[Closed] Future of UK Gravity Enduro?

It would be a shame to see the series disappear.

Last I heard was Si Patton from British Downhill was taking it on.

Glad it's surviving. Any word on the the miser sponsors?

Some info in here Wrecker...
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-bike-for-uk-gravity-enduro/page/2#post-4166066 ]
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-bike-for-uk-gravity-enduro/page/2#post-4166066 [/url]

I certainly wouldn't buy anything from that company.

Steve did throw some Fetish T Shirts to the crowd on Sun stating "Anyone want some rags?"

Having raced the last 2 years I'm really sorry to see Steve go, the series will lose that friendly, chilled out touch and will probably scare some of the new riders away.

None of this was Steve's fault, he had so many balls to juggle that yes, once or twice balls were dropped but this was inevitable in a new sport. The timing was bollox but again, this wasn't Steve's fault. But this undermined the whole event/series. The timing company should be ashamed of their performance over the last two years because its been a shambles

If the timing element is sorted Steve leaves behind a lasting legacy that I'm certain will succeed.

Sooooo, Fetish bikes; soon to be bankrupt then.

The timing company should be ashamed of their performance over the last two years because its been a shambles

Two years of ****ing up? I wish my customers were this tolerant...

What timing do they use for the Irish enduro series? Do they have the same problems?

Dyfi was my first round and I was hoping to do a few next year, shame it's gone this way.

Balls I'm gutted at this news, I had to pull out of the Dyfi round due to injury but I was planning to do two rounds next year. Such a shame.

Shame that, i did a few over the last two years and had a great time.....even the one where i concussed myself out of practice was a good weekend....the better half and me decided to go into town, book into a hotel instead and come back and watch the race on Sunday, the atmosphere was great, sound system playing excellent music, no elitism....the girlie isnt really into bikes but even she said it was a great event....she normally does Horsey stuff and to say they are stiff and snooty is an understatement, i hope Gravity Enduro doesnt go the same way.

the x-fusion enduro1 timings been pretty pants as well, if you overtake someone on a stage you invariably **** up the timings, they have no electronic system at all though

the x-fusion enduro1 timings been pretty pants as well, if you [b]are[/b] overtake [b]by[/b] someone on a stage you invariably **** up the timings, they have no electronic system at all though

ha ha scott we are gonna have your team at the next one!

Why you got more ringers? 😀

Looking forward to it!

shame to hear this. I entered 3 this year and had a great laugh. OK, maybe not so much at Coed Y Brenin but I dont think Steve could be blamed for the weather.

I hope the series keeps going next year

[url=

Gravity Enduro on Facebook[/url]

Mentioned this in the other thread, but contact tags as used by Innerleithen MTB Racing, No Fuss and the Transprovence among others are proven reliable. Steve made the call not to use that type of system because he felt noncontact systems were more professional IIRC, but IMO they did bring the problems on themselves a bit (there's a reason xc races using timing mats usually have a manual backup...). And the times-for-starts system adds a ton of complexity on top of that of course.

Not to fixate on negatives, just hoping to reassure people that there are methods that work, it's not an inherent issue with enduros. The Gravity Enduro series looks like it's using yet another system, hopefully it'll work out!

Main thing is- even with timing issues, people had a blast at these events. Enduro's a superb format because it can be great fun from the top to the bottom. That'll continue regardless of who's in charge or how it's run I'm sure.

Looks like it will be a series after all...

"The UK Gravity Enduro Series has proudly led the way for the UK Enduro racer. Sadly she is no longer so we are stepping upto the plate to deliver a national level series."

and

"The ball is rolling, lets start with timing:
This includes all timing services as used at BDS, plasma TV for commentary purposes at the final stage finish, gantry LED display, professional printed results, internet results hosted on our website and available for you for your use as required.

Results will be available for every category for individual stages and overall event classification for each category. We can also look at other classification methods you may require.
As usual, we guarantee 100% accurate, reliable and punctual results.

