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In terms of selling out...if there are 1500 places on the Saturday Enduro - say 100 already allocated?
so 1400 available. Only takes 234 people to click on and reserve 6 tickets for it to sell out
That’s not a lot of chances to buy a ticket
I suspect that quite a few are pre allocated to sponsors, top temas marshals etc,
Sky gave one to Dave Jenvey last year.
Only managed an entry to the marathon pretty gutted I was up early and everything...on the waiting list for the full enduro, so fingers crossed....
At least I can ride 40 miles in the Dales with my Dad - not so bad, but I really wanted to race the hardtail category....
Did Boltby for the first time last year and it is a good size, this came in to play when they had to close a stage due to an injured rider.
I believe there is possibly a family connection between the two event organisers (the organiser of boltby is the father of the organiser of AR). Don't hold me to that though!
I hadn’t done the arithmetic on numbers of entrants vs multiple purchases before but that makes sense and for me, confirms what I’ve thought since they started allowing multiple purchases. Multiple purchases are not a good thing for the event so far as reach is concerned.
The thing is without multiple entries if you have to risk buying a ticket and your mates not getting one, then would you go on your own? I wouldn't, infact I'd be decidedly less inclined to consider it if there was a high probability that my mates wouldn't get it.
Im not going to just ride the Ardrock Enduro sport, I'm going for a ride with my mates at Ardrock.
Making the Full Enduro one entry and pushing the race aspect would be one thing but I think a scramble for single tickets for the rest of the non-race events would be off putting for many who view it as a weekend to ride with friends. Perhaps limiting it to 4 tickets rather than 6 per order might be enough to widen the reach.
I think you would also suddenly find a big market for people buying single tickets and making a mark up selling them to people who are going to have go on their own if they can't get a ticket for a friend
since they started allowing multiple purchases.
I'm pretty sure they've allowed them since year one mainly as I've managed to buy multiple tickets every time,* heck the first time i even managed it about 3 months after tickets went on sale though that said it hadn't been lauded by the meeja yet.
*this has involved much spamming of f5 by a number of us in recent years
Yes, one happy hippy, I'd gladly ride myself. I've did every one bar last year, entered but had to bail out, always entered singly, mates have done the same, always find someone to have a blether to!.
For me, it's not about a ride with your mates, the big enduro is about racing, flat out on fast as **** terrain, on trails I can't ride for the rest of the year. I can take or leave the social side of it, the beer etc, the I'd rather stay home and race both days, but 4 hours drive is a bit much.
Ive lost count of the amount of folk that either try to sell their entry, ride half arsed cos they didn't really want to, but mate entered them, or started and shat it after 2 stages cos they're out of their league.
I'd love to see them having some kind of qualifying standard, dunno how it'd work tbh, like megavalanche? Who knows, but the amount of mincers in the enduro is madness. Similarly, intro n sport full of good riders that never entered quick enough.
It's a race, at the end of the day.
I have a certain amount of sympathy for the view that "It's a race" and that "the amout of mincers in the Enduro is madness".
However, if it was purely marketed as a race, not as a "festival" and there was a qulifying level to make sure that only those interested in racing could take part then I'd lay money on it not being anywhere near as succesful and therefor risking not happening.
The issues with the last couple of years UK Enduro series races would seem to support that view.
When I read that Ard Rock 2019 was potentially going ot be part of the national series I was a little surprised that they thought that the current format (everyone has a chance at a ticket no minimum standard of riding or fitness required so you risk getting people like me entering) was compatible with a round of a national race series.
It was one of the reasons I went for the Sunday evet not the Saturday one.
The rider briefing in 2017 also stressed that the idea was to enjoy yourself an not over estimate your ability. Is that what is usally said at race briefings? I'm surprised if so.
Si
I agree that the full Enduro is and should be considered a proper Enduro race, but in Ardrocks own words the sport event is for people who just want to complete the challenge.
That was me last year at the sport, went with a good group of friends (who are quicker up and far far faster down than me), made it around the 7 stages somehow and not the slowest on the day but I wouldn't have made it around without the support of my mates as my fitness quite simply wasn't there. However I had a brilliant time, felt I achieved something I wouldn't have on my own and set myself a goal of doing it faster and fitter in 2019.
Riding for me is as much as a social thing as anything.
