My first Dyfi (and probably my first race/XC/Enduro) in a decade.

I enjoyed it. I think I took about 3hr 30, which was ok, although I wished I’d been doing some longer rides to prepare for it.

It was almost nothing like I remembered it from the last time, other than the long, first fire road climb.

I used my new-to-me 29er XC hardtail, which started off well, but I discovered had the seat too far back (right forward on the layback post), so my hamstrings were cramping from about half-way around and my lower back was sore afterwards.

I was using inner tubes pumped up hard to avoid pinch flats -which I’m glad I did- as I’d not got around to doing tubeless.

It was brutal on the descents 🙂 I was hanging my delicate areas over the rear mudguard, literally resting my chest on the saddle and using Mindfullness to steer.

In summary:

I ordered an inline Reverb post this morning and I’ll be doing tubeless conversion this evening!

I have rode all three times on a 100mm XC HT. I have a 100mm XC FS but always use the HT for lightness and speed on the climbs. The majority of time is spent fire road climbing and the rear suspension doesn’t make me any less Mincy on the decents to give me a time bonus.

As someone who doesn’t like to mince on the descents,even though it makes little differebdllnce to time, the bike wasn’t the ideal -especially having forgotten to unlock the fork on the first descent!

My first one too, got round in four and a half hours. Wish I’d doubted myself less and gone further up the pack at the start line, as I was overtaking people on climbs for the first half, and behind people on descents until the end. At least no one’s in any doubt you’re behind them with all that clattering slate! Think I’d rather stick with the burly bike for fun descents than go for a faster time 🙂

I heard a few people moaning about arseholes who’d apparently been shouting “Get out the way!”, but mostly found everyone really good natured about passing and being passed. Lovely event!

I saw on facebook someone used an ebike this year (has possibly been dq’ed)

Two of them whizzed by on the first climb.

I saw on facebook someone used an ebike this year (has possibly been dq’ed)

Don’t see the issue myself, it’s not a race. Anyway…

Comedy of errors having lost a bloke we were riding with, resulted in approximately 1hr20 spent not riding at all trying to find him and speaking to marshalls and paramedics! And where did we find him… At the finish line of course! Grrrrrr…

Anyway, official time of 5hr12 would have been sub 4hrs without all that palaver, though I did probably have a slightly clearer run at some of the descents than many further up the field.

Did it on my 160mm travel Enduro style Gnarpoon (if we’re putting everything into boxes) and flicked the shock into firmest setting for the fireroad climbs and nailed the superb descents as fast as I could. For sure I could have done it on a HT and probably been a touch faster, but I don’t think I’d have enjoyed myself as much. The other thing was on the couple of very bouldery technical climbs, I was able to get much further up them due to suspension travel and traction than those around me on HT’s and short travel bikes. The point being, you can do it on anything pretty much, you’ll be faster up the fireroads on a HT, you’ll be faster DH on a FS.

4h15 on the long course. First attempt and due to discovering my brake pads were gone on the morning of the event I ended up riding my 26in-inbred-alfine-fat-front-frankenbike. I also wish I hadn’t started at the back as in the conditions the bike was far more capable than I thought it was going to be. Great fun and one of the best of these sorts of events iv been to…loved the disco tent and the comedy festival was great too. Will be back

ferrals – Member
I saw on facebook someone used an ebike this year (has possibly been dq’ed)

Yup, he came in “2nd” and was promptly taken off the results sheet as far as I know.

Saw you a few times on the frankenbike.

I got around in 4hr 30 on the short course. Took it fairly steady and tried to pace myself. I was on a Bird Aeris, either got held up or mud in my eye on the descents but wasn’t going for a time so tried to give people space. No mechnaicals but the bikes not particularly light either.

People can shout all they like, I had headphones in so couldn’t hear them. Saw some people riding down the WC bit with little regard for others only to stop on the road at the bottom.

Interesting that Rachel Atherton came to watch me potter about on my bike.

Some official pictures being added on the below links,
http://www.danwyrephotography.co.uk/Mountain-Biking/Mountain-Biking-2016/Dyfi-Enduro

http://www.robbarkerimages.com/events/gallery.php?mode=gallery&id=190&page=1

Headphones???

Yup, he came in “2nd” and was promptly taken off the results sheet as far as I know.