As usual – I would be happy to bring on board TAG Heuer
Dave - Sports Timing."

🙂

chakaping - Where did this info come from....enlighten us!

Chakaping's info is from here (link in my post)

mikesmith's link above

It is a shame about the UK Gravity Enduro but I'm glad there is going to be a British Gravity Enduro. It will give me a target for getting fitter than I was.

If Si Paton has anything to do with the project, it will be fantastic.

Just look at what he's done to the BDS - a truly world-class downhill race series

I wonder if they will have a minimum points entry system (like the BDS) ?

I wonder if they will have a minimum points entry system (like the BDS) ?

I'd be very surprised if they did. The discipline is sort-of pitched at people who don't want to race DH or XC, so I don't know where they'd get points from?

I wonder if they will have a minimum points entry system (like the BDS) ?

There would have to be regional rounds first wouldn't there for this to happen?

I expect it to be hugely popular - hopefully they will keep numbers to a sensible amount.

Maybe as more Enduro race series pop up in the future (and have BC points available), BES (British Enduro Series...) will become the 'fastest' Enduro racers

Essentially the same as the BDS..

EDIT: Sorry, should have made myself clearer - points in the future, not in 2013!

If Si Paton has anything to do with the project, it will be fantastic.

Just look at what he's done to the BDS - a truly world-class downhill race series

I wonder if they will have a minimum points entry system (like the BDS) ?

As someone who has raced numerous BDS rounds, I can view it without the rose tinted spectacles.

From a promotional perspective, yes i'll agree & will probably do a good job of ramming down everyone in the indutry's throats, which is what it needs to make it what it should be.

From a riding perspective. Probably not so great. Still at least with a Gravity Enduro there won't be 12 hours worth of uplift queues for 30 minutes of riding over a weekend...

Irish enduro also used the contact tag system northwind mentioned, didn't seem to be any problems with it.

I hear strava will be sponsoring it.....only joking.

If timing is sorted out then the series will be fine. 2 years in and still having timing problems is bad.

A smaller national series with more regional events would probably be good for longevity. Driving is getting to be one of the biggest costs in racing these days.

The plot thickens...

[url= http://wideopenmag.co.uk/news/15797/steve-parr-back-on-board-for-2013-uk-gravity-enduro ]Steve Parr will run a 2013 series after all[/url]

😐 Hmmm 24h that was a quick turn around.

scottfitz - Member

Hmmm 24h that was a quick turn around.

24 hours is a long time in racing 😉

24 hours is a long time in racing

He did this at the end of 2011 as well - decided there wouldn't be a 2012 series, got his ego massaged a bit from those who'd had fun racing and told him what a great all round chap he was for doing such a [s]half-arsed job with loads of timing issues and general teething problems that lasted the entire series[/s] great job. A week later he announced a 2012 series...

Shame none of the issues of the earlier 2011 round have ever been sorted out though 🙄

Well it'll be interesting to hear how his game is going to be upped.

The racing was great at the rounds I did. Just needs the timing sorting and the communications improving really.

See, I know he doesn't agree with this, but to me it's this simple...

1) bin the seeding.
2) remove the start times for stages
3) use a timing system that you know will work and which is simple.
4) there is no 4.

1 and 2 go together, this is how many other events run- you get a total time to complete the lap, and make your way between stages as fast or as slow as you like, as long as you complete them all within the allotted time. Because you decide when you start the stage, you can manage gaps and reduce holdups/overtaking - "You look a bit keen, go in front of me", that sort of thing, or waiting til there's a gap, etc.

Seeding's only needed to set out the stage start times, which in turn adds a massive stack of complexity and confusion, and that's where so many of the problems have been.

3, we've covered. It's ridiculous that their timing still doesn't work though.

