King & Queen Of The Hill- Who's in? (nae tyre chat allowed!!)

Well I’m in. Can’t wait, first enduro of the year. Hopefully the bike won’t break at the top of the first stage like it did last year! Loving all the rumors, heading to the Golfie over the weekend to see what I can manage to mince down, only went for the first time a couple of weeks ago and loved the trails. Not sure how I’d cope in thick slop though!

Don’t forget to vomit up some flapjack at the feed stations Northwind, sticking with the theme…

That’s the joy of flapjack, you can’t really tell.

Golfie was running superb last night, really dry and dusty

I wouldn’t say dry, but the kind of mud that sticks to itself rather than your bike and facet 8) There were a few dry sections though, not a touch on last years dustfest though.

If in doubt I’d avoid flapjack with chunks of carrot in it.

Or sweet corn.

I think some of you may be in for a surprise. It will be awesome tho – no surprises there !

How’s about a stage that runs down Gypsy Glen. It would be good to have all those gates open for once :P

I wouldn’t say dry

Well, maybe not dry for a Arab but compared to the summer so far certainly dry for around here.

How’s about a stage that runs down Gypsy Glen. It would be good to have all those gates open for once

To beat the KOM I’d reckon you’d also need it closed to other traffic, ie walkers coming up.

A stage that runs down Gypsy Glen would be hopeless to try and organise. It is a very very busy path with walkers, and is already getting badly eroded. You get enough abuse from walkers when 4/5 of you belt down it on a Sunday afternoon. 500 ? No, just no. There are some bits of the Valley we need to stay away from in races.

And don’t start me on access for medics and marshals. Of course, some people just don’t bother with safety !

I was thinking it might be stages 5-8 from EWS, would fit with the trail closures (black and part of red)?

Will have a look when I’m down tomorrow for any ‘signs’…

I know pretty much all the trails that are on this years K&Q :wink:, lets just say it’s going to be an epic and if it’s wet, a slippy slidey fun mudfest for most of it.

^with Hels all the way. Riding Gypsy Glen with more than a few at any sort of speed is reckless and not in any spirit of the ‘responsible’ part of the SOAC.

If it’s wet, a slippy slidey fun mudfest for most of it.

Current forecast is dry all week, then turning wet Friday and all over the weekend. Typical.

Northwind – I hope to do some reconnaissance on Thursday, weather permitting – welcome to join me ? (with apologies for paging post but I can’t find your email addy)

I can no longer make it so if anybody would like to buy my entry (£45) drop me a mail csykes1989 AT hotmail.co.uk

Today is the final day that a rider can be swapped over.

moonsaballoon – Member

not sure where it started or ended , basically i made an arse of one of the turns and came to a stop and noticed a section of trail on the left that cut across more than down and had a couple of hair pins in it . To be honest it might of been there for ages and i had never noticed it going down super steep but it did look fairly new

That may be the access path for the GoApe zip slide. I was coming down Super Steep once and pat my shants when I saw someone standing there. couldn’t work out why someone was standing in the middle of the woods there, then noticed the path for go ape

Anyone know where I could park up my campervan for the weekend?

Agree with hels and Tom re Gypsy Glen. It’s an amazing descent but it can’t be used in any race. I did a little reccy tonight and the trails are running well. If the predicted rain comes then it’s going to be a brilliant weekend.

johnbot, do you need a hookup?

Not really Rob, I see there is a campsite but it’s not in the heart of the action, kinda out of the way.

Anyone know where I could park up my campervan for the weekend?

Glentress Lodges right at the start of the trails. Just turn up on the day, it’s very relaxed

@Hels, I was thinking I might skive off thursday afternoon actually… Was out doing GT #Endurobangers today, brilliant day for it. Will give you a shout if I get away

As Bob says, there should be space near the Lodges. I’m sure I saw a load of campers parked between the lodges and the old hub carpark during the GT7, I’m not sure how you’d book a place as it was busy.