Ha – Ha – i wonder if Nick Craig was aware that the person chasing him was powered by electrickery!!!

Aristotle – Member
Headphones???

Don’t get it either

qwerty – Member
Yup, he came in “2nd” and was promptly taken off the results sheet as far as I know.
Ha – Ha – i wonder if Nick Craig was aware that the person chasing him was powered by electrickery!!!

Well it was a Scott eBike, so maybe 😆

Saying that there was a guy who raced the fun category (or whatever it was) in the first round of the Welsh XC series on an eBike too, wonder if it’s the same guy?

I’m going to do it on a Yamaha 400 next year

26in-inbred-alfine-fat-front-frankenbike

Oh hey I saw the frankenbike too, swapped places with you for a fair bit. I was the wasted looking beardy git on the green Pivot that was making very expensive noises towards the end. I kept thinking you had a pretty good choice of bike for the conditions, but you’d probably have put five more minutes into my time if you’d had a dropper, I only caught you back up when you were moving your seatpost. 😉

I didn’t know that e-bikes weren’t supposed to be in the event, I assumed there was a separate category for them. It’s fine riding an e-bike if you need to, but it’s not on expecting to place with everyone else in an event if you’ve got an extra few hundred watts at the push of a button. And if you’re coming in 2nd (!) on an e-bike you’re fit enough to finish the thing on a normal respiration-powered machine, so I think you should really be slogging your guts out with the rest of us mortals.

Damn Mboy beat me by 2 secs on his gnar machine down the World Cup descent 😳
Just back trying to dry everything out, class weekend tried to stay sober the night before but failed miserably see ya next year wife says she is never going again!

My 4th one and getting a little quicker each time . 4hrs for the short route . Was actually feeling ok after a heavy night in both big tops! Plenty of happy people riding , a spot on weekend 😀

The long bit after the beer stall didn’t actually seem that long, although the downhill bit at the end would probably have been quite chewed up if everybody had ridden it.

wasted looking beardy git on the green Pivot

Oh yes I remember we swapped places loads. I was cursing not swapping the dropper across the whole time. Tried the first bumpy steep dh with seat up and was terrifying. Bounced all the way down completely out of control and then crashed at the bottom. I was ok but there was another fat biker with a bandage round his face looking a bit worse off….hope there’s no permanent damage…?

Results are up

Dyfi Results

Pics are up!
http://www.danwyrephotography.co.uk/Mountain-Biking/Mountain-Biking-2016/Dyfi-Enduro/Portrait-Downhill/i-MpwzhpG/A

http://www.danwyrephotography.co.uk/photos/swfpopup.mg?AlbumKey=gFHZvw

Photographic evidence of BOTH my wheels leaving the ground. Previously unheard of!

Were air traffic control concerned? 😉

From Facebook…

Official event images are now live here: http://www.robbarkerimages.com/events/gallery.php?mode=gallery&id=190&page=1

We were disappointed to find several photographers who are not authorised by us or associated with the event in any way selling rider images. Profiting from the hard work of individuals and the goodwill of the event while putting nothing back detracts from the benefits the #DyfiEnduro aims to achieve for the local community.

Another way of looking at it is that they’re increasing the chances of people getting a decent pic as a memento of the day.

Headphones guy – no, no, no. On fireroads if you must (bit anti-social?) but not on the descents, it’s just plain dangerous for you and others if you can’t hear people calling!

I took my gnarpoon which was fine on the first climb but then had to be converted into a singlespeed hardtail which made life interesting. Descents were still fun though.

Had an absolute hoot, was our first time and will be back.

Had a bit of a mare as my bike died the day we arrived. dazh from this shire kidly leant me a bit too small solaris which i’ll never be able to thank him enough for.

We set off fairly high up the field and then subsequently sat around for 20 mins while we repaired a mates chain on the first little road hill. Didn’t spoil anything, smiles all around.

So i’m being irresponsible for wearing headphones, not the person behind who cant control their bike or feels the need to make a dirty pass?

As far as i’m concerned no one is there making a living out of riding the event so if they cant pass cleanly then they shouldn’t make the move. Shouting “on your left/right” doesn’t give you right of way/permission to buzz past people. I got held up but I gave the rider in front space and only passed when safe to do so, I suspect most others were just as courteous so dont see the issue.

