Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)
  • Bluegrass Enduro – Kinlochleven 15th & 16th May
  • willber
    Free Member

    Is anyone here doing it?

    Did anyone here do it last year?

    Im trying to gague how hard its going to be and if im fit/good enough to do it……

    There are very very limited details about the route and format available

    scottfitz
    Free Member

    Its June not May, and it clashed with the FoD enduro1 for me!

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I’m heading up (not on the entries list though for some reason). Did the last one, it was mint- but yep, a fairly hard weekend.

    No guarantee it’ll be exactly the same but I gather it’ll be similiar at least. The technical difficulty was sort of hard to describe- it’s all footpaths, which up there means it’s a lot like riding down a streambed- big loose rocks, sometimes hard to keep momentum, quite a few bits where there isn’t exactly a “line” so you’re just making it up as you go along. Very cool but quite different to most riding I do.

    The climb was long and fairly draggy, but not too bad- almost all landrover track. Was glad for the granny ring.

    Conditions should be different- I got caught in a wee bit of a snow storm in practice last year, so my race day was slightly afflicted by not being able to feel my toes properly 🙂

    All in all I loved it- not an easy weekend but I reckon doable for most folks. If you’ve done anything like this- UKGE, inners enduros, or even normal technical highlands riding- it’ll be right.

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    superdan
    Full Member

    The thing putting me off this event, versus the one in November last year (which is one of the best events I have ever done I think, brilliant trails) is the number of midgies that live around Kinlochleven. I imagine that you won’t want to be standing still at any point all weekend in June.

    Rode Devils Staircase/Kieran Path with some friends in August last year, and the little blighters were everywhere, it made it pretty unpleasant.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    From childhood hols in the area I remember that once you got above the town it wasn’t usually too bad, there’s usually enough wind to put them off. Not as bad as racing at fort william when the flying sharks come out :mrgreen:

    But yes I will be bathing in skinsosoft and cropdusting with DEET.

    Rockplough
    Free Member

    Northwind, are you talking about the DoH enduro last November?

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Yup. Think this one might be lacking in ponies though.

    Trying to come up with the best way to describe how good it was… Well, like I mentioned, got caught in a snowstorm, ripped the sole off one my shoes, came off the hill with no feeling left in my fingers or toes on practice day. Crashed into a stream on stage one on race day, then on stage 3 ripped off my mech and stuffed it into the wheel. Having so much fun that I just kept going, end result new mech and wheel needed 😳 And I do not care, it was 100% worth it. Proper bright primary colours memories 6 months on.

    Only downer I can see is that they seem to be imposing the Damn Fool Full Face Rule- mandatory helmets at all times, mandatory full face for the descents. Full face on the descents I don’t mind but I can ride up a bloomin fire road thanks. But ah well, worth the hassle for a properly good event.

    richmtb
    Full Member

    Sounds really good, its not too expensive either. It will make up for me missing the Glentress Enduro this weekend

    AntM
    Free Member

    +1 what Northwind said. Great event last year (I missed the blizzard 🙂 ) tough riding if you’re not fit, the climb was hard 4th time up, glad I had a granny ring too. Can’t wait to do it again. BTW Northwind do you fancy doing a car share up to save on juice?

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    I fancied this, but I ain’t buying a full facer just for an enduro.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Well, one thing I know, I’ll not enter another “full face helmet mandatory” enduro, except maybe in winter! Pedally stages + warm windless day + full face = melted brain.

    So I thought sod it, this isn’t my idea of fun, gave up on “practice” and just started riding the fun bits properly and the not fun bits leisurely (or not at all…). Actually spent the most time going up and down a section that was in a transition not a race stage, which was weird. Then instead of waiting hours for the prologue went up and did last year’s stage 1, then spent about 6 hours in the hotel jacuzzi, then popped up to nevis range today.

    Not exactly the race weekend of champions but ya know, it was a pretty fine weekend! Hope y’all had a good time.

    wenanwhere
    Free Member

    Another well organised no fuss event. Hard pedally sections mix things up a bit. Good timing, loads of free stuff excellent vfm over gravity series. More events like these please!

    willber
    Free Member

    much the same as me Northwind – i did the prologue stage, realised i was well out my depth and spent the Sunday doing my own thing. There’s a lot of riding up there, and doesn’t really seem like its being exploited yet – perhaps due to its remoteness.

    My issue was my fitness was lacking – I knew it was before going, but this event really showed me how much work I need to do. Its a stunning place, and the event was very well executed – despite my lack of involvement this year, I will be back next……. not sure how much the weather has influenced my rose tinted glasses as it was a stunning day on Sunday up there

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I think if I was fitter I’d have just gone faster and still blown myself up :mrgreen:

    It is stunning up there isn’t it… I couldn’t resist touristing around the dam for a while, especially on such a perfect day. Weren’t even too many midges 🙂

    legend
    Free Member

    Northwind – Member
    Well, one thing I know, I’ll not enter another “full face helmet mandatory” enduro, except maybe in winter! Pedally stages + warm windless day + full face = melted brain.

    Carry an XC lid?

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I did! Only wore the fullface for the stage descents, but they were very pedally in places- short sharp climbs all the way down the ciaran path, and stage 3 was pretty flat. I was sweating like a priest on father’s day by halfway down each one.

    I’ve worn a fullface for an innerleithen enduro and it was OK, but then it was in February and also almost all downhill. Still pretty dang sweaty mind.

    None of this is getting at No Fuss incidentally, it wasn’t their call. But it was the thing that made it not fun, for me. Still, glad I went.

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