Just reading the the story on the front page about the Dyfi Enduro and those photos make it look like a nighmare. Never ending queues of people on the singletrails. If I'd turned up to ride somewhere to find another 999 riders heading along the same trail I think I'd have turned around and gone home.
Maybe it's more about the before and after party? But the photos certainly didn't sell the riding to me.
Anyone who was there able to dispel my current vision of a ride from hell?
I dunno, I think those pics make it look great.
As the article mentions, busy at the start but spread out as the ride progressed.
If I'd turned up to ride somewhere to find another 999 riders heading along the same trail I think I'd have turned around and gone home.
I suspect a mass-start event wouldn't be your cup of tea 🙂
Saves you bothing with the event in future then. 🙂
You're probably right ATP!
I did read the bit about it spreading out a bit, just wondered if that was after it had spread out or before 😕
I hope it was the before!
Until the field stretches out it's a right pain in the proverbials.
I assume that not everyone actually gets off for those "steep" downhills? 😉
The trick is to start at the front... and stay at the front 😉
Never ending queues of people on the singletrails.
Yep, did one mass start event and decided they just weren't for me, I wouldn't knock ppl for doing them & enjoying themselves, but I'd rather ride with a just couple of m8s.
Guess you hit the nail on the head there psling.
Maybe the event has got too big for its own good. But then if those who took part enjoyed it maybe its just fine. Each to their own and all that, but the sinical part of me thinks that 1000 riders is maybe just cashing in on the current popularity of these events.
Maybe I used maybe too many times there? Maybe its my new favorite word 🙂
Have done quite a few of these 1000+ mass start events and I've decided it's well worth the effort of starting near the front and giving it some serious effort for the first half an hour or so, even if you are planning on taking the rest of it at a leisurely pace.
That way you get ahead of the traffic jams seen in those photos, makes a big difference to the day.
I assume that not everyone actually gets off for those "steep" downhills?
the problem is having a line of riders wheel to wheel and someone stalls and stops/gets off, everyone else gets baulked. Did it last year and this happened on a couple of the slower/techier descents. I'm a bit of a misanthrope and I'd rather have the trails to myself.
That, and my freehub failing and having to push a 35lb bike the last 10 miles tainted my memories somewhat, though I got a Howies Tee as a sympathy spot price at the finish!
It's a reflection of the popularity of some of these events too; people sit over a computer at some unearthly hour to grab one of the 1000+ places before they're all gone in the first 20 minutes only to then queue amongst 900 people (that's right, at least a hundred of the must-get-an-entry-before-it-sells-out crew won't make the event) to get off the start line and then queue for longer than it took to get an entry at the start of the first singletrack.
The craic at events like the Dyfi is what makes them worthwhile though; enjoy yourself and don't have the negative vibes, it's all beautiful and the bridges will still be there in the morning 8)
Haven't done the dyfi but my 10utb experience was like that, first lap wasn't just riding in a line, it was quite often standing completely still, in a line, 500 people waiting for a roadie-on-knobblies half a mile ahead to carry their £10000 carbon bike over a fir cone. Only livened up by a brief fistfight which was something to do with standing in lines. Never doing that again, it was dismal.
It really doesn't have to be like that, GT7 frinstance is another big mass start event (maybe not as big?) I've done 3 first laps and never really felt badly held up on any of them- sure, for short spells but nothing like that. They give you a very long fireroad climb at the start to split the pack, the entire singletrack climb is bypassed. On paper it's a boring lap but in practice it's far better.
(yes yes, if you're super fit you can just get to the front, but most people are going to be in the mob)
i agree with you op.
it just needs the benny hill music in the background !!
Never ending queues of people on the singletrails. If I'd turned up to ride somewhere to find another 999 riders heading along the same trail I think I'd have turned around and gone home.
Use it as an incentive to be faster than anyone else & have the "singletrails" to yourself
, 500 people waiting for a roadie-on-knobblies half a mile ahead to carry their £10000 carbon bike over a fir cone
I just snorted myself reading that 🙂
Use it as an incentive to be faster than anyone else & have the "singletrails" to yourself
I call those weekdays.
I think it's to make sure enduros remain sociable and not a real race by obligating you to stand and talk to people regardless of whether you know them or not while watching your oa time go to pot, enforced socialisation as such.
