@AlexSimon there is a rider briefing the evening before (I only remembered this while listening to the Saturday night briefing for the Sunday events 🙂 )

@andyrm Thing is, on terrain like that it is probably best to allow the rider in front to decide where they feel most comfortable/safe to move to the side. Plus, sat behind someone you can’t always see whether left or right are likely to be your best option.

Two mates I rode with on the Saturday had issues with people coming past without waiting for them to pull over. When you are at your personal limit and someone appears at your shoulder it can be dangerously off-putting.

The rule of thumb I apply whether the faster or slower rider (we have all been both at one time or another) is simply “don’t be a ****”… and say thanks if someone lets you pass!

Late to the party, but still buzzing from the weekend. 2nd time there riding the Saturday Enduro – ditched the Maxxis Exos (front/rear punctures on 2 and 3 last year) for a pair of Hutchinson Toros and managed a respectable time of 21:36 and 39th in Vets. Got held up a couple of times – Stage 2 by a couple of guys who’d squeezed past on the transition and asked if their mate could join them in front of the queue… followed by another 3 or 4 who rolled up. Just glad I got past most in the open bit after the steep switchbacks then caught the rest in the rocky bit at the end in time to heckle them to get off the brakes 🙂
Frustration on Stage 6 at the guy who seemed to think not letting people past was part of the racing. I’d already passed two of his mates, called ‘rider’ at increasing volumes while trying to find somewhere to pass, marshalls also called ‘rider’ to him, eventually overtook on the outside of a corner and cut him off. He had ample opportunity but just stuck to the middle of the trail… don’t know how you can reinforce these matters of etiquette without increasing queue times… maybe a little reminder signpost at the start of each stage? Pushed a lot of the climbs – for me it’s about conserving energy and being able to give it the maximum beans when it counts.
Some of the best racing/riding of the year again – already looking forward to and planning for next year. Some of the best organisation and logistics of any event I’ve ever been to in 10 years of racing enduro events. Earplugs a must for camping!

Kombi, yeah that’s the badger – much better google results with that 😉

Cheers, looks promising – should be a goer!

Happy with 34th – Felt a bit over-cautious at times in hindsight, but going fast/steady with no crashes is no bad thing.

Well done trusty – given our identical time on stage one, I’m guessing you disliked it as much as I did! You must have been giving it the beans on stage 2 though – quick time!

Looks like the official opening and ‘Fun Day’ is next Sunday. I can’t make it unfortunately, but hope to check it out soon

Here’s a few videos from CiS and others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBvnjyGlbpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpg_8T8oNNk

A good day. Really good course – hated most of stage one, but reassuring to hear others had similar problems. Big smiles at the end of stages 2 and 3, grimace at the end of 4 and relief at the end of 5

Good tip about the cramp/knee pads – don’t usually wear them and was surprised to be suffering with cramp after just stage 2, despite the uber-transition.

You know it’s a good day on the bike when you barely notice the rain

thanks to all the crew – excellent work

Got the personal tour last night (cheers RD & Dan) – it is amazing what you can find practically on your doorstep and with a bit of local knowledge.

Having a pub with decent ale at the end makes it all the sweeter – morris dancers included!

Cities like Sheffield and Edinburgh are known for having accessible riding, but I reckon Brum does alright too – there’s definitely a few golden nuggets in them hills

I rate Dakine gear for durability and practicality – I have a backpack, hand-luggage sized wheely and just got a duffle. This one looks pretty good

According to their FB page, Whyte are bringing the 2014 bikes forward to satisfy demand

“We are hoping to take delivery of the 2014 T129-S in early July, having brought the production forward significantly due to demand. Please stay in contact with your local dealer who will have the specs and pricing by early July.”

I’m in. There’s a good list of all the teams/riders here: http://www.vitalmtb.com/news/news/Initial-Membership-Drive-Surpasses-Enduro-World-Series-Organisers-Expectations,580

Tricky thing is picking those who will be doing every round, or knowing who’s doing what

Nice PA, xiphon! I respect your commitment to a brave colour scheme

Funnily enough, I was out on my PA yesterday for the first time in 3 months. Rode it with similar set up (36s up front) over winter before building up my full sus in Feb. It’s been languishing waiting to have some parts replaced since. It’s now got a set of 130mm revelations but still a build erring on the side of burly.

