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What stage have they used Lone Wolf for? And which way round are the Golfie and Inners being ridden?
I liked stage 1, in a way! Just basically get your scoot on if you're like me and can't do the ruts tidily, you can go surprisingly fast on 2 wheels and a five ten. Stage 2, I love the singletrack but had a pretty big off on one of the motorways on a kind of invisible root so that put me off a bit, I tiptoed down it after that. Both kind of brave choices for an october race, could work out pretty unfair if the stages deteriorate more tomorrow. The DH stage, I dunno, not to my taste- very bitty and awkward in places like the EWS one was, I couldn't get any rhythm going, just kept thinking "why are we going down here". Especially down the bottom, "we're riding along the side of the track!" But it's a really inventive route which is good.
I'm not a negative guy generally but I didn't have much fun today to be honest. I got a bit over it when the rain started in the afternoon and ended up only doing 3 stages, I gather the other one is just the Alistair Lees, original line to the quarry?
See how it goes tomorrow. Maybe I'll have a massive attitude flip and end up laughing my way down like round 2 and love it.
@Rickon- Lone Wolf is stage 1,
Correct, Alastair lees then down and to the quarry. Pretty muddy also, but riding quite well overall.
The long off-camber sections on 2 could be interesting. A lot of potential for binning it!
yeah I missed stage 3 too, was feeling really tired and just hoped it would be the usual route with no nasty surprises.
Cool, cheers bloodsexmagik.
Just basically get your scoot on
I reckon I spent 95% of lone wolf tripoding down the trail and I reckon 95% of riders will be doing the same. Doesn't really make for a fun stage though 🙁
I have embraced the scoot and now consider it a totally valid and enjoyable practice, in much the same way as I've decided that jumping is crap because I suck at it.
Spiky front tyre and mudguard the size of a canoe now fitted, I'm good to go. Though looking at the forecast I might do better just canoeing down the trails on the mudguard
have you gone proper spike? I do have spikes but never used them and no idea if they are awful or not so didn't want to risk it. does look terrible weather tomorrow, feeling like I'm getting a cold too, yay!
Nah, just a magic mary, hoping for a bit more tooth than the Baron, just about the first time I've really felt it was out of its depth (literally!).I've got an old wetscream somewhere but I could never made sense of it, I don't think I'm really good enough to use the grip as I get so tentative in the sludge and ruts anyway. And if memory's correct it'd suck on most of the inners stages.
I'll be honest, there's probably about a 50% chance I stay in bed tomorrow 😆 From a series point of view, well, I'm an also-ran no matter what but I feel like this will probably be one of my dropped rounds anyway, so it just becomes a fun race. So need to decide whether it's fun. Or alternatively whether everyone else also stays in bed!
Blimey. Wish I'd entered in time to get a ticket now, Lone Wolf and Alister Lees have become my two favourite trails in the valley at the moment.
Unhappy face.
Im in a wigwam down at GT. The wind and rain have been pretty brutal all night. At least its warm, although too warm for a proper jacket. I'm already looking forward to a warm bath/ cold beer combo tonight and its only 6:51am...
Holy sh1t.
I'm about 20 minutes from GT and it's hammering it down. I'm in a warm bed. Gonna make an espresso. Probably stay inside.
Good luck to those racing, its going to be epic, horrific and a day to remember 😉
We're about 15 miles away; unseasonably warm but a nice breeze (and lets forget about the rain that came down overnight/morning 🙂 )
Good luck.
well I'm doing the stay in bed option, but because I'm ill 🙁 yesterday's tiredness has turned into lurgy. I would probably have dragged myself round a dry summer route but it isn't worth it in these conditions!
My missus has sacked it too. If it wasn't warm I would too.
Pants. Would have bought your tickets if I'd have known, was dead keen to go.
rickon, my apologies as you could have had my place, i am currently in bed with tea and toast because those trails were really shi!e yesterday. I hated with a passion stage 1. There was so much mud in my tyres the rear could not spin round. Had to mimmick a tripod all the way down as it needed the skills of a grade ten ninja to get down without constant dabbing. Took me ten minutes to get the bike sorted to get up to the top 2 which was marginally better but not much.
I absolutely love the tweed valley natural trails but the rain and traffic has killed a fair few for the time being.
Just got a text off a mate i was riding with yesterday and he pulled out after stage 1. Not fun at all was his final comment which for me was the same.
Yeah, I woke up pretty sore from yesterday's binning and that was pretty much all the excuse I needed. Sorry Rickon- but tbh I think you'd not even have recognised Lone Wolf after practice yesterday never mind all this fresh rain. Hope it's not too trashed in the longer run.
Northwind, good to meet you yesterday and put a face to a forum username.
