Doing My First Enduro - What Do I Need? Any Advice?

willhart

Hi,

I am in the Navy and have been into mountain biking on and off since I was a kid. I did some cross country racing in my teens but have only ridden for fun since then. I am now 29.

I have been riding with a friend recently and we have talked each other into entering the Army's "Are You Tough Enough" Enduro next month. I will either be entering the 4 Hour Solo or 6 Hour Team race with my riding mate.

I am not expecting to be competative and am just doing it for the challenge and hoping to keep going to the end, whatever position I am in. However we are doing training rides prety much daily and I freequently go for long off road rides of 4 hours or so, so I think I am physically up to it!

I have a reasonable bike (Specialized FSR XC Pro with a few upgrades) but am just wondering what else I will need and what type of gear to wear etc.

Are Baggies or Lycra the usual attire for an enduro? What type of spares should I carry or have handy? Should I eat much during the race or just load up on carbs beforehand? I don't currently own a camelbak, should I buy one?

Does anybody know how extreme is the course likely to be, just a long slog or quite technical?

I will hopefully do more in the future so I don't mind buying some usefull new kit if it will make the experience better and more fun.

Any Advice much appreciated.

WIll Hart.

Cj83

don't have much advice for you but am considering doing the 4hr solo aswell. similar situation, raced when i was a kid but got into it again recently and done a couple of normal races. i've just written about them here about 8 down:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12705998

as you can see i've had a few hydration woes, so will also be interested to know how that works for a 4 hour race... reckon you'd need to have 4/5 bottles lined up if like me you don't have a camelbak.... and i don't think even some camelbaks would be enough e.g. a 2ltr one so dunno wat would happen there. anyone know? are there facilities to fill up or something like that?!

as for spares, will prob just take what i took in the other races which was: mini pump, spare tube(s), patches, mutlitool (with chain tool), powerlink. food wise... can't see myself eating much on the way around (unless lots of experienced people strongly recommend it)... at most a mulebar or 2 (if i can get them free as they are sponsoring the event!). will prob wear baggies, i wondered about that lyrca/baggies question on my first race, wore lycra but got owned by plenty of ppl in baggies, so whilst that continues to happen (forever) i'll be wearing baggies, don't really see what the disadvantage of them is if they are lightweight cycling ones.

anyways i fancy testing myself at this so hopefully will be free that weekend...

willhart

Thanks CJ. That other thread had los of advice in.

Me and my riding mate have both entered the 4hr Enduro now. I have no delusions that I will do well, I am well out of my league! But the sadist in me will enjoy the challenge!

Training is going well. Were not managing to do many 4 hr rides but were doing a good hard 25 mile off raod route nearly every day and trying to get round quicker each time. were going to do some longer day rides on weekends when family life allows. Were panning on doing some of the South Downs way to work on our climbing too.

I have bought myself a decent jersey and some propper baggy shorts along with some gloves and blister proof socks! Up til now I always rode in normal shorts and a sports t-shirts but thought I need to look a bit smarter for a race!

I have asked the wife and kids if they can stretch to a Camelbak for my fathers day present! Im gonna get a 3L one which might be heavy but will need less filling on the day. I'll also have a water bottle of Energy drink I think.

We are planning on doing a pairs entry into the Gorrick 12:12 next, assuming we survive the "Are You Tough Enough" Again, just for the challenge and a bit of a laugh rather than being competative!

njee20

It's a good event, hopefully it'll be a bit less loamy than last year, a few bits got rather sketchy! Still, a rare complaint.

You can either take a Camelbak, or use bottles. Personally I'd use bottles and just grab a fresh one each lap, but it depends if you're used to drinking from bottles, presumably as you're asking for a Camelbak you are! Over 4 hours you will likely be fine with energy drink/gels, although if you don't normally use those then I'd say you'll need to eat something. If you don't normally use energy drink you may find the volume a bit of a problem, try things out before hand.

A lot of it depends on whether you want to bimble round and enjoy yourself, or ride it flat out and go and quick as you can. I did the 6 hour last year, and didn't eat/drink enough and died a horrible death after about 4 hours!

I'm pretty sure there's not water on site, but there's a feed zone, so you can leave a big bottle of water and top up your Camelbak if you need to. Like I say, as you'll be coming back to the same point every 45 minutes or so I'd just have a load of bottles lined up, saves carrying loads of unnecessary weight round with you, I find it easier to monitor how much I'm drinking with bottles too.

