Anyone doing the Red Kite enduro round 3 next weekend?

Can anyone tell me what to expect, any tips or advice?

I’m doing it with a couple of mates.

First enduro so can’t help with what to expect.

Have you received anything from the organisers yet? I haven’t but thought it would’ve been sent out by now.

Yup, I’m in.. first one too, and haven’t received anything yet either.

Anyone know how the categories are done? Don’t recall having to select one on entry (and nothing on the email receipt)..

Have hugely enjoyed both the previous rounds. They’re small-scale events so no categories. Given recent weather, expect a little mud and the odd puddle. Fun, fast descents, nothing mental. A full range of abilities represented. Relaxed vibe.

I’ll give the organiser a nudge to send out some info, he’s probably been out dogging digging 🙂

Any specific questions, feel free to ask!

I did the last one.Super relaxed and friendly atmosphere and some awesome trails. Great mix of fresh loamy twisty ness and balls to wall rock feasts,though I suspect there will be lashings of mud this time round. I’ll be riding round a muddy field on a road bike so can’t go 😕

Just got the rider briefing email through for this one – unfortunately no ‘view in browser’ option so can’t share a link.

Stages are described as follows:

Stage 1 – Neil’s old DH. Singletrack through trees, two steep drop offs over a fire road, into steep single track, opens out into finish. Improved and lengthened version of stage 4 round 1.

Fire road climb to the top of stage 2

Stage 2 – Black Trail – single track through trees, drop onto fire road, very short uphill section, ancient track, switch back, deep rut section, over bridge to finish

Fire road climb top of stage 3

Stage 3 – Red Trail – if really windy we may swap to the blue trail.

Single track and fire road climb to top of stage 4

Stage 4 – Old track DH. One of the nicest trails in the area. What MTB guys loved it.

Fire road, some single track to the top of stage 5

Stage 5 – Re-run of stage 1 – depends on weather and how the track holds up. May use another trail.

Rider briefing just arrived

Edit: beaten to it

Just read the rider briefing email again.

Am I right in thinking there are in fact only 4 unique stages?

Stages 1&2 on Sat, then on Subday a rerun of 1&2 then 3, 4 and 5 being stage 1 again?

Or is the email misleading/missing stages?

Thats what we did on the last one.

That’s a bit of a shame.

Saying that, if rather ride 4 shithot stages multiple times than 7 pedaly suffer fests… Fingers crossed.

I’ll be there along with a couple of others from QECP. Sounds like a good relaxed (well more chilled anyway!) race to finish the season off 🙂
Looking forward to it despite the weather. My first RedKite event too

Not doing this one but did the first and it was great. Really chilled and everyone was really friendly. The cold showers weren’t ideal but I believe that they’ve fixed those now! That Neil’s old DH is utterly brilliant too, was my favourite stage in round 1.

I’ve missed it this year but having watched a vid on YouTube it looks like one to add to the list for next year.
What age categories are there?

5 and over 😀

I entered this when in form some time back, along with 3 other late season races. This is the last of them and I have not done the others due to a ruptured cartilage in the knee.

So I have just rode around the block… a flatish half mile and based on this scientific test have decided to make this weekend my come back gig!

I may not be fast but I am hankering to be out in the hills and enjoying the atmosphere so I will see you guys there. Worse case i’ll be propping up the bar at the Drovers!!

Silver van and green bike, come and say hello as i’ll be billy no mates.

What a lovely chilled out event! Great idea of doing any stage whenever you wanted.
Mbnut You on the bandit? We chatted to you in the cafe on sat. I was the chap with big sideburns 🙂 . We have you a good send off encouragement on stage 1 today, kind of forced you into standing and peddling lol!

Dave how did u guys do? Any gap jumps like PORC ?

Brilliant event this weekend. The bad weather this week forced him to change tracks a bit, but unavoidable.

Stages 1 and 5 were top notch. Had so much fun on those.

I hope the digging I helped with this morning made the steep section on stage 1 more ride-able for most. On test runs Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning I couldn’t stay on while going at a decent pace down that chute onto the bridge so it had to be changed.

Stage 5 was a conker, though. The fireroad down was loamy trail perfection. just could have done with being a bit longer, but can’t complain.

I’ll be going over there to help Neil build some new tracks for next year, so onwards and upwards.

Loved stage 1 on first day. Found it slower today? Shame s5 was so short, I didn’t realise I crossed the finish line, almost went ploughing into the branch after!
No gap jumps kimbers! But 650b wheels make a huge difference for me! From mid table mediocracy, to 3Rd place after sat!! Shame no categories as vets have to compete against elite 18yo :'(

I’m gunning for some optional jumps for the new tracks. A road gap perhaps?…

Excellent weekend with a nice relaxed atmosphere.. lots of chatting with people taking part. Some interesting trail sections too!

Echo what has been said above. Had loads of fun all weekend.

Having not ridden anything loamy before I found stage 1 really difficult. Also discovered that I need something chunkier than a chunky monkey for slippery loamy stuff!

The new section on stage 1 was much easier to ride, so I was happy with the overnight changes 🙂

Stage 5 was by far the best, there were 3 or 4 people at bottom when I got down and everyone was hugely impressed.

Not sure if I said hello to anyone on here. I was one of the guys on the old school stumpies.

Will be going back next year when the events restart.

Can’t wait to see how I did, 23rd after day 1 which I was chuffed with as it was my first race.

Yep… a good event, very relaxed which suited as I was in the pub till 4am… friendly place.

Thanks for the encouragement Superfli…. made a hash of Stage 1 both race runs… shame as I really liked it.

Sts – we chatted a bit in the bar… I am the slightly odd one from Kent.

Thanks to the guy with the YT… I now know that I like the bike and what size I want… and to Jelly for the spin on his Enduro, again I now want one and what size I want… now to raise 4k.

A special thanks to Dennis and the Trail 42 guy (never got your name) without whom I would never had dragged my sorry hungover arse around day 2.

And cheers Neil… keep up the good work.

Oh… I meant to ask…. how do we find out the results.

Great chilled out race weekend.

Stage 1 was a cracker, so much fun in practice and early race runs but a bit of a shame the middle section had to be simplified after day 1 – it was getting very cut up though. Stage 5 was another highlight, from the fire road to the bottom was a great bit of track, would have been even better if it was a bit longer! Stage 3 was the low point for me with only 3 corners and a lot of pedalling, guess you’ve got to have a range of stages though and I like a good moan 😉

Outside of the racing the hot showers in the camping field were a great surprise and the pasta night at the Drovers went down really well.

According to their Facebook page results will be up there later today and will also be sent out via email, photos to follow on Wednseday.

Results are out. V pleased with how I did 🙂

If only they had categories!!
Still, very happy with my 8th place. Amazing how much quicker I am on this new bike. Would love to know how well I’d do on a sub 30lb carbon supadupa enduro bike!

Photos gradually appearing here: CAC

700-odd from day 1 so far

There’s a guy falling off who looks very like me but must be my long lost twin

Good to see the results.

Chuffed with 4th overall, I guess all the fast lads must have had the weekend off 😉

26in wheels can’t be that bad!

I’m chuffed with 1st. Probably should have done less skids and wheelies, and more pedaling though. It was worth walking stage 5 before riding it- I made up 9 seconds on it.

Pictures from Sunday will be up today/tomorrow.

Relive my experience of the weekend here