Make a bit of an effort for the first 10km and you will reap what you sow! fantastic event they need to add a night event for extra spice 🙂
It will be like riding at Glentress 😀
To be fair I've never ridden the dyfi but all accounts its a brilliant laugh and always sells out.
I'm sure the craic is where it's at. Maybe just go for the pre and post ride and sneak off to a nearby deserted trail for a good ride whilst everyone else is forming a single track bike chain.
Its truly brilliant.
The traffic is what makes it different t to a normal ride. The combination of the red mist coming down and picking off the riders I front on the climbs and the descents. And the fun of barrelling down a mad descent, to find bodies all over the place forcing you onto different lines (which may or may not include the bodies)
Love it, love it, love it
I've never ever done an enduro, but reading this thread and looking at the photos makes me want to do this one. I
t's a long way down from Scotland, but I've a pal down that way who does a bit of biking and a lot of drinking, so might make the effort next year. Looks a good laugh and ideal for those of us who are crap riders but love sausage rolls!
Just give it the beans up the first climb and its fine.
Ride a Singlespeed, you then have no choice in the matter.
Its a great single speed course I only got off 3 times for no more than 50 meters!
but i am oar some 🙂
CYB enduro are splitting the 30k and 60k into 2 with a 5 min gap.
Might be worth it for dyfi...the first decent had a queue like a next sale like you see on the tele.
Its a great single speed course I only got off 3 times for no more than 50 meters!
but i am oar some
You beat me by half an hour and I was pretty broken by the end, good work!
Having never ridden SS off-road before I wasn't sure what to expect, it was hard.
I was on the pink monstrosity swearing my way around.
I really enjoy mas sstarts, adds an element of fun. The first single track always cloggs up a bit but after that Ive found the Dyfi always flows well.
Technical down hill rides will always have an element of people riding at different speeds, especially when people arent used to riding natural trails and are used to well groomed man made trails.
Do remember however tha the Dyfi sold out in 18 minutes last year and about 10 minutes this year! A pretty good indicator that people very much LOVE it 😀
Heres some footage and a link to photos...
http://shemovate.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/dyfi-enduro-2014-photos-and-video.html
One of the more technical down hills... (it was pretty slippery after having a few hundred riders over it and some light rain prior to the start hats off to all)
You just have to accept that it'll be gridlock at the start if you enter a ride with a thousand plus people riding.
The HONC was like this. The bloody whinging from some trying to ride the first hill, weekend warriorism at it's best.
Accept it's not a race and take it as the fun social rides they are. Accept that mtb'ing is inclusive, so expect all sorts to be out. Then you won't get miffed.
'Slow people in stuck riding with other slow people' shocker.
I did it last year and started at the back as we were doing it as a social poodle. After am hour or so and a massive queue at the first bit if single track I gave up and stormed ahead, even then it took another hour of fast riding to get to the thinned out riding - if you're a decent rider start at the front
I've not done it yet but I'd like to, however I'm slow on the ups so I know I'll be in the last 3rd of riders come the first Singletrack section. Being stuck behind and trying to overtake all those riders & mincers (proper Lols at the roadies on nobblies comment above!) on the decent bits would annoy me (I'd be annoyed at my lack of fitness to get me near the front and annoyed at them mincing)
It should give me motivation I 'spose to get fit, but for now I'll just watch the vids and shake my head in despair (Sheldon's vid is good for this)
I did it years ago and didn't enjoy it. The main problem was the word 'Enduro' so I was expecting some serious technical riding. I was also told how incredibly difficult technical the trails it went on were. I took my 5" bike with largish tyres one and was really looking forward to it. I rode the first climb slowly and sociably with my mates. This meant I got stuck by the roadie types mentioned above who seemed to stop in order to walk on the slightest rock. It was a traffic jam till the last quarter when I had worked my way through the field, but then I was riding with a load of serious people who didn't want to talk.
So I decided if this was racing I wasn't into it. However, I now enjoy racing and want to do the event again, this time treating like a marathon race, taking my XC bike and giving it everything. I think you have to treat it like a race and I think this should be marketed as such.
Personally I love the mass start through the town with everyone cheering, great feeling!
