Think theres a water station at the end of stage 3 IIRC.
Yep, bottom of stage 3 according to the email
Yep normally against the hedge, had one with a sports mix in it too
So who's there?
Anyone fancy dog sitting for me if they've an other half just spectating
The website says bring your own drinking water, and that there are no showers. I predict a run on baby-wipes in Thirsk this weekend..
Never any showers there, baby wipes n dry shampoo.
I’ve seen it says food on the poster, but what sort of food has been on offer in previous years?
there are no showers. I predict a run on baby-wipes in Thirsk this weekend..
Never any showers there, baby wipes n dry shampoo.
Dry shampoo? Sounds a bit posh for Thirsk.
Are there toilets or should I bring my camping porta-potti?
Toilets are fine loads of thunderboxes.
Foods been usual events style food. Nowt special so no artisan smoked artichokes on a bed of kelp with a pine nut jui.
Again any prospective dog sitters?[url= https://i.postimg.cc/CnjsjkFD/20220306-111117.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/CnjsjkFD/20220306-111117.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
A mates up there helping set up, there's a burger trailer and a pizza tent at the moment.
How gnarly are the stages as not ridden this one before? Bike wise its a choice of the 140mm trail bike or 160 enduro rig.......
I've never done it before either but talking to mates who have and watching previous years videos, it doesn't look too bad - less so probably than Ard Rock/PMBAs. Lots of loamy woodsey singletrack - looking forward to it.
Pizza tent + burgers. That'll do me 🙂
Its just right in my opinion, tricky to ride fast, but all doable. Can't wait.
Back again for me, missed a couple of years so it looks like the Stages have changed, I think my last was 2019? No longer got the big fast open stage 5 to finish, bottom right of the map.
Although this does mean theres no monster climb at the end all the way up the bank just for the last stage.
@earl_brutus You'll be fine on either bike, just ride the one you feel most confident on. Loads of videos on YouTube of previous years stages.
Fingers crossed it stays dry!
Happy with pizza! Thanks for the info, hope everyone has a good weekend
Fingers crossed it stays dry!
But chilly today but its been perfect here abouts for a week or so. A couple of damp patches but not more than that, dry days with a tiny smattering in the evening just to stop everything getting blown away.
Just need the wind to ease off! Possible showers on Sunday so I've read. Anything's an improvement on last years deluge/slidefest though
Last year was hilarious on the Sunday, 30 seconds before dropping in to Stage 5, the heavens opened, absolutely soaked through before starting and couldn't see a thing on the way down it was so heavy! The poor wife was at the bottom waiting to watch, instead she was cowering under a tree 🙂
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to it this year, last year was my first and enjoyed it! Hoping for a top half finish but will probably be bottom half!
Well weathers scorching
Sat in the main field by the stream. Black t4, and a berlingo with a trailer if anyone is about
Very pleasant at the top of stage 1. If you passed by today my photos are here - https://www.rootsandrain.com/event10167/2022-may-15-boltby-bash-boltby-bash-enduro-boltby/photos/filters/photogs2589/
How’d you all find it?
Thought it was pretty good myself…awesome stages
Yeah, had an issue with
My start time, It hadn't saved my slot so I was defaulted to 2pm. And on that basis I couldn't be arsed hanging around to try n get out earlier so packed up n came home as I've a raft of jobs to do.
Still love the event and ill be back next year again
Absolutely brilliant as ever. It was incredibly hot on Saturday! Stages were brilliant, it's just the right level of tech for me. Only victim a spoke and a bent (but rideable) XT mech from a massive rock on a transition, gutted! Still managed to finish. No crashes. Fast and loose. Bone dry, dust, top crowd heckling, absolutely banging pizza.
Brilliant weekend! Hot and sunny on Saturday, few minutes of rain this morning but the stages were still dry and dusty.
No crashes or mechanicals for me, didn't get a great time but was happy with how I rode😎
What a great weekend, didn’t finish last but not far off. Trails where a little out of my comfort zone on day one but come race day rode all for it all be it carefully, 100% gonna do it next year. Really liked all the stages but really liked 4 and 1 the most.
Practice was super warm yesterday. Have ridden Boltby before with no issues, but it got into my head yesterday after a couple of tumbles on stage 2 and I just didn't trust my brakes after that so was super cautious and overthinking stuff. Woke up this morning and just wasn't feeling it so didn't ride the race today. Still loved Stage 1 and the second (rockier) half of stage 4.
Maybe I'm just not a loam rider...
At the ripe old age of 54, it was my first enduro. Not troubling the top 90% of the field! 😁 (75th out of 94 in my category, which was about where I thought I'd be)
Brilliant event though, about the upper limit of my skill level, but rode it all, with no incidents. Loved the variety, stage 1, fast, flowy, a bit exposed. Stages 2, 4 & 5, mix of loam (dust) out in the open, then singletrack through the woods, lined with bluebells. Stage 3, a right mix, and jumpy!
Reckon I'll be back next year, but might opt for the sportive, as just downhill speed does not play to my strengths!
