Boltby Bash 2023 – who’s going?

Any of the STW Crew heading to Boltby this year?

Need some motivation to go…

I’m certainly planning on being there…

I’m going, never done it before.

As usual my promise to myself to get fit for these things is in tatters due to committing to loads of social (drinking) events in the run up. Should be a good laugh though!

Aieee

Yep! First time

Yep – first time. Fitness is poop and I’m nursing a shoulder injury in the run up to it.

Should be fun!

As usual my promise to myself to get fit for these things is in tatters due to committing to loads of social (drinking) events in the run up. Should be a good laugh though!

Isn’t drinking practice precisely what “getting fit for these things” is? Can’t have your race run ruined by a hangover!

Not this year sadly its a brilliant event!

Don’t post on here much but read loads. I’m going did it last year was at the sharp end of my skill but still enjoyed it. Can’t wait to be honest. On a yellow BFE max

Yeah 8 of us heading up from west yorks, all with poor fitness but never had a bad Boltby weekend. My plan is to practice stages 3 and 5 on the Sat and have a pedal to the pub, save the legs for the Sunday.

I’ll be there👋

I’ll be riding. Years since I’ve done an enduro so looking forward to it.

Skills are a bit rusty to put it mildly. Anticipating a full practice sesh on the Sat to try and get the eye in (it’s meant to be at the easier end of enduros is it not?)

Missing this year but rode it last year for the first time (after having had about 6 months barely touching the bike and a few too many beers the Saturday night!). Absolutely brilliant event. Full loop practice on Saturday taking it steady followed by a drop down to Felixkirk for a pint and some food on the way back to the camp site.

How much climbing is there? Can’t see anything on the Website

Last years race loop had +2700ft of climb. Don’t remember any of the rideable climbs being that tough technically, just a bit of a slog in places. The climb up from the event village to stage 1 is a steady away mostly road/double track climb. Stage 1 > Stage 2 has a fairly tough road climb to start with and then a really nice long flowy descent to stage 2. Stage 2 > Stage 3 another steady(ish) farm track climb. Stage 3 > Stage 4 has a push and a flat pedal along the edge of the hill. Stage 4 > Stage 5 has a fkr of a ride/push out to meet the trail between 3 and 4 before another flat spin to the top of 5.

*assume the stages are similar to last years.

Stage 1 > Stage 2 has a fairly tough road climb to start wit

Not done the race before but if that’s the one I think (sneck yate bank) it’s a lovely climb…

They used to do motorbike hill climb races up there many years ago.

My stats from last year are 949m of climbing and 27.9km distance.

great event and sad to have sold my ticket for it this year.

I wish I was, but missed out on tickets. Did it a few years back and it was a cracking event! More inclined to do it again than another Ardrock I think

Not done the race before but if that’s the one I think (sneck yate bank) it’s a lovely climb…

No such thing 😉

First climb does the lower part of Sneck Yate Bank but then veers off toward High Paradise Farm. Glad it was the first climb and not toward the end!

Yep, doing it this year. First time (and first ever Enduro) last year, great event, right at the top of my skill level, but I rode it all (with 1 dab, on stage 2), albeit slowly (bottom 10%) Coming up from Leeds with 5/6 others.

Anyone know how it holds up in the wet? Not much sign of a break from this crappy showery weather over the next couple of weeks, so likely to be wetter than last year’s dusty trails.

Depending how much rain we get it may be riding better than last year with a bit of slightly damp hero dirt rather the last year’s dust.
I binned it at one point in the dust last year front wheel slide out. A bit more grip would have been welcome at points.

It’s v. Similar terrain to a certain other woodland I know you were riding at over the weekend @hardtailonly

Current weather will be fine but, as was said on another thread a couple of weeks back, trusting a weather forecast more than two minutes ahead is a bit like believing in astrology. Three weeks away? In may? Could as easily be floods, mad max levels of drought or both by then.

Yep, The only enduro I bother with now TBH I like its easy going vibe. It was properly wet the other year was veeeery slick! Fingers crossed for a dry one..

I’m going.

