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I've got a last minute (well, ish, it's still a month away) entry to the Ard Rock sport enduro.
Any pro tips from the hive mind?
What to expect, what to take etc.
Its a superb event, you'll have a great time. A lot depends on your own experience of course, but I'd describe the tracks as similar to challenging red trail centre routes. Pretty easy if you ride chilled, but challenging to ride at race pace. There's always a few big crashes, but I think a lot of that is people getting caught up with the race bug and just overdoing it. Best advice for that if you're unfamiliar with that region is to do some of the practice sessions to get a feel for it.
It's a pretty big day, expect 5-7 hours out and it get quite remote out towards stage 4 and 5.
There is a water fountain at the pub after S2 and a bowser after s4. Means you don't need a hydration pack, I take 2 bottles and make sure I drain then fill them to the brim at each.
Conversely, there's not a lot of feed options - just a snack table after s4. Take more snacks than you think you'll need.
It's a big remote area where the weather can be changeable. The wind can be especially fierce and it's mainly exposed the whole way. Obviously dress for the weather, but unless it's absolutely cracking the flags and no wind, I will always take a light packable jacket just to keep the chill off if you need to stop.
Make sure you can support yourself with mechanicals, punctures in particular. The tech support in the main event area is excellent but very limited on course, so expect to have to do it yourself.
Enjoy it!
Two pints at the pub makes the tarmac climb after more agreeable.
Decent strength tyre casing, certainly on the rear. That you can face pedalling for hours.
Or be prepared to ease off slightly after the rocky gully. Stage 4?
There has been a kind fellow with a track pump waiting for victims to assist.
I’ve flatted there twice, just before it opens out to the wide track.
Do not dawdle if your start time is later. The sweepers will catch you. If you then have a mechanical you can’t fix in a reasonable time, your race will be cut short.
Echo the above really. It's a great day out on the bike, I've done the sport 6 times I think, last year was the first one I've missed by choice for a while.
Some of the stages are pretty steep and rough, but it's all manageable and the idea of the sport is it's more chilled out so you shouldn't feel under pressure about holding faster riders up.
I've flatted in the same spot as James. The only time I've actually crashed was a pedal strike that tipped me otb on stage 3. I also remember hitting a divot on one of the fast grassy descents on the last stage which bottomed out my fork and nearly sent me flying. Just be ready for stuff like that coz the trails aren't manicured.
Other than that, like Dan says it's a big day out. The transitions can be very long, but if you've not ridden there before then it's all just one big enjoyable ride. There's always loads of other riders knocking about.
I've done a couple of the really muddy ones, that can be bloody hard work, but it ends up feeling like a shared challenge just to get round along with everyone else.
And the pint you have when you get back to the arena will be bloody awesome.
I was expecting to be doing it on an e-bike for the first time this year, but circumstances have put me back on a normal bike. That's going to be a shock to the system.
Weather!
Take a good look at forecasts and have gear with you that will cover you for whatever might happen.
Like others have said, it's remote at some ends of the course, very open and quite barren.
Awesome cheers all - some good stuff there I hadn't thought about (good to know about the water stations, and good point about the sweepers too - some of our group are, erm, not optimally fit shall we say, so we'll have to see how that goes. Not that I'm super fit or anything, but we're talking 'not ridden an MTB since last Ard Rock' levels of fitness').
Current tyres are Assegai MaxxGrip/DHR2 MaxTerra both in EXO+ and tubeless, which is about as much as I can handle pedalling any kind of distance. I'll probably up the pressure a bit, especially in the rear.
I've got pretty much everything I need tools-wise on the bike, plus one bottle. Then I'll have a couple of bottles (or possibly a bladder) in a bum bag, plus plenty of snacks. I'm always the one who's overprepared for everything tbh.
Update: I now have a start time of 11:20. This is partly good, because it probably means there won't be loads of people overtaking me on the stages, and because I don't have to get up stupidly early (I'll be driving over from Hull on the Sunday morning).
