I have a 2015 Alpine 160. Demo’d loads of bikes – Ibis HD3, Orange 5, Bronson, Nomad. There is no getting away from the fact the Alpine is heavier than all those bikes – its easily over 15kgs in stock form. Mine is now about 14-14.5 or so with Hope Tech Enduros and lighter tyres than the heavy – but awesome – Continentals it came with.

But. For its weight it climbs very well; its very efficient – more so in my opinion than some multi link designs which rely heavily on pedal platforms to be able to pedal well. With the shock locked out (I have the monarch) it is extremely stiff – I only use the lock out on roads/fireroads.

I would say though its taken a lot of trial and error for me to get it setup nicely and I’ve added tokens in the shock to help with progression and I run the rebound quite fast, which definitely helps it feel more “poppy” and therefore more agile.

It is a (very) long bike which is great for stability – honestly it is rapid downhill – but you do need to get used to the long cockpit and wheelbase and also be prepared to really ride it to get it working properly.

The RS (mine) comes with a 30T and 36T rear and it can be hard work. An expander cog will likely be a must have, but I think the 2016 model has a different setup now…

I bought mine for its versatility and cost – its raced DH and enduro with me and done weekend rides with plenty of climbing (I live in N.Wales). If your riding can do it justice its a great bike, it really is.

Final note is that the 2015 Bronson I rode wasn’t anywhere near as capable going DH as the Alpine. The 2016 may be different in this regard but the only bike that can hold its own bike-for-bike against the Alpine was the Nomad. For me though, it just wasn’t £1000+ BETTER than the alpine, which is why the Orange is sat in my garage.

@ yorkycsl … you don’t have a PM, so, could you PM me? I may know someone who is looking for a Bronson frame.

“The original being the steep right hand loose/rocky bit into a left hand berm?”

Yup – ride “up” from the drop point to where the blues start – the red is on your right. Starts flat, step down, drops into a steep, loose couple of switchbacks. The new beginning is much easier, but flowing and fun.

Black Powder is worth a go – first run you might need to dismount as there are a few places where entry line is key. Generally though, especially after a few runs and you can commit more, its a blast. I’ve raced (half way) down it, in the pouring rain, with a puncture. Not so much of a blast!

Its always worth banking on the weather being foul – anything else is a bonus!

I’m surprised nobody has said be careful; its addictive! Seriously, if you’ve only ever done trail riding before, be prepared to be blown away by the lure of uplift riding.

I’d suggest a gentle warm up on the excellent pump track to get yourself – and your bike – dialled in. You’ll want to run higher than normal pressures to avoid pinch flats, which in itself will make your bike handle differently, especially on the unique Antur surface. You may also want to tweak your suspension settings.

Then start on the blues; everything is roll-able. Depending how you get on, aim for the red after lunch – they’ve added a new beginning right from the uplift drop off which is much tamer than the original red beginning which I’d say is as tough as anything on black powder.

If you feel confident enough then definitely have a go at black powder as the sense of achievement at having a crack is immense.

Ride within your limits and you’ll be fine but it is the kind of place that asks you to stand up to it – its open, fast, rocky and unforgiving but riding loose but confident is the best way to get down in one piece.

Oh and don’t for one second think that GoPro vids will give you any sense of how steep it is in parts (red & black). They don’t!

Enjoy.

Ah!

I which case, I’d suggest adding the Nomad to your list. A medium would likely be spot on and it is up there with the HD3 in terms of climbing prowess. I found it climbed better than a Bronson, but I’m not convinced the shock was setup quite right…

Still, the Nomad was utterly superb.

It’s a fair question to ask given the Ibis is an expensive bike. It does ride very well in stock form though, but good to know you have an option of making it slacker.

In terms of other bikes, would an Orange Five not fit the Bill? Plenty slack and long enough, top tube and reach not too bad.

I’m going to give this a go, probably in the hardtail category.

I can bike to Llandegla from my house so I have absolutely no excuse in fact, I’ve ridden there enough times to be expected to be able to ride it with my eyes closed.

Now I’ve tempted my fate enough to come last, I can relax and enjoy it.

It should be fun though – the stages for the last one were the better parts of the route.

Mini Enduro used a self seeding system last year. Rank yourself 1-5 (1 = fastest 5 = slowest).

If you assume 80% of the field are going to have ridden at least one enduro before then they should be able to reasonably predict their number. If the organizers can give an idea of stages lengths (Mike Marsden has done this with the Welsh Enduros) then this would also help.

Seeding is great, but needs the event to be 2 days really.

I’m liking what I’ve heard so far. There is the W.E.S Mash Up which sounds a lot more accessible and enjoyable for your average racer.

