I really fancy doing some of these this year, is there a series other than the 661 gravity enduro's? I had a look at the possible venues and theyre all fupping miles away. (im in nottingham). Ive raced a lot of moto cross in the past, a big knee injury stopped me from doing this and i dont know if ive got "it" in me anymore to do something as balls out as downhill, cant do with being off work injured or something, and XC just isnt for me but i just love competing.
Whats out there for me?
Bike Forum
Anybody done a gravity enduro?
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Posted 4 months ago #
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I'm looking to give it a go this year. I don't think it's DH as in the fuller sense, more like red graded sections of trail centres..
Looks doable for all abilities TBH.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Thats what i reckoned, a perfect mix of xc and downhill without anything too drastic, just a good weekend of fun, are you lookign at the 661 series or have you found something else?
Posted 4 months ago # -
Some of the 661 Gravity Enduro stages were a bit more than "red" graded trail centre stuff, but most of it was. Great fun, looking forward to doing a few rounds of this year's series
Posted 4 months ago # -
(im in nottingham)
Think there will be Gravity Enduro rounds at Hamsterley and Eastridge which aren't 'that' far away, nearer than Inners or Keilder anyway.
Posted 4 months ago # -
If I understand Steve Parr right, next year is going to up the challenge a bit- more techy stuff, less red routes... Should be good.
There's regular enduros at Innerleithen- one later this month and another night/day event in February- but a bit out of your way...
Posted 4 months ago # -
I was thinking 661, not seen any others
Posted 4 months ago # -
the 2 661's I did (Ae and Kielder) were ineresting
In my opinion (not to be confused with anything else but my opinion) Ae didn't need the DH track in it and was too much especially in the wet (a long way from the "mostly red grade trail" in the spiel)
Kielder was a good mix of trails and fun apart from the weather
If he's planning to up the tech a bit I'm not sure if I would bother I could enter a nice DH series and ride it on a bigger bike for the money and not have to ride uphill.
Posted 4 months ago # -
im signed up for this......
Posted 4 months ago # -
Thought the DH track in the wet at Ae was fine, apart from the muddy bits near the end, but I wasn't on my own there...........
www.vimeo.com/23684494Posted 4 months ago # -
Haha i was looking at that video just the other day, looks like brilliant fun.
Hamsterley looks close enough, and eastridge isnt too far i suppose so might be onto a winner there.Posted 4 months ago # -
re: the 661 series: they've taken great idea: Dh racing for the non Dh racer who doesn't own a Dh bike, and turned it into another great idea: Dh racing for experienced Dh racers who now find Dh racing so easy they want to race on harder tracks on their xc bike.
i raced at innerleithen and Ae; the ‘new’ trails were seriously tricky, much harder than the established Dh tracks, and if they’re getting even harder next year then i’m out.
shame - they're fun to do, but i'm not good enough
Posted 4 months ago # -
I will definitley be doing one or two events this year. I'd certainly be interested to see if they're going to put one at Hamsterly, bit of local knowledge for that one
Does anyone know when entry is going to be available?
Posted 4 months ago # -
ahwiles - Member
if they’re getting even harder next year then i’m out
Oh, hey, something I've said's grown legs here. First of all, don't take it as gospel, that was something I've picked up from Steve at a race but could have misinterpreted. Second, as I understand it it's not a case of raising the highest difficulty levels, but of making it a bit more consistent. So, less "ride a red route's climb in reverse" sort of thing.
Posted 4 months ago # -
as I understand it it's not a case of raising the highest difficulty levels, but of making it a bit more consistent. So, less "ride a red route's climb in reverse" sort of thing.
that's my problem, it was the tricky bits i couldn't ride - if there are more tricky bits then i'll spend even more time sliding down the hill on my face.
i quite like riding 'climbs' in reverse, it's easy enough, but tricky to do well (no berms).
however, friends of mine who did well thought they were ace! so it's just me being a grumble-bum.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I did the Afan one and found it fun, mainly, bar the rain which was impressive. I was out of my depth for one section but only came in a minute behind Helen Gasgill which made me feel quite good. I did beat my mate though. He's got a better bike now so will whip me next time. No showers after day one was a bit minging. I didn't worry after day two as strong beer sorted that out. Apparantly the Easterly one was more DH orientated. There was a lot of climbing between the DH stages which lasted about 25 mins overall.
Posted 4 months ago # -
If I understand Steve Parr right, next year is going to up the challenge a bit- more techy stuff, less red routes... Should be good.
I'd be tempted by that. The only thing putting me off this year was the fact it just looked like £65 to ride a lap of a red route.
For those of you who want easy(ier) trails do an XC* race and accept that you're unfit, entering a more technical race which relies on technical ability and fitness and complaining about it being too technical for you but presumably a fun challenge for the top 3 is like complaining the XC race was too quick as you couldn't keep up with the top 3.
*some XC is quite technical, I've only done one race and I'd say the trails were easily red grade.
I'm guessing they're aiming to be THE national enduro series for the UK, so in the same way the British DH series is beyond the average DH rider (IIRC you need points from local/regional races just to enter), the enduro series should be a step beyond average too, and as the niche grows there'll be more regional series to feed riders into the national one.
Posted 4 months ago # -
ahwiles - There's no such thing as can't.
That's not the attitude, of course you can do it.
All you need to do is get out and ride, you'll soon be doing the tricky bits without sweating.