It's also partly bad because I'm now concerned about getting round before the sweepers erm, sweep me. I guess it'll just be a case of keeping moving, getting in the stage queues as soon as possible and hoping for the best...
Queues really only on 1 and 2 and if you’re queuing the sweepers can’t accuse you of dawdling.
Update: I now have a start time of 11:20. .......
It's also partly bad because I'm now concerned about getting round before the sweepers erm, sweep me
Oh, don't worry about being last, there is a large group of us from Ae, setting off at 11:45, we will, probably, be last in.
I've annoyingly got a 11:50 start time along with a mate but I'm not sure I'll be fit to ride after being hit by a car on Tuesday.
I don't mind being last, I just want to ride all the stages!
Healing vibes Gribs, hope you're doing okay.
I don't mind being last, I just want to ride all the stages
You won’t be sent back if the sweepers catch you. Just be aware you will need to keep on trucking.
I'm doing the Epic on Friday - 11:40 start time makes me sad! Just gotta keep going steady. If I don't dawdle I'll probably go in too hard and run out of juice.
How reliable are the water stations? I'm going to take hydration anyway but I'd rather my pack wasn't too heavy
Just gotta keep going steady. If I don't dawdle I'll probably go in too hard and run out of juice
To be clear, by Dawdling I meant faffing and general hanging about. Just keep moving.
Keeping moving I'm actually quite good at. Just not necessarily very fast.
Both times I've done it (22 & 24) I've set off at about 11:30, taken 6 hours total and not been close to the sweepers. There's normally queues for the first 2 stages but it's minimal after that.
Make sure you can support yourself with mechanicals, punctures in particular
...
Or be prepared to ease off slightly after the rocky gully. Stage 4?
It's a great weekend but take heed of this. I've done it twice and punctured there both times. Second time was with those foam tyre inserts as well. Only saved by a kind soul with some tyre repair worm things.
We’re off at 8:45, was planning on driving up in the morning, but might look at camping options now!
Last time I rode it I got down there and signed on a bit earlier than i was supposed to, was just generally hanging around and I noticed the compere guy saying to one group of lads just go when you're ready, so I did the same and went about 20 mins before I was supposed to. I obviously don't endorse such behaviour, but you know, even a few minutes earlier feels like it helps!
Looking through my photos I can see I took a picture of the start gate about 11:05 and the pint I had afterwards at 16:45. This was me just plodding around consistently by myself (so no faffing about in a big group) a few rest stops before each stage, a stop at the pub to neck a pint of coke, not on an e-bike. Queues at some stages but they move pretty quick so don't worry if it looks bad when you get to the first one
Edit - just seen BBC weather report, days it's warming up again towards the end of the week! Could be a hot one 😱😎
Anyone got a ticket going spare? Sport, full, whatever...?
Does anyone know how the sweepers actually work? If your passed is it DNF? Can’t find info on website.
One of my mates got 'swept' last year on the epic. He basically died on the climb to the top of stage four and was last one down.
They offered to stick with him to stage five so he could continue but in the end he just had to get a lift back to base in their pickup. Seemed pretty chill about it.
Might be different for the enduro.
Slightly off topic and apologies if a bit of a hijack but I quite fancy going along to spectate on Sunday. Will parking be ok? I think the most popular spot is in the woods but assume easy enough to hike up the hill a bit from there too…
There's a big car park at the southern side of the event village but I've no idea if you have to book it or not.
Hecklers Wood and the drop at the end of the last stage aren't too far away from each other and are probably the places with the most spectators.
Not sure about parking but if you see a tired looking fella with a grey beard on a blue Bird Aether 9a give us a cheer. Or a laugh, I'm easy.
Hecklers wood on stage 1, and the woods or jump on the last stage are the main spectator points. Both are pretty close together and walking distance from the main village.
The stages are really spread out so I'd plan on riding if you wanted to see anything else.
