Western Cape Enduro 2023

[Graham S]

Ok awesome thanks for the responses, gives me more to think about! Much appreciated 😎🤘

[MORNE]

28 minutes ago, Graham S said:

Ok awesome thanks for the responses, gives me more to think about! Much appreciated 😎🤘

Jonkershoek last year was my first Enduro. It was my first time at Jonkershoek….Hell it was my first weekend on an enduro bike basically haha. It was a proper baptism of fire. I pretty much came dead last. 

Bit I still really enjoyed it. And learned alot. Enough to enter the Paarl ‘Funduro’. Which yes, was way more tame, but also way more accessible which made it fun too. I learned even more that day. If you dont have an issue paying for the timing, medics and marshals’ time, you can treat them all like prep for when you’ll have a go at jonkers later this year hopefully. 

Yes you can ride the trails any weekend, but it also depends alot on your competitive spirit and how you ride when you know you are timed.
The way I ride/approach things for instance changes when I’m wearing a timing chip, whether that be at a road event, a gravel race or a mtb one. I tend to go harder for longer and focus a bit better on the things that matter on the day. I really enjoy that challenge against myself personally.

Ps: Just make peace with the fact that there will be 12 year old kids who ride xco on other weekends with more skills than you- going faster too😅

some really talented people out there.

Edited February 8, 2023 by MORNE

[Graham S]

41 minutes ago, MORNE said:

Jonkershoek last year was my first Enduro. It was my first time at Jonkershoek….Hell it was my first weekend on an enduro bike basically haha. It was a proper baptism of fire. I pretty much came dead last. 

Bit I still really enjoyed it. And learned alot. Enough to enter the Paarl ‘Funduro’. Which yes, was way more tame, but also way more accessible which made it fun too. I learned even more that day. If you dont have an issue paying for the timing, medics and marshals’ time, you can treat them all like prep for when you’ll have a go at jonkers later this year hopefully. 

Yes you can ride the trails any weekend, but it also depends alot on your competitive spirit and how you ride when you know you are timed.
The way I ride/approach things for instance changes when I’m wearing a timing chip, whether that be at a road event, a gravel race or a mtb one. I tend to go harder for longer and focus a bit better on the things that matter on the day. I really enjoy that challenge against myself personally.

Ps: Just make peace with the fact that there will be 12 year old kids who ride xco on other weekends with more skills than you- going faster too😅

some really talented people out there.

Awesome thanks for that insight. 

I come from a motorcycle background (Track days, racing, short circuit etc) so racing and timing always gets me going and chasing those extra tenths of a second. 

Im very competitive so I know that once I decide to ride i will get consumed with timings and start comparing myself (Strava premium didnt do me any good as I like to check ow fast I went on a specific trail that day compared to my friends 😅).

I think I should just enter and take it from there.

It will be new trails to me and my first MTB event so will be quite exciting. The distance and climbing is all easily achievable with my current fitness, BUT, know its a race I feel like im going to gas myself out in the first 3 stages and then crawl for the last 3 🤭

With regards to the XCO kids, they already do a great job of making me look bad every Thursday at Bloemendal, so the weekend Enduro is a good chance to make that a double whammy of humiliation for the week. 

The shuttle days are also another story. THose kids fly through the air and over those tables like they have no bond to pay and work on Monday🤣

Edited February 8, 2023 by Graham S

[MORNE]

39 minutes ago, Graham S said:

Awesome thanks for that insight. 

I come from a motorcycle background (Track days, racing, short circuit etc) so racing and timing always gets me going and chasing those extra tenths of a second. 

Im very competitive so I know that once I decide to ride i will get consumed with timings and start comparing myself (Strava premium didnt do me any good as I like to check ow fast I went on a specific trail that day compared to my friends 😅).

I think I should just enter and take it from there.