And, quite honestly, the idea of a UK series using some tried and tested venues with a twist of some new, specifically cut stages sounds great. I’ve not done a Red Kite / Mondraker race as they’re just a bit too far away, but the idea of stages that push your limits yet mostly range between 1-4 mins is right up my street. The more BDS-esque they are the better.

I’ve also heard rumblings that Eastridge will be on the calendar. 2016 could be a good ‘un…

No shame in not having heard of any of them, but you really won’t be disappointed.

A National Series, whilst not essential given the amount of choice racers have, is definitely a good thing. It should be more demanding than other series and, by virtue of this, will, and should, attract the UK’s better riders.

The level of competition in events I’ve entered has been top drawer; it is easy to predict the top 20-30% of the field before anyone has made a pedal stroke. I know I’m not ever going to get to mix it with the top guys – I don’t have the time in my life to commit to training that hard – but I know where my place is in the field.

If we don’t have a National Series, the Regional events are only going to become more crowded generally and have a greater proportion of top riders. That means your average Joe will be knocked even further down the field (if they get an entry at all as max numbers will still apply) which may then have the detrimental effect of them losing interest. The stages will either become more sanitised to cater for the broader field, or become harder to meet the demands of the elite and, with that we are then back to the whole issue of full face / insurance etc.

Competitive sport works best when it is tiered. And a National Series is key to not only keeping the Enduro discipline in the UK alive and kicking, but it is the best way of keeping it accessible for everyone.

I was at the top of the BDS track at Llangollen last night, in awe of the brutality and technicality of the top section. It is the BDS track for a reason and its completely right that it is only raced on at the UK’s top DH event. That it is also the reason the UK does so well at World DH level says everything about why you need a top tier event in any field and also sums up beautifully why the UK needs to embrace all levels of mountain biking; we have such amazingly varied terrain that can cater for all levels of abilities.

Hasn’t jemima just described the Red Kite Enduro Series?!

I’d spend the extra and get the better performing ones.

It could be a number of factors, granted, but after only a couple of rides I ditched the Hans Dampf I was running upfront. It’ll sit in the garage until conditions get wet enough to put it on the back instead of my Rock Razor.

I didn’t find it offered any kind of confidence, and managed to wash the front end out twice, in both the dry and the wet.

On the plus side, it’s very light and rolls well, but wasn’t my cup of tea, at least on the front.

Orange Alpine 160? I ended up buying an ex demo, but was going to go frame only. Asking around I managed to get a frame and the upgraded float x and a custom colour for £1800. I imagine you could get a frame for £1600, maybe less, if you were happy going with the monarch and a standard colour…

GT Sanction was the other contender (already mentioned). Tweeks have a medium for £1274, but that may be too small.

Suppose you could also consider an Orange Five, which are less than the alpine.

If it helps at all, I also have a 150mm aggro hardtail, and bought the alpine to be able to do all day / big rides as well as uplifts. So far its managed all that just fine.

You can pick up a frame for about £2300. You could easily do a solid build for another £1500. I know; I priced one up!

That said, Ibis’ wheels are stellar – worth the money if you can afford it but, ultimately, whether you can justify them over spending £500 for a good set of wheels is up to you.

From the link to the article above…

“[Missy] is sporting a black-and-white Vans mesh hat and a Brooklyn Nets jersey that reveals dark tufts of armpit hair”.

Sounds like Ratboy won’t be the hairiest critter on course at the weekend…

Whoever posted the photos of the roll in and the side profile – nice one. Unless you’ve stood at the top, or the bottom, videos just don’t do it justice.

I think the fact that you know it isn’t rollable really makes it tougher mentally.

Kudos to anyone who tries/makes it – I know my limits and that is beyond them!

Scruff, take a look on Pinkbike at the track walk pics – that rock slab has a Laurie Greenland shaped person hanging down it!

The good/bad thing is – there aren’t many bad bikes out there right now! What there is though is an abundance of choice, and its being honest with yourself as to what sort of riding you want to do.

I test rode (in no particular order) Yeti 575, Santa Cruz 5010/bronson/nomad, Ibis HD3, Orange 5/Alpine 160. And I sold an Enduro 29.

Climbing prowess – HD3 & Nomad were standout performers (5010 was good, but that was to be expected).
Descending prowess – without doubt, my Alpine. Nomad was good also. HD3 too, but that was rolling on the uber wide carbon hoops they do!

If it suits you then Canyon & YT both offer killer specc’d bikes for comparable money but after changing 12 bearings on my Specialized after only a few months, one of the key considerations for me was longevity & maintenance – Santa Cruz, Ibis and Orange fared well in this regard.

I suppose I should also add that I did get a good deal on my Alpine – if it wasn’t for that then a well priced Nomad I’d seen would have taken the win I think.

