EWS, who's excited ?

I think they give you a sticker for your bike that has your stage start times etc on it. Very handy.

Instant fatbike, just add mast trail (called B Side, I think. Which makes me want to name the next section down Seaside as I think it’s currently sadly nameless)

(not me btw)

holy moly! Well there is usually a stream running down the next bit after so that might get some of the mud off.

Uh oh Megavalanche all over again, 26inch wheels, with swamp things !?

It’s still being worked on so with that and the drying conditions I doubt it’ll be anything like that on the day. Especially if people keep removing all the mud on their bikes, there’s only a finite supply 😆

http://www.enduroworldseries.com/downloads/scotland/Registered%20Riders-scotland.pdf

You hear that? That’s the sound of Dan Atherton, Remy Absolom, Nico Vooleywooz, Mitch Gruffalo, Fablon Barstool and many others going “Ah ****, Northwind from STW is coming? We might as well stay in bed!”

Liking the presence of Team Baws Oot and Mr T Racing. I like to think that one of these french team names is the french equivalent of “Team Boaby Soap”

Kind of a pain in the cock to have to go to peebles on Friday for the briefing and picking up timing doofers though. I had an important engagement with 2 tons of biscuits and a DVD box set on Friday.

im defo planning to rest my delicate legs all day friday

that first transition is giving me the willies already

Hope you’ve been out learning all the pro lines on the river path. (I put a Conti Der Baron 2.5 dh tyre on the front for golfy day last year, it was like pedalling a giant pritt stick)

that first transition is giving me the willies already

Word is the transitions are relaxed this year. That seems to be pretty consistent feedback from all the riders at various events. If S1 starts as high as I think it might then it’s going to be a big transition to start even without a time limit!

I’m in for E2 and am slightly apprehensive. I had a crash a few weeks ago which required stitches and while it started healing ok, it’s now infected so my left knee is twice the size it should be and it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting on the bike until practice on Thursday.

What do we reckon for tyres – put a Maxxis Shorty on the front or just stick with a Minion DHF?

Vigilante front Hans Dampf rear regardless of conditions.

My theory is tyres are pretty irrelevant if you don’t have the skills to use them properly (I don’t) Even with a mud tyre I’d still be panic braking like a big girl’s blouse rendering the tread pointless.

Depends on the exact stages and next week’s weather tbh, I’ll probably just stick with the mighty shorty/butcher team, it’s not fast but it’s never totally wrong, I’m not good enough to ride steep slippy stuff with low grip. Might chance a faster rear tyre for GT day, depends on the stages that.

And also because that’s what’s on the bike 😆

I’m going with Magic Mary on front for at least the Day 1. Not decided on rear: options are a Nobby Nic Pacestar or EDIT Minion HighRoller Supertacky (ancient, I know, but in good condition!). What do you guys think?

Stuff having a super tacky on the back!

After sliding out all over the place at the almost dry Qecp night enduro in the mighty mountains of Hampshire last weekend its all about grip for me, shorty and hr2 I’ll take an ardent but I really doubt it’ll get used forecast is for sunshine and showers at the mo

it was certainly generally pretty wet at gt and golfy earlier this week, but some dry areas too, depending on the trail, not sure how much it will dry out especially once churned up by 600 riders. I’ve got a shorty on the front and vigilante rear and I can’t be bothered changing it, would need to be pretty dry to make me change.

So smooth in practice…

It was really strange to see all the top enduro cyclists whizzing past me on my local trails.

I get to potter about tomorrow before being stuck in the worlds most boring marshal point.

Both Golfie trais pretty dry today. Rather than worry about tyres, worry about holding on for 6mins+ on the line from the very top right down to the bottom! A couple of sessions in the gym maybe? 🙂

Heading up tomorrow for the full week up there with my good lady. Looking forward to it, hope it’s as fun as last year. E2 again for me. I certainly won’t be setting any blistering times, just aiming to finish.

I’ll be sticking with my trusty Magic Mary/Hans Dampf combo. I haven’t done the new golfie one yet but I’ve heard it’s a cracker! The mast trail at GT was a claggy mess when I rode it last week so here’s hoping it’s a little more bed in. The Inners stage I rode was a cracker (was following someone who knew it), I couldn’t follow it again though without tape!

Hopefully see some of you guys over the coming week.

That’s the stages up

http://tweedlove.com/onthehillside/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/TL15-EWS-Riders-Notes.pdf

http://tweedlove.com/onthehillside/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Stage-Descriptions.txt

Some great stuff in there. Course is closed from Monday onwards so you have 2 hours 33 minutes for sneaky practice

Some brutally long stages. Polar opposite of today’s race!

Are start lists around yet? Or anyone know if it is same as last year with Elites off first? I think Ireland this weekend they had the Elites off last. Just trying to co-ordinate Sunday spectating!

Pretty much as expected. Not ridden waterworld but presume it’s similar to boner. All good stuff though! Should be a good week.

@Doug, could be wrong but I think the start lists were waiting for the Ireland round for seeding.

I like that there’s a little bit more of, well, classic inners and GT riding- the classic obvz but some GT red and that.

long stages, I hope there will be a bakery tent to stop at half way down them 🙂

I’m sure it’s fastest last for E1 this year.

bigjim glad your liking the cakes, got another load heading down to Peebles for this weekend!

I’m sure it’s fastest last for E1 this year.

nuts, really? I’ve been telling people the fastest people come through first as per last year.

Bigjim, don’t quote me on that, as the meeting where I was getting told details like that, I was suffering from manflu, and only wrote down the key details I needed to know, so anything other than what day I need to be where is a hazy recollection!

Plus it doesn’t help I’ve lost the notepad with said key details…

is it me or does the transition to stage 3 look enormous? then followed by the ‘toughest, techiest stage of the race’ and the forecast is wet, Im officially bricking it!

nah I reckon 45 mins for that transfer if you had to shift. The waterworld stage won’t need rain to be wet!

Yeah they could have made the s3 transition shorter. Come up from the other side of the reservoir rather than all the way back round

Sorry to hijack but I wonder if someone can advise please. We are coming up to peebles and planning to ride gypsey glen on Thursday and Three Bretheren / Innerleithen Friday then some of glentress on Saturday and Sunday. Looks like the three Bretheren route has some parts of the inners xc route in it. Will we still be able to stick to our plans what with the EWS happening and the schedule for taping and practise. Cheers

Link to the trails map seems to have gone down. I can get descriptions of sections, but map is ‘page not found’
🙁

New link

http://tweedlove.com/onthehillside/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/TL15-EWS-Riders-Notes.1.pdf

working fine for me http://tweedlove.com/onthehillside/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/TL15-EWS-Riders-Notes.1.pdf

If it is wet and muddy that is going to be one tough weekend…

Do e1 folk get to choose a start time or is it already chosen for you?