Racing is racing, there's loads of Enduro racers though the year but Ardrock is a bike festival as much rather than just another Enduro race.
Ard rock’s been a strange one for me having tickets and missing out three times two with injury one after spodging my bike the previous weekend ! So very happy to receive group text to say lads I got 5 for Saturday , best get fitter now
agree with nobeer above. to many people enter the enduro who should be doing the sport. maybe some kind of race experience should be the qualifier for the enduro possibly using roots and rain history, although that could complicate things to much.
i got in for the enduro again for the 3rd year but will possibly be riding on my own as my mate missed out unless he can do like last year and get a sponsors entry through the shop he rides for. not that i mind riding on my own, did it in the sport the first time i entered, its not like theres no one to talk to as your riding round.
Riding for me is as much as a social thing as anything.
And that's great, on the other 364 days of the year, I'd agree. That's right, you can ride with your mates any other day, this day is a race, and that's why I disagree with the mass entry.
And that’s great, on the other 364 days of the year, I’d agree. T<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">hat’s right, you can ride with your mates any other day</span>
Not on those trails you can't. And not with the same atmosphere etc. (Which is why I went for the Sport event, but still.)
From what I've read, you can go racing with a far better chance of getting a ticket at pretty much any other UK race - you'd know better than me, so would you agree or is that just not the case?
And I still don't reckon they'd make the same money if they stopped non racers doing the Saturday Enduro.
Is the Enduro going to be a qualifier for any other series, or part of a national or regional series? If so, then there needs to be some form of control to make it easier to enter for those taking part in the series and also make it less likely they'll be held up by your average Joe (me) out for a memorable ride at a great event.
If none of the above is the case, then people need to accept that it's an event and marketed to the masses. You can race the other 364 days of the year.... 😉
Si
We got into the sport, but tried desperately to get into the full Enduro. The Sunday event is frustrating particularly with people well out of their depth. But also Ard Rock themselves don’t really have an interest in it, basically just breaking down the complex etc. I do wonder if some people enter the Saturday event because they want to get home Sunday at a reasonable time..for us driving back to Gloucestershire it’s a long, long day!
Regardless happy to get in to at least the event.
Not on those trails you can’t
Which is kinda a big part of my point!
From what I’ve read, you can go racing with a far better chance of getting a ticket at pretty much any other UK race – you’d know better than me, so would you agree or is that just not the case?
I do, and have done, but AR is pretty unique, as it's not a slopfest like 90% of UK Enduros.
And I still don’t reckon they’d make the same money if they stopped non racers doing the Saturday Enduro.
Canny see it mate, the amount of people who don't get an entry is amazing, it must be the most over subscribed race in the UK, MTB wise. Same folk moan about it every year, the price, the camping, the entry system, but it's growing year on year. I reckon they could quite easily do it twice a year, and still sell out comfortably. Indeed, it's the reason they've now done Ard Moors, and the popularity of both has helped the Boltby Bash too.
If none of the above is the case, then people need to accept that it’s an event and marketed to the masses. You can race the other 364 days of the year….
Accept? the fact I've rode it every year bar last year means I'd say I'm qualified to comment, no? It's an amazing race, I'm not moaning, only pointing out something that I think is a bit of a poor show.
make it less likely they’ll be held up by your average Joe (me) out for a memorable ride at a great event.
They have tried do that with 9 & 10 on the entry:
9. Expert rider: If you would like to be considered for the first wave please write your best result of 2018. This may separate you from your group. Do not write anything of you don't want to be seeded.
10. Ability level - Please rate your ability 1. Usually in the top 10% / 2. Faster than average / 3. Mid pack rider / 4. Steady away / 5. Hoping to make it round
There are always a number of people that have no spacial awareness or are completely oblivious to riders behind wanting to pass!
If the organisers wanted it to be exclusively an expert/elite race, they'd run it like one. And if it ever becomes part of an wider series, they'll probably have to. But at present it's a rock up and ride informal event attached to a fun, friendly festival, with a nod to the better riders in the seeding described above.
