[Closed] PSA - Ard Rock Enduro 2017

Saturday main race for me 🙂
How many people rode the main event last year?
Just trying to gauge how far back I'll come.

@csdandy, I probably have the crappiest broadband connection around, but just kept hitting tickets, then refresh from 06:28 onward and eventually got the result I was looking for.

2 mates and I Got in the sprint with 6 mates in the full lap. First time for all of us except one.

@SOAP there were 900ish in the main enduro last year.

Think the entry system should be a ballot it should'nt be down to who has fastest internet speed,also think it would be better on si-entries last 2 years ive got on then thrown back out when i started entering details,eventbrite website is piss poor.should also be one entry at a time not 6 if folk cant be arsed entering themselves then tough crap..

Done the last 2 but can't make 2017, anybody know when Ard Moor entries opened last year?

A mate got 4 of us in for the sprint on Saturday. So - how tough do your tyres need to be, and any recommendations for trails to try to get a feel for the stages?

If you're comfy riding lakes/peaks stuff, you'll be fine. I'd advise tyres around the 1kg mark, more so the rear.

I did it on Hans dampf/rock razor tubeless combo last year no problems

jaylittle - Member

Done the last 2 but can't make 2017, anybody know when Ard Moor entries opened last year?

So - how tough do your tyres need to be, and any recommendations for trails to try to get a feel for the stages?

The trails are a mixed surface, grass/rock/dirt/gravel in varying ratios. I would recommend non trail centre riding and also riding trails blind, as you won't get chance to pre-ride the tracks and really have to look ahead and ride accordingly.

I ran Maxxis Exo, Minion Front & Minion SS Rear. If its dry you can get away with a semi slick on the back (Minion SS, Rockrazor) if its wet, would want something with more tread on the back (Minion, Agressor).

Can anyone tell me which mag edition featured the ard rock enduro?

Tried searching for "ard" "ard rock" in the mag archive section and it returns too many results

Tyre choice won't really matter to a good section of the entrants. Just get out there and try to get round. I've had high roller 2's on every time I've rode it with tubes and not had a puncture.

I ride out of Reeth pretty much every Sunday so know the trails well. My tyre choice is currently 2.4 Continental Der Baron with full apex protection. Mate uses High Rollers with the full protection version on the back.

We both run the same tyres year round.

No issues to date. I moved from Trial Kings (2.3) to Der Baron after a split in the Trail Kings gave me my first puncture for about 6 years (running tubeless) this was a manufacturing flaw rather than a normal puncture. Despite being larger they roll really well and I've been pleased with the choice.

I've run minion front and Rear last 2 years.

trusty trailboss (TFR) and vigilante (THG) combo last 2 years. faultless.

I've done it twice, both times on HR2's, even the papier-mâché EXO Protection sidewalls held up under the courses cragged conditions. It's mainly hard pack with the majority of offending sharp edges off piste,

I've had high roller 2's on every time I've rode it with tubes and not had a puncture.

hans dampf here. Would run trail kings as well.

tbh I only saw guys with tubes running or running low pressures having issues.

It's not really all about the tyres, I reckon some folks are just not used to riding that kind of terrain - ragging it on a really fast section of singletrack into a rock garden frinstance.

Classic example - the 2 big pile of stones at the lower end of stage 2, straight off a really fast chute into them. I saw a fair few folks at the side fixing puncures, probably come into that pile on the brakes instead of staying light over the top of them.

I run spesh butcher/purgatory rear all year round. Are people really running dual plys for the ard rock?

Are people really running dual plys for the ard rock?

Basically what nobeeer said,

trickydisco - Member
I run spesh butcher/purgatory rear all year round. Are people really running dual plys for the ard rock?

Have replaced with a Grid Butcher...

If you aren't bothered about scoring forum points about how you can do it on lightweight casings with no problems and punctures are the riders fault :p , tough tyres are a good idea, there are quite a lot of sharp rocks on the trail and off it, which get knocked onto the line, and you have to go off line to pass or be passed, etc etc. There's often comical numbers of people lining the trail with punctures. Having seen someone have a double snakebite at 30mph on a rock they didn't see I ran butcher grids this year. Have previously sliced an exo but have also been OK on exo/controls other times, personally I'd rather take a little weight penalty and reduce risk of flats.

I rode with Trail Boss and Vigilantes in the Tough casing last year.

What are people's thoughts of racing the five stages blind. No practise
Has there been any big features or gaps in the past or could a reasonably skilled rider survive.

I'll be running super gravity Rock razor on the rear that's for sure. As above a bit of a weight penalty for no punctures wins for me.

First time I rode it was blind, I'd prefer to do it that way, that's just me. There's no gaps or doubles just a few drops over stone walls that can get a bit Lairy depending on how much speed you carry across the field before the fallen wall.

In my head I was totally prepared for the downs, you can see the rider to your front and in some cases pass them. What I wasn't prepared for was the ups........ not prepared at all, most of the flats I witnessed were after the shooting lodge to the the last stage, that double track is pretty stony.

Did all the stages this year blind, and three of them blind the other years. You'll be fine.

darrenspink - Member

Did all the stages this year blind, and three of them blind the other years. You'll be fine.

There were a couple of bits I would have jumped more if I'd have practiced, but as long as everyone is in the same boat, I prefer blind personally.

What I wasn't prepared for was the ups.

Aye, I reckon lots of time to be gained by doing some sprint training, and not just for the short ups, by being stronger at them then I'll not be hanging when they're over and it's back onto the descent.

What are people's thoughts of racing the five stages blind. No practise
Has there been any big features or gaps in the past or could a reasonably skilled rider survive

For the most part you can see quite a bit of the trail ahead and so can plan where you are going to go. With the wind this year it was very much a wheels on the ground day, there were bits you could double up and could hop through the stonewalls to avoid clattering through the jagged rocks sticking up.

Ard moor entries go live on 25th Nov, seems to be much earlier than last year.

For those that didn't get a place on this or the Ard moors they are launching a sprint event at ard moors 2017, I've just entered 2 mates before it goes public using promo code 'am17sprint'.

I am still after a ticket for the Saturday or Sunday if anyone has one spare.

Cheers