I've only been for the weekend so can't comment on parking, but they're a well organised outfit so sure it'll be fine.
£12 to park, was a bit of a walk from the field I was in last year but fine. Not sure if you can pay on the gate(s)
https://www.ardrock.co.uk/tickets
Thanks folks
Suspect I'll go up on Saturday for a watch/heckle/see if I can spend some money in the event village. Never had an issue booking parking.
@snotrag - sorted for a ticket? Think I've got at least 1 mate who was looking to offload his ticket but not sure he's done it yet.
@daveyboywonder no, which day? I'm currently planning on driving over Sunday for a watch/heckle but I'm taking my kit becuase I@m hoping Silverfish are gonna let me have a go on a Yeti MTE. They told me there is nothing to book, just turn up, so I'm expecting to arrive and be told no, or should have come earlier, etc etc... but we will see. Theres quite a big potential sale coming their way riding on it!
I've finally given up on being able to ride tomorrow so if anyone wants to take my place in the epic tomorrow it's available for free. It doesn't appear to be possible to change the name now though but I'm not sure what actual checks they have as I'm aware of people not riding under their own name.
I'm signed up to the EMTB on Sunday. It was either that or the Sport Enduro but fancied the earlier time.
I assume in reality there is really no difference, especially if you put your ability as '4' or '5' on the sign up sheet?
Pretty nervous/excited. Not done a 'proper' MTB event before. The POVs on Youtube don't look too bad though
The POVs on Youtube don't look too bad though
Stages are mostly red trail centre in terms of difficulty with a few black sections here and there, I'd imagine the long pedalling sections would be hard work on an ebike
The POVs on Youtube don't look too bad though
I'd imagine the long pedalling sections would be hard work on an ebike
I thought that was the point of them 😆 Either way, its the bike I have...
You'll be fine - its a big day out but theres tonnes of folk about, its one big party all the way round. Just keep plodding on! Stages are brill (although its a while since I've raced it), not too hard to roll down, hard to go fast - perfect.
@daveyboywonder no, which day? I'm currently planning on driving over Sunday for a watch/heckle but I'm taking my kit becuase I@m hoping Silverfish are gonna let me have a go on a Yeti MTE. They told me there is nothing to book, just turn up, so I'm expecting to arrive and be told no, or should have come earlier, etc etc... but we will see. Theres quite a big potential sale coming their way riding on it!
Sunday - I've pinged them to see if its available still
Pretty nervous/excited. Not done a 'proper' MTB event before. The POVs on Youtube don't look too bad though
It’s mostly fast fun open stuff with good sight lines you can attack (especially in the dry), rather than annoying blind flat corner into blind flat corner.
The stage with the catch netting on the corner always looks scary but is absolutely fine, just don’t catch your bars in it.
Flowy tech I’d call it, no real big gotchas causing offs, they don’t want that.
Good luck to those racing.
I've finally given up on being able to ride tomorrow so if anyone wants to take my place in the epic tomorrow it's available for free. It doesn't appear to be possible to change the name now though but I'm not sure what actual checks they have as I'm aware of people not riding under their own name.
Certainly last year they were checking photo id's.
Worth emailing them about a name change, they did mine after the change window closed. Might be a bit too close to the event now though, I imagine they could be quite busy.
I thought that was the point of them 😆 Either way, its the bike I have...
Fair point, my ebike is heavy (around 27kg) and its not at all fun trying to pedal above the cutoff, which you will be for most of the bits I'm thinking of. To be fair it was hard pedalling my Hightower in the peanut butter conditions I had the one time I've done Ardrock
Last year lots of people were doing name changes on the day for a £15 fee
So, weather for Sunday…. I’ve currently got a Maxxis Rekon on the back and I really can’t be arsed to change it as it’s got an insert. Will it be ok or do I have to swap it over later? My only other option is a DHR2.
Most forecasts seem to be suggesting very light rain... Might bind the trails together a bit if they're super dusty.
