Every week we are getting a question: “Can I take part in the Australian MTBO Carnival if I’m a foot orienteer but never tried MTBO before?”. Our answer, is “Yes, absolutely!” This year’s Australian Mountain Bike Orienteering Carnival in Canberra 17-20 October 2024 is super Family, Kids and Beginners friendly. We will have many Beginner classes with shorter and simpler courses, allowing everyone to try MTBO and enjoy the experience. Based on many requests, we are providing 10 key tips for Foot Orienteers who decided to embark on MTBO adventure.
- Secure a Mountain Bike.
If you don’t own a bike, we are working with several hiring companies in Canberra that will hire out bikes to our participants (their details will be provided at the Bulletin). For these events, you can’t use a road bike or city bike; at minimum you need a simple mountain bike or gravel bike. You can also use an electric bike, and we will have separate classes for eBikes, which are becoming more and more popular. - Map Board, Helmet, Compass, and SI-Air.
A helmet is mandatory and must be worn for each event; bike hiring companies will hire out helmets along with the bikes. You also need a map board attached to the handle bar (for convenient map reading, recommended), a compass (recommended), and SI-Air (mandatory as MTBO uses SI-Air only punch units with 1.5 meter range). Map boards and SI-Airs are available for hire and can be included in your registration on Eventor as extra Service or purchased from O-Suppliers directly before the Carnival. - One Day or All Days?
You are welcome to participate in just one event or thoroughly enjoy all five Carnival events. Each event has separate results, and they are not combined. The Sprint event is the shortest event to start with, while the Middle event is the most technically challenging in terms of map and course complexity. The Long event challenges physically, but is simpler in terms of navigation. The Mass Start event is the most nerve-wracking and exciting. We will have eight carnival classes at each event, providing simpler and more fun courses for each format. So just try it! - Solo or Pairs?
You are welcome to participate solo or in pairs. All championship classes allow only solo participants, but in carnival classes, we invite people to start together and race as a pair or team—with your kids, parents, partners, friends, colleagues, or other MTBOers you meet on a day. - How can I practice more MTBO beforehand?
That is a really good question! In each state, you will find several scheduled MTBO events between April and October. Take part in them. The VIC MTBO Championships, QLD MTBO Championships, NSW MTBO Championships are all scheduled before October 17-20, so take advantage of this terrific opportunity to try MTBO and come to the Carnival even more prepared! - What if I’m really bad on a Bike but want to try MTBO?
That’s not a problem! We recommend that you start practicing mountain bike riding in your local MTB parks and simple single tracks. When you feel more confident on a bike, turn to a local MTBO event and start challenging yourself by adding map-reading and navigation tasks on a go. But the first advice, just try it! - What if I’m excellent on a bike but struggle with map reading in Foot-O?
No need to worry! MTBO maps are simpler and, if riding at moderate speeds with many stops, are easier and faster for beginners to learn. All controls are located on roads or trails, so you don’t have to understand everything off-track. It is much easier to negotiate a road network rather than a complex terrain. You may find that you enjoy MTBO even more than Foot-O. At higher speeds and at higher international levels, MTBO map reading becomes very complex and intense. - Do you welcome Foot Orienteers and Beginners?
Yes, absolutely! The Australian MTBO Carnival warmly welcomes all Foot Orienteers and Beginners to the sport! We see Foot-O and MTBO as complementary sports that can co-exist, allowing individuals to practice and improve in both sports simultaneously, while enjoying more variety, diversity, and adventurous spirit! - What if I would enjoy MTBO very much and want to continue?
That’s excellent! It’s highly probable that this will be the case. We have around 6-10 MTBO events a year in each state—ACT, NSW, VIC, QLD, WA (about 40-50 events a year Australia-wide)—and an annual Australian National MTBO Championship. So, you will be warmly welcomed at each of these events! - If after reading these tips, I’m pumped and really want to give MTBO a try?
Excellent! We are thrilled! Go to the Eventor page of the Australian Mountain Bike Orienteering Carnival & Championships in Canberra from October 17-20, 2024, choose the events, register, and read points 5 and 9 again. And we will be very glad to see you in Canberra soon!
