Gravity Enduros

scottfitz

A couple of quick question :

1.Who is keen to doing gravity enduros next year?

2.Do you guy like the option to practice the trails on Saturday before the Sunday race as per Hopton or ride the stages blind on the race day like Enduro1?

3.Also Did you guys like the idea of riding each stage twice Like at Hopton?

4.Price? Enduro1 £35, Hopton £35, UK steve parr ones £60(For two days) What do we all think Fair, To much, not enough?

5.Long XC transitions(with fun bits) to stages or straight to the top of the stage the most direct/Shortest way?

ricardo_smooth

1. me
2. chance to pracice
3. no
4.fair prices
5. shortest/least steep way

njee20

1. I'd like to try one, but I'm put off by the full face rule and my concern that they're basically just becoming DH races with some pedalling bits rather than a halfway house between XC and DH

2. practice

3. twice over with best time taken? Or twice and both times counting? Former yes; latter, no.

4. about right, for £60 it's got to be a bloody good event

5. if they're including interesting bits why not have them in the race? Direct is fine.

benpinnick

1. Me
2. Blind
3. No, but not so much it would effect my choice
4. Less is best!
5. moderate XC sections. I'm not looking to race 5 mini DHs.

scottfitz

1. I'd like to try one, but I'm put off by the full face rule and my concern that they're basically just becoming DH races with some pedalling bits rather than a halfway house between XC and DH

2. practice

3. twice over with best time taken? Or twice and both times counting? Former yes; latter, no.

4. about right, for £60 it's got to be a bloody good event

5. if they're including interesting bits why not have them in the race? Direct is fine.

1. I won't be doing any that you have to have a fullface for.

3. Hopton was 2 trails ridden twice and both run count, which i was unsure about but it work well on the day and really enjoyed the format.

5. Because there not near the stages but put in the keep the transitions interesting

benpinnick

Its interesting the blind vs. practice debate. I like the blind way as it levels the playing field... but, it does give the home side a massive advantage.

scottfitz

There’s also The safety aspect, if its a Very hard/Tec stage! It might be good to have a look first. And as you say not such a big advantage for locals. I suppose it depends on if its new bit of trail for the enduro and how hard it is.

Northwind

1.Who is keen to doing gravity enduros next year?

Absolutely, already signed up in fact! Second best racing there is.

2.Do you guy like the option to practice the trails on Saturday before the Sunday race as per Hopton or ride the stages blind on the race day like Enduro1?

I like both, but all the ones I've done have had practice opportunities, so doing some stages blind though great fun was a big disadvantage. Realistically some people will always know where the stages are, and that creates a pretty unfair situation.

3.Also Did you guys like the idea of riding each stage twice Like at Hopton?

Yes and no... The day/night enduro at inners did this but by the end some of the stages were farked. Which was good fun but it took the trails a long time to recover. I'd sooner do a different stage.

4.Price? Enduro1 £35, Hopton £35, UK steve parr ones £60(For two days) What do we all think Fair, To much, not enough?

Innerleithen ones are around the £30 mark, I'd happily pay more. Steve's ones have been too expensive IMO- you're paying for organisation and timing that often hasn't worked. But if it works next year then I'll be happy to pay it, I just objected to paying extra for something that wasn't really delivered.

5.Long XC transitions(with fun bits) to stages or straight to the top of the stage the most direct/Shortest way?[/quote]

Freedom of choice tbh. As long as you're not crossing live trails anyway.

Other thoughts... I understand why it's done but I still don't think seeding benefits the format, it adds a huge layer of complexity and it's where so many problems arise. Unseeded events work very well, I'm yet to see any argument for doing it any other way other than that it seems more professional.

And yeah, full faces. **** that. Let us choose- riders have already voted with their heads, overwhelmingly we wear open faces to race but we can choose full face if we want. But mandatory helmets at all times, ie, full face AND open face? Double **** that, that's absolute nonsense.

