Have you checked the air pressure?

Not yet…. didn’t want to mess too much a day/two before needing it.. If something went wrong i’d be slightly stuffed..

Well, that or using his Enduro bike 😀

Kali Protectives Invader 2.0?

Love mine, well made, good fit (has dial adjuster), light & hugely well ventilated

Air pressure on the One-Up is on the top isn’t it? Just need to remove the saddle.

Yup, under the saddle. Needs to be in the 250-300psi range

My One-up dropper still gets a little sluggish on the way up at times, which slightly irritates, it seems if i throw a little Juicy Lubes at it, it gets better, but I don’t have to do that nearly as much on my lads bike as i do on mine… so a little bit weird. It’ll likely get stripped down and serviced soon.

If the air pressure doesn’t sort it, unscrew the collar and slide it up. Pop the bushing off, give it a clean and put some suspension grease on it. Also add a little grease under the collar and put it back together.

A good stop gap before doing a full service that works for me when I’ve not got time for a full service and takes about 10mins.

Sadly i’ve still not found an ‘enduro’ style FF helmet that fits me, despite having now tried a TLD Stage, Bell Super3R, Endura MT500 etc etc… I think it’s only the IXS i’ve not bought and sent back.

Snap. Never had an issue with DH or open faces, but can’t seem to find an enduro full face I like. I prefer to wear trail lid, it’s what I wear on 99% of my riding so why should racing be different?
I don’t know BPW well enough to comment on the trails you mention but I’m pretty sure I went for open face even on the uplift last time I was there.

didn’t want to mess too much a day/two before needing it.

Checking air pressure – come on team mechanic. It’s not something technical like a tyre swap…

Well i’ve just whipped off the saddle and thrown the pump on… when attached it reads 150… As we know it can drop when attaching, but i’d argue unlikely to drop 100psi. So i’ve thrown some air in there and we’ll see.

I don’t know BPW well enough to comment on the trails you mention but I’m pretty sure I went for open face even on the uplift last time I was there.

Like all trails, they’re fine right up until they’re not 😀
But argubly no worse than other trails i’d ride on a fairly regular basis with a standard helmet on…
i’ll bear wearing my usual non FF helmet.

I and a number of mates have the IXS Trigger FF and find the fit, weight and ventilation brilliant. Couldn’t get on with the Troy Lee Stage or Fox Proframe

Yeah they’re on my maybe list… which is now actually a list of 1.. lol.

No chance of getting before tomorrow morning though.

For me, the consequences of a crash probably dictate my helmet choice. Eg Rogate = DH FF for me, but lots of folk are happy in open face there. I also don’t have a middle ground of an enduro FF, but I can see how that would easily be a good choice for racing where you are going to push a bit harder than usual. And there’s something more ‘focussed’ about wearing a FF. Less noise, tighter vision – go faster.
How about taking both? It’s a mash-up so if you find you are too hot on the pedal up, then easy to swap back at the carpark for the next run.

How about taking both? It’s a mash-up so if you find you are too hot on the pedal up, then easy to swap back at the carpark for the next run.

I wasn’t really planning on carrying a bag to carry it on. I was just going to run a bum-bag. I can easily take both and do car-park swap of course though.

It may be a mash up, but i’ll be happy if i can manage to get all stages done once !!! It’s
1 full run to top/bottom for the long stage.
then 4 1/2 runs…. which is a fair bit of climbing at my level.

I have a bell super DH convertible helmet,it has the removable chinstrap like the super 3r, but is certified to DH standards. Superficially it looks like a bell super 3r, but I find it a much more comfortable fit than the 3r.

Like all trails, they’re fine right up until they’re not

Absolutely. You can crash anywhere but the nature of the trail dictates risk. Flat out, big jumps, 100% I wear full face as any crash is bound to be a big one. Techy trails with a pedal up I’d rather wear a helmet that allows me to be comfortable on the climb, which I think overall reduces my chance of crashing.

Tweedlove who are now mandating FF for enduros, and I’m yet to see any evidence that suggests that head injuries that would have been prevented by FF are an issue at enduros.
I ride higher risk trails on a standard Sunday ride and wouldn’t consider wearing anything other than opn face, so why do I need to buy a fancy new helmet specifically for their event.

