Jeff Parker
2013-02-12
Tim,
Depending on the race, there can actually be quite a few kids in the 10-12 year old class. An excellent introduction to mountain bike racing for anyone, but especially kids, would be one of the short track series, such as PIR. The races are only 25 minutes and they never get out of sight.
As far as xc races, if your kid is comfortable riding for an hour and a half or so, I'd probably start out with one of the flatter, less technical races, such a Sisters Stampede, Cascade Chainbreaker, or the upcoming Echo to Red. If your son is fairly confident riding his bike and can follow a few arrows and signs, he should have a great time.
Jeff