I was riding on my own, I was still chatting to people but it helped ease the boredom on some of the climbs.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBCq8XDgrP0[/video]

Never mind ebikes, what about this:
http://www.danwyrephotography.co.uk/Mountain-Biking/Mountain-Biking-2016/Dyfi-Enduro/Landscape-Jmp/i-CwpqwDW/A

And all when this guy did the whole thing carrying his bike:
http://www.danwyrephotography.co.uk/Mountain-Biking/Mountain-Biking-2016/Dyfi-Enduro/Landscape-Jmp/i-xjhx8vg/A

People buying pictures…. Are you getting the 4Mpix or the Original?
Much difference?

^ yeah, all that plus I saw some bloke getting a ride on the back of a quad bike! Looked like someone had already punched him in the face though, hope he wasn’t injured too badly 🙂

coppice – Member
So i’m being irresponsible for wearing headphones,

On an event like that, yes you are.

not the person behind who cant control their bike or feels the need to make a dirty pass?

If people are making bad passes they also are being irresponsible, the two things are not exclusive. But if you’re getting in the way and haven’t heard because you’ve got earphones then you’ll encourage daft passes.

mrhoppy +1

But if you’re getting in the way and haven’t heard because you’ve got earphones then you’ll encourage daft passes.

is victim blaming….

deaf riders..? S’no good shouting at them.

1. No one is “getting in the way” they have every right to be there
2. The responsibility for safe passing is with the passer, not the passee, if you can’t get past safely, then it’s probably best to do it somewhere else where you can. (see point 1)

IMO. Obviously

edit: marshalling is a different thing mind you. If you’ve got headphones in and you can’t hear instructions, then you’re at fault.

is victim blaming….

No it’s not, I said people making daft passes were being irresponsible, doesn’t mean it doesn’t increase the chances.

And there is a difference between hearing and not immediately moving and being oblivious because you’ve got earphones in during a mass start event (which is not on IMO).

Still not a good idea to intentionally make yourself deaf to those asking to pass. They may mistake a move by you as the all clear to pass.

Still not a good idea to intentionally make yourself deaf to those asking to pass

Again; deaf riders? How?

“I’m sorry I made the irresponsible pass on you that caused us both to crash, I had to as you were wearing earphones…”

😆

An event like what? A fun challenge event that serves beer on course? I think your taking it a bit to seriously if your genuinely concerned about being held up.

What if i were hard of hearing or had tinnitus? Should i not be allowed to ride?

I like a lot of other people got held up on the descents, thats life. I can only go as fast as the guy in front until I can make a clean pass and get held up by the next guy in front. Its common sense and general trail centre/skiing/trackday etiquette. Even if someone did shout something from behind me I wouldn’t turn to look mid descent and probably wouldn’t have time to react.

If you want to bomb down the descents with a clear run doing it with 600+ riders probably isn’t the best time to do it.

I was aware of my surroundings, could hear any loud noises and didn’t unduly obstruct anyone.

An event like what? A fun challenge event that serves beer on course? I think your taking it a bit to seriously if your genuinely concerned about being held up.
What if i were hard of hearing or had tinnitus? Should i not be allowed to ride?

An event like a mass start ride with several hundred riders of mixed ability where there’s a fair chance you need to be aware of what’s going on all around you. You want to wear them when you’re out on your own, cool.

But you aren’t deaf or suffering from tinnitus, you’re wearing earphones, you’re actively reducing your ability to hear in a busy ride, it’s dumb and irresponsible. Don’t go trying to align your irresponsible actions with someone with genuine physical issues.

We were disappointed to find several photographers who are not authorised by us or associated with the event in any way selling rider images.

Its unfortunate, but Rob Barker’s pics (of me) weren’t very good, or in very good locations.

No one is “getting in the way” they have every right to be there

Slower riders don’t have the right to hold up faster riders. Both sets of riders should use common sense and courtesy so everyone gets to have fun.

Riding with headphones on so you’re completely oblivious to others around you is both selfish and dangerous, and is banned by most events.

For one thing, there’s every chance that the rider shouting a warning is not an aggro eejit but a well-meaning novice who’s lost control and is trying to save both of you from impending doom.