Southern Enduro @ Minehead next weekend, who’s in?

I’ll be propping up the rear of the 40-49 Cat for the final ever time.

The week after, I turn 50.

That may or may not save me from being last though next year.

My lad will be in the 12-13s and hoping to improve on last time.

Yep, in for this one. Weather looks ok for the weekend, but expect it will be a mess after the last week.

Last race of the year, and well, only the second in basically 2 years – might as well go out with a bang & aim for the win! 😆

You seem fast from what you’ve posted so I’m sure you’ll go well.

40 to 49 category too, first race in 8 years according to Roots and Rain. Shame start times is old blokes last, we need more rest before driving home!!

Same cat for me.

Was looking like I was going to have to race on the DH bike due to catastrophic mechanical on the other bike but I’ve been saved by a friend.

Should be fun.

I’m lucky that as I’m theoretically a chaperone to my Teen, I get to go off early following him.

The downside to this is that when you look at the results about 3olpm, you think you’re 31st, only to end up 43rd ha ha.

However, I don’t care too much. I would like to improve my position though this race and beat someone. Anyone!

@weeksy

I’ll be propping up the rear of the 40-49 Cat for the final ever time.

The week after, I turn 50.

If its your 50th year, you should be in Super Vets?

I assumed it was date of birthday rather than year of birth.

I’ll email Scott.

Yep I’ll be there on a pistachio 141. Hoping for a bit of steep.

I’d prefer fast and swoopy to steep and deathy. From looking at videos of previous ones, it’ll be tree fest and off camber roots

I thought the steep stuff was off the cards at minehead now?

I’ll be there. First ever race, fingers crossed for not being in the bottom 10 of my category.. just look for the massive human talking to a camera

Say hello if you see us mars. I’ll be with a small creature in a black and green Sworks

Don’t think he can use the steep side still yet?

I’m expecting the same as before, not exactly steep, just nadgery stuff that will be a bit greasy after this rain. Steeper and longer than the flat Milland pedal fest but nothing too challenging.

I’ve actually entered on the eeb rather than my usual age group, dark red Gen3 Levo if anyone wants to say hello 👍

Flat Milland ? Did I race somewhere else last week?

Will do! Black with mint green lower frame Stumpjumper myself!

If S4 is the trail I think it is, Carwash to Snake, it’s not particularly steep, just some lovely roots to try and ruin your day. Sadly I’ve not ridden S1-3 before, I’m usually riding the trails closer to minehead, Hopcott DH etc

I’ve done Southern Enduro at Minehead before and they’ve stuck to the trails Deer Stalker side. If they use those they aren’t steep or long, but rooty and a bit awkward.

As said, no FC stuff so no Quadzilla etc.

I’ve not ridden there loads but know the area a bit.

There is some new(ish) steeper stuff though near enough and off FC land that they hopefully use.

I’ve never even been to Minehead, let alone to the particular trails so everything will be blind in practice for me and the lad…. That said, we’d never been to Milland before until we arrived so it’s just the same really. That’s the fun of a new series of course, new courses and layouts, new terrain and new experiences.

I’ve never even been to Minehead, let alone to the particular trails

It’s a really nice place to ride. A lot of good trails in the area and some stunning views.

Flat Milland ? Did I race somewhere else last week?

Of course it’s all relative, but looking back at the last time I went to Milland I did 15 up & downs (2 practice loops & one race loop) as you could literally ride it in an hour & 700m of vert, which is less than 50m a lap. So yes, flat & pedally on the whole.

Whilst the side we are racing isn’t overly steep (or challenging) at Minehead, it’s still lot bigger hill (3 times the drop according to OS Maps).

That said, I do really enjoy riding Minehead & the surrounding area. There is a proper network of hidden gems there 🙂

That’ll be interesting trying to get up and down that enough in practice to know the course and then have anything left to race in the tank after.

you taking a tow-wee for me and the boy ? 😀

I think a gopro and gentle run down once each stage might be possible!

weeksy
Full Member
Flat Milland ? Did I race somewhere else last week?

To be fair Milland has had a lot of work over the past couple of years to improve flow and remove or reduce pedally sections.

This will give you an idea of the sort of trail to expect on Sunday https://youtu.be/sHp5b1NUwek

This will give you an idea of the sort of trail to expect on Sunday

Hope you’ve got a speed gun to catch all the chipped ebike cheater crew on that one 😆

@scottfitz

I reckon it’ll suit me more than Milland did then. I may get out of last!

Just scrolled down the email and noticed there is a map of the stages.

Stage 4 looks like it uses the start of the new one that was built last year then heads all the way down to the bottom of the hill. Should be epic!

I’ll be on a green Banshee with silver forks and coil if anyone wants to say hello.

Ready for an early one tomorrow then, i think we’ll need to be out the door by 5:30 ideally… Yawn… nightmare.. Should really have stayed more locally but was looking at £80+ and then food/beers on top of that.

Don’t underestimate how long it takes to get from the motorway to minehead. It’s a slow road.

The A39 from Bridgwater to Minehead is awful. Usually takes about an hour, I’d plan for an hour and a half as all it takes is one slow driver and it’s game over.

Looking forward to tomorrow, first actual race so this should be a laugh in itself!

Don’t underestimate how long it takes to get from the motorway to minehead. It’s a slow road.

It’s remarkable, given it’s not actually ‘that’ far.

I’m hoping early on a Sunday should be ok – I’m packing up and getting out ASAP after though, to avoid as many idiots going home on a Sunday night as possible.

Anyone possibly cant make it? looking for a last minute entry…

I crashed on stage 2, well more stepped off the side than crashed, I did crash on 3 though, but slow and into loam. Stage 4 I survived.

I’m not actually sure how I’ll finish this course ha ha.

Good fun but they take lots and lots of concentration

It’s an almost perfect combination of proper hero dirt, to lull you into coming into stuff way too hot, to find wet, greasy loam & all of the roots. Most highly polished.

2 laps to race, 8 stages to hold on will be entertaining.

Stage 2 has got some really nice loam in.. or at least it did in practice!

Stage 3 has some savage roots! Saw 9 people stack it on one section one after another.

Stage 4 is a blast.. the off camber bit into the field is a little interesting! Almost came off coming in a wee bit hot!

Keep it safe gang. We’re in field in the middle bottom, black Mondeo if anyone is bored.

Ended up 2nd place.

Lap one was mostly clean, apart from stage 1 where I got buck wild on a roof which shot me off in the wrong direction to the corner. The rest were mostly loose, with no real incidents. Ended the first lap comfortably in the lead, so was happy as I had another 5-10 seconds in S1.

Turned out I didn’t, I ate sh*t like a champ on it again 😆.

Pushed too hard into a soft corner and it just gave out, went down & out the front. Ended up 10 seconds slower than my first run. Great.

Was 2 seconds off the win. Ruined it in one corner. Should have been a nice 20+ second result, what a moron.

8/21 for the boy

Somewhere about last in Cat for me.

I’m not unhappy again with that, but of course I’d bloody like to move up. I was only 2s off the place in front.
Funny part is, he’d moved me into super vet, 50+. If I’d stayed in 40-49 I’d have beaten 2 ha ha.
It was incredibly tough terrain though.

I crashed on stages 2-3 and possibly 4 but all on loamy wet roots, just get up and dust yourself off and crack on. They were more falling off the side losing front or back on roots than actual proper crashes.

Worst damage was burning my leg with a red hot rotor when trying to straighten the bars lol.

It was a heck of a lot of fun in a complete brain removal and hang onto the bike trying not to die kind of way! I never thought being so shit could be fun.