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I'm going to try to get down on thursday, will take the gopro if I do but it's quite dark in there.
Please do,I want to know what I'm letting myself in for!
youngrob - MemberI think the course is brilliant, there is a huge difference between stage 1 and stage 5 but that's what an enduro race is about, testing different skills
Bang on. See how it goes on the day but from that point of view it feels like the best allround enduro route I've done. If I tree myself or my legs fall off from the pedalling I will of course declare it to be ****.
I agree with previous guys comment , I found stage 5 harder because o the boggy ruts , stage 4 probably as steep as prospacker etc , but more off camber than strait down
Potentially stupid question, is practice limited to those who are racing?
It says you are supposed to practice with your numberboard on the bike but its unmarshalled so you aren't going to get lynched or anything. I think because they are public mixed use trails they don't want people hooning into members of the public.
It is unmarshalled apart from the race day (According to the docs thing they sent me). So it should be fine.
[i]Potentially stupid question, is practice limited to those who are racing?[/i]
That'd be a bit difficult really, as its Scotland and we've 'right to roam'.
Oh, Nobeerinthefridge, fyi- "Riders can not accept support (e.g. spares, repairs) from a non-racer."
Duane- it's possibly a bit cheeky. Hels'd be able to tell you for sure, personally I reckon if the answer is "We'd rather you didn't" then that's as important as "Can I". Not sure if it'd count as responsible access...
That'd be a bit difficult really, as its Scotland and we've 'right to roam'.I'm not entirely sure the point of the right to roam law is to allow people to gatecrash events they are not taking part in.
I think the 'honourable' gentlemanly thing would be to leave it to racers to practice on Saturday and try the trail yourself another time. There are going to be a lot of people waiting to get down it as it is.
Bollocks go ride it mate , that's what its there for , best to go early before it gets wrecked
or that ^
Duane, what day are you looking to head down. If its Sunday forget it as its race day. Any other day wont be a problem. Enjoy 🙂
[i]I'm not entirely sure the point of the right to roam law is to allow people to gatecrash events they are not taking part in. [/i]
I was answering the question about 'practising'...
The event isn't till sunday , practise .? Is it not just going out on your bike and enjoying it !
Gave some of this a go tonight and does anyone want a free ticket for Stage 4. Off to read rules on whether you're ok to carry hillwalking boots in your rucksack and change for the run down the hill. Jeez 🙂
Not that it stopped me mate who went thundering past like a Subaru doing a 90s rally stage, as I stood there wondering how I was gonna slide down the next random arrangement of nasty stuff.
😀 Had a nice walk down there Tuesday. You are right - hillwalking boots required. That stage will certainly be interesting as if you falter, getting back on won't be easy and 'walking' / 'running' will be very difficult too!
This thread is useless without pictures! Video would be even better.
How does stage 4 compare to this at Ae the other year?
Had a run down 1, 2 and 3 yesterday. Will save 4 and 5 till saturday.
3 is an absolute beast. The final route had just been placed through the trees and it caught me out a few times. Wear some glasses cos there was plenty of mus flying in my face when i hit the clearer sections. 🙂
- I hope that's not a Scottish euphemism 🙂plenty of mus flying in my face
I wish this thread had never been started. I don't want to know how scary S4 is. I wish they'd not released the route details until today. Then there would be a level-ish playing field for all those travelling up (or down) to practice tomorrow and Saturday before 'race' day...
...and no one would know how scary S4 is until tomorrow 🙂
Can everyone please stop talking about stage 4. I'm pretty sure I am having nightmares about it already.
I definitely am! The hail that just battered my windows isn't helping, hope it's a bit nicer up north.
Tweedlove have posted on Facebook that trail saboteurs have been at work in Cademuir placing logs and boulders on the trail and they've taken a jump down, so be careful out there.
Nipped down for a wee ride today, ran out of time to do all of stage 5 but got a gopro vid of 4 chuntering away now, should get it uploaded shortly.
It's mostly got grippier as it's dried, though it's also got more exposed roots and some of the cambers have got a bit trickier as they've worn. The techier section of stage 5 above the fire-road is much easier to read now.
So in a fit of reckless confidence I've just fitted a nobby nic- pedalling the 2 butchers along the boundary trail was not my idea of fun. I reserve the right to regret this decision.
