Since winter is approaching and the air is chilly in the mornings, the Vryheid Mountain Biking Club was very pleased with the new curfew in level 3 of the national lockdown.
This allowed for the riders to get onto the tracks a little later in the day on weekends or in the afternoons during weekdays. Cyclists were also ecstatic about the five-kilometre radius which was also lifted and allowed the riders to cycle on their beautiful single tracks again.
What a privilege to be able to take to the dirt tracks on warm, sunny winter afternoons.
Did you know that the first mountain bike competitions were held in California (USA) in the early 80s? Since then, the discipline has grown fast, in all aspects.
There are four specialties in mountain bike competitions:

XCO – CROSS-COUNTRY (Olympic Games discipline):
Cross-country races are held on a course which has a technical descent, forest roads, rocky paths and obstacles for five to nine kilometres. The race varies from 1:45 to 2:30, depending on the category.

XCM – CROSS-COUNTRY MARATHON:
The marathon event is a longer version of cross-country and is held over a course of 60 to 120 kilometres. A special feature is that riders from all categories, from enthusiasts to professionals, can race together. The marathon event is held in a mountainous region.

DHI – DOWNHILL:
Downhill (also referred to as DHI) is a race against the clock in which the rider negotiates a succession of fast and technical passages. The participant must demonstrate courage as well as sharp technical and piloting skills in order to deal with tree roots, banked sections, bumps, jumps and other natural obstacles along the way.

4X – FOUR-CROSS:
In four-cross, four participants set off together to ride down a track that alternates between banked corners and jumps. The races are very rapid (between 30 seconds and one minute). The winner is the first to cross the finish line.
Four-cross races take place over several qualifying rounds.

ALSO READ: No shortage of lovely rides for Vryheid mountainbikers

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