I've spoken directly to British Cycling about this and they say they'll likely follow the UCI lead. But the UCI's gravity coordinator Chris Ball just quit the UCI because they're making a bollocks of it. And funnily enough, when Chris races enduro, I've never seen him choose a fullface.

Meanwhile, BC have sat back and done nothing to support the sport so far, and their first intervention isn't to add to it, but to add restrictions which will inevitably put people off the sport. It is bollocks.


But anyway. It is fantastic, and it's also very open. And other than nichey events like endurance downhill racing, it's the format which seems to do most for the also-rans. And it's also-rans that pay for and run the sports after all! Most of us will never trouble a podium so what counts is having a great day, racing your mates, racing yourself, and riding your bike.

scottfitz

Unfortunately I won't be doing any in Scotland as I live in Portsmouth, I will be doing the Enduro one series and any in south to middle of England and Wales, as long as I don't have where a full face. I think that’s a big fail if the goes ahead. And I ride and race DH in my face all the time but there is no chance I will be riding uphill in it!!!

bennett_346

njee20 wrote:

1. I'd like to try one, but I'm put off by the full face rule and my concern that they're basically just becoming DH races with some pedalling bits rather than a halfway house between XC and DH

This,

njee20 wrote:

for £60 it's got to be a bloody good event

and this.

Hob Nob

Clue's in the title, they are always going to be a gravity orientated event.

In answer to the questions:

1. Yes. Enjoying it more than racing DH these days. Will try & do a range of events, also pick & choose DH races as i'm not going to race Nationals any more (as are most of my riding friends!)

2. Practice every time. Racing stages blind is silly, and dangerous.

3. Not fussed. Happy to use one as a Quali though.

4. Prices are about right IMO. Comparing to DH racing, the time on bike is in a different league.

5. Mix of both. Dyfi was fairly tedious as it was 95% fireroad & a big loop with a lot of climbing. Breaking it up would be more interesting.

rockmonkeysc

I would try it if it wasn't at a trail centre

Practice the day before is only really worth while if the conditions don't change

I wouldn't want to ride the same bits twice

Enduro's are over priced. They cost roughly the same as DH races but they usually include the cost of uplift

I don't see the point of long sections which aren't against the clock.

Full face helmets should be optional. & There should be hardtail categories

Dave_P1

1) Yep, will be entering some
2) Blind. Having practise the day before turns it into a long more expensive weekend, even more so if you have to stay over night and it also gives locals a bigger advantage.
3) Different stage each time
4) £35 seems a fair price
5) A fun transition stage

bluechair84

1.Who is keen to doing gravity enduros next year?
I did one round of the Fetish Gravity last year and I'm keen to do the whole series this year.

2.Do you guy like the option to practice the trails on Saturday before the Sunday race as per Hopton or ride the stages blind on the race day like Enduro1?
Definitly, how can you stop people from practising the day prior without closing the entire trail centre? Giving a practice day helps people who aren't local and it also makes it more worth while for those who live a long ways off - two days riding instead of one.

3.Also Did you guys like the idea of riding each stage twice Like at Hopton?
Haven't heard of this...

4.Price? Enduro1 £35, Hopton £35, UK steve parr ones £60(For two days) What do we all think Fair, To much, not enough?
For £60, the timing devices had better work! Fetish fudged up a lot of their timing last year. That money had best be spent on experienced marshalls that know what they're doing and not just netting more profit.

5.Long XC transitions(with fun bits) to stages or straight to the top of the stage the most direct/Shortest way?
Easiest transitions, harder descents please, with plenty of time between. Otherwise it's just an XC race where your final position doesn't count...

Is the Fetish enduro still on this year? Ricardo_Smooth said something about it not being one, or changing hands... or being absorbed by an intergalactic conglomorate of space weavils... I can't quite remember.

