4 weeks to go, I better pack in the cigars.
Do hope its not windy.
Yup. Almost looking forward to it.
Guess I ought to think about possibly starting doing some kind of vague preparation for it.
My first attempt, fitness is rock bottom and going away on weds for 2 weeks which won't help. I'll be happy to finish.
Gotta be honest, the more I think about it the more nervous I get.
First time I've ever entered anything like it and I'm a bit worried it might be to techie!
Oh well, I'll just get off and push if it is, but I won't know till the day as I can't make the practice on Saturday.
No bike and no way to get a refund...looks like I'm out this year
Gutted
I'm pleased I'm doing the one lap Saturday bimble.
Looking forward to it also, but again the training isn't going to plan!
Just hope the rain from last year doesn't appear again
Tmb, get a demo?
Think theres a few of us heading to it. Simon and woody2000 are entered I think. Thinking about heading across Friday night in the van...
Second year this year and looking forward to it- not sure if I can make the Saturday practise lap yet. Be prepared for boggy sections- although Swaledale has been dry and dusty for a while it's gonna get a hammering with the number of riders entered this year! Any amount of rain will make it tricky in places.
Must remember extra jelly babies for the last transition up to section 5!
NoBeer. Was looking at that - not sure where to start
No bike and no way to get a refund...looks like I'm out this year
do you want to sell your entry mate?
Tmb - call Stuart at dales biking centre.
Ton, no can do, they use photo ID, as there is a waiting list.
oh well. I was up there last weekend...dry as a bone and fast as heck.
Ton, if I could I would mate but as above, they want photo ID on the day. There was an amnesty period but it closed last month
I'll ask Stu - I've also emailed Bird to see if they can do owt (quite like the look of the Aeris) but it'll be October before I can buy something
May resort to an ad in the wanted section too!
tmb, you want to borrow a bike? got 3 to choose from
No demos for Ard Rock they said.
Worth a try tho - cheers
Really?
That's a very kind offer Ton - what size bikes are they cos I'm not that tall!
xl endure 29er
xxl cube hardtail
xl ramin 1
Ah I'm only a littl'un (5'8")
Think I'd struggle on an XL - got my giant revolt tho, and I'm considering putting 2" tyres on it
edit - the thought of punctures sort of puts me off it tho
Cheers for the offer tho..really appreciated
no worries mate....any bike is better than non. use the revolt just take it easy. 8)
Aye - it may well come to that
At least I'd get noticed 🙂
Got an XS BFe (I'm 5'6") I can bring up if that's any good for you?
Glad to see others taking training so seriously 🙂
I've always have the three main achievements to take away from the day (and other races):
Don't die | Don't come last | Have fun
It appears to be an awesome event 🙂
Me and two mates entered, room in a pub booked, too old for camping,went up for a days riding a few weeks ago looks class. The thing im looking forward to is racing on harder ground as oppossed to so called LOAM which in Northern England actually means mud.Should be a top weekend and cake too at Dales Bike Centre...
Ton - it's not so dry now. Had a couple of serious downpours . Going is good though but not dusty.
When were you up, did you meet at Stu's?
We were up there on sat and conditions were great
Hoping for good weather as marshalling again
The thing im looking forward to is racing on harder ground as oppossed to so called LOAM which in Northern England actually means mud
Me too.
Aye its a tad clarty in northumberland at the mo ! 😐
The thing im looking forward to is racing on harder ground as oppossed to so called LOAM which in Northern England actually means mud.
If the stages are anything like last year there are some bits that will test your mud riding skillz if it's wet! And the last stage was through grassy fields, which will be interesting if it rains 🙂
Don't suppose anyone is driving to Ard Rock from anywhere south of Yorkshire that would be able to give me a lift please?
Re: Saturday practice - worth noting that the full course will not be open for practice on Saturday this year - event website suggests only two stages available for Saturday practice - http://www.ardrockenduro.co.uk/events/enduro-2/
I would guess that the 3 stages not available for practice will be the 3 stages that form the Enduro Sport event which is running on Saturday.
As for mud riding skillz, well, the bottom of last years' stage 1 evolved a bit between Saturday practice and a fairly late starting slot on Sunday. Other than that, I don't recall mud being a particular issue. Bits of stage 5 got a bit lairy descending on greasy damp grass as it started to drizzle a bit at the end of Sunday, but not muddy as such.
There was a steep muddy bit on one of the stages which I wasn't fond of, but I think the terrain is such that water does wash off.
Pretty glad about only being to practice 2 stages, doing the full loop twice is exhausting.
I'll be doing it blind on the Sunday, i'd rather that than see two stages not see the other three and then make the rest up / "Scare myself" as i've never entered a timed event before.
squoglybob - Member
I'll be doing it blind on the Sunday, i'd rather that than see two stages not see the other three and then make the rest up / "Scare myself" as i've never entered a timed event before.
That makes at least two of us 😳
Let me know what it's like Sam, I fancy it next year but if it causes you problems then I will be killed instantly 🙂
Bits of stage 5 got a bit lairy descending on greasy damp grass as it started to drizzle a bit at the end of Sunday, but not muddy as such.
I think you have got your days mixed up as I was at marshal at the bottom of stage 5 and was blazing sunshine all day right up to when I closed the section when told last man had been through .
sat was the fun day on 5
What time can you rock up on the friday ?
I can assure you I'm not getting days mixed up as I didn't ride stage 5 in practice 😛 It's not impossible that I'm getting years mixed up though 😳 Stage 5 last year was pretty much identical to stage 4 from the 2013 event.