Posted 4 months ago # -
To those who are concerned it will be beyond them....sign up!
I did the Eastridge round last year on a short travel HT, yes there are parts of Eastridge that were once graded Black for DH comps....and yes i did go over-the-bars twice on these sections....but it highlighted in a massive way exactly where my riding (and bike) were lacking.
Until that weekend i had ridden almost exclusively in the Surrey Hills and thought i was a bit handy on a bike....i was wrong but it was the kick up the arse i needed to bring my riding on.Aside from the riding the atmosphere is brilliant, there are sponsored/pro riders competing alongside rank amateurs....its all smiles and everybody is full of banter....i took along my better half who competes in Horsey stuff and she couldnt believe how relaxed and friendly it was compared to the often stuffy and sometimes openly hostile events she goes to....there was a PA system cranking out music and the weekend had more of a festival/party vibe to it than a competitive event....i only hope this continues even if Steve Parr makes a push for his series to be recognised as THE national series.
I'll be signing up for as many as possible this year!
Posted 4 months ago # -
ahwiles - Member
that's my problem, it was the tricky bits i couldn't ride - if there are more tricky bits then i'll spend even more time sliding down the hill on my face.
TBH the conditions at Innerleithen didn't help, the Classic (the loose chutes after the black rock gardens) is a great trail but come the mud, it's pretty nasty. On another day, maybe you'd have been fine but you got it at its worst.
Posted 4 months ago # -
kimbers, its great to see all of the sponsors on that page.
Laughing at the tag! The DH boys don't like seeing people riding their trails with smaller bikes and not a Leatt in sight!Posted 4 months ago # -
I'd be tempted by that. The only thing putting me off this year was the fact it just looked like £65 to ride a lap of a red route.
Try doing it a dam sight faster and it's more fun!! Some of the winning times were very quick
Posted 4 months ago # -
deviant - Member
there are sponsored/pro riders competing alongside rank amateurs...
To be fair, you get that in other race formats, frinstance downhill racing has absolute fannies like me racing against world cup racers. But it's still a good thing (I get to say I beat Lewis Buchanan in the last innerleithen enduro. I'll just forget to mention he had to leave halfway through)
Posted 4 months ago # -
ahwiles - There's no such thing as can't.
That's not the attitude, of course you can do it.
All you need to do is get out and ride, you'll soon be doing the tricky bits without sweating.
you haven't seen me ride have you? - i can assure you that there were plenty of sections i couldn't ride.
Posted 4 months ago # -
^And you never will with that "can't do" attitude.
Posted 4 months ago # -
The 661 GE series is great fun. It's very relaxed and unlike DH racing where all eyes are on you for your run the volume of riders milling around means you tend to just blend into the pack so less embarrassment when you come to something beyond your limits.
But there really isn't anything unrideable if you ride at a comfortable pace for you. It's not all balls out, flat out like downhill, there should be sections that require a little more consideration in Enduros.
Go for it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Holy shit, "thisisnotaspoon" are you reading my mind, you've almost got that 100%.
Yes i would love for the series to evolve into the National Enduro series and other series feed into it, very much like the NPS DH i ran for 3 years.
Now if you don't give it a go you won't know if your good enough for the stages or not, will you??
I am looking to improve certain things to do with stages, this does'nt mean more techy or huge drops, after riding the Super Enduro in Italy it did make me reassess things.
1 last thing, how many of you struggled on some stages, but went back to your local, rode it, turned to your riding buddy and said " that was easy compared to stage ? of the Gravity Enduro", if your not looking to push your limits, maybe racing is'nt for you??
look forward to welcoming you to a round of 2012 Gravity Enduro, i drink Speckled Hen if any of you want inside info on stages
Happy New Year
ParrPosted 4 months ago # -
It was £60 in 2011 not £65 and it's staying the same for 2012, if you book the Friday off work the stages are ready to rock then
Posted 4 months ago # -
i drink Speckled Hen if any of you want inside info on stages
Now it's been a couple of years, but I don't think that's on the menu in the pub at Ae
Posted 4 months ago # -
good job were not going back there in 2012 then, found a bloody good real ale pub in Peebles, last time we were there
Posted 4 months ago # -
So when does entry open??????
Posted 4 months ago # -
Entries will go live on 30th January via the British Cycling website
Posted 4 months ago # -
Have the venues been announced yet Steve?
Posted 4 months ago # -
I did a Ae and Kielder last year and enjoyed both. I'm definitely "average" and didn't find anything at either to scare me off trail wise. The competition was hot though with lots of ex-DH racers and I was right at the back results wise.
Atmosphere was good. Weather was somehow p*ss poor at virtually every event when virtually every other ride I did all year was dry!! Mr Parr obviously ain't friends with who/whatever up above!
The main thing that puts me (and many of my mates) off is the price. I totally understand all the costs involved but when you are at the back the only thing that diffrentiates it from a (totally free) normal ride is some times on a web site a couple of days later. Don't know what to do to fix this but it didn't feel like value.
When I did a couple of the earlier French organised enduros at Kielder they were half the price and I got a jersey and a bag of stickers, free mag etc. Maybe try to get the sponsors to give some stuff for something like that?
Posted 4 months ago # -
I'm hoping to do some dh enduros this year, as an alternative to the big bike.
Might have the oldest bike on the track too - Patriot LT from 2000...
Posted 4 months ago #
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