Uitkyk enduro 15/5/16

[Headshot]

Sunday was enduro day at Uitkyk estate. The day was beautiful and the trails awesome. The field was nearly 140 strong with a growing number of teen racers and a few more women.

 

Meurant has cut some very lekker XC type trails into the side of Simonsberg a but further West and higher than the Delheim and Muratie tracks. The initial climb was around 400m and 9.5 km long. This led to an hour long wait for a start at Stage 1. The trail traverses the upper reaches of Simonsberg before it gets really steep. The tracks are narrow and threaten to subside down the slope - put a wheel wrong and you'll be off and on a fall line ticket  to over the bars. The surface was dry but grippy bar those collapsing bits at the side. I let some air out of my front tyre for added grip.

 

Stage 1 was long and had some lovely bits in it - not too many speed robbing corners and a bit of variation ie dirt and rock gardens. Unfortunately the 30 second gap I left the guy ahead was too little and I caught him 2/3 down. This led to a follow my leader game that I lost when i crashed hard OTB right behind him. Never a good idea to follow a rider too closely as you can't see the trail; properly especially at speed. The guy seemed oblivious to my presence behind him although he must have known he'd been caught. I learned a lesson but I'm not sure he did.

 

I picked myself up and checked the bike which was 100%  - sadly I wasn't  - damn, those ribs again but minor compared to previous knocks. I got going again only to be stymied by the same guy just before the tag. He'd fallen off the trail and was slowly picking himself up....

 

Still a great stage - nice and long and fast in places with concentration required every step of the way. 

 

After another 200m climb it was time to try the freshly cut start section of stage 2. This started in a burned out forest and by the time I got to it had been churned up nicely - nothing like steep, rutted dark soil with rocks hiding in it. This is where my toothy front tyre came into its own. Every corner I hit it bit beautifully. This was my best stage - about mid pack. 

 

3 started at the bottom of 2 and was all hard pack jeep track and whats left of the bush tunnel. This was fun in parts - a fast section for 50 plus speeds and then the super baked and slithery bush tunnel. Here my tyre and technique deserted me and I lost much time with a big mistake. Not a great stage IMO but it takes all types to make an enduro.

 

Stage 4 was a combo of a Delheim enduro stage that went much longer. Mostly hard pack end ending with a fun swoopy section full of small doubles and the odd table top back in the direction of Uitkyk.  I missed the tag point and had to stop and run back to get a time. 

 

This comedy of errors saw my worst result in an enduro to date but somehow it hardly mattered. It was a beaut day with a fun bunch of peeps on some trails I had mostly never seen before. 

 

There was 27 km of riding with about 900m of elevation gain, so longish for a local enduro... 

 

[popcorn_skollie]

Am I allowed to comment if I wasn't there? Some of the pics shared on the whatsapp group made me wish I did

http://i.imgur.com/VOPh5HQ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/K6Q3XhP.jpg

[Lefty V]

 

The guy seemed oblivious to my presence behind him although he must have known he'd been caught. I learned a lesson but I'm not sure he did.

 

(Absolute ripper of a day and already looking fwd to the next one.)

 

I also misjudged my gap on SS1 and caught the rider in front of me about half-way down. I am new to riding organized endure events, but I would disagree with your take on who need to learn what: intuitively I feel that the guy behind (you and me in this case) made the mistake in dropping in too soon and should take the "penalty" of not having your absolute best time possible. It would be a d1ck move to expect the guy in front to mess up his run just to get out of the way since he had no control over the gap behind him anyway.

 

or do I have the etiquette wrong ?

 

 

 

I am new to riding organized endure events - so this is a genuine question to the guys who do this regularly:

[NicoBoshoff]

(Absolute ripper of a day and already looking fwd to the next one.)

 

I also misjudged my gap on SS1 and caught the rider in front of me about half-way down. I am new to riding organized endure events, but I would disagree with your take on who need to learn what: intuitively I feel that the guy behind (you and me in this case) made the mistake in dropping in too soon and should take the "penalty" of not having your absolute best time possible. It would be a d1ck move to expect the guy in front to mess up his run just to get out of the way since he had no control over the gap behind him anyway.

 

or do I have the etiquette wrong ?

 

 

 

I am new to riding organized endure events - so this is a genuine question to the guys who do this regularly:

There's no way of knowing how much time is enough, so the guy in front must pasop.

[nox1111]

I tell the guy behind me to give me 30 seconds to a minute, just in case I fall (Stage 4), or drop chain (Stage 1), then I don't have to worry about the guy behind me, and he doesn't have to worry about me.  Especially good to do when flippen fast guys are right on your 6.

Stage 1 had Nils behind me - and he would have taken me out when I dropped chain and his gap wasn't plenty, and on SS4 Jaco would have been mid dust cloud on a helluva tight berm if his gap was too small - luckily they gave me reasonable gap and all was well.

So I believe it is your responsibility to tell the guy behind you how much of a gap you need - based on your own skills, and similarly give the guy in front of you a decent gap if he's not your mate or a pro.

[Headshot]

If you don't know the length of the stage or the capabilities of the rider ahead of you then its pretty difficult to gauge the gap. Added to this is the 1 hour wait we had already had up top with riders champing at the bit. 

 

The etiquette is that if you are caught you make a plan to let the other rider past. Its easy enough and hardly costs you any time at all. I lost a lot of time behind the rider and even more when I crashed. 

 

I am only a mid pack rider but top 3 in Masters so I probably lost a third spot and some goodies as a result :-)

 

Still tracks were fun as was the whole event. Just wish I didn't have these damn bruised ribs...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I tell the guy behind me to give me 30 seconds to a minute, just in case I fall (Stage 4), or drop chain (Stage 1), then I don't have to worry about the guy behind me, and he doesn't have to worry about me.  Especially good to do when flippen fast guys are right on your 6.