Definitely try a Nomad. Although if you do, be prepared to want one badly.

I rode a Nomad and a Bronson back to back and felt underwhelmed by the Bronson’s climbing ability – generally infact, not just compared to the Nomad. Granted, it was a brief demo, with only a quick shock setup (the shock was a DBAir) but still, so was the Nomad…

Completely agree with the poster above – pick one from either end of the riding spectrum. In fact, I’d go so far to say that actually the 5010 gave nothing up to the Bronson (and with a shock upgrade to, say, a Fox Float X) would be just as capable.

For me though, the Nomad was on another level and had no right to climb so well. I actually ended up getting an Orange Alpine 160 but had I gone for a Santa Cruz, I’d have gone for the Nomad, no question.

As an aside, I’d recommend the Alpine as an alternative to the Nomad, but it certainly isn’t lightweight!

I waved goodbye to my Enduro 29 yesterday and will be picking up an Alpine 160 later. I don’t think there is anything wrong with hard hitting, aggressive 29ers – I rode the Alpine Five and it was a monster truck. Very impressive. But I can see the appeal isn’t there for everyone.

That said, I’m sure many an opinion was changed about 29ers by anyone who rode an Alpine Five (or the Enduro 29 for that matter).

As good as they are though, I am looking forward to tapping into the potential of the A160. Its a whole new level of fast downhill, even compared to my Enduro, which was >F<ast!

I have both and I prefer the deores.

I run XT on my HT and I’ve had them previously on a FS Ghost. They are certainly powerful, but can be a little grabby. Of course, its nice to have a reach adjust dial rather than allen key adjust but a) I only tend to adjust my levers once and b) I carry a multi-tool so it isn’t exactly a hardship to have to use this instead. The freestroke adjust is, for me, pointless. I don’t even think it does anything.

I have a set of deore on my specialized enduro so its a big, fast bike. If anything, I prefer the modulation of the deores over the XTs and have never wanted for more stopping power, even after a day at Antur Stiniog.

I was skeptical (read snobbish) about getting a set of deore but I wouldn’t hesitate to get another set or recommend them.

That said, I did try some SRAM guides at the weekend and they were better again :)

Definitely a shame about Eastridge. I’ll probably be in the minority here, but I’d say it would have been a better venue that Dyfi for the champs. Small hill, sure, but some absolute gems of stages there.

Raced there and Caersws last year. Shame neither are on the calendar at all this year (or in the case of Caersws, never again!).

A shame, but surely not unexpected given the insurance business earlier in the year. That plus clashes with other races and it’s no wonder they’re struggling.

Last years mini enduros were spot on – shame they’ve now all moved down South Wales.

S’pose though if they’re struggling with numbers and quality of riders its a good chance to get a good result :)

ring ring … ring ring …

“Hi, is that Gary?”
>PAUSE< (this is an international call)
“Yes, it is”
“Gary Fisher?”
“Yes. Why?! Who is this?”
“Hi Gary, oh great. I just wanted to say that, I don’t think this whole bike design thing you pioneered works.”
“Oh. Really. And why is that?”
“Well, y’know. I’ve been riding a while now and, well, I just can’t seem to get any of my bikes to really work for me, so I can only assume it’s, well, the bikes”
“Ah. I see. So, I assume you actually rode these bikes before you bought them, or [chuckles] at least SAT on them…?!”

>CLICK< brrrrrrrrr…..

shaungero – yes.

I’ve bought a small and its fitted, rather than big.

Welsh Gravity Enduro series had/have an e-bike category.

If you’re riding somewhere with decent gradients then anything more than a 34 (assuming an 11-36 out back) is going to be hard going for most folk.

Also, the wheel size difference comes into account so if you’re running a 32T on your 26″ bike then you’ll likely need a 30T to be the same equivelant ratios (give or take).

I live and ride in North Wales, so a typical 15mile ride would have anything between 500-900m of climbing. A very fit friend runs a 32 x 11-36 (26″) and I know they certainly wouldn’t want to change to a 34T. If you have to fit a 34T or 36T as you need more speed for tarmac then it can’t be that steep where you ride. I’ve certainly never ridden down a trail thinking I need a higher gear than 32-36!

Moelfre do uplift days (mtbuplifts).

And, on occasion, but not as frequently as last season, you can do an uplift at One Giant Leap at Llangollen.

The full on BDS track through the woods is probably as good as it gets for Alps practice!!

I have a 380 drop and 125 post on my medium frame.

Due to the kink there really isn’t much room down there; I’d be opting for the 380 version to be on the safe side.

So…how come time and time again I’m reading that the Bronson just isn’t great? As was said earlier in the thread, CG rode one this weekend presumably in preference to the Nomad.