Brilliant! My first time at Boltby but will be back. I feel I could’ve gone a bit faster but overall pleased with my result. Sunday photos are starting to appear on Roots & Rain but here are a couple from yesterday
Finished 160th/222 which I was reasonable pleased with, Never that fussed for chasing times anyway (Usually enjoy Saturdays practice more that the race itself TBH) but had a brilliant weekend. Weather/trails/people were mint still buzzing from it now!
Loved it, first time at the Boltby Bash. Weather was so good and we had a fantastic group to ride round together. Keep it rubber side down and no mechanicals so was happy with that. I like the stages, they were not mega difficult but still a challenge to try and ride fast. We had a couple in our group who were at their first Enduro race and they enjoyed it. I'll be looking to do it next year again.
Really enjoyed it, rode really well (for me) till Stage 5 when I washed out on a very loamy right hander. I'll be back next year and think I've convinced the Mrs to join me.
Similar to others - first time there after quitting "racing" (aka having a weekend with mates, eating and drinking and having to ride a bike a bit) a few years ago but had a great time. Will definitely be back next year. All the trails were awesome, felt like I rode ok. Wasn't massively keen on stage 4 after Saturday as it felt like I hit almost every immovable object on the way down (getting smashed on Friday night may have been the reason 😀 ) and although I absolutely loved coming down it yesterday, still ****ted a huge rock in the middle of the run which slowed me down a touch. Hardly done any riding this year (this weekend was only the 5th time on the bike this year I think) so the pedally nature of stage 1 and the top of stage 3 absolutely knackered me.
Epic chicken shawarma too.
duncancallum
Full Member
Yeah, had an issue with
My start time, It hadn’t saved my slot so I was defaulted to 2pm. And on that basis I couldn’t be arsed hanging around to try n get out earlier so packed up n came home as I’ve a raft of jobs to do.Still love the event and ill be back next year again
I did the same. Loved it though and shall be back next year
Yep was there over the weekend and it was fantastic. Great stages and a nice atmosphere on the camp site, no bellendery encountered whatsoever.
I got in the top 3rd overall and the top quarter of my age category - I'm well happy with that considering it was the first racing I've done for many, many years, and first time in the course also.
2 major mistakes lost me maybe 20-30 seconds overall. Went down on a dusty berm on stage 2. Then on stage 5 I didn't leave enough of a gap and caught the rider ahead not far before the bottom. Both of which were annoying because I felt I was riding those stages really well / quick.
Had I not done the above, I could have maybe squeeked inside 10 mins.
I've already been musing about where more time could be made and watching back the GoPro to spot where the faster lines were that I missed!!!
So I think another entry next year is on the cards for sure!
So ... what other events are there, in the North (of England), of a similar level of technicality / difficulty? I've heard Ard Rock / Ard Moors are harder ... so am not interested in doing those. But would be up for something at the same level as Boltby.
To be honest, I thought Boltby was more difficult that I thought it was going to be but can't recall anything at Ard Rock for example being significantly more difficult. Its a LOT more rocky and its a bigger day out (the transitions can be brutal) but I wouldn't say its miles different in terms of difficulty...
My view compared to Ard Rock is AR is merely longer and with more climbing/descent. Technically no different - all obstacles rollable or B-line. Arguably the terrain is easier as there is only a short section of woods in the whole event and generally the line choice is a bit more forgiving - you've more likely to knacker a tyre on a rock than drop off the single track or bounce into a tree. Boltby stage 1 bears some resemblance to a couple of the AR stages.
AR (Epic Fri, Enduro Sat, Sport Sun) - 7 stages, 25 miles, 4800 ft
BB - 5 stages, 19 miles, 2800 ft
The Sunday and new Friday races at AR attract a more leisurely crowd - the standard in the single race Boltby has is definitely (inevitably) a higher standard which could be intimidating, so as long as you pick the right day / event at AR the only limiting factor is your stamina and fitness.
Plus there are the shorter 3/4 stage races at AR that are a subset of the main event - https://ardrock.co.uk/ard-rock-22-tickets/
(I am not a racer)
To DaveyBoyWonder's 'transitions can be brutal' point, here's the profile. S1-4 transitions are tough but it does get easier. Mostly pedalable on tarmac / doubletrack though so you have a choice of whether you want to walk or ride.
Ard Rock is like Boltby Stage 1, 5 times, but longer.
It might just be me, but I found (as I posted on here a few months back) Ard Moors much, much more difficult,. which i think is down to the percieved level of exposure and/or stage length. And the transitions are horrific - like hike a bike on your back horrific.
Boltby is just right for me - I absolutely love it.
I'd reccomend the NRB Events/Birdsall Blast 'Enduros' too - Theres beeen three so far. They are easy - trail bike territory, with a shortish lap and no monster transitions - but super fun, good value, and reward a bit of fitness too on some of the pedally bits.
You get 2 goes at each stage which is decent aswell.
Yorkshire Pudding 2 dayer is in July, I'll be there.
Also - the one I really fancied was the planned 'Ard-Dales', that had the potential to be brilliant too but I dont think it ever ran when CV19 kicked off.
Forgot about the NRB events - think I was signed up to do one last year but forgot it was on! May do the one coming up if theres still space..
