I've only done mayhem, the bikefests and 24/12.

But I've got a feeling that 10undertheben may be far superior and probably worth the journey from south wales.

What's the best in the UK?

Both the Rough Ride and the Gorrick Enduro would be worth a trip.

Selkirk Merida?

Selkirk Merida and Dyfi get my vote.

oh yeah I've done the selkirk marathon as well, great ride. Gotta love the cheese well / minch moor / three brethern

Rough ride huh, not really crossed my radar that one. i'll have a look.

Keilder 100?

Yeah I know I'm boring, but none of those are Enduros, even the one that has Enduro in the name.

grum – Member

Yeah I know I'm boring, but none of those are Enduros, even the one that has Enduro in the name.

[pedant mode]

The events you're talking about aren't enduros either as they are done on pushbikes.

[/pedant mode]

The events you're talking about aren't enduros either as they are done on pushbikes.

Not really – they are mountain bike enduros, based on the format of motorbike enduros.

I though you said they weren't enduros ? 😆

Like I said not propper enduros.

Just people on pushbikes thinking they're enduro riders. 😉

Edit.

The Dyfi Enduro uses a lot of the same trails that the Dyfi British Championship Enduro (on propper bikes) used. So there for more of an Enduro that some pushbike riders getting dressed up like an MXer and riding on a pushbike trail. 😛

hough you said they weren't enduros ?

I'm talking about events like the Avalanche Enduros.

are there any in the uk? 😀

There was gonne be the Stramash one at Glentress last year but it never happened for some reason. There's the one at AE too. Shame the Kielder one didn't happen this year.

Someone on here was talking about setting one up at Kirroughtree as well which would be a great idea imo.

I'm talking about events like the Avalanche Enduros.

How many time checks and special tests are there in the Avalanche Enduros then?
Is there an MX test, a cross country test and an extreme test?
What happens if you hour out?

😉

10 at Kirroughtree is better than 10 Under the Ben, in my experience.

The format of the Stramash event's enduro that was going to happen last year was similar to the Kona Mash-Up format, which'll be happening this year, I think.

what is an enduro? 😳

pastcaring – Member

what is an enduro?

Have a look here at some of them that go on for six days.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=isde&aq=f

sorry, i know what a moto enduro is, but what is a bicycle enduro?

Ask grum, he defines these things.

Nope, not me that defines them – there's loads of mtb enduro events all over Europe, and they don't involve riding round in circles for 12 hours. Ask juan 🙂

I already gave examples of some.

but what is a bicycle enduro?

They're events where people dress up in race pajamas, body armour then ride very slowly between sections of downhill.
When they get to the downhill bits they do there best to fool themself that they're a top MXer. 😉

Avoiding the argument about what is,or isn't, an enduro, I'd vote for any of the SPAM Biking events, but especially Set2Rise.
Avoid the Merida/CRC series if you think the words "enduro" or "marathon" imply some sort of competitive event. There's three different distances and all the results get lumped together, so there's no way of knowing your finishing position for your distance.

singlespeedstu – Member
but what is a bicycle enduro?
They're events where people dress up in race pajamas, body armour then ride very slowly between sections of downhill.
When they get to the downhill bits they do there best to fool themself that they're a top MXer.

sorry, still don't get it. any examples?

i get that enduro is the same as all mountain riding. ragging mid travel bikes down hill with the ability to ride up (just riding to most) but how doe's a race work?

but how doe's a race work?

I think the winner is the one that can talk the most wikid awsum. 😉

I am told relentless is the best of the Scottish ones but have not been. Ten under the Ben is a good course – I did it a few years ago and I believe the course has been improved.

Strathpuffer is of course the best 24 hr in the UK – and no way could it be described as riding round a field

Have you ever done one stu?

I gave some examples above, but basically there are several mostly (but not all) descending sections of singletrack on which you are actually timed, but you get given times by which you have to make it to the start of each section too or else you are penalised.

It's a great format imo – rewards skill as well as fitness, rather than these endurance things which are mostly about fitness. Lots of downhillers and XC whippets (mostly on all mountain bikes), so a nice mix of people.

Selkirk is a fantastic course for an enduro.

@grum

just looked at some footage from the avalanche in Kielder. looks fun! i'm guessing they use the chair lifts in europe, passports sorta thing?

Roc D Azur! Marathon on friday and follow up with the classic on Sunday!
They also have one of those timed downhill jobies.

Having said that riding mountain bikes for long distances is generally rewarding and challenging in my experience.

Dyfi, Margam park marathon course etc all good.

Sorry just noticed you asked about UK. 🙄

Agree with TJ, relenless is superb.

but you get given times by which you have to make it to the start of each section too or else you are penalised.

Is it not true that these times are so slack that even fat downhillers can meet them?

Again absolutely not like propper enduros* where the time schedule can be so tight that the timed sections have no reflection on the results.
(Timed sections only come into play if you can stay on time on the rest of the course.)

I would do one if they got the formula right.
Unfortunatley they seem to fall down on the importance of being able to ride all day over long distances as well as being fast on technical sections.

*on enduro bikes.

Ok I read very little just the OP so sorry if it has already been said.
The event you are referring are not enduro. They are long distance XC or marathon XC.
An enduro is very much like a rally car. You have special stages with the clock ticking (between 3 to 7 depending on where you're based) and some joining stages (liaisons) with no time check. Just a maximum time allowed.

Usually the enduro have a going down profile, but the length and the topology of the stage reward both skills and fitness.

For example a very famous race based on the enduro format is the trans-provence (go and click on http://www.trans-provence.com). But you can also add the 1001 enduro tour (http://www.1001sentiers.fr/1001endurotour/epreuves.html).

How many times are we gonna do this 🙂

Regarding the argument of what MTB enduro is, I can tell you for a fact that most European mountain bikers (ALL continental Europeans) use the definition used here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_bike_racing

For some reason in the UK, people say "enduro" for all longer distance races…. FWIW, the UCI refer file this sort of competition under "marathon".

The only enduros I know of in the UK are the AvalancheEnduros (Kielder and Ae), plus the Mash-Ups. It's a shame that there are so few, as there are SOOO many of this sort of race on the continent, especially in France where this format is massive.

To be honest, I can't understand why the format isn't bigger in the UK. It's a perfect use for all these 5-6" bikes that we all seem to love buying these days.

I have read it all now.

Unfortunatley they seem to fall down on the importance of being able to ride all day over long distances as well as being fast on technical sections.

Crap you mean like riding an off road bike up and down a mountain. Fouck I am shocked. An event of mountain bike that is actually mountain biking…
God all mighty saves us…

Hi Juan 🙂

It's a perfect use for all these 5-6" bikes that we all seem to love buying these days.

Well but no, riding them in trail centre is already very popular ;). Btw do you need one of them for your visit down here?

http://www.endurotribe.com/

An enduro is very much like a rally car. You have special stages with the clock ticking (between 3 to 7 depending on where you're based) and some joining stages (liaisons) with no time check. Just a maximum time allowed.

So **** all like an "enduro" then…

More like a rally.