Hmmm…

I came last in my first enduro race.
I came 7th from last in my second enduro race.
I came 26th from last in my third enduro race.

But I would still class enduro racing as a hobby and interest. Am I crap? Am I allowed to class it as a hobby?!

As an aside, if only based on the races I did last year, I would say that the people who enter are in the top 20% of quality riders in the UK (or wherever the spread is that they are willing to come from to enter the race). I’d happily stand by this statement given that the same names appear time and time again on Strava as the fastest riders. Its no coincidence that these names are those you see on the entry lists for enduro races.

As an aside to the aside ;) I can quite happily make it into the top 5% on most DH strava segments I ride, but, as above, my enduro race results don’t reflect this.

So, even though I’d happily say enduro is a hobby of mine, I’m not technically any good at it. Go figure.

If you enjoy something, great, that’s surely all that matters!

I think you either have some sort of competitive urge in you or you don’t. If you don’t, then enduro racing may be alien to you.

I’m not skilled (or mentally unhinged) enough to race DH. I’m not fit enough to race XC. What I am is competitive enough to want to race and enduro racing offers that. I have always plodded up to the top and rode down as fast as I can; that’s what I “get” from riding. I have used Strava for sometime now and enjoy trying to better my times.

That said, I did 3 enduro races last year:

Caersws
Eastridge
Penmachno

The first two used stages which were previously DH tracks and the Penmachno enduro had stages which were 5-9 mins long, one with an average gradient of 0% (IIRC). There are plenty of enduro racers who raced both XC and DH before their enduro careers kicked off and there are enough series open that whatever your background, you can find a venue which suits your skillset.

Llandegla is pretty unapologetic in its simplicity and has been modified to appeal to a wider group of riders. If you are a half decent rider, it isn’t difficult, but the beauty is in hitting it flat out.

If you know the way, you can easily session the better parts of the black runs, and the freeride area is decent fun and easy to do a few loops from the carpark. It holds up reasonably well when its wet, so its a good year-round place to ride (snow aside!).

It is my “back yard” pretty much, so I know it inside out. Riding it every week would bore me, but I still enjoy it now and again.

If you venture just outside, there is also some great natural stuff to ride. The masts singletrack is particularly good.

I’ve had a ’14 comp version since last August. It isn’t quite standard – fitted a reverb, XT brakes and some lighter wheels (superstar tactic). Also a couple of carbon bits here and there and I’ve put an offset bushing in the rear shock, so its probably running maybe 66.5-67 head angle.

Its a big bike, but rides light. It isn’t massively efficient but in “climb” mode on the fox shock its fine. The bigger wheels offset some of the weight in terms of technical climbing.

It really shines going downhill though and it is way more capable than I am. The way it builds speed is pretty impressive but what it equally as good it how nimble it is. The short rear end means you can hustle it like a smaller wheel bike and it will happily manual, pop and jump quite nicely.

I’ve ridden mine on big days out, trail centres, a couple of enduros last year and it blew me away at Antur Stiniog a few weeks ago. It was up for sale but after Antur I decided to keep it, as it really would be hard to replace.

As above, it doesn’t like massive tyres on the rear – a 2.35 magic mary rubbed on mine.

I’m going to keep mine for a bit, set it up 1 x 10 to save a bit more weight, put some carbon cranks on it. I’d be tempted to then keep the parts, flog the frame and get the s-works frame. Would imagine that, built up to about 12kgs or so, would be an absolute weapon.

I ran purgatory front and butcher rear which was great for anything from trail riding to #enduro races.

My AM rims have a butcher rear (and Magic Mary front) and were superb at Antur Stiniog.

Have just bought a new purgatory and a ground control, which will go onto my trail rims.

Super value tyres, but do agree the sidewalls aren’t the thickest. That said, I’ve not had any issues so far…

By this weekend I would imagine most of the snow will be gone. I live 5mins away and its all melted now, but there was a lot at Degla at the weekend.

Under the trees was fine anyway, it was just some exposed areas that had turned to horrendous compacted ice.

3 enduros entered so far. Goal for this year is to finish in the top 50% or better in masters.

Caersws enduro beat 0%
Eastridge enduro beat 9% masters
Penmachno enduro beat 38%

Vastly underestimated how hard that would be last year in my first season of racing!

They definitely go on easier if you put some washing up liwuid on the bead first. Also massage the bead onto the rim before inflating.

Once on mine went up with a track pump and the front stayed up with no sealant.

Super grippy tyre but pretty draggy! I have them front and rear on my AM/DH rims.

You could go for the Sight and get a £20 offset bushing to slacken the angle to match the Range.

You then have a bike with a better (?) fork, that can take the tokens, but is aggro enough for DH duties.