I took my time, riding with 2 other mates, and only suffered 1 queue at first descent. We werent fussed. Chap in front of me asked it we minded if he held on for a bit to make a gap. We didnt mind at all. Gave us a clearish run for the rest of the descent.
Thing is, I knew how long and tough the ride was, so knew it would spread out fairly soon and wasnt too bothered. I wasnt racing, I just wanted to complete the ride with my mates at a good pace. We did 8)
The problem with you lot (the moany ones) is that you not properly slow! I did it a few years ago and was so slow up the first climb that there was no queue at all at the first singletrack! Pretty peaceful ride all in all, until we missed out the extra loop and got funnelled back into the 'pack'.
These are mass start events but the style of the opening section of the course means there is no massive backlog at all.
This months is expected to be some awsome 'Enduro' style descending mixed in with some xc distance.
It also has a great atmosphere and is a mixture of extremely good riders and people wanting to explore natural trails they have never ridden.
http://www.mtb-marathon.co.uk/events/25th-may-rhayader.html
Ride faster up Maes Yr Orsaf Climb = no traffic on the descents.
8)
my 10utb experience was like that
I rode 10 UTB a couple of times and really enjoyed it, no queueing, good riding and a nice laid back atmosphere to the racing.
I'm not a fast rider and I didn't get caught up in massive queues on the singletrack, well, for about 30 seconds on the first shortish section, but after that no problems at all. I didn't even have to ride over anyone either, just had a really enjoyable day.
The photos do make it look dreadful. To avoid the queues they should consider seeding. And maybe some timed stages with a transition....
[i]Have done quite a few of these 1000+ mass start events and I've decided it's well worth the effort of starting near the front and giving it some serious effort for the first half an hour or so, even if you are planning on taking the rest of it at a leisurely pace.
That way you get ahead of the traffic jams seen in those photos, makes a big difference to the day. [/i]
Did the Rough Ride a few times, and the above is key. Get up to the start line early, as in 30 mins before or so then ensure you work hard until you're past the first climb.
Yeah, looks dreadful.
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See the look of utter disgust and unhappiness on my face?
No?
Oh, maybe I was thoroughly enjoying it then.... 😉
I've done the Dyfi twice (missed out this year due to illness) and I've never been stuck in a massive queue of riders at any point. It's all down to how well you can rattle off the first climb to be honest, if you dawdle a bit I can see there being a bit of a problem along with all the other dawdlers. There's plenty of time to recover from the initial effort on the first descent.
The comments about roadies are a bit condescending to be honest, imagine if over on road.cc there was a thread about all the bifters on these new Enduro bike things grinding their asses & chatting away up a climb with only one front ring and then having the audacity to complain that there all stuck together on the first non-climb.
I'll wager there were more of these 'roadies' invariably riding their £10k carbon hard tails in the top 100 than there were run of the mill, everyday STW standard riders.
It was our first time,and everyone enjoyed it.
A big thanks to the organisers and Mach for being a great host.
This meant I got stuck by the roadie types mentioned above who seemed to stop in order to walk on the slightest rock.
Bit of a sweeping statement.
I'm mostly a MTBer, I ride a road bike too, I also rode in lycra at the Dyfi, but watching that video it looks very much like baggy short wearing MTBer that were making a right mess of that pretty simple descent.
My point is you cant expect to enter a 1000+ rider event and not get held up at some point. If you are at a MTB event then surely everyone around you is a MTBer? No matter what type of bike they ride the rest of the week?
I did exactly the opposite. Sat near the back chatting and enjoying myself. Then when everyone has thinned out after the first descent start crawling your way back up the ranks.
Its all about the chatting to random people on the climbs!
I found myself on my own for some bits. The back is definitely the place to be!
it's rubbish, don't bother, in fact it's so crap it sells out in record time each year, crashes the servers, with organizers going to the effort of getting insurance sorted for the unexpected 200+ more entries made on the system that weren't supposed to, a free bar on the course, evening/day/course entertainment, a beer tent & cafe, free camping, great relaxed atmosphere, music/DJ's, not to mention bringing a whole community together unlike any other mtb race in the uk i can think of. in fact don't enter, leave your space for me and my mates next year 😉
basically it's like marmite - you either love it, or hate it. luckily me and my mates are all of the disposition of loving it