TAAHIRWP Posted April 16, 2014 Posted April 16, 2014 Yes (just wanted to help with your possible depro shifts...)Correct. Thanks guys... Oh well, make the most of this weekend i guess.
Headshot Posted May 5, 2014 Author Posted May 5, 2014 According to WP DH - the venue for the event this Sunday 11 May is Helderberg Farm. Looking fwd to it!
NicoBoshoff Posted May 5, 2014 Posted May 5, 2014 Entered. See it's going to be wet on Thursday and Friday, so hopefully weekend stays dry and track holds. Last time I rode that mountain in the wet I ended myself riding on clay slicks.
LazyTrailRider Posted May 5, 2014 Posted May 5, 2014 hopefully weekend stays dry and track holds. Yeah, I'm definitely hoping the same... Entertaining clients here from Europe that night, so dodgy riding on the day is not an option.
Karate Monkey Posted May 5, 2014 Posted May 5, 2014 https://www.facebook.com/events/469684299808368/522466644530133/?notif_t=like
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted May 5, 2014 Posted May 5, 2014 Entered... now just hope I can secure a sitter!!!
Headshot Posted May 9, 2014 Author Posted May 9, 2014 lets hope everyone is in Hitler's boat: http://nsmb.com/hitler-enduro-races/
NicoBoshoff Posted May 9, 2014 Posted May 9, 2014 lets hope everyone is in Hitler's boat: http://nsmb.com/hitler-enduro-races/ I got the impression off Facebook that some pro riders were taken for a spin or two this week...
Matchstix Posted May 9, 2014 Posted May 9, 2014 Also thinking oof the clay mud, might have to put my 26" wheels back on. Going to be fun!
TAAHIRWP Posted May 9, 2014 Posted May 9, 2014 lets hope everyone is in Hitler's boat: http://nsmb.com/hitler-enduro-races/Well not really in his boat, but sort of a similar boat... Riding it blind is sort of wrecking my nerves just a wee bit..
Headshot Posted May 12, 2014 Author Posted May 12, 2014 WP Gravity Enduro 2 - race review: Its either be baked or frozen Today was the latter. I arrived at the charmingly rustic (read - flush not toilets and a petting zoo) Helderberg farm too early. This resulted in the first wait of 2 hours. Next time I will make sure I arrive late and will still be in time After a lateish boozy dinner out and a baby son who woke me at 3 am and 5 am all this waiting made me sleepy. To the rustic farms credit their plunger coffee was superb...The ride up turned into a push and became beyond steep as we hiked up to a bevvy of antennae on Helderberg. We topped out at close to 600 m and man was it was chilly there. Here cameth the second big wait. By the time we got going more than a few riders had the shivers and some had trouble pulling their brakes their fingers were so cold. Lovely spot though - views of the cost and TM in the distance. We also had a birds eye view of SS2 and saw a crash on the big table jump.SS1 was mostly freshly cut single track with a minor rock garden and many loose flat corners Huge fun and only moderately steep. The pro's despatched that in 4 mins or so. - I was around 5m23.My run went well bar missing the trail and losing some time after I fell off trying to get back on...The hike/pedal back up was painful but good to see other riders hitting bits of SS2 as we made our way up.This was a very different stage to the first - older, bedded in, bermed corners and lots of jumps.The start of no 2 was perfect No wait and I was off into some lovely rocky loamy single track replete with bermed corners, jumps of various sizes and even a mini road gap section. I fell off once on this upper section and then missed the trail and had to clamber my bike back on the route. Then I had a bit of a fight with a jump into a berm and bailed leaving me off and over the berm and into the bush. Not ideal for the rest of this section which had a nice lowish road gap jump you needed some speed for, but I still managed to land the right way up. Then it was into a berm and onto the MX section which is a wide flat area with all sorts of jumps - gaps and tables of all sizes. I wasn't fast but I rode most of the jumps I aimed at. All of the jumps on the track were well designed and in the main, casing the things wasn't dangerous. In this sense, enduro is tricky because you are supposed to be riding the track blind - no practice (more on this later)From here, the track shot down a plowed field - pick your own line, a tight corner and then some steep jeep track and a fast flat out section where I hit nearly 60 kph. The rest of SS2 was easy bar a long long rock garden I managed to mess up half way down. Then it was back to the start area and the rustic coffee shop.If you check the results you'll see the familiar names at the top of the leader board, including many who have ridden some of the race trails to death already in the last few months. That kind of messes with the whole enduro concept and probably why they do allow practice at many races overseas. If you know every jump and line you are going to be faster and far less likely to crash and be slow as we all know.If I look at peoples times on the fist stage which was pretty much unknown to most and the second stage, I was clearly far more on the pace in the first stage for that reason. The biggest negative for me was the extended wait to get up the hill and the second one once we were up. Riders need to be started as they arrive up top. Instead I think the first guys only went off when we were close to the top. That said it was a fun race on some proper steep trails. I want to go back and shuttle the place - its too steep for a fun ride up.
Matchstix Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 Push? What? Where? I still can't figure out why they call the place "steiltes".
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 Push? What? Where? I still can't figure out why they call the place "steiltes". LOL. For me it was pretty much a push up the entire hill. Maybe it was the Breakfast of Monster that broke me, maybe it was just cos I'm fat n unfit. Maybe a combination. But yeah. It was brutal. Next time, I'm coming more prepared.
TAAHIRWP Posted May 12, 2014 Posted May 12, 2014 If you check the results you'll see the familiar names at the top of the leader board, including many who have ridden some of the race trails to death already in the last few months. That kind of messes with the whole enduro concept and probably why they do allow practice at many races overseas. If you know every jump and line you are going to be faster and far less likely to crash and be slow as we all know.If I look at peoples times on the fist stage which was pretty much unknown to most and the second stage, I was clearly far more on the pace in the first stage for that reason. ***Noted
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