Aye I’d like to ride it all beforehand, but I’m only going to have the Saturday to practice and I fear 2 40k rides in two days may finish me off!

I plan on mincing down most of it anyway to be fair 😉

Rode The Boundary Trail last night, one of the best bits of GT,it has a little bit of everything. Wonder how it will stand up to the POC traffic as it already has numerous untreated breaking bumps and erosion spots.

The Fort, I actually rode the PoC section of it for the first time a couple of weeks ago (I usually go right, not left). Great bit of tight singletrack but rideable with care for anyone.

Cademuir, I’ve only ever rode the DH trail that cuts through the middle so I don’t know if that is stage 5? Another great bit of trail if it is but not built to take the volume of riders that the POC will bring.

I’m not a very techncial or skilful rider but I manage all those off piste and Black sections so if I can ride them anyone can.

Good luck y’all

If I was racing (which I’m not – marshal wrangling) I would leave as early as allowed, do the first three as quick as possible cos I ride them all the time and know them, then stop in the town for a massive big feed involving chips, lie down somewhere for an hour, Tweedgreen perhaps, then pootle across to Cademuir for the last two stages. My strategy for those will def be more hold on and hope not to die. Not sure if closing my eyes would be advisable.

Actually Northwind when are you going to ride Cademuir ? I would like to do some tests on radios, it’s a two person job….

No idea Hels but if you’ve got a day/time in mind let me know, think you’ve got my details?

That sounds like a good plan Hels, but if I lie down for too long I may never get going again!

I think there is a 5 hour time limit so lying down (except when the bike makes me do it) might not be an option at my pace!

Well the chips are the important part of the plan. Northwind I’ll po you an email, have to see when I can get hold of radios first !

Is it easy to find the way between each stage ?
I hope that there are lots of signs saying ‘this way for more pain’ 🙂

The Tweed Valley is littered with signs that say “this way for more pain” and not all of them point to my house.

I am sure it will be well posted, the Tweedlove Crew know what they are doing..

The waymarking on the day will be spotless- they did a perfect job last year. But the taping went up at the last minute and I assume that’ll be the same this year? So practice will probably need to be self navigated, or to put it differently, I am going to end up wandering around cademuir like in blair witch project.

Does anyone fancy meeting up for a pootle round Cademuir on the Saturday? I’m billy no mates for all the riding bits.

We were at cademuir today , stage 4 is steep off camber wi switfhbacks(if not used to this kinda stuff people will find it tricky ). Other stage was awfy wet n muddy today

I’m so ending the day covered in mud and bruises! Must remember to put mudguards on

A few wet roots tae , hopefully dry out a wee touch

It’s wet roots on steep off camber switchbacks I really struggle with 😉

still looking for an entry.anyone not make it?

Unless something goes horribly wrong in the next few days I’ll be using mine 😉

Did 3,4,5 today. All have the potential to be crackers though the weather and several hundred riders practicing over the coming week may not be kind to any of the freshly cut stuff, some of the were in pretty shady condition already.
Have to say I was not particularly enjoying the upper part of 4, best I could hope for was hang back and hope, or at points I ended up just resorting to sliding down on my arse. Others will no doubt love it but I preferred it from halfway down when you could get off the brakes. Loved 5, just hope the weather is kind to it this week!!

I hope it dries out a bit. Decided to pass on having a look at the cademuir routes based on a cheeky look at the state stage 3 was in.

Metoffice is suggesting it is dry from Tuesday to Friday with no forecast for Saturday or Sunday yet. I am hoping it stays pretty dry.

I hate mud.

Likewise did the Cademuir trails today. ZOMFG. They are brilliant but a bit of a step above what I was expecting. Loving the variety but a bit outside of my comfort zone. Should make for some really interesting racing 🙂

(you could probably plot my pace on a graph- it goes “ooh feeling a bit nervous… OK you can do this… Yeah this is great! Go faster! Woo! Oh jesus ****ing christ! Look out! ****! Ah I’m not dead. ooh feeling a bit nervous…” repeat forever)

Do you reckon they’ll be a bit easier if they dry out a bit? Might consider some kind of more mud focussed tyre if its three mud vs two hardpack.

I have no clue tbh, they might go slimy or they might go firm. “What tyres for blue routes, tarmac and pineforest clart?” Only thing that really bothers me is if they go more rutted, I can’t ride ruts worth a damn.

