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Naughty Northumbrian 2025

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Probably the most challenging enduro Ive done in the UK and I feel like Ive got unfished business after a few crashes and a mechanical last time round

Anyone else signed up?

https://www.naughtynorthumbrian.co.uk/

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 2:01 pm
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Me, first timer!

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 2:07 pm
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yep 266 when i looked earlier, only 55 ebikes

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 2:56 pm
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Haha, I've got beef with this event too.

> 1st attempt: Underestimated fitness and skill required but somehow survived. I was like, yeah I can hit Morzine / Inners bike park, I'll be fine.
> 2nd attempt: Worked on fitness and skill > Mechanical.
> 3rd attempt: Trained both fitness and skill > Event Cancelled Grrrr.

Crazy how flat and fast it looks when watching the YT vids. In reality the transitions are brutal and it's super sketchy / techy.

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 3:06 pm
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Curious but scared. Before the NN existed that place was the sight of my worst ever injury and I've never ridden there since.

I know I'm unlikely to do the same thing twice but I still cack myself a bit on very steep stuff.

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 3:14 pm
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looks like a hoot! Alas, its quite some way from the sunny south coast.... some logistical planning required to see if its feasible.

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 3:47 pm
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Ha I was just thinking about making a thread for this. I've signed up! It'll be my first year racing it. Curious as to how techy the stages really are, the videos definitely don't make it seem too bad. Hopefully my FOD and South Wales off piste experience should put me in a decent stead.

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 3:57 pm
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Entered it in 2019, it was hard, way harder than i thought it would be. Obviously that was some time ago and i don't know how many of the same trails they use now but they were mostly very natural and lacking in catch berms, often very narrow and off camber, and steep enough that if you lost your momentum you couldn't really get going again.

Fitness wise the transitions were long and arduous but again this may have changed since then. Nothing that steep or tiring though, if i was doing it again i'd focus more on muscular endurance as the stages will beat the crap out of your ability to hold onto the bike, some were nearly 8 minutes long for me and after a few of them my core strength gave out and every other muscle had to pick up the slack which overworked them turn by turn.

I never managed the actual race day, doing the full route on practice day in 30 degrees C blew everything i had in me so i just sat on the sunday and drank beer in the sun!

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 4:06 pm

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From what I am reading I'm guessing that all the fitness in the world wouldn't counter the fact that I can barely get down NYNY without having a serious talking to myself at some point. Probably swerve thinking about this for a while!

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 4:45 pm
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I’d say NYNY is far easier than some of the stages I rode at the Naughty. Again YMMV.

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 4:56 pm
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Quite how hard is it? The only enduros I've ridden have been Ard Rock (physically hard but comfortable technically) and Boltby (physically comfortable but I'd be at my limit technically if it was wet)

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 5:01 pm
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Curious as to how techy the stages really are, the videos definitely don’t make it seem too bad.

It ain't no trail centre. And no, YouTube doesn't do justice to the gradient.

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 5:19 pm
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Quite how hard is it? The only enduros I’ve ridden have been Ard Rock

I've done it 3 times and Ardrock once, while both are long tiring days Ardrock is basically a blue grade trail centre in comparison to most of the stages at the Naughty. I've had people tell me they were expecting something like Ardrock/Boltby during practice on the Saturday (which is mandatory) and that they weren't starting the race as it was too steep/techy every time I've done it. I might enter this year but not sure at the minute

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 5:38 pm
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Is it any worse than thornielee , just double/treble the track length

ardrock a blue grade trail centre ?

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 7:27 pm
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Is it any worse than thornielee , just double/treble the track length

Ive never ridden Thornielee personally so can't compare, the stages weren't particularly long when I've done it but they've been building new stuff since then

ardrock a blue grade trail centre ?

Ok, a red trail centre then, I've never heard anyone that's done Ardrock say they wouldn't ride the stages again, I've heard a lot of people say they wouldn't even think about trying the NN again after the practice lap on the Saturday. I believe there was well over 100 non starters the last time I did it and that was in perfect conditions

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 8:55 pm
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Yeah I'd say Ardrock is mainly blue bike park (harder than blue trail centre) with the odd red bit

 
Posted : 03/02/2025 11:35 pm

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yeah i'd say a red for ardrock, after a weekend at bpw, the blues are really easy compared, ardrock has a few steeper sections/ chutes stages1/2/3/4/7, ardrock is the speed you are carrying that is the main culprit for incident. at a slow pace as you say its easy enough.

but NN is "EWS rated black, 3 bar event" [1200-1600m 40-50km]

think i'll spend alot more time at wharncliffe this summer. with trips to tweed valley / bpw.

and also do some of the tougher FL , italy tracks

thornielee, did a few tracks on the far right of the wood and everyone coming down were commenting " F*** Me that was steep" :0)

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 9:04 am
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think i’ll spend alot more time at wharncliffe this summer. with trips to tweed valley / bpw.

If you're local to Wharny have you ridden Win Hill? Some of the steeper stuff up there reminds me of the Kidland/Alwinton area.

Get comfy on some of the steeper corners and vertical switchbacks up there and you'd be in good shape for the NN.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 9:18 am
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thanks @sharkattack, yeah i keep meaning to get to winhill , i'll get up there a couple of times too. only got Italy, ardrock and NN booked in, may have to get on a welsh enduro too.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 11:05 am
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Win Hill is eye opening but I've only been there once. It definitely reminded me of NN territory! Any time I'm pointing straight down a sheer drop looking for somewhere to put my front tyre to avoid going headfirst through the scenery gives me flashbacks.

I used to love that stuff. Having my elbow bend 90 degrees the wrong way and doing all sorts of bone, muscle, nerve and tissue damage changed my tastes a little bit. It took a few years to fully rehab from that but I was confined to gentler gradients for a long time.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 11:12 am
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NN is a big day out. From memory I was 5+ hours both days in 2023. I reckon in good weather it would be a great event, but I really didn't enjoy '23. Felt like a massive slog for trails that didn't justify the effort - especially the one miles away from others which was just a rut down a swamp.

I recall a few steep bits which were pretty techy and exposed. If your point of reference is Ard Rock, you'll find that a big step up.

Two stages were scrapped from the results in 2023 for what I believe was because someone crashed into finishing gates and timers weren't replaced. Pretty annoying after a big day!

Given the loss of Dunkeld, Graythwaite and Tweedlove, it's probably going to be the only big / technical event other than Isle of Man, so well worth doing if you want to step up from other events.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 2:25 pm
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I'm up in Alnwick for a week in March so is there anywhere nearby to ride that's similar in style to the stages? I'm planning to have a look at Thrunton woods.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 6:16 pm
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I’m up in Alnwick for a week in March so is there anywhere nearby to ride that’s similar in style to the stages? I’m planning to have a look at Thrunton woods.

Honestly, not really. Most of Thrunton is quite different. Born Slippy might give you a bit of a flavour. You'd probably be as well going up to the Golfie.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 10:08 pm
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Only 36 tickets remain 

 
Posted : 10/02/2025 8:32 pm
kimbers reacted

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