Hey All!

Looking for a bit of advice for me and the Wife. I’ve entered 2 rounds of the PMBA Enduro (Gisburn. Lee/Cragg Quarry).

I have never done anything like this before and have no idea what to expect!

Just looking for general advice on how to approach the day, and how the race is started/finished with all the different stages etc.

Any advice or stories are appreciated 🙂

Have fun, relax and enjoy yourselves.
No doubt you’ll be a bit nervous but that will get your adrenaline going.

Full info is sent out a few days before but here is one from last year…

http://us10.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d0188321819cf91f6b88e4406&id=1c645a0993&e=645f0f517d

Only other things I can mention are, if you hear someone shout ‘rider’ or ‘rider right/left’ let them pass on which ever side they’re coming. Any tricky drops, sections usually have an alternative chicken line and if you feel that you need to get off and walk any sections just do it.

Oh, and if get a puncture grab your bike and run, don’t try to repair it like my mate did last year 🙂

Yep, what darrenspink says but don’t panic if someone is charging behind you: other riders on the stages is all part of the race – let faster riders past as soon as it’s safe to do so but don’t go shooting off into the bushes just to get out of their way, which I have seen! It’s your race too. The main plus for the PMBA stuff is that it’s so easy going and relaxed so go with the flow and enjoy it.

Hi John,

You’re in for a treat, the PMBAs are great races, really well ran and ideal for first time racers.

They give out detailed instructions for each round as they can be slightly different. In general, when you sign in you pick a start time, they recommend the faster you are the later to start. Around your start time you hover around the start point and they call you out in groups of 10 and are given final instructions. You then ride over to the start of the first stage in a group. At the start of the stage you are released individually in 30 second intervals. At the end of each stage you go past the finishing timer and then just get yourself to the start of the next stage, with no time pressure. After the last stage you just ride back to the start and hand your timer in. Its really straight forward.

The most important thing to think about is practice. Not sure about the 2 day event but for the single dayers you can practice on the Sat if you want and HAVE to complete a practice lap Sunday before the race starts. Personally I don’t go on the Sat, but the best advice is probably to practice Sat and then have an easy lap Sunday morning before your race.

Catering options are usually limited so make sure you take enough food to keep you fueled for the race lap!

I’ve opted to do all of the PMBA series as opposed to the Scottish Enduro Series this year. The SES was feeling a bit too serious and after doing a PMBA at Kirri, I really like the format.

For me, it’s better to practice on the same day. I tend to forget everything overnight as I’m old.

Like everyone else has said, just don’t get worked up about it and have a laugh.

Gisburn will likely be a mixture of armoured trail centre tracks and slithery muck, if the race this time last year is anything to go by.

Magic Marys on the front if you and your wife own them!

Here’s a write-up I did of the last one, though it was miraculously dry then…
http://unduro.co.uk/mtb/pmba-enduro-round-six-gisburn/

+1 for the nice mellow atmosphere at PMBA races

Magic Mary’s really, I was about to take mine off as they aren’t amazing on loose over hard (trail centre) Was going to swap for a DHR on the front.

Great stuff all, thanks for the info.

I don’t think I’ll be able to get there on Sat for practice so I’ll do a lap on Sunday.

Wife has a Minion DHF on the front and I have a Spec Butcher. Hopefully they will be fine.

Good to know that I can expect more info before the event too!

I do have a question about Red flags. When you see one, you stop. How do you make your way back to the start from there though? Not back up the way you came is it?

Ive never seen a red flag. But im guessing the marshalls will tell you what to do. Its a really good race series, genuinely accepting of all abilities. Have fun!

I’m sure if there’s a red flag you stop and speak to the marshal waving it. It’ll depend where you are on the run how you get back to the top. Tire choice just use what you’d normally use.

Anyone know what the stages are going to be yet? Hoping I can get away with running a Slaughter on the rear.

Frosty,

My rear is also a Slaughter (Grid). So here’s hoping 🙂

Well it’s not going to be all solid trail. Loamudgedden stage and the woody section after the dh lines will still be muddy, full of shiney roots and deep ruts even with the dry weather we have been having. I won’t be swapping my hans dampf with my summer rock razor tyre but by all means run what you like 🙂

Abigales Slaughter is off, has been for a few months. She will be running her standard tyre combo of Butcher control/Purgatory control.
We will be travelling up Friday night.

I do have a Purg Control, but I find the sidewalls too soft for my svelte 14.10 stone 🙂

I went the other way and ran a Slaughter all through Winter. Probably not the brightest to be fair!

If any one knows of a spare place going for Gisburn can you let me know.

So the stages are up only raced two out of the three of them before. Quite looking forward to that stage 1 🙂

To the OP, some good advice above, all I would add to it is ride at 70/80% of full chat rather than trying to go flat out from the start. Did 4 of the pmba’s last year and tried to blitz every stage on the first one at gisburn. It just resulted in me knackering myself and crashing. Next round I tried riding within my limits a bit more and as a consequence was smoother, faster and enjoyed it more. Of course you may well be fitter / better on the bike than I am!

They’re really friendly and relaxed events with a wide range of abilities competing (from old fat knackers like me to ews winners), the courses are fun & challenging in places but not so much that you’re sh*tting it and don’t enjoy it. If there are any stages that your less sure on (first half of stage 1 in grizedale for me!), just ask the rider behind you at the start to leave a little more time before they set off so you’re not under pressure straight away – they’d prefer to not be getting caught in traffic and the marshals are usually pretty relaxed.

I always preferred to to set off on one of the earliest start times so you can take your time, you’re less likely to get stuck in queues for the stages and if it’s wet & muddy the stage hasn’t turned into a the Somme yet. However you have to get to registration soon as it opens to get the early slots – usually 8 / 8.30

Everyone’s really friendly and normally up for a chat, so no problems if your doing the event on your own

Ideally, I would probably want to go a bit early while it’s my first one. I’m not too bad on my bike, but there’s loads of room for improvement 🙂

Given the weather and the stages which have been announced, I’m gutted I’m not racing this round…

bigpins – someone offered me a place on FB last night but I only think they had until 6pm last night to change the entries or something. May be worth looking though – Mike and Kev seem to be extremely helpful sorting that kinda thing… One of the reasons I like the PMBAs – they’d seemingly do anything to help you get there and race your bikes – no stupid rules, focus on enjoying yourself etc.

So the stages are up only raced two out of the three of them before. Quite looking forward to that stage 1

Loamagedden? If thats the flat, rutted straightline blast through the trees with a funky little bit at the end which they’ve used before, don’t get your hopes up. Theres a wicked root at the top though which is worth standing on watching on for utter carnage!

Well, just entered PMBA’s at Kirro and Grizedale, along with Ardrock and the new SES venue at Dunoon, that’s me sorted for the year!.