I’m with those that say the Enduro is a race, it shouldn’t be taken as a social with your mates, if you are not wanting to race, or can’t ride the course do one of the other ones . I spoke with one of the organisers a few years back and the idea of a Friday mega style qualifier was being banded about, but I think the logistics with then having an extra practice day, use of the land, marshal etc were just too complex. Passing or not was much better last year maybe they have got abilities grouped better or rider ability as improved or maybe I’m just slower these days. It’s a great event and they must be doing something right if it sells out quicker than Glastonbury.
Seedings! christ, I'd forgot about that, I collected my number and stuff in 2016, to find out I was in the very first group, with all the elite guys, god knows how that happened*
*I declined, obviously!
The thing is 'Ard Rock is about more than just the racing now, we're all on the Sunday enduro and will be 'competing' with some fairly epic hangovers but still have an awesome day out.
I booked tickets for 5 but that'll be 5 families on a full long weekend away, spending loads of cash, eating and drinking local. Saturday, yeah that'd be grand with one entry, but hands off my Sunday social 😉
It’s horses for courses really. I would prefer the Saturday cos the drive back down south on yer own is nigh on impossible after a sunday ride
however I had a sport entry last year n didn’t go so unless my riding time drastically goes up then there’s no point in me paying for something I won’t use
I’m with those that say the Enduro is a race, it shouldn’t be taken as a social with your mates, if you are not wanting to race, or can’t ride the course do one of the other ones
Who says racing can't also be social with your mates. Chasing wheels on the stages, bantz on the transitions. So yes it's good to be able to ensure you all get a place together or not at all if that's your choice. That is different to the point about those who are out of their depth and I agree they would be much better suited to something other than the main enduro event.
Seedings! christ, I’d forgot about that, I collected my number and stuff in 2016, to find out I was in the very first group, with all the elite guys, god knows how that happened
One of the guys who set off with us about and hour or so after the elites is a absolute machine on the climbs, and pretty decent on the downs, by stage 5 he had caught up the elites and ended up riding the last few stages in that group.
by stage 5 he had caught up the elites and ended up riding the last few stages in that group.
Great effort, but tbh lots of elites will use the AR as a social too, and not push hard on the climbs, instead just enjoying the riding.
tbh lots of elites will use the AR as a social too,
Shouldn't be allowed it's a race after all, if Danny Hart just wanted to have a social he should have been on Sunday not getting in the way of serious racers on Saturday.
Edit: For my penneth worth the problem with Saturday race Sunday social is it should be the other way round. At the moment a lot ofb people want to do the Saturday so they can be social* Saturday night, i don't think it's much to do with wanting to "race". It's not much of a comparison given the numbers of entrants but the Sunday race felt more serious back at the outset, it seemed much nod mixed the first year they moved it Sunday ((but i think numbers doubled too)
Shouldn’t be allowed it’s a race after all
Haha, touche! It's only the timed stages that are a race tbf. I'm sure this attitude is influenced by the fact it's not part of a series like EWS etc.
Aye, I reckon folk want to get it done on a saturday to get on the beer. I always prefer saturday events myself tbh, just to get the sunday recovery, instead of having my head in the trough all day at work on a monday!
At the moment a lot ofb people want to do the Saturday so they can be social* Saturday night, i don’t think it’s much to do with wanting to “race”.
This
Having read a few posts above I'm a little worried now.
Has the race got harder since 2015? I did the main enduro then, as that's all there was back then and finished in the top half, just. Now I'm thinking I might be a little out of my depth!
Haha, touche!
It is a sort of half serious comment, the thing being if you're not up there racing with peaty DH and TMo you're not really racing any more (or less) than the three guys at the back doing their damndest not to fall off and die and get round in under an hour. In fact if those three are racing each other and you're there on your own "racing" 1500 people you've never met I'd argue (if i was in a contrary mood) they're racing more than you are, you're just out for a ride with an expensive alternative to Strava.
Has the race got harder since 2015
Na, they've changed a couple of stages, and added in a new one, which is bloody brilliant btw, you'll be fine Sam, it's still not really very technical.
Flat out fun!.
Peaty? last decade called, it wants it's racer back! 🙂
Nobeerinthefridge
Na, they’ve changed a couple of stages, and added in a new one, which is bloody brilliant btw, you’ll be fine Sam, it’s still not really very technical.
Flat out fun!.
