So the email just arrived… 8:35 start time! 😯
Nerves are starting to build as well as the excitement!

First time doing an enduro race… Actually first time doing any sort of race! *gulp*

Are there any other people in the Intro race?

Done the last two ard rocks, doing are moors this year. These are the only events ive ever done. It’s a really fun event with a great crowd. A mate came off last year and several people stopped to help.

Anyone know if the Sunday sport riders can practice on the Friday?

Email reads like it’s just sprint and enduro who can practice which is a bit crap for my GF if she can’t ride with us on Friday

I really recommend anyone who hasn’t raced or done ard rock before to practice the stages available. I lost count of the amount of riders pushing down the technical sections, which of course means getting in the way of other riders (annoying and potentially dangerous).

I’ll be chasing you, off at 8.40 😆

9.45 on the Sunday

I get a lie in! 😀

First timer also.

Just had my start timing through for the Sunday race…10:50 doesnt give me much of a “buffer” if things go wrong. I’m guessing. Cant wait mind

8:40. 🙁

Use to the 11am starts at the dyfi. Could seriously impact Saturday night antics.

It’s gonna be painful for gazc on his 10 pint handicap. 😆

08:55 for us lot, looking forward to it, hoping we get the weather 😆

Sunday sport start for me at 10:40.

Anyone riding the Sunday fancy a ride Saturday?

8.05 intro rider here, you can all catch up with this fat first timer 🙂

0835 for me on Saturday.

My only concern is the fact I’m injured and have been for 3 weeks. If I’m cleared to ride, I’m going to need all the energy I can get.

Stages aren’t overly technical – although it was bone dry last year – being relatively long and the transitions are hard enough.

8:15 in the main (Saturday) event for me and eddie11.

9:30 on Sunday for me, second time. 7:50 last year and there were no queues at all, I was hoping for the same this year but I’m not fussed really.

1045 on Sunday for me, fitted new shock today which I hope will help in lieu of training.

Me n friends are in the Sunday. Start time of 8.15am for me.

Pretty early. My purgatory grid tyre has arrived today.

Never been before Sunday start time of 11:20. Are start times drawn random.One positive got more time to sober up.

sandwicheater – Member
Sunday sport start for me at 10:40.

Anyone riding the Sunday fancy a ride Saturday?

I’m planning on going for a ride Saturday with my mates, we are heading up Friday some Saturday so unsure of time yet but definitely heading out

I’m heading up with a mate on Friday morning he’s riding on the Saturday though and also about 200 times fitter than me!

Not sure if we (the intro riders) can join in the practice runs on the Friday. So I’ll be right up for a ride with anyone.

I’ve been out of action for the last 4 weeks. So going to be blowing hard!

Just got back from the lakes after 5 days of climbs and big full on descents so not that fussed after last year ,i know whats coming ..I will say i hoped for 8am like last year but ended up with 10.55am… tail end charlie 🙁

Doing the Sunday sport. Was hoping for some official info on ride options for us sport riders for fri and sat. Not found any so far, anyone have knowledge from previous years?

11.05 for the Saturday enduro which I’m happy with – no mad rush and time to clear a fuzzy head. I think the times are based on how you grade yourself as a rider on the entry form i.e. Faster riders sent away earlier so slower riders don’t hold them up. Seems to bare true as I think this is the 4th ‘Ard’ event I’ve done, always grade myself as a 4 )second slowest) and always seem to get a start time around 11am. No training and very little ridding in the past month, but about to head out to the alps for a week so that’ll do. Now if only I done some training for the alps!

I’m in the sprint race and have a start time of 12:15. Trying to decide if I should beef up the rear tyre on my hardtail. Might take off my Mionion SS and pop on the Slaughter DH that came on my Demo.

1120 in the enduro proper for me. Happy with that, gives faff time before and beer for 5pm.

I graded myself as mid pack rider. Going one from last set off time. Should be interesting.

Both years I’ve graded myself as just hoping to make it round, got 7:50 last year, 9:30 this year. I like the idea of an early start so I can take more time on the transitions.

Don’t you only get 5h30m whenever you start?

Yeah, it just feels like there’s more time starting early!

YorkshireRipper – Member

Anyone know if the Sunday sport riders can practice on the Friday?

I wouldn’t worry about it, last year I got there too late to register on the friday night, went up an practiced without a number on, marshalls were cool with it.

Marshalls generally bugger off about 7 anyway.

8.05 start time for me – I’ve not clicked an “I’m well fast” button by mistake have I? 😯

Really looking forward to this.

I’ve ridden quite a bit in Swaledale, but just wondering how challenging the trails are? Should I be engaging full mince or half mince?

How do they compare to say, a tough lakes descent ?

Much easier than a tough Lakes descent.

Nowhere near tough lakes Descent Dave, Think maybe Bash descent into Rosthwaite level of tech. I’ll be keeping an eye out for you mate, need to get a beer in.

7:55 start on Sunday – ouch!

Nowhere near tough lakes Descent Dave, Think maybe Bash descent into Rosthwaite level of tech. I’ll be keeping an eye out for you mate, need to get a beer in.

Email me your number Greg. We are going up on the Thursday night so there all weekend.

I’ll be the fat guy in the Singletrack Special Reserve top on Sunday. Say hello as you all stream past me 😆

Will do mate, though mobile reception is generally non existant!.

I’ll drop you an email before that weekend mate.

Onzadog – Member
Don’t you only get 5h30m whenever you start?

The Ard Rock web site says 5h30min cut of for the intro however the email I received when I go to the event information shows 4h30mins!!! 😯

I really hope the 4h30 is wrong!

Did the sunday ride last year. Was great altho we didnt get to start till 11.30am. Was really windy at the top and was a wait on stage 2 as someone had come off and also a wait on stage 3.
One of our mates had a few mechanicals and punctures so that added time on. By the time we got to stage 4 the marshalls were starting to stop people doing it. We finished stage 4 and marshalls said we could carry on and do stage 5 but reckoned it could take well over an hour to get there so we decided to just go back. Did part of the end of stage 2 backwards ( the very bottom bit)
Was still a great day.
Doing the sat 3 stage ride this time and have a start time of 13.10pm.
Would defo recommend going tubeless.

the 5:30 time limit is a load of BS. They actually mean (or certainly it applied last year) that the cutoff time is 5:30 from the last rider group to depart which is 11:40ish for the saturday enduro.

I had an 11:30 start time, headed straight up the first climb into a 30min queue for stage 1. At the bottom of stage 1, the marshal radios were blasting out with info that the sweeper (guy K + daughter on his tandem) was catching, sending people back to the event village due to cutoff times etc.

That meant maximum pressure and a cycle straight past that pub and minimal resting before stages. I chatted to someone on the transition from stage 4 to 5 that had a start time of 7:30. This was at about 4:45pm – He’d had a lovely days riding with max stops, resting before stage attempts and a drink at the pub. The total opposite of my experience, I was fubared by the end of the day!

It’s all about early start times – I got 8:45 this year and am looking forward to more relaxed transitions and enjoying the race a bit more.

dizcostix – Member
the 5:30 time limit is a load of BS. They actually mean (or certainly it applied last year) that the cutoff time is 5:30 from the last rider group to depart which is 11:40ish for the saturday enduro.

….

It’s all about early start times

You have no idea how happy you have made me! Even more so with the mention of a pub!