[Closed] Gravity Enduro - Hamsterly this weekend

Yes going Friday morning 5hr drive,the weather is looking ok, never rode at Hamsterly should be good

Was hoping to do this one but unfortunately we're not going to make it. Should be at the last 2 though.

Hope you get better weather than the last round 🙂

I'll be there. Never ridden at Hamsterley and it'll be my first race of the year, so I'm looking forward to it. Really hope it stays dry!

Yeah will be there, my first Gravity enduro! what should I expect regarding the format of the day. Do I have to carry everything I will need for the whole day sat or sun, or do you get break for lunch etc where can go back to car?

Cheers

I'm doing it, first race evah...

Bricking it as I'm as fit as a butchers dog, though that butchers dog has eaten far too much of his owners produce, and hasn't exercised. Ever.

Decided to give them a miss until the timing looks sorted. Too expensive a weekend for me not to know what I'm getting. Fingers crossed that it all comes good though as the inners race was cracking!

excess butchers produce = more gravity induced monmentum 😕

'Aint the downs that's going to be the problem!

I know you get a certain amount of time to get to the start of stages, anybody any idea of the pace/distance/amount of climing/fitness required?

you should be dialled in for this one Neil after last wed

just checked out the map and at least 3, possibly 4 of the stages are part of the usual red black combo, only other one is the 4x course

where's the map?

have a good un mate......wish i was doing it. 8)

http://www.ukgravityenduro.com/race-info/venue-information/hamsterly-forest/

http://www.ukgravityenduro.com/rd3-hamsterley-forest-stages-and-times/

some good stages there, if the weather holds it'll be quick!

I'm looking forward to this! the memory of Coed Y Brenin still makes me shiver

I am hoping it is more like Inners and nothing like CyB weather wise. Keep an eye out for the Shimano van and the (hopefully) slightly sunburnt balding bloke.

Not there as out of the country but the CyB stages looked spot on. So long as they don't stray to far into the woods at the DH should all be fine!!

just checked the weather report. putting the winter boots away and packing some suncream. and beer.

Rode a few of the stages last night.

The man made stuff is running v fast and the natural stuff is drying out nicely.

BTW bring some smidge!

smidge

eh?

For the midges

ahhhhhhhhhh I see :)*

*noted

And if the weather holds, lots of fluid & sun cream, it was still 20 degrees at 8pm!!!

missed the cut of for entering G

can't f***ing wait! Going to spend a good half day Friday making sure the bike is spot on 🙂

I managed to get my bike working reasonably well over the weekend, I haven't dared ride it all week in case I broke something again before the race!

there is camping at the venue for this right ? I hope so otherwise I'm sleeping in the car

How good was last weekend! Few shit things happened in the race but hey, that's racing. definitely be doing a few next year! Well done to the organisers for putting the effort into something that had undoubtedly been a nightmare to put into place and develop. its not perfect, but its getting there. well done guys.

its not perfect, but its getting there.

Is it? Sounds like all the same problems as rounds 1 & 2 but without the transition times and weather excuses

Really looking forward to Rd5, it will be my first ever race.

Does anybody have any links to the videos of the guys that cut the track?

Is it? Sounds like all the same problems as rounds 1 & 2 but without the transition times and weather excuses

There were some 'issues'. I was unlucky enough to have a guy in front of me who qualified out of position, so I caught him on four of the five stages losing time on every one, However on the first stage I crashed all of my own accord 🙂

I also pulled out a cracking seeding time only to be told that all seeding times were now invaild.

Also, my sis, brother in law and little'un came along and there were no provisions for spectators at all. I think if they want the sport to develop they've got to make it as attarctive and accessible as possible which includes making it easy for people to view it at its best. Now that might be something that the organisers may have to consult with the land owners on but I reckon it's a subject that wouldn't be taboo.

But, from what I saw it must be a nightmare to organise and plan. Race day timings were (on the whole) accurate. The course from what I and others were saying got the balance right between tech and fitness too.

Listen it's a great format, really great so any feedback we can give will only help it develop even more. I'm well up for doing more next year.

Oh another question.

Did you get your number board through the post before going or is it a case of turning up with your entry conformation and sorting it out on the day?

You get your number board at sign on at your first race of the series.

It is a great race format and I really enjoyed riding the course at Hamsterley, but there needs to be more people on the ground to make it work.

Did the king and queen enduro at glentress and everything seemed to run silky smooth. From the organisation through to the timing. This was glentress first enduro. No excuses guys.