On the way up to top of stage 1 🙂
And you mate! Good to chat to you. And just as well it was there, not 4 hours later when I was in a ****ing awful mood 😆
Mac, 2.35+ Schwalbe or 2.4 Conti by any chance? They usually seem to be the tractor tyre of choice when lessons in mud clearance are being handed out
Schwalbe both ends, Hans Damph on the rear and Magic Mary on the front. Not a good choice
Almost wish I'd entered. Seem to be able to let it go and do well in those conditions as well.
Good for you.
Almost wish I'd entered. Seem to be able to let it go and do well in those conditions as well.
*swoon*
There was so much mud in my tyres the rear could not spin round
Yeah me too, was considering velcroing a stick to the frame. Had to stop and clear it twice as was just not spinning. I only have a few mm clearance in my frame though.
Looking at this sun now I'm wishing I could have given it a proper go though.
That was absolutely crap. Hated every minute of it. Stage 1 wasn't as bad as I expected. Stage 2 was horrible. Hey let's put in lots of flat and slight climbs through claggy mud and let's make them off camber for a laugh.
3 & 4 were better but I was so drained and in a bad mood by that point that it was too late to enjoy them.
Must have been some amount of non starters. 300 entries, I was the 4th last person to finish and there were 223 finished by that point. They had the right idea...
you loved it really! stage 2 was the one I was keen to give a good go, though any fitness advantage I have on the climbs is probably lost on lack of kahunas on those off camber descent sections and magnetic trees
Descents were absolutely fine, it was trying to fight the bike uphill and along the flat that killed me.
One was predictably shite, moreso than yesterday. Two should've been fine but I had a nightmare and binned it twice.
Three and four were mercifully good though! Clean runs and smooth lines. Happy days.
Yes it was wet, muddy, freezing at the top of stage 1 for a 25 minute wait and windy but overall I had a good day - though it was in jeopardy after stage 1 and 2!
Had about an hours wait at S1
How did it compare to the previous round of the SES at Inners earlier this year?
I can't believe there is so much negativity, yeah it was wet and muddy but it was a quality good fun weekend. Scotland in October, what did you expect?
Yep awesome fun!
Caberston was quite exciting, but just like any other winter ride up that side.
Inners was riding quite fast and rather well.
If you want verifiable facts, just as many people sacked it before practice as after ! Full field of 330 entrants on Friday. 292 signed on, 255 went up the hill, 242 finished the whole race.
Race report here looks good. Sad to have missed it 🙁
http://enduro-mtb.com/en/race-report-poc-scottish-enduro-series-round-5/
love that shot of alistair lees trail in full pinball mode
And when I get the list back (if there is anything left after the rain) will be interesting to see how many riders left at their allocated start time. There is a discrepancy between how many riders selected a time, and how many signed on. As much as it would be a vibe kill to start policing that, people lining up in the cold and rain also kinda spoils the mood.
hels, genuine question here and not a dig. I know you have to get permission from the forestry commission to run these events and part of that process is having routes authorised.
Was the general thinking on the run up that stages 1 and 2 would be ok in the wet after 300 people had practiced it or was it too late to put alternates in. I know in Scotland in October its in the hands of the weather gods so thats out your control.
Oh and hats off to the marshalls and organisers, as much as this round was not for me it is very much appreciated all the hard work that goes into these events.
Hi mactheknife - I was on light duties for this event, just over-organising the entries and registration.
I will pass your question along to the course guys - but please post on the SES FB page as all feedback is appreciated I am sure.
I was just curious buddy, in all honesty i love these events and all the conditions that come with them. I don't have any complaints in the slightest in how it was run or trail choices. I was just wondering how decisions like that were made really. My wimp-o-meter was in the red this weekend so take what i say in that light. 😀
No worries. There are hundreds of variables, and a need to keep it fresh and challenging is up there !
hels - Member255 went up the hill, 242 finished the whole race.
The folks who don't do the race or pull out after a stage get on here first and moan, the folks who do the whole thing were too busy racing 😉
As far as being negative... For me, these things can only be as good as they are because they push the limits a bit. Most times it works out brilliantly. This time, the weather didn't cooperate but that's part of the deal. On another weekend I'd have loved the stages, and the price of weatherproof events would be rubbish stages. So yeah, I decided not to race but I don't see that as a criticism, it just ended up looking like not [i]my[/i] idea of fun. I bet some folks loved the battling, on another day I might have too.
(looking forward to riding kinlochleven trails-indistinguishable-from-rivers in the snow again though, that's more my sort of adversity)
mac - I would imagine that its also to do with the weekends tracks being at the easier end of whats on the caberston hill. Some other trails get way harder in the mud.
mactheknife...RE stages 1 and 2...General feeling was that S1 would rut up a little at the top but the middle and bottom would be fine and S2 is mostly a 20yr old DH track so would hold up. I swept on race day so was last down and had the stickiest conditions. Whilst the top of S1 rutted up more than I thought for the most it was perfectly rideable with the correct tyres (ie mud). Fitness and energy levels exposed lots of people here. No issues with S2 although it was quite slippy! Stu.