The downside of this to them, is that without the seeding it becomes more of a 1-day event, and maybe that has an impact on cost/value. But on the other hand, rounds have sold out, and removing seeding would allow single-day attendance which is bound to draw more people. Practice on saturday would still be part of the weekend for most people though but at least it gives the option- which saves a lot of money and time, not having to stay overnight etc.

I agree with what Northwind said.

Have watched all this with interest, the format is still new so good to see people doing different things with it. The Gravity series has a more DH style ethos, with seeding runs and millionth of a second timing being v important, but lets face it a bit of a phaff. I did one event but I can't remember - do the fastest people go first ? That would make more sense to me if the idea is to prevent people catching each other. Actually I vaguely remember getting passed by Helen Gaskell so I think the fastest people went last which makes no sense for the ladies with such small fields and is DH style.

But I digress - Enduro race series need to decide to aim at Elite riders or weekend warriors. What pleases one group is largely just a hassle for the other.

1) bin the seeding.
2) remove the start times for stages
3) use a timing system that you know will work and which is simple.

1. Disagree, on a long stage I shudder to think that Dan Atherton/Crawfy/Clementz could come thundering past/through me at some point. Yes you can be all polite and sensible, but a lot of overtaking can take place on some of the stages that have been used. Seeding helps to lessen that..... I really enjoyed the seeding run at Inners this year and come Sunday it made perfect sense imo

2. This is where things get tricky as if you have point 1. you obviously need some control. Which is where sorting out the late-comer rules and communication between stages becomes critical, not quite sure (like the organisers) how that could/should work though.

3. Absolutely. Dibbers (the nice new wrist-bands ones they used in Ireland especially) all the way, until a genuinely fool-proof gate method can come along and better it

Women must be way more sensible, they tend to seed themselves anyway. But I guess the groups are smaller. In small groups it makes more sense to reverse seed, there must be a tipping point somewhere.

One aspect of seeding tho is that you can't ride around with your mates unless you are all in the same cat and roughly of the same ability, unless the transition times are super generous. But the up side of that is meeting new people, I rode around with all the ladies at the Inners one last year and met some new people, had great fun ! I was also the only person with a map so was a bit pied piper anyway.

The problem with 'aiming' at Weekend Warriors, is the Elite racers will still turn up - an easy podium for them...

1) i like the seeding, im crap so it means on race day im not holding up really fast boys

2) i agree a lot of the problems originate with the start times but, im sure that with decent organisation it can be sorted out, and they were pretty close to perfect at the 2 rounds i attended

3) this is obvious, get a decent system and the series will eb perfect everything else is running pretty well

i also like the fact that its a weekend,it adds to the atmos- the dates are given well in advance so people can book them well ahead

Absolutely Hels, Mr Legend does the occasional SDA and it's a far more sensible/civilised affair than the men!

Yeah the social side does completely change when you bring in seeding. I found the same as you, in February (or was it January?) I trundled around with folk I knew (then stopped and had lunch between stages 8) ) but at the UK one I trundled (at a slightly faster pace) with a bunch of friendly strangers - both were great!

Northwind's suggestion makes sense to me! The Enduro1 series used a manual synchronised clocks and clipboards approach which doesn't work terribly well (too much confusion when riders arrive out of sequence) and the results took an age to collate (race finished on Sunday, results out on Thursday - my team still hasn't been given the correct position for the last race because someone doesn't appear to be able to add up!)

It doesn't seem hard to split the event into two halves, elites vs the rest of us. Have the elites go first, then the rest of us.

For timings, ParkRun use some kind of fancy stopwatch whereby everyone shares a start time and then each person through the finish line is clicked in. You're given a barcode when you're clicked through the finish, which denotes your finish position (and thus your finish time) and then you get your personal barcode and position barcode scanned, which ties you to your position and thus your time. Some variant of that would work fine - scan your barcode when you start a stage, scan it when you finish a stage.

Personally I'd prefer the events to be one day, not two day - finding a whole free weekend, especially enough whole weekends for the entire series, is not logistically easy!