So next year I am planning on riding a bunch of Gravity Enduro races. As I’m South West based I am already planning on doing the Mini Enduro races at FOD and maybe the BPW one. Now the In Laws live in the New Forest so this acts a good base for most of the Venues for the Southen Enduro Series. Now the question is; Is the series worth the travel?

Also any other Gravity Enduro events in the South West you can recommend?

The events are a great way to get into it all, the loops tend to be short with a good mix of flowing trails and a bit of tech thrown in.

The southern champs are a 2day race- 14/15th june Exmoor with a bigger loop and tougher stages, still plenty of flow, really good event

Mini Enduros at FOD, WGES mash ups at s Wales trail centres also with a look

Cheers Kimbers.

I have only ever done Mini Enduro round at Haldon and really enjoyed the atmosphere. The Southern Champs looks like a shout, as the distance to Ard Rock out me off doing a bigger event.

All I can add is that you should make your mind up and get on the entry site the minute it opens, they sell the full series first then remaining places at each individual round a few weeks (months?) before event.

Oh that’s good to know. What’s the best way to know when entries open? Facebook I guess?

The champs weekend on exmoor was awesome. Shame I wasn’t, borked shoulder and broken finger didn’t make for a stellar performance.

Planning on doing at least that weekend again this year.

They’re great fun and a great atmosphere too. Love all the chat between riders on the transitions and I find the stages are all good trails but not paticularly long as you’d expect in the south of England.
They’ve certainly given me the bug for Enduro racing though and I’ll hopefully be doing a few more events further afield in 2018.

I’m torn. On the one half they feel a little too ‘pro’ these days compared to the grassroots events of a few years back. However the terrain is good and challenging, compared to the peddlehounds events which I prefer but are almost a little too pedally and xc for me, but I do enjoy the racing blind aspect as I CBA to practice in the morning.
The southern mash up should provide the best of both world’s, so I’m looking forward to that in a week’s time.

@oldtalent, it is a shame when grass roots events get all a bit to ‘pro’. It’s the reason why I have stopped racing the XC series down here, as the level is to high (I’m not bitter, just to lazy to train properly). It’s the social side to Enduro that has peaked my interest, along with getting to ride bike ‘like I stole it’. 🙂

For your info guys the Southern Enduro full series ticket and the Southern Enduro Champs at Mindhead(Exmoor) go on sale at 09:00 this Saturday on the mordirt website.

So if you were an average rider, would you recommend the lite or the full? I am ok but not great at getting off the ground.

From the the shaky YouTube footage I watched the other day there didn’t seem to anything too nuts. My understanding between full and light is the number of stages i.e 7 vs 4 being the only difference.

HAving ridden with you, i don’t see an issue for you on either the complexity or the distance ! Unless you were working harder than it looked like !

Stage 2 last year was pretty steep and technical. I made a right hash of it. Broke my finger in practice and didn’t do much better in the race.

Might enter the full then. Someone needs to make up the numbers.

@weeksy I might have to start paying you just to follow me around and flatter me.

@jambo ouch, hope it didn’t put a dampener on your weekend! I am doing this to try and push my technical limits rather than fitness being the limiting factor.

It wasn’t epic mileage but lot of climbing. 3500ft in ~12miles I think.

Jambo we live in the SW. It’s all climbing here 😆

@coomber Right with you brother!

I am an average rider (very!) and I thought the SE Champs was some of the best riding I did this year.

I don’t recall any unavoidable / unrollable jumps or drops from this year. As jam bo says there were some fairly steep, technical natural sections which would be interesting if you are just used to trail centre riding but the loam was so good you could get away with it most of the time!

Southern Champs was one of my favourite races this year! – check out my race report.

Also did the first round of the Southern Enduro series (race report here), which was also good.

I had full intention of doing the series this year, particularly after BES folded, but being down the bottom end of Cornwall, the reality of travelling the south and south east for a single day race, just wasn’t financially feasible for me in the end, which was a shame. Even getting to round 1, my nearest, was still over 4 hours of driving each way.

Definitely want to do Southern Champs again, if only for the loam (guaranteed again next year right Scotfitz?! 😉 ), but I really wish it wan’t going live for another month as my bank account hasn’t recovered from Ard Rock, local DH and British National Champs entries this month 😥

I really wish it wan’t going live for another month as my bank account hasn’t recovered from Ard Rock, local DH and British National Champs entries this month

It would be great if it sell out quick but we have 400 entries for the champs so I can’t see them all going on Saturday but I have been proved wrong before when it come to ticket sales.

