I recently signed up for Xterra Lake Tahoe Duathlon. A friend of mine challenged me to it, so we both signed up. We do a different type of race every year to compete with each other for fun. Neither of us has a mountain bike, although we’ve done some “light” mountain biking in the past, so we’re not going to be a danger to ourselves or others 😊

Xterra Lake Tahoe Duathlon

• 5k Trail Run (Mostly Flat)
• 20 mile MTB (4,000’ of climbing *at elevation)
• 5k Trail Run (Mostly Flat)

So we’re both going to rent mountain bikes, preferably identical bikes to make it fair.
So I have a few questions:

1. For those who have done this event, what tips can you offer?
2. Can you recommend a shop to rent from?
3. What should I look for in a rental mountain bike? What type of suspension and tires?
4. Any suggestions on where to stay?

Lastly, if you can give me tips on race strategy that would be great. I’m a road cyclist and do a lot of climbing, but not a great runner. My friend runs a fair amount but doesn’t bike a lot. He’ll beat me on a 5k run but it’s pretty close.
How hard should I go on the run / bike / run? This will be for a year of bragging rights. Last year we did Michigan Titanium Duathlon (40k road bike, 10k run) and I won by 5 min.

Thanks for any tips!