Kimbers, are you [i]sure[/i] you're not the work experience PR guy for UKGE?
And how long have you had that wee quote filed away for, Northwind?
Parr did say thanks to me for sticking up for ukge on here, I'm yet to receive any financial renumeration or even a cheeky time bonus on a stage 😉
Very much work experience. Suns shines from their arses doesn't it.
Other races are selling out... Thats all.
[i]its a well of negativity in here!![/i]
They seemed to make it their business to ensure that "weekend racers" felt like they weren't welcome, are you surprised?
Its definitely true other races are selling out, but plenty aren't; ,minienduro, enduro1, red kite, wges, wes have all had spaces left at the end, I'd possibly say the market is saturated, if I had the time, cash and no other responsibilies I'd attend them all!
My motivation here is partly selfish , I'd defo like the numbers up so it doesn't get cancelled
But I also think it's the best enduro series around and I'd like others to enjoy it as well, so I'll keep on praising it until I injur myself at a race and my 17 quid insurance fails to cover my arse or the mods ban me as parr's secret sock puppet
They seemed to make it their business to ensure that "weekend racers" felt like they weren't welcome
Steve Parr suggested i should 'retire' before the start of my last Enduro. As i'm too crap and slow to race.
quote:
"probably better if you didn't race"
tbf, he's got a point, i am a bit shit. and it probably [u]is[/u] better for everyone if i'm not in the way.
(i suspect he'd been having a worse day than i had)
vinnyeh - MemberAnd how long have you had that wee quote filed away for, Northwind?
I was bored at work and read an old thread today, and spotted it. I promise I'm not stalking Kimbers.
I want it to go ahead for selfish reasons too.
Spent £200 on accommodation, sorted out insurance and talked myself into wearing a FF for 50km two day in a row.
I was really looking forward to it to, both UKGEs I have done to date have been ace.
I have been racing UKGE series for a few years and I really enjoy the races. I think its a mixture of a few things really.
There are lots of events now and you cant do them all due to cost (im not criticising cost of entry or insurance here) when you consider race entry, fuel and just weekend away costs.
I dont know if it was intentional or if they even realised but it seemed to shift away from bring about the weekend racers to the elite racers in the last year (I dont mean that tracks should not be really technical or loops shouldnt be really physical). The problem is that the weekend guys make up alot of the entries.
The only thing that I dont like about the series is that you can practice outside of official practice (i.e. Friday) when most other national (and local) series dont allow this. In fact, at grizedale most people were shuttling the stages on the friday.
never even heard of this "national championship race" maybe better advertising would help. wonder what they will do when someone collapses in the heat while wearing a FF
For me it was the whole "if you're not good enough we don't want you to turn up" that turned me away. I equated the elitist attitude to just being cliquey and with some of the comments from the team it made me think it was a clique I didn't want to be a part of.
I'm not that fussed tbh, the enduros near me, ndh and pmba are ace so I probably would have struggled to do most of the ukge events. I definitely would have had a go at Grizedale tho!
Its not looking likely from Facebook, official announcement tomorrow morning
Gutted, was really looking forward to Dyfi
I await all the, I told you so's !
And a lot of frapping about helmets and insurance to attempt to reduce liability of the organisers.
More to do with FC and the use of "Wild Trails".
Its cancelled 🙁
rd 5 will be at Dyfi now instead of Eastridge, which is better as dyfi has the bigger hills and thuis will be the Nat Champs as well, which is probably a better way of doing it, if only theyd decided that 1st!
they are offering guided dyfi rides at the weekend if people are still in the area
@ The Flash, thats interesting, heard rumours that FC are being quite hard to work with these days
so much for being the premier UK enduro event - maybe next year the stupid need for personal insurance will be removed like every other enduro series in the country and they will get enough people to run the event.
If what theflash says is true personal insurance may become more commonplace (if they want to keep using fresh cut stages on FC land if not ban it outright, according to someone else)
heard rumours that FC are being quite hard to work with these days
heard good and bad, as always there are 2 sides to a working relationship. As said above the biggest issue for this one was date, clashing with so many things and the being the start of the holiday season is just cutting too many potentials from those that are remaining (if the reduced numbers from the series stands as the pool to pull from) perhaps just crowning the series winner as the winner might work better for a few years.
Surprised at that, must admit I thought it was number-boosting brinkmanship. Damn shame 🙁
Disappointed it's cancelled, but actually works out beneficial for me as we're moving house in a few weeks and I could do with the 2 days annual leave off work back!
Glad Rnd 5 will be Dyfi though. Never ridden Eastridge but Dyfi will be awesome.
Looks like you and me are on for British Enduro Champions Northwind ! I will get those medals minted forthwith...
Disappointed. Was considering eastridge to but not anymore.
Bugger 🙁
Nevermind, will get my money back and do NyA, Antur + Dyfi instead 🙂 Will probably be more knackered than if racing!
Pity about eastridge, its always one of the best rounds
I love the idea of riding some ukge rounds but unsure a) how slow I'd be (under no illusions that I'll be quick) and b) how technical the stages are.
The idea of having to wear a full face and take out some insurance doesn't bother me too much.
paddyb - MemberPity about eastridge, its always one of the best rounds
Agree, UKGE at Eastridge is one of me favourite enduro races to date!
