing in the morning there is a MTBO event there in the arvo. There is also a Wollongong http://www.wmbc.asn.au race at Appin that day.

MWMTB race at Arcadia on private property and hold the best races . The track is reasonably technical, but there is very little climbing.

The WMBC track is open any time and is a fairly technical track both up & down.

CCOMTB Race at Ourimbah, the track is not technical but has a fair amount of climbing (a lot if they throw in Demtel Hill).

Yellowmundee has a few technical bits depending on what sections of the track they put in and the amount of climbing also varies from race to race.

To enter races you'll need to have an MTBA Competition licence or buy a 1 day licence for $15 and most races will coast $10 to enter. Depending on the club there may or may not be prizes for placings, random draws or give aways.

Rob
President MWMTB

Yellowmundee & Yarramundi are often used interchangeably. I've only been racing there for the past three or so years and in the last couple or so the steeper climbs (eg up to the Tower of Power) have often been left out of club events and saved for State and National rounds