Personally – i struggled yesterday, and as much as I love the old frame (had it since 2005) – my back wasn’t thanking me. I’m not light, small or young anymore and while I can see myself continuing to use it for local loops that would be pointless on a full sus – I’m not sure I would choose to take it on rough/long trail centre type loops again.

That said – on the muddy/loamy off-piste descents I took it down, I had a blast, and it reminded me why I still have a soft spot for it.

My current n+1 bike is the PA 29er – I’m thinking a more appropriately sized frame and the bigger wheels might make things a bit easier on the spine/knees

Having owned one of the first Orange MsIsles back in ’98 and ragged that for a good few years, when I decided to start riding more ‘XC’ in about 2004 I thought the 18″ MsIsle I found on eBay would be a good move.

Unfortunately I’ve never had such an instant dislike to a bike – way too stiff, bottom bracket too high – felt like I was perched on top of the bike almost to the point of being unsafe. Think I rode it twice before selling the frame and using the parts to build up my Dialled PA.

@accu – I have a couple but I’m saving them for the next time I respray! Mike kindly furnished me with them – have you asked him?

I’ve had my (originally black) Mk1 P.A. resprayed in white and now green, the latter a bit lighter than BRG which I considered, but wanted something a bit more cheerful

I think the ‘Mini’ aspect is that it is primarily run on one day – so no seeding/practice the day before (although I believe it is open to ride should you wish)

From what I’ve seen on Strava it’s going to be a bit of a Shropshire locals bragging rights battle – lots of (not so) sneaky practice going on from those who already know the area pretty well. Should be a good one!

Seems clear why @Loddrik’s build is the lightest here… lots of carbon/XTR/X0 going on there, along with the light frame

Conversely with Wobbli’s – the mix of X5/X7 components all adds up – it is all down to a couple hundred grams here and 50 grams there…

Mine is around 31 lbs and at a build cost of around 3.5k (with year-old forks from ebay) – it’s as light as I’m prepared to go based on a strength vs. cost compromise. I’m best part of 16st, 6’3″ and want something that I can haul around a trail centre but also point straight down an Alp given the chance.

If you have the resources and dedication to go light, then why not… but I think given the intended use of of most 140mm/150mm ‘all mountain’ bikes, quality of ride and durability will be of greater priority to most.

Hah – I think Pseudo-Scientific at best (in true STW tradition)!

There was quite an even spread too: 26,27,27,27.1,27.3,27.5,27.8,28,28.3,28.5,28.5,28.6,29,29,29,29,29,29.7,
30,30,30,30,30,30,30.5,30.5,30.8,31,31,31,31,31.5,31.5,32,32,32,32,33,
33,33,33,33,33.4,35

I think mattzzzzzz has just illustrated the diminishing returns in one… but also that it’s quite hard to build a bike over say 34lbs with modern components.

In case anyone’s interested – average of all those weights posted (ignoring finger in air measurements and discounting the highest and lowest – 38lbs and 24lbs) is…

30.14 lbs

I’d like to know the price of some of the lighter builds, imagine it would be an interesting curve against weight with the law of diminishing returns.

Ultimately, handling-wise, the best place to lose weight is from wheels/tyres and other ‘unsprung mass’.

Personally I like to remind myself that I start long rides with 5.5lbs of water in my camelback, and that the bike is only about 15% of the entire weight including myself…

Large Mondraker Foxy XR: 36 Talas, RP23 CTD, 2×10 XT Groupset, Hope X2 Evo Race / floating rotors, Hope Pro II hubs / Stans Flow EX rims, Reverb, Hope H20 pedals, Hans Dampfs…

… 31.5lbs (hopefully a little less by the end of the week with tubeless). Heavier than standard build, but also a bit burlier/cheaper.

Further to the InvisiFrame recommendations – one of the reasons I chose them was for the matt option. I’d tried some standard gloss Moto sheet stuff, and aside from the hassle of trying to cut it to shape, the gloss just looked crappy on a matt/satin paintjob.

