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Gerald Fusil is a man who always puts his ideas into action and others follow. The founder of the Raid Gauloises, The world’s first true expedition race is always on the lookout to expand the sport. The cost of competing in adventure racing has reached a level that few teams can now afford. Organisers and adventure racers are faced with high travel and insurance costs. One way to attract racers is to offer large sums in prize money, and top teams can make a living, but what about the average racer.

Last Year, During the annual Reunion D’Aventures race, Gerard Fusil added a bike and run discipline which required the four person team to share two mountain bikes during a couple of legs of the race. The trial was a success as teams were forced to think of tactics to complete the legs in the fastest possible way. Some teams doubled up on the downhill sections, others stayed, whilst the more successful set up a relay system with the rider going a set distance before leaving the bike at the edge of the track for their team mate, who would get on and then leapfrog them.

Gerard Fusil saw an opportunity to return once again to the basis of Expedition Adventure Racing. Providing teams the chance to explore a country, interface with the local population and race in exotic locations with out the need to transport large amounts of gear. Gerard Fusil announced his ideas at the Reunion D’Aventures prize giving and the world waited with bated breadth.

September 2005 saw Gerard Fusil Launch the Bike and Run Concept to the World with the Oman Adventure. Details were brief, two person teams to share one bike with only one person to be on the bike at one time. The race would be run in a number of stages including a night stage and teams had to be prepared to camp in the wild. Time was short so Gerard Fusil used the course notes from the 1992 Raid Gauloises for parts of the course.

Gerald Fusil made one other departure from the norm by pre-announcing the lengths of each stay and the names of the overnight camps. The race was to take place on the East Coast of Oman, however some of the place names were only known to the locals.

December 2005. A barmy evening camped by the sea saw Gerard Fusil briefing the gathered teams from France, Oman, UK, Réunion, Austria, Holland and Australia. Most teams had arrived in the morning so had little time to prepare. Support vehicles were shared by two teams, so competitors spent the night poring over maps and packing gear into the vehicles by torchlight.

The following day at dawn a convoy of vehicles transported the team to the start line in a nearby Wadi. The first day included a section of running only along goat tracks and this proved to be decisive as the Australian and one local Omani team got lost allowing a French team to build an unassailable lead.

Later in the week Gerard Fusil had mapped out the course with a 17k twisting climb from the sea to 1500 metres and also a section of canyoning with a number of swims.

Gerard Fusil had arranged camping or bivouacs in a number of scenic areas, with the stages starting in the early morning most teams would finish around mid-day or early afternoon.

The terrain in Oman is varied from lush oasis to harsh rocky hillsides and of course seas of sandiness where the teams finished the race. Gerard Fusil held the prize giving in Muscat the winners being a husband and wife team Wilsa Sport Helly Hansen from France. Second place went to the Australians and a Local Omani team came in third.

Teams came from many different backgrounds, Adventure racers, tri-athletes, marathon runners, mountain bikers; the final count saw adventure racers however leading the way.

Virtually all teams adopted the general tactic of leap frogging, however there were at least a couple of incidents when teams missed the bike, including one on the long climb for an all female team which required an extra 4k to be covered to collect the bike!

Participating in a mountain bike race is a tough and demanding commitment and requires advance preparation. Since these races can be extremely competitive and dangerous, it’s important that you put enough time and effort to get yourself ready for the competition.

An individual aspiring to participate in the mountain bike race should ensure that his actual preparations involve becoming part of mountain bike club, taking steps like checking on the biking equipment, researching the track and getting information to help him face the possibilities during such events.

Membership of a Mountain Bike Club

This is an essential step towards your goal of participating in a mountain biking race. Joining a Mountain Biking Club can prove beneficial to you.

A few benefits are that you get to interact and learn from other biking enthusiasts. You will also benefit from their training methods which will include a trainer or companion who will ride with you on actual trails thus providing the necessary practice and experience that you may require before participating in the race.

If you join a Mountain biking club then you become accountable to the other members. Being accountable to other members will encourage you to give your best each time, to focus on your goal and will always keep you high spirited and eager for your training sessions. Thus the accountability aspect can be advantageous to you in the long run as a mountain bike racer.

Another significant advantage is that you will be able to share the experience, advice and information of the other members of your club. You will thus not only learn more about mountain bike racing but also about various races and the locations where they are held.

Preparing yourself for the race

As mentioned before, preparation of your equipment should be an important part of you pre-race preparations. Basic equipment like shoes, money, extra clothes for a change and towels should be packed and kept ready. Also to be considered is the possibility of changes in weather that you may to experience during the race and equipments to match probable weather changes should also be packed.

Practical Tips to be adhered on the Day of the Race

It is not only important to have your equipments ready for the day of the race but it is equally important to get physically prepared as well. For instance, you should hydrate your body by drinking adequate water before the race and also have a breakfast high in carbohydrates. Breads like bagels, waffles, pancakes etc. are high in carbohydrates and are ideal to be eaten for breakfast before participating in a strenuous sport like mountain bike racing.

