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Anyone doing the Enduro1 race at Aston Hill this Sunday?
The QECP trail collective team will be there.
Really looking forward to this one!!
I'll be there and can't wait.
Looking forward to gettting timings and rules etc today. Will be interesting to see if they just use the DH tracks and whether they still want you to carry loads of kit or not.
yup, swamp things or not?
I'm leaving the fat albert's on as they were great at Eastridge but I will have the Swamp things with me for a quick pits stop when I get there and check out the conditions.yup, swamp things or not?
I hope they send us down the black run and 423, I can't see them using STA.Looking forward to gettting timings and rules etc today. Will be interesting to see if they just use the DH tracks
My guess is yes.and whether they still want you to carry loads of kit or not.
Me thinks my general do it all combo of Fat Albert front and Nevegal rear, and like Scott, bring a swampy front if its muddy. I did really want to try xking front and ralph rear as they are very fast and black chilli front is very grippy, but not got so much volume and bit risky for an unknown (great at QE enduro though!)
Right then, whistle, 1st aid, tools, jacket, glasses... all over again for them not to check again 🙄 I will go minimal this time!
Don't forget the KY!Right then, whistle, 1st aid, tools, jacket, glasses... all over again for them not to check again I will go minimal this time!
not riding, but might head over this sunday to see what all the fuss is about.
I may also pop over, I'd be interested to see how they run it as an enduro event rather than simply a series of mini-downhill races.
No S2A? They'll want to show case that track, I'd be surprised if at least some of it didn't feature.
Darn, full up... Missed this one 😥
I thought S2A would be used. Didn't I read somewhere that they are going to allow some practice for this round and therefore I assumed they'd be sending down the DH runs and perhaps 1 or 2 new runs.
How they get us back to the top will be interesting.
Was hoping to ride without a pack this time but guess that won't be poss if we have to carry all the usual gear.
maybe if there is a practice but S2A has lots of non rollable features unlike all the other runs. I hope they do use it, would be a great spectators.I thought S2A would be used. Didn't I read somewhere that they are going to allow some practice for this round and therefore I assumed they'd be sending down the DH runs and perhaps 1 or 2 new runs.
This'll be a slimemare, it's rained everyday since sunday...
slimefest for sure!
the enduro1 websites down tho
Its back up, Shame we are not getting time down all 7 run.the enduro1 websites down tho
Same as rounds 1 & 2 then. muddy or not i'm looking forward to this one should be a real test.slimefest for sure!
its the climb up thats got me concerned!
From what I have read on the site it sounds like the push up to me.its the climb up thats got me concerned!
"There is a section which is the official push up that you must not ride your bike on past the rider dismount signs. If we catch you peddling you will be disqualified. I have ridden up it as far as I could which is the steps and then pushed up at a good pace."
"During the Transitions stages on the designated push up you will be on a public rights of way so dismount from your bike as warned. If we catch you on it you will be disqualified."
Push up route matches the 1.1km distance too (ish) http://app.strava.com/segments/2668946
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE aston hill.. but shirly racing down some downhill tracks and then pushing back to the top isn't exactly an enduro race?
this is being called a 'sprint enduro'
carlos was pretty specific saying that this was a different format
Im considering taking my fr/dh bike but hes pointed out that the transition/push up times will be tight so im not so sure
I think the mandatory push up section will be pretty short, I imagine you'll be allowed to ride most of the way up.
In any case they'll have to use different routes up otherwise it'll be mayhem.
paul123 - Member
I think the mandatory push up section will be pretty short, I imagine you'll be allowed to ride most of the way up.
its a footpath and aston hill can only use it on condition that the footpath isnt ridden
Understood, but I thought that the footpath only ran for about 50m of the push up as this sectioned is also used by the golfers.
Either way I'll be glad of the rest.
By the sounds of it probably going to be baptism by fire as it's my first ever race 😕
Not looking forward to racing in the wet with my 60a high rollers.
Super nervous right now.
No that's not the Footpath is the rooty bit that goes from golf course to the top of the hill. About 500m, I assure we will be going down the XC down otherwise we could of rode up that as it runs parallel to Footpath.Understood, but I thought that the footpath only ran for about 50m of the push up as this sectioned is also used by the golfers.
06awjudd - No need to be nervous ride at you own pace and have fun.
06awjudd - No need to be nervous ride at you own pace and have fun.
Have you ridden at Aston in the wet Scott?
I'd be pretty nervous tbh.
🙂
Have you ridden at Aston in the wet Scott?
Nope but I will Sunday. Roots, Chalks, Mud & a Steep hill. What could go wrong 😐
I'd be pretty nervous tbh.
Not really looking forward to the drop on S2A with tired legs either!
So long as I don't come last 😛
Surely wont be running S2A as a stage in this will they? Not a typical enduro stage, personally crap myself with a couple of those drops so bloody hope not! My guess of 3 stages are:
- Red run/end of XC route
- DH3
- Something quite scary/possibly out of my league in the wet!
Now thinking about it, would probably prefer S2A than black run, I struggled to walk down that in the wet, let alone ride it!
@ lbjones - S2A isn't exactly what I'd think of when you say "enduro". Other than the drops, practically no technicality, and I'd imagine that big drop could be lethal in the wet with tired riders, so I hope not too.