Look forward to seeing the video 🙂
Weather forecast looks good, fingers crossed it'll only get drier.
I don't often swap tyres so I'll be sticking with a Butcher up front and Purgatory rear.
Right, still uploading and I'm off to bed, you should be able to find it here or thereabouts... Nice and slow to get a good look 😉 I chucked on a couple of notes as I watched it, as much for myself as anything else but it might be useful.
You are a star! I'd started to build it up as impossible in my mind. But it looks doable. Well, at least try-able.
Apart from the tape. I have a strange and unhealthy attraction to tape. So if anyone finds a limply struggling figure trussed in tape and incapable of escaping (think mountain biking fly caught in the web between the trees), please release me. Or at least don't laugh.
Nice one Northwind, had a quick watch over breakfast, looks tricky in places! Really hope it stays dry....
Nice one @Northwind
Firstly, great vid. Secondly, nicely ridden and documented. Finally, I'm still not sure I wanted to know what S4 was like 🙂
During that vid my eyes were drawn several times to the solid objects that are known as trees. Must avoid!!
It looks tricky. Steep. Tight. Exposed in places. Due care and attention, clever braking and a relaxed approach should see me down safely 🙂
I'll be setting off in less than an hour so hope to have a pootle around Cademuir later this afternoon.
Thanks for posting the vid. I had a walk up the top section of stage 4 on wed night. Looks like it's dried up a fair bit and with dry weather over the weekend it should be running pretty sweet.
Hope you don't mind but I've shared it on the TrailScotland forum too...
that looks well steep! I might check that one out today before it gets busy. That did look like Dan in trail pixie mode
chris1h - MemberHope you don't mind but I've shared it on the TrailScotland forum too...
Pff, I'd have ridden better if I'd known it was going to be passed around (no I wouldn't) Yeah no worries!
Well after watching your video Northwind I have downgraded the estimation of my riding skills from "ok" to "not very good at all, must try better".
I was walking/slipping round most of those turns in the first half of Stage 4, you made it seem so effortless.
Thanks Northwind , that makes me feel much more relaxed 😆
Another for,I hope it stays dry .
Daft question ,do you have to do the sections in the right order 1-5 ?
Well ridden Northwind! did that stage on Wednesday and it was a tad silly in places. Hopefully it continues to dry out for the weekend.
That video doesn't show how steep some of the lines are, some of the corners in particular are very tricky, especially when slippy.
Again, well ridden NW!
I'm not doing the enduro this year, doing the 7 instead I'm quite glad!
Looks "Andy's Flume" steep with a bit of "Broon Troot" slippy and rooty thrown in.
Plenty of exposure on the final bit of single track for good measure
Mad respect Andrew for riding it that smoothly, that was definitely outwith my comfort zone in places, just so wet and loose I couldn't stay upright, could hardly walk some of it. Really nice trail in other bits though! Really needs to not rain again... fingers crossed...
That looks ace, sorta like some of the steep rooty black section after the bombhole at Drumlanrig. No doubt I'll mince like a champion, but who cares. Fun fun fun....
A bit of a silly question maybe, but how long are these stages open after the enduro? I have no time at alll to have a play over the next week really, do I have any chance of trying them? I'm located in Edinburgh, so I'm only a drive away when I actually get a chance....
Most are open trails or part of glentress way marked routes which will be rideable any time. The only exception as far as I know are parts of stage 3 off Ho Chi Minh which i believe will be closed after the race. You can bypass these though by going all the way fown Ho Chi Minh and get back on route at zoom or bust.
Stage 3, 4 and 5 were Sick. Thank god it isn't raining though... Some stages (like the top of stage 4) would go from fun to hellish in the rain.
The top of stage 4 looked far easier to ride down than walk down though, despite seeing many people walking (although for me it was a bit of a dab fest in places)
So nice today... Only had time for a quick spin so went up and made a total arse of stage 5 all the way down 
It's a bit hard to read the grip now with it drying up... (at the risk of outing myself as being weird, I preferred S5 when it was sodden, great fun)
Really looking forward to it 🙂
S4 is already on Strava (Cademuir 4) - the Wee Man has KOM at the mo.
I didn't get on with 5 that well at all. I think it was just because I was knackered at that point though and found it quite hard work.
How did you all get on then? I had a blast, rode everything and wasn't last. Brilliant day.