Bonus was the squeegee and instructions that came with the kit. If you do it yourself, follow the instructions – they work.

Top tip would be to get a box of alcohol wipes for a couple of quid from ebay – quick and mess free way of cleaning/prepping the frame before applying each piece.

What allthepies said re: hangover compatibility… Steep and hilly would cover it.

I rode most of the Exe factor route last summer from Porlock but had to cut it short – underestimating the steepness of some of the hills vs. my fitness meant I cut out the loop towards Wooton Courtenay and the descent down Hawkcombe from Porlock Hill (one of the best ‘natural’ bridleway descents I’ve done). Bridleways like Grannys ride near Horner and coming down from Dunkery Beacon are very much on the technical side of what you might expect and definitely not dull.

Looking forward to the Mondraker Gravity Rally there in July

I did it myself using a kit from InvisiFrame[/url] but I believe places like The Trailhead in Shrewsbury and Blazing Bikes offer them ready-applied (by Lee from Invisiframe) to new bikes for £80.

£40 is pretty good value for a race these days. Enduros are (arguably) more risky than an XC race but considerably more spread out than a DH race, and the infrastructure required reflects that.

One-day (gravity) enduros range in price from a bargain £35 for the Enduro1 series, to £45 for the Mini Enduro… which as it happens is a bit on the steep side for me, for a one day event.

The UK Gravity Enduro is run over two days with practice and seeding on the saturday, racing on Sunday. The biggest cost for them (and the Mini Enduro, i think) is the timing. If you want accurate, real-time results – then you have to pay for the good stuff. The consistent cock-ups at the old (reasonably priced) Kona Mashups pretty much sealed the deal on that. One of the reasons that the Enduro1 series is reasonably priced, is that they don’t have seeding, so stage start times can be set ahead of the race, and the pen/paper & stopwatch-based results are only available 3 days later.

So you get what you pay for, and for me – gravity enduros are a great excuse to really push yourself, provide that extra bit of training motivation, and are a good social day out. Let’s face it – 80% of entrants (myself included) don’t expect to win, but partly to see how they rank against their peers and maybe beat or set a few personal goals.

So give one a go, it’s unlikely you’ll regret it

@Pinkster

Thanks for the condescension. I believe the trails are being built by BikeTrack[/url] so there is only so much volunteers can do at this point. There is a local cycling group called Cycling in Sandwell[/url] but their Facebook page is more active. If anyone wants to get involved – that’s where to start. I’m also sure that if there were anything that could be done by people not directly involved in the construction/organisation, then I imagine Shindiggy would have said, maybe at the same point he suggested the group ride?

Personally, I’ve given time to a number of altruistic endeavours over the years (Chase Trails, Birmingham BMX club/track), but you can’t do everything.

Now, I’m off to ride my bike on some slightly more natural trails, and do my bit by continuing to clear debris and unblock drainage channels as I go.

Was about to ask the same question myself… Thinking of heading over tomorrow – thanks for the updates

@shindiggy – also be up for a group ride to help christen the trail

@scamper – i’d suggest taking the old railway line to the reservoir and onto the canal to follow NCR #5, signposted all the way to Sandwell Valley. like this harborne-to-sandwell-valley-off-road

This is the loop I do from Brum city centre ladywood-sandwell-valley-canal-loop.. with an optional stop at Birmingham BMX club just off the canal in Perry Park 🙂

Could make for quite an interesting ride with the Sandwell pump track too!

Blimey, looking good. Wasn’t expecting much in the way of ‘technical’ surfacing, but am pleasantly surprised. Though given the cost, I’m glad to see the money going into the trail.

I occasionally (during the summer, when the towpaths aren’t too minging) do a loop out from Ladywood up the Wolves canal, nip up into Sandwell Valley and do a vague lap of the old Red Bull (raced there in 2000) before heading back down the Tame Valley canal, under Spaghetti Junction and into Brum.

There’s still some pretty good singletrack (the bit in the tight trees after you went alongside the M5 after the bridge) if you can find a route, which I think leads into this new trail being built. Makes for a pretty good lap, with the ‘descent’ by the golf course, and a great thing to have within (non-road) riding distance of the centre of Birmingham.