I run an IXS Trigger FF – I really like it. Wore it a couple of weekends ago on a 30km / 1450m of climbing day at Cwmcarn / Risca. Didn’t take it off except for lunch – almost don’t notice it’s there tbh vs a half shell.

Helmets also have to be less than 3 years old at BPW too

Absolutely. You can crash anywhere but the nature of the trail dictates risk . . . so why do I need to buy a fancy new helmet specifically for their event.

Because people tend to push on harder when racing. You’re racing a bike more capable the DH bikes of not long ago, often down similar trails (and with naff-all marshalls/medical coverage in comparison). Full facers make sense to me.

I tried an IXS Trigger too, sizing didn’t work but I would’ve bought it otherwise. Ended up with a TLD (which I appreciate doesn’t work for you) and find that it’s cool enough to keep on for a whole ride without issue . . . other than trying to get a bottle to my mouth

Helmets also have to be less than 3 years old at BPW too

Say what now… I didn’t know that… not even slightly.

I’ve never ever known that to be checked. Both my standard ones would be fine… my FF, not so sure as it was old stock.

https://www.bikeparkwales.com/rider-conduct-terms#:~:text=Helmets%20are%20mandatory%20at%20all,good%20shape%20and%20properly%20adjusted.

They are reaching a bit with that rule. Even if a helmet isn’t old stock it can still easily be a year old before it gets onto someone’s head. Sometimes the stickers fall off or get faded too, which could be handy

The 3yr rule for helmets is also pretty common if being guided or coached (Katy?!?!), think it’s a stipulation of the guides/coaches liability insurance.

Possibly an insurance thing ? never been to BPW so no idea if they check.

So you’re doing an enduro race at BPW, paying £gawdknowshowmuch – you get to ride up instead of take the bus? And you know you’ll come nowhere in the rankings. What a bizarre thing this racing is! I’m glad I got old enough to know better 😛

So you’re doing an enduro race at BPW, paying £gawdknowshowmuch – you get to ride up instead of take the bus? And you know you’ll come nowhere in the rankings

That’s correct. It would potentially make an interesting thread. If we’re doing it in here, then the Why is… Because i like to try, to push myself, test myself and mostly, i really do enjoy it. Sometimes that’s questionable because i’m my own very worst critic and find it hard to accept my place in the world of MTB and mostly racing… But with the racing the lad is doing at the moment and the fact so many of his races are out of my skillset, i have to pick and choose other events if i want to play too. Sure i could have booked an uplift day without any of the pressure, the fear, the need to ‘perform’ etc… but it’s just not the same. You can’t quite replace the feeling of ‘oh heck, what am i doing here’ and you don’t get that outside of a race scenario in my book.
If you’re riding BPW just as a ride, you can stop, go around features, wait, rest… in a race, you give what you can, to the best of your abilty…

Helmets also have to be less than 3 years old at BPW too

Unintended consequence of this could be people choosing to using an open face helmet rather than a full face – going by the view that BPW is a lot of peoples only experience of uplifted downhill riding – and therefore an occasional use full face would be an expensive purchase that someone may forgo?

That said I bet its a load of tosh and just arse covering so they can stop the person showing up with the 90’s styrofoam cap from killing themselves.

Yeah, I’m only joshing weeksy! 😀 I know from “when I was your age” trying a couple of enduro races and it was pretty exciting.
But they were at places you had to ride up anyway. And I had a bike that was good for riding up hills (and a body!) back then.
Hope you enjoy it – it’ll be excellent for pushing that Slayer to the limit too 🙂

LOL i’m 51, not 26….

i really do enjoy it.

No finer justification available than that.

I can count the number of times I’ve seen the staff at BPW looking at helmets to determine the age on the fingers of no hands.

Weeksy – the shop sells Fox and always tends to have proframe helmets in stock for you to have a look at too.  Never less than full RRP there though as a captive market.

was at BPW just over a week ago.

No helmet checking (oo-er) and no mention of it in person.

As many have said, probably a stipulation of their insurance/liability.

