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I didn’t talk about / mention it at the event myself but the transition to stage 5 was a bit of a trek so not surprised to hear people moaning about it.
On practice day in perfect weather I didn’t see one rider actually riding up the transition to 5. I signed up for an enduro, not an age long hike a bike in a pair of 5.10’s, that said the views at the top were epic 🙂 In the rain it would have been plain annoying, especially considering what stage 6 was like the year before in the rain.
Downs were great.
@esselgruntfuttock Roots and rain website.
Pretty glad that stage was culled. Weather was fine for everyone who set off before 9.00 but for us who started later it was pretty shit by the time we got to stage 4. It did seem to cheer up a bit after though. Didn't do s5 in practice so no idea what the hike was like.
Yep, shame tha S5 was binned. Of the grassy stages it was the best, the only one that really had any proper fun corners on in. Yes the transition was out there but the shortened course only knocked 4 or 5 km off the full loop. I reckon it was just the size of the day out that people were knackered by. Given the location of the event base and the location of the 'proper' race stages (S1, S2 and S4) they were a bit hamstrung about linking it all together.
I'm concerned about the long term viability of the event due to tree felling. A few years back when it was the Orange Backcountry Enduro or the Kidland enduro, it was all compact, 4 stages of steep gnar in the woods. Now 2 of those stages (ware gone e raced one of them last year on the NN). Also the route map had S4 marked on the other side of the forest road - same as last years S3. Come the event, that side of the plantation was being felled and we had a new stage on the other side - was this stage hastily rebuilt? Will this area be felled too?
I'm not really a fan of the grassy stages, S3 (rocky horror) had me crawling along that off-camber rocky slope like bambi. would have killed for a sheep track let alone some proper benching!
Overall, I felt much better by the end of Sunday than after Saturday practice. Group faff setting off meant we missed out practising S2. 2 and a half hours to practice the two stages (including an hour transition to the top of S1) wasn't enough time... when they didn't publish the closure times on the info board at the sign-on desk. opening times but no closure times! (it was hidden away in the pdf info pack). So on Saturday I'd ridden over 40 km and 1300m of climbing to ride two good descents.
Raced badly but had a good time anyway.
I enjoyed it, the stages were fun and the grassy one were much better than last year. Stages 1,2 and 4 were ideal DH-lite type stages that Enduro thrives on. I didn't think much of the other stages, wet grass isn't my favourite type of terrain.
I'd prefer stages 1+2+4 from this year and stages 3+4 from last year in a big loop. Just like the old kidland Enduro used to be like.
I was a bit annoyed the food trailer buggered off after the race, I was starving!