A Guide to Endurance Racing for Newbs

Last year I rode my first-ever endurance mountain bike race— the Merritt Crown. Since then, I've gotten lots of questions.

How did you do it? What did you eat? Did you pack water? How much? Can you do it on a hardtail?

I've put together a quick list of tips for newbs. These suggestions are catered to the Crown—a 118 km, 3000 m, 12 hour endurance race in Merritt, BC happening this June 22nd—but loosely apply to most long distance rides.




Training:
If you can crush a ~30 km, 1000 m elevation ride in 2-2.5 hours, you should be on pace to finish the Crown in under 12 hours.

Find a route you can practice on and get yourself on pace. You don’t want to be disqualified from the race before the last epic downhill into the screaming finish line corral at the Merritt Rotary Bike Park (note: any rider who doesn't make it to the last checkpoint by 5pm will be detoured into town for safety purposes).

Get a good sleep the night before. Race sponsor, Best Western Plus has the newest rooms rooms in town. The hot tub is sure to soothe your muscles after a long day in the saddle.

Gear:
A big wheeled full suspension mountain bike with lots of gears and a dropper post will probably be your most comfortable ride.

Pack any tools you'll need for repairs (flats, broken chains, etc.). Make sure you do a thorough once-over of your bike to make sure everything is lubricated, tight, and tuned.


Breathe Bikes—Merritt's local bike shop—will be on hand the Friday before for all your last-minute needs (June 21st).

You must carry a phone. It will prove invaluable for way-finding. We will not have marshals at every turn. It is your responsibility to learn the route. We also need to be able to contact you at the 5 pm cut-off time (see above).

Pack:
You will want up to 4L of ice water and electrolyte tabs to battle the sun and mid 30s temperature throughout the day. We do not encourage refilling water anywhere along the route.

Pack first aid supplies—chamois butter, band-aids, etc..

Plan to eat all day, even when you're not hungry. If you keep your body well fed, you won't hit the wall.


Wear:
I recommend lightweight breathable layers with a padded chamois base. It can be chilly in the morning so be prepared to lose a layer mid-first climb. We are in semi-arid desert, so wear your sunglasses, sunscreen, lip chap and all that. Costumes and vintage kits encouraged.


Etiquette:
We are all guests on the traditional lands of the Nicola Valley indigenous peoples. Show your respect to the land and to other users.

Yield to ALL other oncoming trail users. Kindly holler to pass at a safe spot on single track. If you are slower than whoever is behind you, get out of the way as soon as you can.

Obey all traffic laws.

When the opportunity presents itself, help out a fellow racer.

Pack out whatever you pack in. The rider with the most trash/recycling at the finish line will get a special shout-out.

This is cattle country and some of our trails cross through active ranch lands. Any gate or fence crossing MUST be closed behind you.

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Feel free to chime in below with your gear/packing/training tips.

If you're not already signed up for the Crown, you can do so here.

See you out there, newb!