It will be new trails to me and my first MTB event so will be quite exciting. The distance and climbing is all easily achievable with my current fitness, BUT, know its a race I feel like im going to gas myself out in the first 3 stages and then crawl for the last 3 🤭

With regards to the XCO kids, they already do a great job of making me look bad every Thursday at Bloemendal, so the weekend Enduro is a good chance to make that a double whammy of humiliation for the week. 

The shuttle days are also another story. THose kids fly through the air and over those tables like they have no bond to pay and work on Monday🤣

Awesome!, If you’re also just starting out and keen for some company in and around Tygerberg at some stage…drop me a pm. Im also this side. We can suck as a unit🤣

[Graham S]

6 minutes ago, MORNE said:

Awesome!, If you’re also just starting out and keen for some company in and around Tygerberg at some stage…drop me a pm. Im also this side. We can suck as a unit🤣

Awesome sounds like a plan! 

I'll know a little closer to the time of the Enduro if I am going to enter, but ill drop you a message  

 

[Jewbacca]

Olli Munnik recorded a top 10 time down Plumber at SA enduro champs a few years ago on an Alu Signal XC hardtail with bottom of the range 100mm fork and no dropper. 

I also know a Guy who raced Witfontein on a 24" kids bike.

I think there seems to be a certain misconception that Enduro = gnar. It doesn't.

Enduro is simply a format for racing which is helluva social but still allows you to give it beans. The untimed liaisons initiate and encourage chatting, camaraderie and friendship while the timed segments offer a dose of healthy competition and adrenaline, regardless of the trails.

The super fast guys can mix with the slower guys, have a laugh and interact, which is completely different to most other race formats where they have already gone home, showered and eaten a meal before most of us finish.

Not all CX courses are technical, not all DH courses are technical (for the pros), not all XCO tracks are technical. A series of races allows for different skillsets to have a chance, while the cream will rise to the top over the course of the series eventually. 

So there will be a Jonkers stop and likely one other trail network that the gnar guys feel matches their skillset, but if the series isn't supported, those will also disappear and there will be no Enduro, gnar or basic.

Enduro is supposed to test all elements of basic bike riding. Fitness, skills, risk management and roadside mechanics. All the while being able to enjoy chats, banter and friendly competition with mates and those around you, regardless of whether you are first or last in the results.

 

 

[Robbie Stewart]

So after watching the segment that W&M did on that line, I will admit I overreacted somewhat. Yes, it is not a techy trail centre. I've ridden it circa 2015 on a HT with a very entry level 80mm fork and it was very easy then. Seems that there was some work done since. 

After leaving my handbag at the door, I can readily admit that sometimes I let my passion get ahead of my sensibilities and this causes me to sometimes say stuff I should have left well enough alone.

So, getting all that of my chest, I am starting to think that I may just as well do the day. After all, it is also about the "gees" on the day and not JUST about the trails. And indeed, I do know how steep that particular farm is, and that is also a challenge between the stages to stay energised.

Ja, I'm not road fit, I push the scales too far into the red and I'll probably be pushing my bike alot on the day, but I think I'm in.

 

[Jako De Wet]

Where are you seeing the video for the lines?

I am also keen to join. Something about a event that just makes me excited, regardless of the level of the trails. That said, looking forward to the other events later in the year!

[Robbie Stewart]

@Jako De Wet

 

 

[PhilipV]

Don’t lose sight that it is at Rhebockskloof because of the Bike Fest that is going on there, that weekend. 

And the  Rhebockskloof venue is probably the best way to keep your family happy while you race bikes. IIRC there is a spa as well if you need to earn some brownie points. 
 

[Josh Baptie]

4 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

Olli Munnik recorded a top 10 time down Plumber at SA enduro champs a few years ago on an Alu Signal XC hardtail with bottom of the range 100mm fork and no dropper. 

I also know a Guy who raced Witfontein on a 24" kids bike.

I think there seems to be a certain misconception that Enduro = gnar. It doesn't.