Stage 1 had Nils behind me - and he would have taken me out when I dropped chain and his gap wasn't plenty, and on SS4 Jaco would have been mid dust cloud on a helluva tight berm if his gap was too small - luckily they gave me reasonable gap and all was well.

So I believe it is your responsibility to tell the guy behind you how much of a gap you need - based on your own skills, and similarly give the guy in front of you a decent gap if he's not your mate or a pro.

What I did for the oke behind me on SS1 - Pulled over for him just after the left hand switchback before we went into the burnt out trees. My legs were dead from the climb (yes - I was still dead after the wait - mega unfit) but I made a plan. Same as when PhillipV was behind me on the first Dirtopia Enduro. Pulled off line just after a switchback cos I knew he was way faster than me.

 

On this year's Delvera Enduro I managed to catch someone that I gave about a 45 second gap on SS3, and passed him when he ejected stage right on some successive root steps. If not, I'd have found a place to pass later on. 

 

Point being - if the person behind you has given you a gap (generally between 20 & 30s) and catches you - he's way faster. Ideally, try to find a place to pull over for a second so that they can get by. You're not racing them for position if they've caught you on a section of trail... 

[nox1111]

I agree Myles, If someone has given you reasonable gap when you've asked them, and they catch you, then you try to get out of their way.

 

It will never be a failproof system, but every time I asked someone behind me for a decent gap, they've been kind enough to grant it to me.

 

It's a catch 22, if you wait 5 seconds and drop in, and then catch up and can't pass the guy because he can't spot a safe space to get off the trail, or if you try to pass and crash or something to that effect- that's your fault in my opinion, and your frustration, because you did not have patience. 

If you did give decent gap and you catch up, I can totally understand the frustration and the annoyance, especially if the trail is narrow and techy and you can't get past.

 

My system has been working well for me so far, so I'll keep asking, and hopefully I'm never in your way on the trails.  If I am though, I will get out the way as soon as possible in the first spot fairly safe to do so.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Yeah. For SS1 I was behind Tim. I know he's faster than me, so I just gave him about 5s and then dropped in myself. Not sure how long the guy behind me waited, but I sure was slow on the day. 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Wait - Nox - large black Giant Trance Advanced, right?

[Hairy]

FYI, the winning lady rider is a hubber ... a hubber that does not post much, but an active viewer .... not to mention a very good rider.

[nigelhicks]

I feel that the guy behind (you and me in this case) made the mistake in dropping in too soon

 

should take the "penalty" of not having your absolute best time possible.

 

 It would be a d1ck move to expect the guy in front to mess up his run just to get out of the way since he had no control over the gap behind him anyway.

 

or do I have the etiquette wrong ?

 

Hey LeftyV glad you enjoying your foray into Enduro ... they are a great way to meet new people out on the bike, and have a blast doing it.

 

Here is the take from an organisers perspective on Enduro Etiquette

 

1. Be respectful - everyone is here to race and have fun so if you need to pass - call and pass safely.

2. If you are behind and catch a rider -  the onus is on YOU to pass safely.

3. If you get caught - the onus is on you to move aside as soon as possible to ensure a safe pass.

 

Think of it this way - as its not like XC where you can challenge for position again on the next hill, the rider in front should move over if they hear a faster rider approaching - by this i mean move aside and brake check - not stop all together.

 

This facilitates a safe pass.

 

What you need to remember is that - as this is all essentially downhill trail riding - the rider behind you has started, lets say 30sec behind you in a 3min stage ... that is (excuse my maths - but i think this is right) 16.7% of your race run that he has left as a gap. ... So if he catches you 2/3 of the way down the track he has made up 30 seconds on you and will likely make up more if a safe pass is allowed. - so therefore he is on average 20% faster than you which equates to a large time gain over 3 or 4 stages.

 

Fair enough if the guy has had a mechanical etc then its his fault - but again - as its is essentially a downhill orientated trail - anyone who catches you IS and WILL BE faster than you in the overall.

 

So unlike XC and marathon - it is easier and SAFER to shout and say "come past right" and you pull left and brake check

[Lefty V]

Hey LeftyV glad you enjoying your foray into Enduro ... they are a great way to meet new people out on the bike, and have a blast doing it.

 

Here is the take from an organisers perspective on Enduro Etiquette

 

1. Be respectful - everyone is here to race and have fun so if you need to pass - call and pass safely.

2. If you are behind and catch a rider -  the onus is on YOU to pass safely.

3. If you get caught - the onus is on you to move aside as soon as possible to ensure a safe pass.

 

Think of it this way - as its not like XC where you can challenge for position again on the next hill, the rider in front should move over if they hear a faster rider approaching - by this i mean move aside and brake check - not stop all together.

 

This facilitates a safe pass.

 

What you need to remember is that - as this is all essentially downhill trail riding - the rider behind you has started, lets say 30sec behind you in a 3min stage ... that is (excuse my maths - but i think this is right) 16.7% of your race run that he has left as a gap. ... So if he catches you 2/3 of the way down the track he has made up 30 seconds on you and will likely make up more if a safe pass is allowed. - so therefore he is on average 20% faster than you which equates to a large time gain over 3 or 4 stages.

 

Fair enough if the guy has had a mechanical etc then its his fault - but again - as its is essentially a downhill orientated trail - anyone who catches you IS and WILL BE faster than you in the overall.

 

So unlike XC and marathon - it is easier and SAFER to shout and say "come past right" and you pull left and brake check

Thanks guys.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Thanks guys.

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