Cheers Greg, that makes me feel better 🙂
It is a sort of half serious comment, the thing being if you’re not up there racing with peaty DH and TMo you’re not really racing any more (or less) than the three guys at the back doing their damndest not to fall off and die and get round in under an hour. In fact if those three are racing each other and you’re there on your own “racing” 1500 people you’ve never met I’d argue (if i was in a contrary mood) they’re racing more than you are, you’re just out for a ride with an expensive alternative to Strava.
Is it the mtb equivalent of a club runner getting upset at the London Marathon with all the blokes dressed as a giant squirrel getting in the way? You're hoping for a decent time, but the sheer weight of numbers is always going to compromise that.
1500 is a massive event, you couldn't turn it into a serious enduro race without shedding an awful lot of those.
Has the race got harder since 2015?
A few additional stages but not really any harder.
Peaty? last decade called, it wants it’s racer back
I guess he still beat you this year though...
^^^the club runner marathon comparison is a good one i think.
I might be tempted to compare it to racers in a sportive, but mainly as I'm that way out this morning.
What about this marathon then - that's more of a social vibe innit? And tech-wise, how does it fare? Are we talking Hebden Bridge or Hope Valley levels?
What about this marathon then
Are we talking Hebden Bridge or Hope Valley levels?
Think hilly tow path.
If the marathon was all that was left to enter, I'd not bother. Instead, here's a thought - go and demo a bike from the event village, cost ye what, 50 quid? and you can ride 3 stages (IIRC!) all day.
Have a great time all that are going, wish I was!.
wish I was!.
Missed that - no ticket (by accident or design) or otherwise engaged?
go and demo a bike from the event village, cost ye what, 50 quid? and you can ride 3 stages (IIRC!) all day.
I'd go with something similar (and will be doing next year, i chose the marathonn over the enduro this time around as it's more my sort of thing, off the back of my disappointment with that I couldn't be bothered to drag my self out of my pit for tickets this year).
There's plenty of other riding up there which won't cost you a penny (hire bike will do obviously if you do that) much of which will be better than anything the marathon had to offer this year. I hope they fix it as, as a format i like mtb marathons, but i won't be entering ard rock's again until i hear they have done something better than this year's.
Missed that – no ticket (by accident or design) or otherwise engaged?
Otherwise engaged mate, unfortunately. The wife's folks take all their grandkids away that weekend now, mine included, and it's too much of an opportunity to go somewhere nice with my good lady. Be selfish of me to bugger off myself, This year we had an awesome weekend ticking off 3 munros, 2019 will be similar!.
Enjoy.
A warning to anyone entering the ‘40 country miles’ marathon. It’s actually 30-31 miles depending exactly where you start/finish your Garmin, Strava etc.
They got a lot of stick about this last year yet they’re still advertising it as the same length. It really was treated as an afterthought on the day, no mentions during the prize giving, there was even a roots and rain page set up for the results and that never even got updated!
Now it looks like they’re going to charge non racers to enter the site. You’d be better off paying the £10 or whatever they’re going to charge and follow the marathon arrows 10 mins after the main bunch set off and have them as a target to chase down.
If the marathon course hasn't changed, then it's pretty much all BWs. Quite a lot of shooting track, too. There is a bit of non-ROW or footpath, but it's stuff that gets ridden regularly by all and sundry anyhow. I'd be quite tempted if they got permission to open up a few sections which are normally hard to get to, like they do with the enduro stages.
ooft. £60 suddenly feels like it's been wasted ;-;
last year i assumed quite wrongly the marathon would be an XC loop with a few of the stages thrown in like, the boltby bash version does.
anyone seeing pictures of ard rock and riding a big suspension bikes doing the marathon will surely be dissapointed.
think i might do it on the friday to keep us busy and not drink all day. as we are doing sport on sunday
last year i assumed quite wrongly the marathon would be an XC loop with a few of the stages thrown in
I didn't expect any of the race stages personally given how busy they are with the other events, but thought there would be something "interesting" involved at least, certainly i did expect something more than 40k of access track with a few all-year-round-accessible bw sections thrown in.
The only bit of the whole course you couldn't ride when ever you like was where it joined the demo loop.
Even accepting that it was mostly gravel roads i can ride whenever i wish and it fell short of what i hoped it would be, i really couldn't believe they were about 15k and 500m short of the advertised ride.