Most of all... just enjoy yourself. It's traditionally had good weather so far, so hopefully that'll continue. Keep plodding on and you'll do pretty well.

willhart

Hi, Thanks NJEE for all that info, thats just what I'm after.

How does the feed station work, I don't think I will have anybody there to support me for the whole 4hrs so who looks after your stuff? If I leave a big bottle of water there whats stopping somebody else using it?

Also as you have done it before, how technical is the course likely to be? Im not worried about technical climbs, just things like the drop offs and the bomb holes Ive heard about. Is there anything thats likely to be very difficult to ride for an intermediate weekend rider?

As for pace, I will be pacing myself for the 4hr duration, but I will be trying to go as quickly as I can without burning out to early. I did a 3.5 hour ride yesterday morning and was quite pleased with my pace and average speed, especially as I had done 2 hours the previous evening. I was knackered by the end but could have done another 30mins if I needed to. I know i wont be at the front, but I am hoping to not be at the back either! It would be nice to be amongst the pack and have people to race against to keep me going.

njee20

The feed station is just a taped off area, your stuff will be fine though, everyone will take their own water, so yours won't get used.

The course isn't very technical, last year there were a couple of bits which got incredibly loose and thus were causing people problems, but just take it steady and you'll be fine. No drop offs or big bombholes or anything. Unless it's that dry and dusty again there's nothing at all to worry about. It's just fast twisty singletrack, with some fireroad bits to drink and pass people.

If you ride for 4 hours you won't come last, there'll be plenty of people who either go out too hard and then blow up and quit, or have mechanicals or whatever, you'll be fine.

As for your other questions in your first post, most people carry a tube, a pump, a multi tool and a spare Power Link or similar, if you don't have those things don't stress, particularly the Power Link, but a tube/pump is probably sensible. Basically carry what you would for a normal ride. Eat a decent meal the night before hand, drink lots the day before and on the morning.

Pre-enter too, the first year it got really really busy on the day and there were huge queues to register.

willhart

Thanks again, more good info.

Quite relieved about the course, some of the reviews and course descriptions of last year make it sound quite extreme. Fast twisty singletrack sounds good, exactly what I am after.

I have all the spares you mention already so that is good too.

Did another good training ride today in Queen Elizabeth Country Park. Not as many miles as yesterday but squeezed in lots of steep climbing. I even got up two stupidly steep sections that I have never managed to ride up before. I think I'm getting quicker downhill as well, but I am trying hard not to get injured so I'm not being too gung-ho!

I fell off today in a section of off camber singletrack where the dust had built up so much that it actually looked like part of the trail, as soon as my front wheel hit it it just slid out from under me, I guess that is similar to the problems you mention from last year.

I'm really looking forward to it now, I know I can ride and pace myself for 4 hours, so it should just be a good fun days riding.

JasonRwmb

All good advice from njee.

It is a very good course, lots of singletrack with interesting descents, some fun bombholes, and even a couple of technical climbs.

The last two years there has been water available from a couple of big bowsers that have been brought onto the site. If you are riding solo, and taking it fairly seriously you are best to try not to waste time to stop to refill, just prefill a couple of bottles that you can grab as you pass - you would probably get by with 3-4 bottles.

Nick, you doing solo 6hrs again this year? I am not sure if I am doing solo, or a mixed pair again, this year.

JasonRwmb

A few videos of the 2008 race here:

http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p153 ... ro%202008/

payneib

Hello!

I'm Tickers (Will Hart) riding buddy!!! lol

Cheers for the advice, it's all being taken onboard and added to my (limited) racing experiance (a few charity rides, brassmonkies rd 3, gorrick rd5 and some stuff a few years ago). Don't worry about Tikka carrying too many tools/spares, i'm sure i'll just get loaded up like a pack mule again........................................

Cheers for the help.

Personnaly, i can understand where Ticker's coming from about leaving anything un-attended at events after reading this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_ ... 284859.stm

will be keeping a close i on everything i take with, locking it in the car, or carrying it on the race............................

willhart

i'm sure i'll just get loaded up like a pack mule again........................................

The Cheek of it, he puts my car keys in his camelbak whilst were riding after I have given him a lift to the Forest! Maybe that extra weight is whats causing all those punctures mate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

panterpop

The course track will go up on the website later this week, at the moment it's bang on 8 miles.

njee20

Nick, you doing solo 6hrs again this year?