Northwind

Definately on, though I expect not sponsored by Fetish! There's confusion because Steve briefly announced he was pulling out but luckily for all he was convinced against it.

ricardo_smooth

Aaron, it was all announced to be shutting down. Then a rival started another series, so the fetish one is back on again!

bennett_346

bluechair84 wrote:

Easiest transitions, harder descents please, with plenty of time between. Otherwise it's just an XC race where your final position doesn't count...

May as well enter a DH event then.

bluechair84

ricardo_smooth wrote:

Aaron, it was all announced to be shutting down. Then a rival started another series, so the fetish one is back on again!

Which one is atgni doing do you think? Be good to see some of the guys again.

bluechair84

bennett_346 wrote:

bluechair84 wrote:

Easiest transitions, harder descents please, with plenty of time between. Otherwise it's just an XC race where your final position doesn't count...

May as well enter a DH event then.

Yeah, that's the point for me. At a dh event you have one timed run which can be... 4mins max? The gravity enduros give you that x as many lines as are available. I used to do the old schwinn 100 / merida marathon many years ago and that is your enduro aimed at xcers and trail riders, but not what people who enter gravity enduros are after I think.

ricardo_smooth

bluechair84 wrote:

ricardo_smooth wrote:

Aaron, it was all announced to be shutting down. Then a rival started another series, so the fetish one is back on again!

Which one is atgni doing do you think? Be good to see some of the guys again.

Most likely the fetish ones....unless the timing is still gash!

lawman

1. Definitely!!! Was going to do the last few rounds this year, but through various reasons didn't.

2. Practice certain sections but leave a few blind, like the mega-avalanche. Mixes it up a little.

3. one shot any day of the week.

4. Doesn't seem to bad for two days riding, but I wouldn't complain if they got cheaper!

5. A mixture of long and short, but shorter, easier transitions between stages means more energy for the timed sections

cooldad

Could it have been northwind who prefers the term Gravenduro?

bennett_346

Isn't it Gravduro?

Northwind

Bookable offence that.

scottfitz

Next set of questions: There is a lot of talk about the national/Two day/Expensive event. So...

1. would people also like local regional race?

2.would people also like local regional race series and if so how may rounds?

3. should a local race be easier than a national series?

4. FF helmets needed or not at harder national races?

5. FF helmets needed or not at easier local races?

6. how does £30 sound for a GE Race/Seires per round?


BTW thanks for all the input guys

benpinnick

1. Yes, regional is good. Ive long since had to give up my travelling round the country every weekend to race. Local is good!

2. Yes, 4 rounds, 3 count. Positions determined as the lowest three offsets from winner.

3. Yes, it should be shorter so fitness is less of an obstacle.

4. That depends on terrain.

5. No, OF should be ok.

6. GE? Whatever that means, £30 is ok.

scottfitz

Sorry GE=Gravity Enduro
Like DH for DownHill Etc..

benpinnick

scottfitz wrote:

Sorry GE=Gravity Enduro
Like DH for DownHill Etc..

Doh. Obvious now!

bluechair84

benpinnick wrote:

scottfitz wrote:

Sorry GE=Gravity Enduro
Like DH for DownHill Etc..

Doh. Obvious now!

Trademark it quick!

scottfitz

I seen it used on STW and Facebook so Not my trademark

Hob Nob

lawman wrote:

2. Practice certain sections but leave a few blind, like the mega-avalanche. Mixes it up a little.

Nothing is blind on the Mega?

scottfitz wrote:

Next set of questions: There is a lot of talk about the national/Two day/Expensive event. So...

1. would people also like local regional race?

2.would people also like local regional race series and if so how may rounds?

3. should a local race be easier than a national series?

4. FF helmets needed or not at harder national races?

5. FF helmets needed or not at easier local races?

6. how does £30 sound for a GE Race/Seires per round?

BTW thanks for all the input guys

1. Regionals are good.

2. 4 or 5 rounds.

3. In general yes, to encourage people into the discepline.

4. Not bothered.

5. If a lower standard of technicality, not needed (depends if BC want to be involved?)

6. Good price, prefer to pay more to see live results, rather than 3 days later.