nigelhicks

DaveD and I are currently planning the stages - We have already filmed 3 of them ... We are looking to have 5 stages - but may have to reduce to 4 dependant on whether the Timing guys can come to the party or not. We will be using Elite Timing - the same guys who did our entire provincial series. There is one BRAND NEW stage that has never been raced in Enduro at Giba before as well as a new section for stage 3 that will only be revealed closer to the time ... If all goes to plan - racing will end up with 755m Vertical Descent over 10km of race stage. if we need to drop a stage because of timing then it will be 600m Vertical over 7.7km of race stage. Hope you all come in and race

Right guys and girls, its almost time again for an insane Enduro Event .... ENTRIES ARE OPEN ON ROAG! http://www.roag.co.z...ity-enduro.aspx http://www.gibagorge.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Giba-Gravity-Enduro-Poster-2014-WEB.jpg

Id say this radness is applicable here - even if they are some lighties from New Zealand

Oh I didnt see it ... Cool ....

hahahaha Yeah I saw that the other day - looks good.

hahahahaha I think he does every time he swings his leg over his surf board or his bikes. hahahaha But they give a good representation of what Giba has to offer outside of the standard run-of-the-mill Blue route Green route and Purple route where the trails are groomed to perfection for you riding convenience ... hahaha

and some more

some other pics of Gibas lesser known / ridden trails

some pics of the enduro trail courtesy of Esmeralda Pingo and Craig Richards

Hey Gen ... I think you are thinking of a different trail ... the Enduro line that is mentioned in the Giba website is not part of any of the main trail network - it starts next to the DH and is only accessible by riding down the tar road at the top away from the park. You are most likely thinking of Gravity Dice with the tabletops ... that is part of the Blue route. Unless you get someone to show you where the start of the Enduro section is you will not find it as it has no trails leading up to it.

Yes it is very realistic! ... Myself and some of the other downhillers built it. There are 1 or 2 jumps but you can go around them! There are a good couple of steep sections where we have put in B-lines that are tight but not as steep. The main thing with the trail is the gradient .. Its properly steep - so you either need to drop your seat or have a dropper post. It can be done with your seat up - but its just uncomfortable the Video is of the track

Sister in law is also having trouble with her 2012 Spark 30 rear shock Keeps going flat - had it repaired (out of warranty) with new seals - a year later - same issue ... seals have gone ... Asked the LBS (where I used to work - and where we got the bike from - and who had it sorted out before) to sort it out - again not under warranty - another R1500 .... Come on Scott / DT Swiss - sort your shocks out Oh and the Front remote lockout keeps on sticking too ended up just removing the cable as I replaced it twice and serviced the compression adjust cap on the fork ... Still sticks! ... Oh and BB30 ... is CRAAAP!!!

vs EI system https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvC27zVn21g

No that is their telescopic data aquisition device http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10871455/p5pb10871455.jpg http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10871453/p5pb10871453.jpg http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10871456/p5pb10871456.jpg http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10871451/p5pb10871451.jpg The IE would be internal similar to what they have in the Zesty and Spicy ...

From Pink Bike Round two of the British Downhill Series is underway at Fort William, Scotland, and Lapierre rider Emmeline Ragot was spotted riding this highly camouflaged downhill bike. Despite the heavy handed wrapping, it's still easy to see that the bike is a departure from the 27.5" wheeled prototype we first saw Sam Blenkinsop riding at the New Zealand Championships. The latest version is still rolling on 27.5" wheels, but the shock positioning is much lower than on Lapierre's previous downhill race machine, a change that is achieved by using a split seat tube. The suspension configuration has been altered as well, and it doesn't appear that Lapierre has used their floating bottom bracket Pendbox suspension layout, choosing to go with a four bar lingage configuration instead, with the rear shock activated by the link between the rear seat stays and the seat tube. Lapierre's current downhill bike uses a carbon swingarm, and we wouldn't be surprised to see the entire frame of this new bike constructed from carbon fiber. Notice the wires coming off of the front fork and rear shock? This could be the first time we've seen Lapierre and RockShox'se:i electronic suspension system used on a downhill bike. The system uses an accelerometer and several sensors to measure the impacts the bike is undergoing, and then adjusts the front fork and rear shock's damping accordingly. Lapierre was using adata acquisition system at the Cairns World Cup, another possible option for what is hiding behind the grey tape.

