It’s 4 weeks to Ard Moors. Who’s going? Who did it last year and what would be your ideal choice of cake or biscuit to suit the terrain.

This is my first time at this or a similar event and my main aim is to finish without significant injury. I will be equipping myself with Soreen (+ salty butter) and a Caramac for emergency sugar hit.

Im doing this years. Never done it before but done ard rock 15 and 16. Trips to india and croatia mean ive not ridden in 4 weeks so need to pull my finger out!

I’m going, not sure what to expect really as it’s less well reported/talked bout than its bigger brother. Any tips out there?

Did it last year and it was a good event, nice hill climb back up from S1 and again to the finish, S3 I think it wasn’t marked very well and quite a few overshot the course.

Doing it again this year so expecting it to be bigger and better.

Had a great time marshaling
practice day on section 1 a grassy chute and ribs ached as well over 100 riders wiped out on my bit
and no injuries only egos dented .

hope to be there again this year

I’ll be there with 2 mates. Not done either Ard Rock or this before but looks like the sort of riding I enjoy.

Really looking forward to it but hoping for some sun over that weekend.

Sun would be nice, I will settle for anything that isn’t horizontal rain.

@trout – looking forward to providing some more laughs. Is practice on the Saturday mandatory or just advisable?

@joemmo if the same format as last year you could only practice 3 sections

if I get the same place again will have camera set up for the offs .

cheers – I might have to skip the practice day and arrive early on sunday then ride the whole thing blind – what could go wrong..?

Those that have ridden it before any tips please? What is the terrain like? presuming different to that of Ard Rock? is it usually muddy? probably need another what tyre thread! ha

there’s plenty of go-pro footage on youtube to get a feel for the terrain. Usually muddy? – well, it’s the UK so anything is possible… :/

joemmo – Member
there’s plenty of go-pro footage on youtube to get a feel for the terrain. Usually muddy? – well, it’s the UK so anything is possible… :/

Experience tells me that talking with people who have done an event before is much more important than making assumptions from a YouTube clip! Hence the question. Fitted some hefty tyres for ard rock off advice rather than YouTube. Glad I did as I didn’t puncture whilst loss around me did.

Did Ard Moors last year and Ard Rock this year. Quite similar in places.
Ard Moors, as expected, not as rocky as Ard Rock, Stage 1 was steep muddy chutes at the start, into open rocky singletrack then into some great corners dug into the heather which ended in some fast woods, saw lots of people come off here had a tricky corner or two thrown in but was great fun.
The last stage was a belter, an old dh track apparently, nicely surfaced it ran very quickly, mellowed out before going into some more brilliant cut in corners.
Can’t really remember too much of the other stages, they weren’t as steep and as someone said above one stage in particular was taped pretty poorly. It was pretty dry last year for the most part but Stage 1 was a bit chewed up.
The transition from 1 back up to the start was a harsh road climb – had to do it twice in the race. There were some pretty decent transitions to be fair.
I would just use whatever tyres you’ve got. Think I had Minion DHF and HR2, all good.
Love to do it again if there’s a ticket going, though I suspect it’s too late now.

Experience tells me that talking with people who have done an event before is much more important than making assumptions from a YouTube clip! Hence the question. Fitted some hefty tyres for ard rock off advice rather than YouTube. Glad I did as I didn’t puncture whilst loss around me did.

I wasn’t suggesting it as a substitute for first hand experience but if someone has posted a first person video of every stage from beginning to end then it would be churlish to ignore surely?

@jonnym – yes i think it’s sold out for the 4 & 5 stage events but maybe they have some cancellations?

It’s a big day out often on wild and exposed moor so pack accordingly; I suggest a bigger pack than perhaps normal for an enduro. Last year the sun shone, I can imagine it would be pretty bleak in windy/rainy conditions.

Start times have been announced. 9.15 for me!

Early doors for me. I will be adding a flask of espresso to my pack

9am for my group. Glad they kept us together even though I registered us as different abilities.

09:05 start for my buddies and I. Only the sprint so no stage three for us but looking forward to it.

8:20 ha – as an ageing bugger and confessed noob I’m clearly being released early so I have time to crawl round! The sprint event gets a lunch break, which is very civilised. 3 stages available to practice on saturday

Starting the sprint at 8.10. Driving there in the morning as well. Ouch…

11 for my group of merry men on the Enduro. Thinking of racing blind and saving the legs. Adds to the fun as well.

I’ll be saving the legs too…. i’ll have all on bikin the 40k as it is.

So we’re less than a week away, weather looks, iffy in the run up but might be ok for the weekend 😆

I might also end up racing blind thanks to work, but we’ll see!

We have all sacked it off. Weather has been woeful, one lad has a broken wrist and i’m in Scotland all week with work

Shorty time !

How long would it take to go round the 3 practice stages on the Saturday , on average?

Bet the trails are pretty damn greasy. I would not be surprised if they re-routed sections of them. Going to be interesting thats for sure.

It hasn’t been a particularly wet summer in the north east though and looks fairly dry after Wednesday. Fingers crossed

Five of us travelling up from the tropical sarf to do the Sprint. Knitted underpants and snorkels packed ready.

Five of us travelling up from the tropical sarf to do the Sprint. Knitted underpants and snorkels packed ready.

If you walk down to the village in the evening to go to the pub, just make sure you Keep off the Moors!!!

Can’t wait!
Weather not looking great in the run up (or the weekend) but no worse than it’s been here all summer.

Should be interesting 😀

I am looking forward to it! I have not really ridden my MTB in a few months so the whole event should be interesting!

I need a new rear tyre too. I have a MM upfront and have the option of a Hans Dampf or another MM. Which one to go for? I know other tyres exist but getting them in time could be an issue!

I am looking forward to it! I have not really ridden my MTB in a few months so the whole event should be interesting!

I need a new rear tyre too. I have a MM upfront and have the option of a Hans Dampf or another MM. Which one to go for? I know other tyres exist but getting them in time could be an issue!

I had a ride up Lordstones/Carlton bank last week. Had the MM/ Hans Dampf combo on my bike and it seemed OK.

Wish I was back up for the ard moors but won’t be about. Great riding up there.

Last nights ride was good practise if it is biblical weather. Just hope my kit will be dry for Saturday when we head down.

2 days of pizzle… could be a bit soggy but sunday still looks dry. Looking forward to it with some trepidation as I’m somewhat short of fitness… but that’s what energy bars are for, right?

Anyone know what the phone receptions like at Lord Stones?

EE has seemed OK when around that area. I had reception at the Ard Rock, also on EE.

Been riding locally today and at the camp site now. It’s wet, but seems like the recent wind has made the open stuff on the moors a little better than in the woods.

Anyone up there now? If so then an report would be very welcome