Looking forward to checking it out

That’s interesting, given that he’s gone coil on the front. But he’s also gone slacker and put a 30mm stem on. Presumably, partly cos of the extra slackness…

I’ve also gone with 36s up front on mine, but stuck with Talas for weight and to make things a bit easier on the climbs, though I’ve found myself using it less as I’ve got more used to the bike.

I should also say that there aren’t many(if any) places I’ve ridden in the UK so far where I could honestly say that the shock feels out of it’s depth… maybe it will become more of an issue if/when I take it to the Alps

And the answer is… because it’s a light 140mm frame that begs to be absolutely nailed down a hill… with a longer wheelbase than anything else available, and 160mm forks on the XR – the type of riders/riding it attracts mean that some have suggested the air shock gets a bit out of its depth.

After watching the Chris Porter / Steve Jones chat on Dirt, I’ve meaning to ask Mojo if they do such a thing as an ‘XR Tune’ for the CTD air rear. Certainly sounds like Chris has done quite a lot of work to get the response from his that he was looking for.

I like the idea too, but don’t see how it would be possible… the shock ‘cage’ just has too little clearance to allow anything other than a non-piggyback air shock in there

Check this thread http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/any-foxy-owners-running-160mm-forks

good old search function, eh? 😉

Hmmm, 50th – kinda what I expected, but not as good as I’d have liked. Relatively pleased with the times on the two stages (1 and 5) that I had the least issues with. Had a chain off and stick in the rear mech that cost me a lot of time on stage 2, and repeated stalls/excursions on stages 3 and 4.

Room for improvement, then. Already entered FoD, hopefully I’ll have a bit more fitness then (expect it to be less tech than round 1)… but then so will everyone else!

4…
SS road bike (Fuji Track)
Jump bike (Arrow DSS)
Hardtail (Dialled PA Mk1)
Full Sus (Mondraker Foxy XR)

plus mrs nickhead’s and at least enough parts/frames for another. (Also no garage)

Photos are up – some crackers in there!

http://www.rootsandrain.com/race1747/2013-mar-17-x-fusion-enduro-1-1-great-wood-quantocks/photos/%5B/url%5D

My first race in 18 months, and possibly the most technical enduro stages I’ve ridden in the UK. Personally I was struggling a bit after two weeks off the bike and a week of illness.

I struggled on the second half of stage 3 and the steep bits of stage 4 – was cursing my size and weight, 16 stone is hard enough to bring to a halt when travelling forwards, let alone when sliding sideways down a 45 degree slippery, loamy slope. Cue lots of swearing and dragging bike from under tape.

Stage one was all too short, but a good one to get your eye in. Stage 2 was great at the top, and a good test of fitness (I failed) with a bit of a slog at the end.

I imagine everyone will quote stage 5 as their favourite. As with others, I felt I’d properly got my eye in by then, but I also think it had the best flow of any stage.

If anyone has any photo/video of number 61, would be great to see.

Really good to get a taste of some of the apparently myriad downhill trails in the area. Planning a trip down to co-incide with watching the BDS at Combe Syd in April, so combined with an all day route around the rest of the Quantocks on the Saturday, should make for a good weekend.

I hope the Sport category riders who were following the 150 competitive riders weren’t completely put off by the mess they found – bit of a shock for your first race, I imagine.

You should be able to get a new crown race to fit. I got a 1.5 – 1.125 reducer to fit non-tapered forks in my Foxy, so the reverse is available too.

something like this, I think

All of the Forward Geometry bikes have the mixed travel – Factor 120/140, Dune 160/180 and Foxy 140/160

It’s partly down to there being more weight over the front when descending, I think.

The stem is high on my Foxy because a) I’m 6’3″, and b) I hadn’t had it cut down yet 🙂

Losing about 15mm/3 stackers from the steerer height. Because of the nature of the stem on the XR, bars directly over the steerer – it’s a definite measure twice cut once exercise!

They also look higher because of the lack of any ‘stem’ – compare the relative height of the bars with the photo of the RR – not that much difference

Another handy tip is to find a gentle slope to practice on – only needs to be slight, but helps keep momentum