http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb10931084/p4pb10931084.jpg http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb10931843/p4pb10931843.jpg

another view http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10931294/p5pb10931294.jpg

Something new on the horizon for Lapierre it seems http://p.vitalmtb.com/photos/users/2/photos/75922/s780_BDS_FortWilliam_1490.jpg?1399748995

The only issue with this that Mauna Kea is a single mountain that has formed on the abyssal plain so this mountains height can be taken from the abyssal plain. The distance from summit to the base of the abyssal plain at the -5500m isobath is only 85km. Mount Everest however cannot be measured to the abyssal plain as Everest is surrounded by other mountains in the mountain chain, as well has having 1500km between it and the Bay of Bengal ...

Aarons crash at Leogang vs Rachels off at Windham at 2:10

Also we need to think what is a steep section that the rider cant get back up from? If you think of all the tracks and their respective steep sections - there are very few where a rider would go out of the tape at the top and slide dowm next to the track - in most cases the base of a steep section will have a turn which is padded or netted to stop the rider from exiting the track Leogang for instance http://ep1.pinkbike.org/p5pb10115155/p5pb10115155.jpg This section shows catch netting where gwin crashed when his brake failed at worlds - it is a corner below the steep section. Same at Champery - almost ALL the steep section had catch netting - think of Gwins crash at worlds there too Then also here http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/ngKigVv3u1Q/maxresdefault.jpg This was the section where bryceland crashed and lost his bike down the hill - not because he actually crashed in the steep - but the bike catapulted down next to the end of the netting down the hill. All other incidences have been on sections of track that are not steep Rach - Windham http://nsmb.com/assets/2012/images/windham/rachel1.jpg?KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=430&width=700 CLearly missing a gate on a flat section .... You think of here in SA??? Cloud 9??? NO! ... you can easily run back 3m and get back in where you went out. Haibo - may be an issue but again you wont exit on the steep stuff - you may fall there - but will exit on teh flatter stuff below. No where else really! So IMO its a good rule to have barring the odd fluke crash that may occur on a track like Val Di Sole or Champery!

I think Cairns didnt have their gate placement down though as also in zones such as the spot where Greg went off this zone should have been demarcated as a "fall zone" and had a Spectator B Zone taped around it - this would have eliminated the need for the gate around which Greg slid. A spectator B zone is always put in for safety - but also allows the Track designer and UCI to open the race track gates up more to allow for issues when riders go off track. In Cairns i hardly saw any B-zones - even on the steep stuff - think of that guy who got hit by Marcus Peckoll and then look at the Whoops - if that were my track I'd have had full B-zones along thats whole section like i did at the tables. Also on the inside of corners - these should be B-zoned as if the rider cuts the corner there is a clear view for camera and the UCI officials (also no spectators leaning into the track to take pics)

Actually they do ... all effort is made to accommodate steep fall sections ... so often "gates" are left wide in the event of an off-piste excursion. In Val Di Sole - "gates are generally trees - so the width between gates is generally large - here in SA the rule of thumb is a gate every 5m - but in some instances we have had gates of 10m gap.

hahahahah just chirping you guys. Yeah Hairy has it spot on - its to remove any form of doubt. Previously there have been a number of incidents where the team managers of opposing teams have issues complaints when another rider has gone off track, rejoined (even with a time penalty) and then beaten their rider ... So the issue of a "fair" time penalty is up to scrutiny. as what is fair? 2 seconds on a 2 minute track is a big penalty - but 2 seconds on a long 4 minute track is not - so the rules and implimentation of the penaltys were very haphazard. This way the rules are clear - you return where you left the track ... IE - you must re enter between the "gates" where you went out (each pole or tree where the tape is ties is a gate) ... So if you dont do this - then you get disqualified ... the whole name of the game in DH is to be the fastest rider down a course designated by a taped off area ... if you leave the tape you are no longer on the course..... So this way (although maybe mean to riders who crash on a steep section and cant get back up) reduces any form of ambiguity ... and the UCI officals can make an immediate decision based upon video footage ... and there are no comebacks or arguments