First Enduro. Only bought the bike at the end of last year. Hopefully I’ll get a few more rides in before I go now the DR is out of the way. Not worried about the ups and transitions as I’m normally an XC whippet.

Any tips from those who’ve been before? Doesn’t look too hard. Will set my expectations when I’ve done the practice day. Limited experience of this type of riding – really only Thrunton and the off piste at Hamsterley.

Another first timer here on a bike I’ve had about two weeks. Trying my best to get some training in round the Chase but we need some bigger hills!

Any tips from those who’ve been before?

Enjoy it – the trails are superb.

Got an entry but have only ridden once since the start of December due to medical nonsense so am having to bin it off.

The only motivation you need for Boltby is it’s bloody brilliant, the year I did it I absolutely loved it! The tracks were mint. Challenging and a real test of skill, the whole atmosphere was great and I’m sure it’s only got better.

Plenty of climbing but it’s for the descending so it’s all good. I fell off on the loamiest corner I’ve ever hit too and brother careered into the back of me, such a laugh! 😂

Enjoy everyone, I’m jealous. First one I’ve missed for a while.

@jonba – you’ll be fine. Make sure you practice on Saturday – theres not much you couldnt ride blind, but there are a few key sections that might make you wince a little if you dont! If you see everyone off their bikes crowding round watching, thats a good indicator!

Play to your strengths too, and if your XC fit you can really make up some good times by being safe and solid on the techy bits, but putting the hammer down where you can pedal and make speed, a couple of the stages have sections where you wil be able to really go for it. Hit all the wooden kickers they throw in, they are super fun, but make sure to check the lines first – sometimes straight off the ramp doesnt exactly point you in the direction you want to be going when you land!

ETa – the Carpenters Arms down the hill in Felixkirk has great food, make sure you book. I’m only telling you this as I’m not going!

Top tip if you spot a photographer pay attention to the trail….

What snotrag says about the ramps is true, especially if they have the one into the “arena” at the end of stage 3 again. Someone hit that last year square on without the confidence needed which resulted in the air ambulance I think. And the fitness thing – stage 1 apart from a few BIG roll ins is really, really pedally and you could make up a load of time there vs some of the other slower more techy trails. Top of stage 3 is the same.

Gutted I’m missing it now reminiscing about last year – they’re exactly the types of trails I love riding…

Can’t wait. That ramp thing on stage 3 was great. I went a really really long way and landed on a pheasant.

and landed on a pheasant.

At this time of year it’s difficult not too, so so many of the bloody things and all with suicidal tendencies that would make the Jonestown cult blanche.

How much do people generally ride on practice day? One and done? Session tricky bits? Two or three laps per stage? Only done smaller funduro sort of stuff before.

2 or 3 laps per stage would be a massive day out! We generally just ride all the stages you can (some aren’t open for practice) and maybe stop to have a look at anything that looks tricky.

Probably get a range of preferences there @serkuss – I’ve not ridden enduro for a few years so just want to get round comfy. So I’ll do a full practice lap and 100% be session-ing any feature that I find difficult, because I don’t want to be hitting anything that’s 50/50 in my mind on the Sunday. If a stage is technically no bother then once is enough for me, as I’m not arsed about the fastest lines or anything like that.

Also depends on your fitness – if the distance and elevation sounds like a big deal then doubling it up Sat and Sun will be tiring. If it’s next to nowt for you then you can practice as much as you want.

Stages 2-5 all close, stage 1 somewhat out of the way.

Last year on practice day we just did each stage once, though did stop to observe/session tricky bits.

Trickiest bits was probably stage 2 (rooty bit near the top). Lines to ride around it easily, but technically the hardest bit on the course to ride quickly I reckon
Then stages 1,3,4,5 all had sections where time could definitely be won (or more likely lost!)

Given 2-3 days practice and looking at lines I reckon there is a lot of time to be found for most people. Bit difficult to do in 1 day though without spannering yourself for the actual race!

What sort of ground is it at Boltby? Guessing it won’t suit a baldy minion up front – took the trance out at the weekend and that’s what I have, any recommendations for what to replace it with?