Once the necessary physical and equipment preparations are done, the next task should be of mapping the track to safeguard yourself from eventualities. Mapping helps you to be aware of the type of track you may have to ride on and help you get ready to face tracks with loose gravel, water, pot holes etc. The final step should be doing a few warm up exercise which will help your blood circulation, muscle loosening and toning of your body to avoid serious physical injuries.

If you are a bicycle enthusiast and you like to watch or participate in bike racing then this article is for you! Here are various biking tidbits along with some basic information and specifications that you might need.

Racing Bike Construction

A competition bicycle is constructed with light aluminum and dual carbon fiber chain and seat stays. It is very light with an elevated seat to offer vibrant attitude to the rider. The front and rear wheels are closely set for quick maneuvering.

Racing Bike Wheels

For superior aerodynamic effectiveness, the competition wheel has a triangular cross-section that creates a teardrop with the tire. The quantities of spokes in the wheel are relatively low– the rationale is to necessitate decreased air opposition and to include maximizing general effectiveness. Nevertheless, in the situation of mountain climbing bikes, the conventional box-sectioned rim is employed.

Racing Bike Rims

The rims of the competition bikes are composed of light light aluminum, which is very light and is capable of being molded with no trouble. On the other hand, in some bikes, molded carbon fiber is employed to construct the rim. These rims are lighter as compared to light aluminum rims but they without doubt crack and chip if the wheel punctures. That is the reason that the riders have a preference for less costly and stouter wheels for preparation.

Racing Bike Tires

The rubber tires are very light, thin and have smooth treads to decrease air stream opposition and street resistance. They are inflated to a force of approximately 8 bars. The popular competition bikes contain tubular rubber tires that are sewn surrounding the tube and glued to the rim. In recent times, cyclists have preferred the tubular clincher rubber tires. Conversely, judgment on the virtues and demerits of the two rubber tires remains at odds.

Racing Bike Frame

The bicycle used for competition has a carbon frame. Its workings are as a group referred to as a group-set. Though, this does not comprise the frameset, fork, wheel-set, bars, stem, pedals, saddle and seat post.

Racing Bike Parts

Carbon-fiber is employed to formulate the majority of the competition bike apparatus. These incorporate high-end shifters, brake levers and cranks. Moreover, this carbon-fiber is in addition used to create stems, handlebars, shoe soles, forks and seat posts. The motivation for this is that carbon fiber is extremely light and has elevated capability to soak up vibrations.

Often war veterans will tell stories and paint a picture of war as being hell. It is hell and it is not something one wishes to glorify. One gentleman I talked with said it is a scary ordeal. I said that I understood and he said no you don’t.

He said; Just when was the last time you had 600+ rounds of 37mm shot at your ass in one night? Oh, almost forgot those 57 mm’s. Get a grip. When you can smell the cordite at 7500 mls, you know they were close.

Interesting indeed and I could see where one who has been close to death in a war battle might assume no one else has experienced that level of anxiety and yet Motorcycle Street Bike Racing sounds a lot like being in combat and the Adrenaline Rush sure sounds similar too.

Well I have not been in the combat zone like this gentleman, but I have raced high-performance street bikes; the noise, visual overload and on top of all that you are totally on the edge, it is frigging serious sheet. You screw up one thing, you’re history. You do not have time to think, you just do what you have to do.

The adrenaline is pretty intense, but you shake afterwards, that crap gets in your dreams, cannot keep it out, especially after you been down before a couple of times and end up in the hospital looking at a compound fracture of a mangled leg. It changes you; it makes you appreciate just feeling the sun or wind.

You tend not to sweat the small stuff after that. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

Dirt bike racing is one of the most popular choices for racing for thrill seekers. It appeals to people of all ages, so it is not so surprising that many professional dirt bike racers started at the early age of 4 or 5. When beginners start racing dirt bikes, it is highly unlikely that they will get more than a foot or two off the ground when they hit a jump, and experience is crucial before even attempting to get up to 10 feet in the air. For kids, dirt bikes are available for a cost of around $400. Also, beautiful dirt bike graphics are available for decoration purposes. These are funny, easy to fit, and cheap. Their use can completely personalize a factory-built bike.

To become a good dirt bike racer, a person needs the right spirit and a combination of self-confidence and modesty. Furthermore, safety should be given prime importance. Of course, riding skills, stability, suppleness, and a very good understanding of racing lines are important factors. It is important to watch other bikers when they are racing in order to get a feel of how a dirt bike is used. It is good to walk a track before racing it. This will give a racer a helpful insight into a racing lines and jumps on it. Practice sessions will provide an excellent chance to learn a bit more about the track. Also, it is important to wear proper safety gear.

Used bikes can be purchased in ready-to-ride condition, but the customer should make sure that all components are in very good working order. Preferably, a professional should be sought to look at the bike and make essential repairs or replacements. It is also highly recommended to regularly check the bike to make sure that it is in good working condition and that none of the parts are likely to break. The brakes, steering, and suspension should be given extra care, as the safety of a biker depends on all these factors.