Cheers chakaping, I shouldn’t winge. It’s just that I’m a competitive so and so 😆 When I get back and find out my time I always like to ask myself:Did I do as well as I could of ? If I get back and think I couldn’t of gone any faster I’m happy. Sunday I missed a couple of lines I had planned and came off twice (but then again who didn’t 😆 ) so I think I could’ve made a few more places up but its racing and these things happen. Home Sunday night after several beers I’d forgotten all about it 😀 One of my problems is I’ve not been riding my mtb much this winter, I’ve been out just five times this year (including the weekends racing) so my skills and “flow” have certainly dropped off atm. All my time has been taken up by turbo/road work to get my fitness up in readiness for the Fred Whitton. God I must stop whining and mtfu !

Was my first PMBA enduro Sunday. Loved it. Finished 20th in masters (out of 128 so not bad!) anyway, I decided on a 1 ‘0 clock start time. Noticed a lot of faster guys going later….what’s the advantages of this, as I’m aiming top 10 at round 2, and wondered if that a later time and riding with faster guys would help. I.e better lines developing etc?? Cheers guys

That’s a great time for your first go at gravity enduro, well done !
I decided to go in the last group before the pro/elite guys on Sunday. My thinking was that in the other rounds I’ve done when ive set off earlier is that although there’s a thirty second gap between riders when you set off on the stage I’ve sometimes caught up with the rider in front. The right thing to do if a rider comes up behind you is to let him past when safe to do so, after all they’re riding at a lot quicker pace. Sometimes I’ve found it doesn’t happen which can be frustrating if your after a quick time. A case in point for me was last year at the pmba round at Keroughtree. I came up behind a rider and despite several shouts from me of rider behind he wouldn’t move over so I tried to do a stupid overtaking manoeuvre and came off, snapping my chain. The rest of that stage I had to freewheel it, ruining my time. Kinda frustrating after spending all that time and money traveling up to Scotland. On Sunday during the stages I never saw anyone so that part of going near the end worked well, it was just the amount of mud after all the practice/majority of racers had been through that stuffed me up 😆

I think the pro men had to go in the last group and riders that thought they were fast were told to go in the groups leading up the that.
I went at 12.45 in the hope that the course wouldn’t be too badly cut up.

Simon – Member
I think the pro men had to go in the last group and riders that thought they were fast were told to go in the groups leading up the that.

That’s my problem, I “thought” I was fast 😳 😆

I know I’m not fast 🙂 I still love racing though.

We seemed to miss the queues at the stage starts and we were able to leave gaps bigger than 30 seconds between riders. Except stage 4 where I went 30 seconds after the rider in front and I caught him 3/4 of the way down the stage, luckily it was just before the off camber bit where there were a few different lines, so I passed him without losing any time.

bjj.andy.w – Member

That’s my problem, I “thought” I was fast

You are Andy, well faster than me! 🙂

I enjoyed riding around at the back with the Elites, never saw another rider on the trails because Andy is faster than me, Paul who was behind me got passed by the faster riders though, as I could hear the whistles getting closer and closer. I rode a bit too conservatively and never even fell off, messed up my entry into the forest at the bottom of stage 4 after cheering at the Marshal and promptly taking the wrong line into a cul-de-sac of trees, and that was my fastest stage that I **** up, so lost 10 secs there.

Paul and Andy both fell off and were faster than me, so need to find a happy medium, although my best result, 37th out of 71 in the Vets. Very slick organisation and a chilled out day’s riding for me for a change, can’t wait for Grizedale!

Tom

Glad you all had fun, thats the main thing 🙂

I may have organised but I raced also – was last man off and therefore sweeper. Still “working” chatting to start/finish marshals and instructions on clean up etc.

I’m a vet and was 99th overall, 16th in Vets with a 10:10 and also ran a little of stage 2 through the mud. Stage 2 did seem to be most peoples favourite stage though so worth the month it took me to build it.

Hopefully see you all again at one of the other rounds, Grizedale is full but there are spacers for Rounds 3/4/6 at the moment. Entries for round 6 have gone a little daft today with about 40 entries so dont delay entering any of the others I’m still getting pleading requests for Grizedale entries and its just too full.

We have some great plans for Round 3, which is also the regional champs at Lee Quarry and Cockhill – its a great round with a very natural feel and nice moorland transitions 🙂 Thats the next round with spaces so get onto it.

Video of Round 1 will be on Singletrack first 🙂

Any news on Round 5 yet Kev? Don’t want to miss out.

Tom

We’ll give plenty of warning on the entries.
We have a backup venue (not gisburn) but are trying to something outside the usual trail centre stuff. Its just more complicated, bear with us it will be worth it (even the backup venue is great).
Maybe after Grizedale we can announce something.

Entries for round 6 have gone a little daft today with about 40 entries

+1 now 😀