That question may not enter into your mind often. Perhaps you have never asked yourself that. I would suggest that the question that you should ask yourself is, why not race. I know that this club is mainly made up of recreational riders and that many of you are going to be asking yourselves why I am suggesting that you consider racing your bikes. You may say that you are not a competitive person, or that you are not in good enough condition to race, or that you don't have the time for it. Well, all of those concerns can be put aside. Let me explain.
If you have never been to a mountain bike race, you may have some misconceptions about how they are set up. Not everyone at a bike race is a John Tomac or a Tinker Juarez. There are people of all shapes and sizes out there having a good time. There exist many different categories to fit whatever type of rider you are. There are even categories for specifically for those who are doing their first race ever. You don't have to worry about being beat up by better riders who smash into you in a mad dash to get to the finish line. The race organizers take riders ability into consideration when deciding which riders will be grouped together.
The biggest reason to go to a bike race though, is the fun. Not only do you get to ride a great course in a park or area that you haven't ridden before, you also get to see some of the best riders in the area ride that same course. When your race is not going on, there are plenty of riders who are out on the course racing themselves into a frenzy. And you get to see it all! The atmosphere at races is great, the people are friendly, and there are lots of families at races (there are even children's races available).
Best of all, there are lots of races that take place in this area. You don't have to make a weekend trip to get to a race. One of the greatest places to race in Florida is just south of here in Ocala. A thirty minute drive and you are there! There is even a race coming up in Gainesville. Other races take place in Lakeland, Brooksville, or Jacksonville, which are only a little further away. Bottom line… you can get there from here.
If you want to find out more about racing in Florida, I suggest a visit to www.goneriding.com or stop by your local bike shop if you are one of the computer impaired. They will be able to help you find out more about how to register for races and point you in the direction of more information.
Happy Trails,
Brian Raisler