Cool! Yeah once you learn how to preload hop/jump it is a lot of fun to practice on everything you can see on the trail.
The xtrainer seems like a really solid play bike especially for technical riding.
When you say you want to do an enduro race do you mean more like a hare scramble type race or an old school enduro type race? Either way if you want to try a race i really encourage you to check out the Local vintage race series in the general area. They have some races not too far out from Pittsburgh.
It is a great race series for beginners. For most of the races they have a class for modern bikes, but not all the races, but they usually specify if they are not going to have a modern bike class on the . FB page or in the race flyer.
It is a hare scramble type race which is like a trail race, mix of single track, 2 track ect.. the courses are not overly difficult which makes it good for people getting into racing. The competition is good but everyone is super nice and no one is out trying to prove anything which again makes for great race experience beginner and advanced. Lots of middle aged to older riders but don't be fooled some of the older guys are legit fast on those old bikes
The races are typically a little over an hour long which is a good length for keeping it fun. Most normal hare scrambles go 2hr +
The race days typically have 2 races. An earlier race for all vintage bike classes and all novice classes no matter what year your bike is. Then a second race later in the day is for all post vintage bike classes intermediate and advanced, no novice.
So you could do the earlier race on a modern bike in the novice class, you could always enter the later race in intermediate as well, the second race isn't that much more different, just tends to be a little faster pace and sometimes they will include a little harder section into the course.
here is link to the one page, which is kind of a sister site of the main organization.
http://www.ahrma-northatlantic.org/c...e-results.html
here is the main, the races are under the cross country section.
http://pvr.potomacvintageriders.com/...nts/index.html
Super fun relaxed races, one of my favorite series to ride in