I’m going to use my Butchers, because I can’t be arsed to change the tyres. But then I’m going to be in about 300th place so that’s maybe not that useful. Prepare to fail!

I will be at the top urging you on 😀

I’m getting those wonderful feelings of terror and excitement at the same time!

I had my butchers on when there on sat , probably just keep them on , offered plenty grip on steep switchbacks

This will be my first enduro too. I’ve been thinking about riding sans camelbak for a wee while now, as I can carry a few gels, a water bottle, and 5 hours ain’t that long. Only thing that I was bothered about was water, but according to the race instructions, there are water stations, so that seems a goer now.
I’ll be riding the hardtail, as the rocket ain’t going to land in nobeer towers for another month or so yet at least, not bothered about riding ht, only thing that bothers me is that I don’t have a dropper on the soul, and as I’m not going down to practice, I don’t know which sections I could get away with dropping the saddle at the start. I don’t mind doing short sharp climbs out the saddle cos the seats down, just not big long ones. Northwind, any idea which sections will be saddle down friendly?.

Looking forward to it, should be good fun.

I have been riding round glentress with no camelbak through the winter, and was planning on not taking one for the enduro, but today we rode stages 4+5, and based on the distance of that and the glentress sections I’m taking a bag full of supplies, the length this course, for me, will be the big problem! 4+5 seat down definetly.

Ooh, I am no expert so don’t take this as gospel…

Stage 4 and 5, seatpost down, no question- what pedalling there is, I’ll do all out of saddle but there’s not much.

Stage 1- quite straightforward trails but I’ll have it down anyway for pumping/freedom of movement. Again I’ll just pedal the flatter bits out of saddle.

Stage 2 and 3 have noticable climbs in but they’ve also got bits I’d not want to take at speed with my saddle at full height. Don’t really know tbh, depends too much on your fitness and your comfort with the seat higher. I honestly have no clue how stage 2 will work tbh.

Cheers fellas, ideal. I’m riding it with my mates anyway, so not really bothered about times, as long as I beat them!. I’m over 2 hours drive from GT, and can’t be arsed driving down for the Saturday to practice, plus I know I’d end up riding the whole thing and not be fresh for the Sunday.

What if you get a puncture or a wee mechanical and you you’ve no bag with stuff to fix it .

it’s going to be such a long day my backpack’ll be stuffed with spares, clothes, soft toys… The feed stations did have food and drink last year but I’ll take my own in case.

Couple of ~100 – 200m long climbs on stage 2 from memory, some short ups on stage 3. Did everything with saddle down last year but will have one of those fancy droppers this year, if my bleed kit arrives in time.

shieldsmtb – Member
What if you get a puncture or a wee mechanical and you you’ve no bag with stuff to fix it .

POSTED 4 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

I’ll have a couple of spare tubes, c02, and a multi tool in my back pockets. Worse case scenario, there are a few bike shops around!.

Well, the top of stage 4 was totally different tonight. I last rode it on Friday night and it was really nice, I went up tonight (before the torrential rain) and it was rutted and cut up. Looks like a lot of riders have been down over the weekend with their back wheels locked up, loads more exposed roots and it actually felt steeper. However, the bottom of stage 4 was as good as ever. Can’t wait for Sunday.

Trust me to pick a few days off work and plan a trip to Glentress for an event to be on.

Will this have much impact on the the trails, ive seen a couple of closuals on the website from satuday morning, but impact on parking? cafe sitting, rise in bike thefts etc..? plan was to go biking thursday, trip to edinburgh friday, biking sat then travel back sunday and might do a sneaky trail on the way home.

Won’t do the oh any good for confidence if trails are packed out.

There will only be trail closures on Sunday, however, Saturday is practise day so will be busier than usual. Why not try Innerleithen? It’s only 5 miles down the road and it is brilliant. Your ride on Thursday should be unaffected.

Stage 4 sounds… Challenging! I’m having visions of sliding down on my arse bouncing off roots trying to hang on to my bike!

Worth mentioning there’s still diversions on the climb at innerleithen due to the felling, makes it a bit less fun. GT should be alright on saturday, the race notes says all trails are open as usual but yeah, parking might be busy.

I’m having visions of sliding down on my arse bouncing off roots trying to hang on to my bike!

Sorry I have first shout on that technique 🙂

With the added bonus of being a lycra XC mincer,on a hardtail ,with zero armour.

What could possibly go wrong 😯