It might have been Glentress' first Enduro but a lot of the people involved have done this before !

IMHO, all my view from somebody who was at GT at the weekend not Hamsterley, Enduro organisers need to sit down with BC and sort out some rules and standard procedures.

It looks to me like the Gravity series (having ridden the Inners one last year) is run with a more DH mindset (seeding, timed to the millionth of a second etc) which is good as it should stop too much of people catching each other, but adds lots of complications. However there is a real mix of abilities riding the events and lots of folk who have never DH raced.

Nothing but respect and admiration for Steve Parr and co for running these events and hope they keep it up !

Also, my sis, brother in law and little'un came along and there were no provisions for spectators at all. I think if they want the sport to develop they've got to make it as attarctive and accessible as possible which includes making it easy for people to view it at its best

❓ It was based in a trail centre with loads of parking right opposite one stage finish and a short walk to the end of two other stage finishes and the pit area, there was even parking space available in the pit areas itself, how 'accessible' do you want things to be ❓

There was also toilets, refreshments and an ice ceam van calling in, as far as facilities go it was as good as it gets in the UK.

Is anyone going to admit using the mega 'cheat' line on stage 5 that cut out the whole of the 2nd forest section?

I pointed it out to Steve and Adrian on Friday night but they didn't alter the taping, so the option was there to carry on down the fire road and cut out the whole of the forest trail.

It was so obvious I will be surprised if no one used it considering some went to greater lengths to 'manufacture' a 'cheat' line on stage 3.

wow wow wow now hang on, I thought the event was excellent and I really enjoyed it. But some maps, either on the wall of the food van and/or sign on and toilets would have been useful. If on these maps good vantage points/areas where people will crash 😉 could have been pointed out this could also have been useful. Some clearing of said areas (with the agreement of the landowner of course) would also have been beneficial and made its easier for people to watch and enjoy it. This is the sort of thing that happens at WC events like Fort Bill.

This is just a bit of feedback from what I and the people that were with me on the day experienced. Irrespective of this like I said, I enjoyed it and will be doing more.

Heard about that but thats just not cricket, whats the point of doing well if you cheat? They should have just been disqualified, I know strictly speaking they did nothing wrong (wasn't taped) but they knew what they were doing

This is what I mean about rules (I know most people hate the idea).

In DH it's clear, you don't cross tape, anything else is fair game. In XC there is a rule in there somewhere "riders must follow the marked course" and I have see folk DQd for cutting even without double taping.

hels - Member

It looks to me like the Gravity series (having ridden the Inners one last year) is run with a more DH mindset (seeding, timed to the millionth of a second etc)

When it works... The Innerz approach of reliable, inaccurate dibbing wees all over non-contact timing that never works properly. You're doing it right IMO- or at least, you're definately not doing it as wrong as the Gravity series)

As for seeding... Well, it's not needed is it. Other events do fine- better- without it.

@100mphplus I take it you mean Accelerator, if so the taped was laid across the fireroad so if you did take the shortcut you had to cut the tape, which is against the rules.

Reckon that the seeding run is an important part of the weekend,atleast on race day you are riding with other riders that have a similar time to yours and they arnt shouting to get past you on each stage and vice versa.
The race format is a brilliant idea and hats of to the organisers to giving it a go,as things progress then hopefully the teething problems will disapear.
I managed to crash coming out of the wood and back onto the fireroad on stage 5,not good for the event if people are missing whole sections out they should be ashamed
Brilliant weekend

@100mphplus I take it you mean Accelerator, if so the taped was laid across the fireroad so if you did take the shortcut you had to cut the tape, which is against the rules.

Yes the tape was across the road and stopped ~ 300mm short of the start of the forest trail were the upstand rocks were.

If you rode to the end of the tape and then went through the gap Btw the end of the tape and upstand rocks then technically according to the rules, you have ridden within the taped trail and it is legal, since there was no further tape on the RHS until you reached the next fire road crossing.

I have ridden DH for 17 years and the rules state that you must 'ride Btw the tapes' and wrt the rules all the lines everyone call cheats are actually legal. The problem is there are a lot of DH riders competing in this new discipline and until the rules are plainly stated, or the courses taped out better, then this debate on 'cheating' will continue.

I knew it was there and chose not to use it and also told all of my fellow Cat competitors it was there. They would have flamed me for life if I had, however if I knew someone else in my Cat was going to use it then I would have too as I was there to win but thankfully I managed that within the 'spirit' of the taping so I am doubly pleased about my result.