FAQs

FIRST STEP: BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ARCTIC BIKE CLUB. It’s required.
Membership in this fantastic family of bike clubs is super affordable. Please visit arcticbikeclub.org to sign up. We cannot process ABC memberships onsite on race day.

REGISTER ONLINE
Go to our Race! page, select the race you want to participate in, and click the register button. On race day, check in at the registration table at least 30 minutes before the start. Please register online. It really helps eliminate a lot of work required of your race director, timers, and volunteers immediately prior to the race.

REGISTER ONSITE AT THE RACE
You can also register on race day at the registration table starting about an hour before the race. Please show up early with cash or a check. We cannot accept credit card payments. Onsite registration will close about 30 minutes before the start so your race director and timers can finalize the start list.

HOW MUCH DOES ALL THIS FUN COST?

• SERIES PASS: All six races: $90.00 (A savings of $30 for the entire series.)
• SINGLE SERIES RACE: Online Registration $20.00. Onsite registration $30.00.
• Juniors (under the age of 18) always race FREE!
• For Arctic Valley Hill Climb, 24 Hours of MatSu, Kincaid Double Down, and Trifecta, please see these event pages for pricing.

Expert Men & Women – 3 laps
This is the most competitive category. Again, there is no age limit in this category, but it is intended for experienced, fit racers who have completed many races.

Master Men & Women – 2 laps (must be 50 or wiser)
There is no experience necessary to race in this all-levels category. However, to enter the race in this category you must be at least 50 years of age as of January 1 of the racing year.

Sport Men & Women – 2 laps
A middle-of-the-road racer? Here ya go. There is no age limit in this category, and it’s intended for the racer who has done a few (or many) races, is familiar with race etiquette yet is not comfortable racing in the Expert category….yet. That said, we discourage experienced racers who might “sandbag” this category when they should really be racing in the Expert category. You know who you are!

Open Single Speed Men & Women – 2 laps (must have only one gear)

Open Fat Bike Men & Women – 2 laps (must have 3.8 or wider rims)

Beginner Men & Women – 1 lap
This is the place for anyone new to the sport of mountain bike racing. There is no age limit and no experience is necessary. It’s a great place to learn how to race. If you’re new to racing, we encourage you to enter this category until you’re comfortable handling your bike in a race situation and you understand the basics of race etiquette. The Beginner category is also a good spot for the casual racer, regardless of experience, who doesn’t care about results and would like to help beginners learn about racing.

Junior Men & Women – 1 lap (must be under 18)
The Junior category is for anyone 17 years of age or younger, regardless of ability. It primarily intends to provide these younger racers an opportunity to ride with racers of the same age. But if you are an older junior (15+) with significant racing experience, consider racing in the Beginner or Sport categories. Use your best judgment to determine if you would fit in one of these other categories. Juniors always race for FREE, regardless of what category they race in.

HOW DO I DECIDE WHICH CATEGORY IS BEST FOR ME?
Almost everyone, except the true beginner under the age of 50, will have a choice of at least two categories. We encourage you to think about the racing experience you want and enter the category that is best suited to your racing skill and fitness levels. We STRONGLY encourage you to race in the category you are most comfortable with but, at the same time, race in a category that truly fits you. That is, if you are consistently winning races in the Sport category, maybe it’s time to move up to Expert. If you are coming in last in all your Sport races, maybe you want to move down to Beginner until you get more experience.

At your first race, you will receive a race number that you will use for the entire season. It is your responsibility to make your race number clearly visible to the race directors if you expect them to record your correct finish time. If you lose your bib, you can get a new one for $5.

You earn points depending on how high you place in your category. Assigned after each race, points are compiled at the end of the season to determine the overall winners of each category.
See the Arctic MTB points structure here.

You are required to ride with a jingling bell on your bike for EVERY race. Moose, bears, dogs, other people, OH MY!

The policy of the ABC ArcticMTB racing division: NO REFUNDS! It is difficult to develop an athletic event that ensures adequate support and supplies for all participants. We rely on your registration information to provide us with an accurate participant count. Because this is vital to the success of our events, there will be no refunds once a registration has been processed.

Accidents do happen during bike races. Be aware that we do not generally have medical support at our races. If an accident does occur, we rely on all racers to exhibit good judgment until the wellbeing of those involved in the accident is assured.

Most racers take part in our events to have fun and stay fit, so the atmosphere at our races is friendly, supportive, and, yes, exciting. If you’ve never raced but have always wanted to try, this a great place to start. It’s guaranteed to be addictive!