Cheers Northwind – I can’t make it to the trails until 1800ish. Praying for sunshine…

I have 3 spare tickets for the unReal showing on Saturday evening in Peebles, if anyone wants them just let me know asap and I’ll send them to you. Don’t want any money for them but I’m sure Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue would be grateful for a small donation.

@n1ppy any chance I could get those tickets pal?

Yep, no worries. email me your address and I’ll get it sent today. You should be able to see my email in my profile.

I will be there marshalling so if you can say hi please do, I will be doing my usual best to keep spirits up and probably failing, if it’s raining I will have my big umbrella so we can pretend we are F1 pro’s again. :)

Bit random but Northwind, was it you who borrowed my 24″ bmx at the pump track the other week? :)

More than a little hint has been dropped here: https://www.facebook.com/TweedLove/photos/a.196961036988643.48327.138953616122719/1052297398121665/?type=1&theater

@sazter- nope not me!

Golfie stages taped up and local sponsored riders out for a little explore today… Interesting choices, not wholly convinced but then again not racing.

Was out on the trails this eve. Stage 1 is already quite wet so if it rains will be “fun”, stage 2 is nice and will hold up better. Overall though, doesn’t feel like a lot of trail on the caberston side with a lot of commuting for a one day four stage event.

Likewise Glentress all taped up too, went for a spin thinking we might see some stuff and it was all damn obvious. S3 is going to be tough going after the previous transition. Long and the top and bottom 3rds need a bit of a pedal. Should sort the men from the boys.

Agree does seem like a long day for 4 stages. Don’t get me wrong I like the fact it’s long but would have been ace to squeeze 5 into that sort of distance. Going to be an great day regardless.

Worth remembering the stages are all officially shut on friday… Though there’ll be people out cheating, because that’s the spirit of enduro, if you’re going to cheat do it on purpose ;)

I do wonder if the non locals get peed off with the locals all knowing the trails for these races!

I do wonder if the non locals get peed off with the locals all knowing the trails for these races!

It’s the same everywhere. Although the EWS guys kept the trails relatively secret for the race in Whistler, we’d guessed a good few of them before the official announcement and the local guys would of known the trails very very well. Just look at Barelli’s result in Whistler compared to else where.

I do wonder if the non locals get peed off with the locals all knowing the trails for these races!

Possiby, though those being used this weekend are so well worn I’d guess many could ride “blind” and still know them like the back of their hand.

So what do we reckon? Good trails but doesn’t feel like a huge amount of racing. I might take that back on Sunday night! Quite surprised at no Fort descent tbh, I suppose it’s a fine line between classic and cliche but I love it as a stage, especially when it starts on the right hill. I was pretty relieved when we went in to tweak FYP last week since it ruled out The Shit One, not sure that stage needs more pedalling but I reckon it’ll have a good rhythm. Ponduro trail is great but short…

(oh, there’s been a little bit of strava-run-removing, cheatin’ fans ;) )

Is that community service into final fling? And, uh… One of the wolfs but I don’t know exactly what, haven’t been up there since the SES. But I don’t think it’s old lonewolf?

Re local knowledge… I reckon EWS proves that the best riders can still come and take away the locals’ ball. But, as far as separating the knobbers from the other knobbers, I reckon it makes a big difference! If nothing else I could just practice the golfy stages and stay fresh for the race, that’s a big advantage over non-local also-rans.

Northwind is that why there was white spray paint on loads of roots and several corners on five year plan last week? I thought it was a bit odd.

Yah. It’s ridden in lovely but cut itself a pretty deep trench in places so the drainage was a bit bollocksed and a lot of new lines were forming… Most of the shortcuts and braiding was just caused by issues in the original trail tbh. So nothing very major but a few changes to bring it back to spec and encourage people to stay in the trail. And a bunch of crappy straggly roots removed. Mark was still working on it on monday so there’ll be more stuff I’ve not seen but, nothing major planned.

(my personal root is still there, that’s basically all I care about)