Red trail is perfect for a sub hour ride, trails are running great at the moment.

I would go for Blue trail into red trail, Its about 1.5 hour ride.

Blue trail:
https://www.strava.com/segments/9341893?filter=overall

Red trail:
https://www.strava.com/segments/1179989?filter=overall

I will only buy Time pedals, bombproof, great float, can uncleat before I hit the ground. I would go Crank Brothers over Shimano if Time went out of business.

benpinnick – Member

I think that maybe the Swinduro cash needs to go straight into the trail fund too! Some of the trails that were in that have seen an explosion in use (like New England Switchbacks) since then, and are beginning to look like the trails of old now, defeating the point of the new tracks I guess.

Thats the issue with some of these events is all you do is show the masses where to find the stuff thats otherwise tolerated due to low numbers and it all gets out of hand, especially somewhere like Swinley where people have access easily.
Not sure about other organisers but at QECP we use races as an opportunity to maintain and improve our unofficial trail network.

£45 for 8 stages works out at £5.63 per stage, most enduros are around £10 per stage. So you could look at it as great value for money!

I’m not a fan of Swinley ever since it was Sorrelled. I raced the Swinduro last year and it was great fun, I have sign up for this year too, really looking forward to racing on some of the unofficial trails :)

If £45 is a bit to much you could race the QECP Day & Night enduro just down the road at £40, http://www.moredirt.com/event/2015
Shameless plug 8O 8)
But all the cash from the race does go into the trail building fund so its for a good cause.

Practice starts at 5ish

This year we will be doing 5 stages instead of 4 :)

Good write up @orena45 and would you believe me if I told you stage 2 was much gripper when I rode it in the rain in Feb?!?

Good seeing you guys at the weekend, I love that venue and as long as the land owner is happy we will look to go back there.

Loos – I ordered 8 and 4 turned up.

Results – there are around 30 people missing on roots and rain, the timing guys have sent them an updated results list but its yet to be updated on R&R.

Easter weekend – I was somewhat forced into that weekend because of a clash with BES on original planned date. Shame as BES folded after I had booked the venue. Next year the champs will be later in the year I think or at least not at Easter.

you could try the quantocks instead of Triscombe.
If you look on an OS map I can recommend:

Weacombe
Smith’s combe
Frog Combe

Edit: Just found this, wouldn’t follow this full route as it was a long ride but the northern bit has smith’s combe and weacombe with the best routes up (also has a good pub stop near the end of weacombe) https://www.strava.com/activities/9318696#207068473

Steel as Ali is to harsh, no feed back from trail etc…

Go on then Mike I will follow for updates, good luck.

I did a jump once

Thank god its not like dull park wales.

other good drop off locations

https://binged.it/2oCEBh3

https://binged.it/2oCkHTh

yes here: https://binged.it/2nDqFG6

I’m a Vee user but not plus size. The new enduro core is great, not sure how that compares to the plus size sidewalls.

kaiser – Member

surely you can pay a bit more … 450 entries available at £60 , if full = £27000.
£30 a day for 8 hrs standing in woods possibly pissing down and an early start on easter weekend.
If you’re prepared to pay a fair rate then i’d do it.
What is a fair rate? £80 for the weekend? We have always paid the marshal the price of 1 ticket for the event or a free entry to another race. We are not sold out by the way.

Bump for the evening crew

grubbish – Member

What age do these marshalls need to be?

16 or over

Came to watch with the kids, jealous of everyone racing in the sun :)

Some advice from an elite endure racer:

Enduro Race Tips #2 – Enduro Training Plan

On that vid though, they didn’t hit the massive step up on the lest at 8.55, which is like being fired into space if you don’t brake at all into it!

the sort of feature you never forget, in a good way :)

La Thuile, Pila

Better combo than Les Arc, Tignes IMO.

Anyway Day trips to both Pila and La Thuile are highly recommended.

Pila: such a cool place https://www.pinkbike.com/video/374563/
Edit: https://www.trailforks.com/region/pila/?lat=45.697365&lon=7.314719&z=13&m=trailforks

stevied – Member

Wore my FF on the 1st run both times I’ve been then went with the trail helmet for the rest of the day.
I just prefer the feel of riding without the FF.
Same

No proper bottle cage mount!

I have MX8’s and MX4’s the only real difference is weight. Performance and durability are very similar. In my experience they are the best pedal I have tried for my style of riding (‘enduro’)

Fit and forget :)

Flow trail
•Although we all aspire to hit the big stuff until we are ready everyone (even the very best riders) enjoys a flowing feature packed (yet rollable) trail. The new Flow Line will be the longest trail on the hill and offer tables, rollers doubles and drops. The aim is to create a trail that can be ridden by a wide range of riders and a create a trail that you will get more and more out of as your skill and confidence rises.

Progressive training zone
•Offering riders progressive features to develop and skills

Source:
https://www.ibikeride.com/england/2010-longleat-forest

You see the big stuff on FB but there will be beginner stuff too.

pete68 – Member

You don’t have to avoid hopcott completely. There’s plenty of prows up there which I assume will be open to the public.
Yes in fact the hopcott part of the hill is not being used, Just bratton and wootton common.

Plus on the Saturday Night there is a beer tent and music at the enduro race with load of people chatting about bikes, everyone is welcome to come along racer or not.

Over half the ticket are now sold.

Last summer I challenged myself to ride all the trails in my local spot, so one evening after work I did it!

QECP trailtopia 2016
https://www.strava.com/activities/671678621

32.2mi
Distance

4:56:29
Moving Time

5,527ft
Elevation

timbud – Member

This has nothing to do with be able to (or not) legally guide in France.
So misunderstand their French tax requirement then?

To add insult to injury we also found out the lifts wouldn’t have been open for remainder of the trip and the £1100 airbnb has a 50% + service charge cancellation policy!

If your abnb was in borg still go its a great base even without Les Arc lifts, check lift dates at la thile, Plia(amazing place), Tignes, val’d’iere & Beaufort.

Agree with above £10 is a bargain, I love the stats!

I wouldn’t go on BB height. For instance my transition Patrol (339mm BB) has a similar BB than other bikes I have ridden (Nomad 340mm) and get less pedal strikes.

@scottfitz, not sure if you’re aware but at least one of the tracks above Wootton is now closed due to forestry. Not all of it but the lower section which is pretty much gone. I’ve not seen it myself but read it on a Facebook post but there is definitely logging going on up there. Also the trails have dried a lot since that video was shot

That trail was epic and was in the original plan until we realised it went in to a different land owners bit (The bit with the Forestry work). Lucky it was out of the plan about 2 months ago.

Thanks for the heads up.

Wootton and Bratton, Hopefully if this year goes well I will look to go to other areas too, so many possibility in the area.

Edit: 760s how 2016 ;)

6079smithw – Member

Tubeless. Solving a problem that was never there.

Solving my issue with getting pinch flats and punctures from small thrones.

@jam bo – I’m running 800mm bars in that vid so as long as yours aren’t bigger than that you should be all good.

Yes hope it dries out a bit by mid April but I was surprised how much grip there was considering it had been raining for most of that day.