Enduro is simply a format for racing which is helluva social but still allows you to give it beans. The untimed liaisons initiate and encourage chatting, camaraderie and friendship while the timed segments offer a dose of healthy competition and adrenaline, regardless of the trails.

The super fast guys can mix with the slower guys, have a laugh and interact, which is completely different to most other race formats where they have already gone home, showered and eaten a meal before most of us finish.

Not all CX courses are technical, not all DH courses are technical (for the pros), not all XCO tracks are technical. A series of races allows for different skillsets to have a chance, while the cream will rise to the top over the course of the series eventually. 

So there will be a Jonkers stop and likely one other trail network that the gnar guys feel matches their skillset, but if the series isn't supported, those will also disappear and there will be no Enduro, gnar or basic.

Enduro is supposed to test all elements of basic bike riding. Fitness, skills, risk management and roadside mechanics. All the while being able to enjoy chats, banter and friendly competition with mates and those around you, regardless of whether you are first or last in the results.

 

 

Besides all the riff raff in the past few days , this is the most genuine comment on the thread i can get behind regardless of my personal opinion on the chosen trail and dismisses alot of the noise previously made. As i said in the previous message, im sure this will still be a great event for those that want to go and yes im sure there will be other rounds that cater for the other preferences.

My gripe here was really all the underhanded snarky comments getting thrown around simply because some peeps opinion about the trail differed to that of the majority. The "enduro bro" sht is old and needs to get thrown out, it barely happens on trails and i see more junk about it on the hub than what exists in reality.

For everyone to be lekker we need to lekker with everyone first.

[ChrisF]

On 2/7/2023 at 8:38 PM, Christofison said:

If you've never done an enduro before, then 100% you should do the Rhebokskloof race. You'll learn a lot that you can take to the rest of the season.

POV footage always makes trails look more lame than they are, and W&M cruise at a chilled pace. What I'm trying to say is that you can still get the adrenaline pumping when you race blind and start finding the limit of grip through a corner. I did the Plett XC enduro at Sky Villa trails in December, and it was such a good time with like minded people, even though it was all blue trails that felt more like green.

I don't know what this @Robbie Stewart guy is talking about though...Witfontein is smooth sailing on an XC/Marathon bike 😂

 

 

W&M adds a lot of value with their videos.

 

BUT ... the camera does not do justice to the trails level of difficulty.

 

 

I did Jonkers after watching their videos.... ouch !!

 

 

 

Use their videos to "see" the trails.

 

Dont judge the difficulty based on the videos ....

[MORNE]

Stages:
 

1: Skydive

2: Pipeline

3: Pinecone

4: Super Bowl

5: Stifler’s Mom

lll try and get them drawn on a map in the next days.

edit: can someone please point out Pipeline on a map, the rest are all there to see on trailforks..ill still put them on a map.Assuming something got a name change or it’s new. Any locals? Maybe @Warren Melissa Go Riding?

thanks

Edited February 8, 2023 by MORNE

[Warren Melissa Go Riding]

8 hours ago, MORNE said:

Stages:
 

1: Skydive

2: Pipeline

3: Pinecone

4: Super Bowl

5: Stifler’s Mom

lll try and get them drawn on a map in the next days.

edit: can someone please point out Pipeline on a map, the rest are all there to see on trailforks..ill still put them on a map.Assuming something got a name change or it’s new. Any locals? Maybe @Warren Melissa Go Riding?

thanks

Hi Guys,

Pipeline is a combination of supanova and Owloon A on trailforks. Hope that helps. There is no trail section for it. but its a short 800m piece of trail.

Have a look at the map attached. those are the 5 stages.

Let me know if you have any other questions

W

Edited February 9, 2023 by Warren Melissa Go Riding

[Warren Melissa Go Riding]

This is a closer view...

[MORNE]

11 minutes ago, Warren Melissa Go Riding said:

This is a closer view...

thanks!