I had full intention of doing the series this year, particularly after BES folded, but being down the bottom end of Cornwall, the reality of travelling the south and south east for a single day race, just wasn’t financially feasible for me in the end, which was a shame. Even getting to round 1, my nearest, was still over 4 hours of driving each way.

I did look at doing a SW series but the logistics didn’t work. The venues are there but would need to partner with a local if I ever did it, a bit like the Welsh enduro series is set up.

Southern Champs was one of my favourite races this year!

Cheers, such a good venue!

scottfitz – Member
For your info guys the Southern Enduro full series ticket and the Southern Enduro Champs at Mindhead(Exmoor) go on sale at 09:00 this Saturday on the mordirt website.

I did look at doing a SW series but the logistics didn’t work. The venues are there but would need to partner with a local if I ever did it, a bit like the Welsh enduro series is set up.

have you met chaz?

have you met chaz?

I have races a couple of his races and chatted over FB messenger in the past, not sure what it was about.

It would be great if it sell out quick but we have 400 entries for the champs so I can’t see them all going on Saturday but I have been proved wrong before when it come to ticket sales.

On a purely selfish level, fingers crossed you don’t sell out before December pay day! I’ll be keeping an eye out on the FB page for a pre-sold out warning though just in case!

I did look at doing a SW series but the logistics didn’t work. The venues are there but would need to partner with a local if I ever did it, a bit like the Welsh enduro series is set up

have you met chaz?

Think Chaz has floated the idea of an enduro at Gawton & Tavi Woodlands in the past. Teaming up with the Cornish Trail Pixies is another option…Grogley and Bishop’s/Hustyn near Bodmin has hosted Enduro1 previously. Something for 2019 further southwest would be awesome if doable.

Yes all the venue you mention I know and are viable.(woodland instead of gawton)

I think the problem with woodlands is we aren’t allowed to build anything new, and then you just end with a stage DH race on tracks everyone knows like the back of their hand.

I have a history of confusing the hell out of locals mixing up tracks. Top of one into something else then switch to this or that. Big bus stop etc…good luck locals 😉

Entered for Ard Rock Sport for some crazy reason and all I’ve done is one Pedalhounds so far. Really enjoyed that, but it wasn’t technical really and definitely pedally.

Wonder how much of a step up Southern Enduro is and then Ard Rock. i.e. do some of the Southern as prep.

Noting I’m just in it for a laugh, enjoy the course and have no problem coming last 😀

I will struggle though if it gets to mandatory drops and gaps kind of level.

deadkenny – Member
Entered for Ard Rock Sport for some crazy reason and all I’ve done is one Pedalhounds so far. Really enjoyed that, but it wasn’t technical really and definitely pedally.

Wonder how much of a step up Southern Enduro is and then Ard Rock. i.e. do some of the Southern as prep.

Noting I’m just in it for a laugh, enjoy the course and have no problem coming last

I will struggle though if it gets to mandatory drops and gaps kind of level.

POSTED 6 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

Different beasts, I find ard rock easier than Southern Enduro and pedalhounds, the only race I’ve pulled out of due to difficulty/potential injury was okeford (Southern Enduro). Bloody slippery chalk.

Ah, okay. Maybe I’ll just stick with Pedalhounds. They seem my kind of stuff.

Well I am in. Excited for my first enduro

In for the champs !

Ya I’m In. #excited

deadkenny – Member

Ah, okay. Maybe I’ll just stick with Pedalhounds. They seem my kind of stuff.
Don’t let me put you off, I’m crap at racing on wet chalk and tight pedally stuff. Race number boards must have a tree magnet as I don’t normally have an issue.

In for the champs. Not sure I quite get how the seeding/waves/starttimes work.

jam bo – Member

In for the champs. Not sure I quite get how the seeding/waves/starttimes work.

On Saturday afternoon you will race one of the stages (Seeding stage)*
Your result on that stage will reflect where you start on Sunday. On Sunday you will be set off in categories in seeded order.
There will be start times for each stage.

*Seeding stage counts to your overall time.

There will be start times for each stage.

absolute? ie penalties if you aren’t there in time?

Entered the Champs (HT) this weekend… make it sunny please..

DrP