Unintended consequence of this could be people choosing to using an open face helmet rather than a full face – going by the view that BPW is a lot of peoples only experience of uplifted downhill riding – and therefore an occasional use full face would be an expensive purchase that someone may forgo?

Full face helmets don’t have to be expensive. I’ve a Leatt one that was less than £50 and there’s a brand x one currently on sale at CRC for £24.

@Weeksy. Good luck mate. No doubt the Slayer will do you proud.

For helmets, maybe try the Proframe RS, I struggled with FF Enduro lids until I tried that. The only other one that fit well was the Sweet Protection Arbitrator.

The 38’s were a good choice on my part, can’t wait to get back to Dyfi and really hammer them.

was at BPW just over a week ago.

No helmet checking (oo-er) and no mention of it in person.

As many have said, probably a stipulation of their insurance/liability.

Usually the way. Not as someone suggested, linking it to accidents and injuries. I’m sure the BPW stipulation is good practice on behalf of the insurance company and an way to avoid potential payouts. 😂

It does seem odd that it is mooted as a condition yet it isn’t checked….

I mean, if it is written into their public liability policy that all riders have to have a helmet less than three years old, and that is a condition precedent to policy operation, and they don’t check, then someone has an accident, then Insurers could decline cover.

There might be arguments about it being material to the loss, ie, broke and ankle and would have done regardless of the age of the helmet, but it seems odd to be a policy, but not checked.

Or it could be a ruse to drum up sales of helmets at the check in desk!

Well an epic day with the usual result lacking in glory.

11/12 in GVs.
I started off with Wibbly wobbly, a nice flowy red with then some tech. I ended up in the wrong gear for half of it but got down ok.
Then back up and onto Hot Stepper. This was more techy than I thought but I hit both the main drops and survived.
Back up again and over to Pandora’s Rocks which goes down as a trail I don’t really like. Just has no flow or fun for me. But bundled my way down.
Lastly, back up again to the biggy which was top to bottom with melted Welly into Groot, jeeeez Groot isn’t fun. Wet rooty muddy rooty. From there you transition to Surfin Bird which I really enjoyed and into the tunnel for Bush Whacker back to cafe.

Overall I enjoyed my day out, I set a load of PRs on trails and felt I went ok. I think I’ve got more left on some, but not today. I could have gone back up to top for more, but the legs said no and I listened. As always, a bit disappointed but not exactly shocked 😃

Nice work – that’s a lot of pedalling up I’d imagine! Assumed an enduro would use some of the more difficult trails than that – although I don’t think I’ve ever ridden Groot or Pandoras rocks. Assumed they’d hit Roots Manoevres in there somewhere.

Great effort👍

It does seem odd that it is mooted as a condition yet it isn’t checked….

I mean, if it is written into their public liability policy that all riders have to have a helmet less than three years old, and that is a condition precedent to policy operation, and they don’t check, then someone has an accident, then Insurers could decline cover.

they’ve never checked my bike is in good working order with two functioning brakes (I guess they can see I have two levers).

but I have signed the disclaimer that indicates that I have these things.

just gone to check my FF, as I bought it summer 2020. Turns out it was made 3rd quarter 2019.

(I’ll happily admit this on a public forum as I believe suing the trail owner if you hurt yourself to be morally bereft and I’d like to actively prevent my employer or next of kin from doing so)

Might not admit it on the day to the bus driver though, for fear of being forced to buy a proframe at full RRP.

Back on topic, well done weeksy! any completed race is a good thing. and you are probably a better rider than you were yesterday.

Assumed they’d hit Roots Manoevres in there somewhere.

They did last time, hence changing this time. I guess to stop repetition.

Can’t grumble at the trails, the only downside was going into a few of them blind rather than trails I know.

I’ve got a Southern Enduro on the weekend too and then it’s some much needed coaching with Katy. As to whether she can find me any speed, remains open to debate.

Well done mate 😀

I think the thing about racing is, unless you are troubling the front, your raceday experience is the same whether you place top 25% or top 95%.

It’s just ace you’re having fun out there pinning on a number 😀

I think I called out Enduros as being a good fit for you years ago so I’m glad to see I was right 😉 🤣

You had fun. You weren’t last. That’s a win in my book!! 😁