From what I've seen of the other venues, if they go ahead and use either it'll be much more hardcore than any of the other races.
Not looking forward to picking my way down the black in the wet either 😕
I've read that Carlos said S2A was definitely being used, so who knows?
I'd imagine they might use the chicken runs round the bigger drops / only use a part of it though.
Really excited now anyway!
last time I raced there after lots of rain I couldn't complete my 2nd run as the bike had clogged with mud, I was racing hardtail and that event was on the xc downhill. I would take thinish mud tyres, anything a bit fat in the frame will just fill with mud, the chalky mud gets really stupidly sticky.
The other runs arn't too bad for mud but tyre choice and pressure will mean the difference between getting down ok or ending up on your arse.
Not tried high rollers there in the wet but can't imagine it will end well.
If starting at the bombhole end, beware the dip before the firetrail you cross to get the bombhole if you get miss-judge that, it will all go wrong and end in a crash in the bombhole.
👿 Gosh darn, I can't justify new tires for a race!Not tried high rollers there in the wet but can't imagine it will end well.
Anyone think it'll be bad enough to need a full face??
They I'll allow use of the chicken runs on S2A which are very easy to tackle. The black isn't too bad in the wet, it's root canal you should be worried about, that is a run that is very very slidey in the wet. Approach it with caution, better to get down steadily than end up sliding down on your arse....
I'd opt for full face too.
I'm hoping the transition times will take into account the bad conditions, especially considering Carlos isnt giving any mechanical leeway! Dont want ruin race and get penalties because you cant make transition quick enough.
Guess it can't be any worse than UK Bikepark? Rode the chalky DH there in the wet a few months ago and (mostly) stayed upright! I'm suddenly a massive fan of chicken runs.
Anyone think it'll be bad enough to need a full face??
I'd wear one, it's not like there's going to be much pedalling mileage and Aston Hill has quite a reputation for being hard in the wet... I look forward to hearing how it went - good luck!
well that was an xc race in a full face helmet
there were some ok technical sections but the tight transition times spoilt the riding with you mates bit and it seems a shame to have gone to aston hill and not ridden any of the DH tracks?
well a bit of dh4 but not much else 🙁
Really?! I'm shocked. I thought they would have included most, if not all of the DH runs. Sounds pretty rubbish.
They included the XC, DH4, and some of the 4X, and that was pretty much it. Very XC orientated, even the DH stages had really annoying off camber pedally bits.
Stage 4 was just a big climb too 😯
Didn't speak to many competitors other than the ones around my number, but from what I've heard there were loads of DNFs as people finishing RD1 simply couldn't be bothered to do it again!
Stage 4 was all uphill Wtf?! Real shame, I was expecting so much more. Tbh, an xc bike would have been much more suitable, the time you'd lose on dh, would be more than gained on the 8min uphill!
It didnt suit our team, but i suppose some would have liked it.
Stage 4 was all uphill Wtf?
I was really surprised! I thought the fitness element came in with meeting the transition times! I think I may have just made mine, but a lot of riders didn't, so they were a test as it was. Probably because they didn't have the 5 min mechanical, and they were set in the dry.
I ended up pushing up most of Stage 4 😳 .
It's always easy to be critical of events and I guess enduro events are the even more so because they are new. I thought the stages were a nice mix of challenge and speed, I did think it might be a bit more extreme but I think longer faster flowing stages with the odd tech section worked well.
But.... IMO the uphill stage was the worst idea ever. all the time that a technical rider could gain could be evaporated in one stage.... I pretty sure on one enters an gravity enduro to do a timed hill climb.
I thought the tight transition times were ok, the only one I missed was the last one by one minute but at my quite average pace it meant you really couldn't talk to anyone and finding ime to take your jacket off was tricky. I think another 3 mins on all of them would have still been challenging but a bit more fun. I know the guy in front of me retired because he was just getting later and later every stage and he wasn't enjoying it
Because of this I think the event had a very Xc race type atmosphere probably not helped by the event layout ( which I guess couldn't have been helped) I know this is very grassroots racing but a pa would have really helped generate a bit of atmosphere.
I also thought and I guess this could be me that round 1 stage 1 and round 2 stage 1 would be the same the last bit stunned me so much I stopped and had to double check it was right. I accept that this could be me not "expecting the unexpected"
All in all though it's great that there is a southern enduro series so well done to the organisers, I sure it can become a great series.
It did make it more than a fair playing field for the two or three guys I saw on 100-120mm hardtails.
Maybe they new something everyone else didn't 😉
I know I'm out of condition, but I was expecting some decent downhill sections to at least help balance out the climbs.
Bit of a shame at such a venue, as it felt more like a xc event with a few tricky bits and tasters of what could have been ridden.
Transitions seemed crazy tight (well for me) and no chance to wait for mates, chat to riders, or fix anything (one of the attractions of gravity enduros).
Stage 4 was hell! 👿
I was so glad to just finish.
How random- the last thing I expected to read about the AH race was that there was too much uphill and it was too xc orientated!!
weird as they billed this event as a 'showcase' race with no sport class, why did they do that if it wasn't going to be super technical?