Definitely a shame about Eastridge. I'll probably be in the minority here, but I'd say it would have been a better venue that Dyfi for the champs. Small hill, sure, but some absolute gems of stages there.
Raced there and Caersws last year. Shame neither are on the calendar at all this year (or in the case of Caersws, never again!).
Eastridge is a good venue, but the stages at Dyfi are faster, techier and longer !
Yet they're still using Hamsterley?
Legend - not anymore
Are they not using hamsterley now either?
Still says Hamsterley on FB and the website?
Sorry my bad, it's rd 3
I'm not that surprised to be honest. They went all elitist and that has driven people away to the more chilled regional events like PMBA and mini enduro.
I don't think UKGE events are too expensive but I think their attitude has really hampered their efforts. It also clashes with other event plus unless you are actually competitive how appealing is attending a championship. Doesn't exactly have the prestige of an EWS round.
Doesn't exactly have the prestige of an EWS round
Can anyone do the EWS then? Not that I have any interest or sufficient ability to do it, but given that you need UCI points to enter a world cup XC (and presumably DH?) you'd have though there would be some kind of filter?
Yeah anyone can and quite a few from here did this year.
Anyone can enter EWS if you get through the entry web site quick enough (think they were selling out in under 10 mins)
I was going to do Rotorua this year and had mates doing Peebles this year.
You could go and do the French one as part of a good holiday with the Mega if you wanted.
I was reading the Pinbike 1 Biggest mistake article and I think there are some interesting things there which UKGE should take note of.
Yeah that PB article had some good points about trying to go too pro!
Is anyone still going up to dyfi, there'd s fee headed out on the ukge guided ride out, which should be lots of fun !
Yeah that PB article had some good points about trying to go too pro!
Pro in the eyes of the riders or pro in the eyes of the guys who give permission to run a race on that lovely bit of unmade trail that everyone wants to ride.....
From this perspective which I agree with 100%
Burn me at the stake, but the greatest shortcoming of the sport has been its religious adherence to the belief that professional competition is its ultimate expression, and in the same breath, that television coverage is somehow going to be our great salvation.
....
Amateur racing survives, of course, but the lifeline has been cut. Cross-country, downhill, 24-hour events, trans-alpine, freeride and bikepark were massively popular and massively attended - right up until the moment that they were ripped from the hands of average riders and turned into pro-only venues. It's a bitter pill to swallow for those who believed they were part of a movement only to be locked out of the game and sidelined as spectators.
Richard Cunningham - Tech Editor, Pinkbike
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/1-question-the-biggest-mistake-thats-been-made-in-mountain-biking.html
When an event is telling people that it's not for them and it needs to be harder and more tech and that people want it they had better make sure they have enough people to sustain that.
Yeah I think there is a focus on the faster guys, but that's all well and good, its the national series after all, and as long as you coordinate well with the local races and series that could work well and it does.
As it is there were still 200 racers up for the first national Champs for a sport that didn't even exist 5 years ago.
EWS choosing the same day for their race made it unfeasable really, with the top athletes at ews and the weekend warrior types put off by a perception* of too tough and overburdened with insurance and helmet rules there weren't enough to fill the gaps
*that's really just a PR failure, insurance costs are minimal and if I can bimble down anyone can !
kimbers - Member
No one was complaining about rules at Grisedale! numbers were down though 10-20% less at the first 2 rounds this year,
If numbers are down 10-20% then there just isn't enough punters in reserve for the round that clashes.
You can focus on the faster guys but if you don't have enough punters to fill the series it's ambitious. The PR and focus on "You will need insurance as it's really hard, you will hurt yourself","You will need a Full Face it really hard, you will hurt yourself" means those who want to think they could just roll down it are not bothering. When I was back at Christmas the guys who would of being doing UKGE were off to do PMBA/Dudes and other events like that (and EWS) over doing the UKGE.
Anyway just my opinions.
and the weekend warrior types put off by a perception* of too tough and overburdened with insurance and helmet rules there weren't enough to fill the gaps*that's really just a PR failure, insurance costs are minimal
other enduro events are just as easy/difficult as the UKGE and are filled up with both quality and weekend warrior types so thats a crock of shit.
It really was a PR failure, particularly the way the organisers treated people who asked simple questions. I mean 20% is a huge difference is numbers. The whole insurance thing was a bit of a mess of biblical proportions.
other enduro events are just as easy/difficult as the UKGE and are filled up with both quality and weekend warrior types so thats a crock of shit.It really was a PR failure, particularly the way the organisers treated people who asked simple questions.
That was my point, same as the one made in the Pinbike article, if you make the majority feel like they do not belong then you are in trouble.
Posh I'm struggling to see what I said was a crock of shit? In that it was a PR failure ??
kimbers - MemberPosh I'm struggling to see what I said was a crock of shit? In that it was a PR failure ??
sorry I can't read ha ha ha ha but it wasn't just the its too hard thing that was a PR disaster
Personally as a punter:
FF helmet rule not big deal as I got one but not communicated to us well.
Insurance not a big deal as I can get it for £17 but not communicated to us well.
Champs cancellation bigger deal for me, been training hard for it, spent money on accommodation but not big deal still going to go up there and riding my bike. but not communicated to us yet unless you are on Facebook.
All in all I don't think any of these would be an issue if we where told why, when how etc.. So PR failure ?? I guess so, shame because they run excellent races.