Handle Your Bike
You don't need to be a cycling superstar to compete. A city doesn't close down for an urban adventure race, so you'll be riding on downtown streets and on bike paths. It's not safe to ride at top speed with cars and pedestrians. Handling is the more important skill to master, as you'll be stopping frequently at lights and making sharp turns as you figure out your route on the fly. Practice clipping into your pedals to come up to speed quickly after a traffic light or stop sign. Get comfortable riding in close proximity to other riders and cars. If you're not as steady as you'd like to be, go to a low-traffic area and try riding the white line that separates the shoulder from the road. When you can confidently hold that line, you're ready.
Know Your City
It's possible to have the fittest team and still lose the race. That's because part of the charm of urban adventure races is the navigation component. Your route is determined by clues, or vague directions, such as "head to the farmer's market." Time is of the essence, and the last thing you want to do is waste precious minutes trying to figure out your next destination. It's best to have a local on your team, or at the very least, have a cell phone with quick Internet search and mapping capability. It's also legal to have an "on call" person back in the transition zone; feel free to have them search while you start heading in the general direction.
Know Your Sponsors
Race tasks and locations are typically tied to sponsors. Save time during the race by studying their products and identifying any locations they have in the city prior to the race. During one task, we had to schlep 5-gallon jugs of water from one end of a parking lot to another at sponsor Deep Rock's warehouse. Knowing they were a sponsor helped lead us to the location. During another, we had to run two miles to a neighborhood bar and correctly identify four Deschutes microbrews by name. Fortunately, I'd researched that sponsor's Web site the night before and could recognize the beers by sight, saving time and taste-testing.
Gear 101
Here's what a typical gear list looks like for an urban adventure race:
- Two pairs of running shoes (urban adventure races reserve the right to get you wet)
- Extra pair of dry socks
- Bike (road or mountain)
- Bike helmet
- Bike shorts with a light, quick-drying chamois like the kind worn by triathletes
- Comfortable, quick-drying tank top
- Cell phone (at least one per team)
- Digital camera or phone that takes pictures (at least one per team)
- Small first aid kit (sunblock, band-aids for blisters)
- Sunglasses
- Cash: about $20 needed for public transportation if it's in play, required item purchases on course, etc.
- Spare bike tire, pump
- Water bottle for your bike
- Water bottle or bladder for the run portions
- Rain jacket, extra clothes in case the weather changes
- Lawn chairs for your transition area
- Tent for your transition area if you'd like a little shade
- Race fuel foods--bars, gels, blocks, other snacks