Anyway, whether it was drizzling or not, it was certainly deceptively greasy by the end of Sunday, making it pretty easy to get a bit out of shape. And it's one of those stages where it's all too easy to find yourself going a bit quicker than might be advisable...
I can assure you I'm not getting days mixed up as I didn't ride stage 5 in practice It's not impossible that I'm getting years mixed up though Stage 5 last year was pretty much identical to stage 4 from the 2013 event.
Stage 4 in 2013 was windy as Bernard mannings under crackers, but dry.
I'll be riding it blind as well. 😀
looking forward to it!
I think you have got your days mixed up as I was at marshal at the bottom of stage 5 and was blazing sunshine all day right up to when I closed the section when told last man had been through
The contrast between 4 and 5 was nuts. The marshall on s4 was freezing his ass off, s5 was beautiful when we got down there.
What sort of level are the descents on the sport course - anything testing to get down? I have an entry for the mountain challenge and was planning to do it on the anthem - I'm a bit rubbish with it down steep stuff, though. So I could bring the big bike and bimble around in comfort.
Has everyone had a look at their start times for the Enduro? I'm off at 10.05
Garry, it's not very steep. I did it on the bfe 2 years ago (never made it last year). Anthem would be fine.
11.15 for me, should be nicely bedded in (completely cut up!) by then 🙂
Gives me chance to have a lie in!
10am here, apparently that constitutes an early start 😀
9:45 here, also an early start. They ignored the team name for our group of 3 so pukeko has been given an "early" start time of 11:45! Fortunately I'm going to at least get to ride with with my missus!
Thks nobeer, good to know.Nobeerinthefridge - MemberGarry, it's not very steep. I did it on the bfe 2 years ago (never made it last year). Anthem would be fine.
9.10 for me and two mates. First time for all of us at the ard Rock, so looking forward to it.
As long as I keep my distance from the beer tent, 9.10 is a good start time for us!
10 for moi ! 😆
11:25 for me, I did ask for a middle time I think, doesn't matter, means I can drink more on Saturday night and have a bigger breakfast 😀
Woohoo! 8:15 start time. Flippin heck, thats early! Will have to set the alarm clock.
On the flip side, I can get back in good time hopefully and cheer on woody and simon at the end 😉
Looking forward to it 😀
Yay! I'm off at 8:15 too - see you at the start 😆
Bloody Nora that means an early set off for us marshals
Will do! I'll be on a raw'd Five with Bos Devilles...
Bloody Nora that means an early set off for us marshals
Not half, I see Tally is out at 7.55!
10.55 for me, as long as it's not wet, that suits me fine.
Edit - Bloody hell, just noticed that the 2 practice stages are 1 and 4, they were mileeesss away from each other 2 years ago, hopefully they've changed the numbers!
10.45 for me and the Yorkshire Ard Rockers 😆
Looking at the route again from last year 1 and 4 will be one big ass loop, unless they've secured some new pathways to shave off the KMs.
It's only a 20km practice loop. To cut off the distance after stage one you won't climb back up The Edge, you'll take a new path along the stream to the end of stage 2. Then you'll completely miss the stage 3 up and down and head to stage 4. After 4 is over you'll take a new path back down into Langthwaite and come out by the Red Lion pub, then from there it's about 5/6km back down the road to the campsite.
11.35 I think I'm in one of the last groups to set off.
Where do you get your start times I can't see them...... Maybe it's just been too long a day.
on the SI entries page.
Your starting at 10.55 with Frodo, Howie, Miller and me!
You should have been sent an email reference timings and your number @dair86 😉
10.35 for me
Cheers sl80.
Cheers guys email was in my junk folder.
Well im now expecting the 3 less tech stages to be pretty churned up on Sunday, after the Saturday 'Sport' event.
Looks like my wishes of running the Rock razor on the back could be thwarted.
Anyway, evening pub food table booked, new tent purchased, wondering if I have enough spare parts now...
How much support can a rider expect from sram and mavic there? I didn't even think about it last year.
Is it really 1000 riders? That's twice last years number, going to be a lot of passing going on I think! Yeah might take a mud friendly tyre option.
bigjim - Member
Yeah might take a mud friendly tyre option.
Sorry, started a crossover thread before seeing this.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/ard-rock-how-hard-on-tyres
Sorry, started a crossover thread before seeing this.http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/ard-rock-how-hard-on-tyres
Last year I ran snakeskin (not super gravity) HD's front and rear on tubes and didn't have any problems. I did it on a hardtail though so was picky about my lines. There was only a few sections that I needed that tread on really (muddy downwards sections) the rest would of been fine with a semi slick.
There are two stages (as far as I can recall) which are very rocky and suit a more downhill tyre with thicker sidewalls but nothing more than you would find in the dales or lake district.
Weather actually looks promising SHOCK!
Weather actually looks promising SHOCK!
That's us done for, I'm fitting my Magic Marys tonight.
Yep, well done, you've now doomed us to biblical wind and rain 😆
Roll on friday. Heading down after work, we'll be in a big yellow vivaro and a mahoosive big green gazebo, say hi!.
BBC says rain Sunday? Perhaps we will be fine out under the trees on the sheltered trails 😉
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2639510
Really looking forward to this! What's the tyre of choice if it rains? I'm a soft southerner, we have clay and mud not rocks here. I usually run Hans Dampfs.
what tyres do you have in your arsenal for ever changing conditions?
Doesn't look like there's going to be much rain. Met and AccuWeather forecasts seem a little more optimistic. I'll be running a High Roller 2 front and Hans Dampf rear, because that's all I have!
Suggest something with sidewalls tougher than tissue paper 🙂I usually run Hans Dampfs.
(Only joking, I'm sure they will be fine)