Nah, had enough of all that! Back to a 2 hour blat for me, far more sensible! I'm gonna come out to play with the Trolls on Tuesday, so may well see you there?

JasonRwmb

So that means Lou won't get to overtake you this year?

I will keep an eye out for you tomorrow, I am stuck at home until 19:30ish and will head over to PP after that. Hopefully I can catch the back of the group up ok.

njee20

Hopefully she won't! No offence to her! I have a score to settle with that race! If it's anything like last year's jaunt round the circuit there'll be about a mile train of riders!

njee20

Well we rode a lap of the course last night and it's spot on! Really good fun, very loose already, and looking at the forecast that's not going to change, so bring some grip! There's one little rolling drop, with a chicken run, and a loose descent along a fence but nothing that's going to catch you out!

Just enjoy yourself and the nice weather!

payneib

see you on sunday!

(please could you fit some kind of dust suppresion device on your back wheel? those of us a bit slower than the rest would really appreciate that!!)

njee20

What about the quick folk, they catch more people and spend longer behind them :-)

Definitely bring glasses though, it was a problem on Tuesday!

willhart

I am really looking forward to the race now, been training quite hard and did a really good 2.5 hr final ride yesterday with about 2000ft of climbing and still felt prety good at the end!

Just looked on MET Office forecast for Sunday, Guilford = Light Rain, Reading = Heavy Rain all day! (I think the race is somewhere in between the two places)

If it does rain all day how bad do you think it will get? I am running on Mountain Kings at the moment, not sure they will cope if it does rain!

Is the rolling drop a propper air-bourne drop off or just a sudden steep slope to roll down, like the bomb hole on the vid of the 2008 race?

Are there stalls/vans selling tyres and spares etc on the day in case my tires are not right for the conditions?

Cheers,


Will.

JasonRwmb

I am sure it will stay dry 8) The way the course is a bit of rain would be good as it is very dusty.

Even if it rains loads the ground there doesn't get very muddy or sticky (imagine wet porridge!) so most tyres will work ok. The worst bit will be lots of wet roots. The soil is fairly sandy so it drains well, but has a habit of destroying brake pads in the wet.

The drop I think Nick is talking about is halfway along a section called Pants Way Round. From what I have heard the biggest drop there isn't being used, it is not hard to ride, but lots of people would push down it and could be an obstruction. I haven't seen the re-routed option, but can't see it being too difficult to ride. There is nothing on the course that forces you to get airbourne.

Not sure on the shop front, I can't remember there being a bike shop there last year.

JasonRwmb

Will, from your first post I see you are in the Navy. Have you entered the CSR category? If you have, then looking at last years results you would have a good chance of getting on the podium

Cj83

well good luck tomorrow people, i've bottled it a bit, only gonna do the 2 hour race i think as i haven't been able to get out as much as i'd hoped recently... anyways thanks for the tips everyone, especially njee very useful! Looking at last years times I guess my aim has gotta be to get 3 laps in, we'll soon find out if this is to be...

willhart

That was Fantastic. I had a blast. Went over my Handlebars 3 times being a bit overenthusiastic on some of the very loose technical stuff. But I managed 5 Laps and came a respectable 19th in the 4hr Males Race. My last lap was a bit slow giving me a total riding time of 5hrs!

Thanks to everybody who gave me advice. I will definately be doing it again soon, were eying up the 12:12 "Torq in ya sleep" next. Bring it on.

PS, I'm knackered!

njee20

Aye, it was a great event, congratulations to Jason for 2nd place in the mixed pairs!

Great course, good and loamy again, it must've been getting pretty bad after 6 hours. I managed 8th in the 2 hour mens, it was a good quality field, more so than I'd expected!

JasonRwmb

Thanks Nick, it was a surprising good battle in the mixed pair race. The gap between 1st and 4th was never more than about 10 minutes. At the final handover, Lou handed over to me at exactly the same time as the pair in 3rd place handed over, which meant a maximum effort final lap, with legs that were already fairly tired, so lots of cramp on the last couple of climbs.

The course didn't really get much worse as the race went on, by my last couple of laps there weren't that many riders on course, so it didn't change too much.

njee20

That's good! I thought the course felt quieter than in the past, particularly as it was very slightly shorter too, the traffic never seemed bad, I thought we may have issues starting behind the 4 and 6 hour races.