XC racing- how to train?
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i race road but i'm going to go into my first season of xc racing in the spring. any good tips on training for it? ive found the transition fun, but difficult. also, some racing buds tell me most of the xc courses in so. cal are not too technical- so i need to take that into consideration. im guessing more speed than switchback.
Posted by Neil a Racer from pasadena on 12/07/00
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
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Neal, A rider from Pasadena. Climb up to Henniger Flats and you will get a good idea of what XC racing is all about. Go down the El Prieto trail, a race will never be more technical than that.
Posted by JTRLA a 36 year old Racer riding a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR from Pasadena, CA on 12/30/00
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
- Re: XC racing- how to train?
Hey Neil,
If you want to get in MTB/climbing shape, Henniger Flats/Mt. Wilson Toll Road is the "Grandaddy" of them all, only bad part is , if your doing a out and back, there are no single tracks comming down from Henniger (accept the bridal trail 1/2 way down, but this is illegal to bikes).If you can reach Henniger Flats from the bridge in under 30 minutes, your well on your way.
Brown Mtn. is considered a pretty mild climb compared to most trails around here, it makes for a fun quick loop with El-Prieto (go all the way to the top, 2.5 miles from sadlle to extend your workout).
Let me know when you want to hook up sometime! Joe
Posted by JoeTruth a 36 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Truth from Altadena on 01/04/01
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
well, i have a fever now so brown mt. was tough! i went all the way to the top, yeah!
i don't know if el-prieto is that singletrack on the other side of the saddle? i tried going up that steep, narrow switchback and it was tough!! i fell down at that final switchback where all the sudden there is a drainage pipe and step in the path.
i'll try henniger flats when i recover- im going to shoot for the 30min mark! how do you enter? last time i checked that one gate in the neighborhood, it was locked.its a big adjustment from road racing. all the techniques that work on the road dont work on the trail! its like learning to ride all over again.
yeah, lets hook up in a couple weeks (should be better by then)
Posted by Neil from dena on 01/05/01
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
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Neil, are you reffering to the single track on top of Brown Mtn. saddle (6-7 miles from car) or the first saddle at around 4 miles from car.
If it's the one way on top, that's Ken Burton Trail which drops you into the Arroyo Seco with some mean switch backs towards the end.
If you are referring to the one south east of the first saddle, where you have to descend a fire road for about 1.5 miles to reach it, on the right, that's El-Prieto.
Not sure where there is a drainage pipe with a step? Directions to Mt. Wilson Toll Road (Henniger Flats)..
Take Altadena Dr. North, after passing New York Drive (last light), you will wind along Altadena Drive for 1 mile or so, on the right will be a street named Crescent Dr., turn right and another right on Pinecrest, 100 yards you will see a gate leading you down to the bridge in Eaton Canyon, Fire road starts at the bridge, just stay on it till you reach Henniger Flats (2.5 miles, 1300 feet), if you want to go more, you could be at Mt. Wilson in another 7.5 miles and 3200 feet.
This is all fireroad, but a good training ground for lots of people. watch your speed on the way down, this trail is heavily used by hikers, especially on weekends. Joe
Posted by JoeTruth a 36 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Truth from Altadena on 01/05/01
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
well, if you go up to the saddle and go down the other side; cross that stream; off to the left there is a narrow, steep trail that swithcbacks up to what looks like a fenced in giant, white tank. (its easier to show you) i think its el prieto... its all steep uphill- if you stop, you cant get started again!
well, just before the end there is a big metal pipe embedded across the trail and a wooded 'step' blocking half the trail.
there were alot of bikers going down the way i came up- but i captain crashed right there- embarassing!
Posted by Neil on 01/05/01
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
I got it, you went up El-Prieto, I guess you can do that, but it's more effort and hike-a-bike than it's worth.
The normal route is up the fireroad to the saddle then down the back side till you reach top of El-Prieto.
Posted by JoeTruth a 36 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Truth from Altadena on 01/05/01
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
I got it, you went all the way down to Millard campground and climbed lower sunset Trail up to the paved road and yes you are right, there is a drainage pipe across the trail there.
We usually go down that then climb to El-Prieto,
after doing upper Sunset from Echo Mtn.You were way off on El-Prieto, if you did climb up to Brown Mtn. saddle (parking near JPL), and went down the other side (south east), you passed El-Prieto about a mile before you crossed the creek and took the ST on the left.
Next time do same but on the way down look for a sign on the right that says El-Prieto, this will spit you back down near the bottom of the climb after about 2-2.5 miles.
Posted by JoeTruth a 36 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Truth from Altadena on 01/06/01
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
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Yes! you described it exactly. i guess ive never run el prieto then. yeah, coming up that lower sunset trail there were alot of bikers going down the way i came up. i think the guys i was riding with were busting my balls b/c i smoked them on the road the day before. that lower sunset is tough going up!
have you ridden on that horse trail heading south of the paved area? its a really fun downhill, you can get some air on the straightaways- some really tight switchbacks and one big grannyring hill at the end. ill look for el prieto next time- im still sick as a dog, sucks big time.
Posted by Neil from dena on 01/06/01
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
Yep, that horse trail is pretty fun, it's got lots of areas for air, I rode down it a couple of weeks ago, it's getting loose and sandy, tracking kinda sucked.
Next time, if you are there again, grind up the paved road where the single track came out for 2.5 miles till the paved road ends, on the left is Sunset ridge, killa single track with lots of very technical switchbacks w/drop offs (I still can't make most of them).
Bummer about taking that route(lower sunset up & down Altadena horse trail), you gotta cruz streets back to the car, I know your a roadie and all, but I try to minimize street riding due to strange encounters with vehicles.Try El-Prieto sometime, I rode it this morning and ate it on the last rock drop section, where I've made it a million times but due to the moisture caused by the slight rain we had yesterday, it was loose, my front tire washed out and caused me to o.d.b. Oh well, that's part of the package! See ya around sometime.
Posted by JoeTruth a 36 year old Cross-Country Rider riding a Ellsworth Truth from Altadena on 01/06/01
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- Re: XC racing- how to train?
Neil, if you race on the road and you do recreational mtb
riding, then you're already trained. Most mtb racers
train on road bikes. Race courses are usually smooth
compared to your typical jaunt above Alta Dena. Some
have really rough and technical sections, but the I think
the winners are all really strong climbers.
Posted by Endo Verendo on 01/20/01
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