Just seen the "festival tickets" for non riders.
Does this mean they are going to charge more than the fiver a night for my 3 year old!!!!
Is a gravel/CX bike actually the tool of choice for the Marathon so??
depending how rowdy you want it on a cx/gravel bike i'm sure you could do the majority of the route, i'd say a fast XC 100mm-120mm travel mtb bike would be the one
I wouldn't have thought so, although there is a lot of shooting track, there is still a fair bit of bumpy descending through Gunnerside Gill and over on Harkerside, if they use the same route (I think it includes stuff like the pipeline descent, which wouldn't be much fun on a gravel bike 🙂 ). Hardtail or short travel XC FS would be my choice.
I entered the marathon, because I couldn't get in the full endure, but now I'm really worried - is it really that shit???!!!
"Towpath with hills"???!!! "You can do it on a gravel bike????"
It sounds worse than the Hell of the Cotswolds and that's saying something.....
I'm minded not to trust too many comments on this forum, but if there's any truth in that I'll be chucking my entry and getting a festival entry instead.
I've got family round there and have ridden some of the bridleways around Swaledale I had a great time - how can it be so bad???
I entered the marathon, because I couldn’t get in the full endure, but now I’m really worried – is it really that shit???!!!
It's not. It's a pretty standard Swaledale XC ride with a couple of really nice descents, although I can understand that if you fancied having a pop at the enduro stages, and were expecting similar riding, you might be disappointed. I have my views on whether it is worth sixty quid, but then I'm relatively local and am not that interested in timing or having waymarking.
Was thinking of scooting around it at some point in November.
Holy smoke, as much as I like this event I think 2019 will be my last, camping tickets have now been released. This first year I took part it was £5 flat rate. Year after it was £5 per person per night. Just looked to book me and the missus on Fri to Mon and it's £48 + I need to buy her a ticket for the event village as she is a non rider. You could argue it's cheap for a festival but I'd argue it's expensive for camping with basic facilities when I've paid entry to the event already. People's thoughts, am I being tight?
Wow @jaylittle wasn’t expecting that likewise £5 per person riding seemed reasonable to pay per night, £32 for 2 nights for 2 max, so for 5 of use it’s going to be £96
Jesus £48 quid to camp!!!!! thought the above post was a wind up!
Yep, bit steep that. I only live over the hill and didn't mind paying a fiver for camping but might have to think again this year.
Very sneaky releasing camping tickets after people have forked out for their event ticket.
Ecky thump that's a lot of money to pitch up in a field 😮
Bet they enforce the no BBQs too again to try and get more custom from the food stalls. I know it was dry last year but be interesting to see how that works out this year...
Is the non-rider festival ticket a new thing? Didn't get one last year for my wife to basically wave me off then meet me for a pint when I finished. Staying in Reeth with our three year old so not interested in the evening activities. I can understand the need to raise funds to put on the event village, but it seems a bit mean spirited.
There'll be a lot of roadside camping up on the moors at that price.
Yep that'll cost your wife £16 to get into the event village, get her to wave you off from the roadside and save some money.
I wonder who owns the fields surrounding the site, opportunity for a local farmer to make a bit of coin on cheaper camping.
Reckon they will be checking wristbands at the event village entrance and It will be no bringing your own booze in 🙁
Specialized have got it right £15 camping for the weekend and free uplifts 🙂
https://www.traildays.co.uk
South Lakes Bike Fest will be slightly more but only £3 a pint
Holy moley that's taking the pee.
Really annoyed with that
Yeah that’s pretty flippin’ sly, £5 a night last year, no mention at ticket release then boom, £16 a night.
I don’t think I would have minded if it had been announced at ticket release. But money is tight enough as it is and it’s another few quid I know have to factor especially as the better half is coming so that £100 + diesel weekend away is now £150+ weekend away.
Yeah I know I ride a £Xk Carbon bike but it doesn’t mean I’m made of flippin’ money.
Reckon it’ll be a turn up sat, ride Sunday, off Sunday night job, reckon a lot of folk will feel a bit put out and do the same. Probably more than a few quid from folk will have to go on camping and not on vendors at the ‘festival’ bit.
This is cheeky as hell. Especially releasing after I had entered the event. I have dropped them an email to understand why. Maybe the have trebles the amount of toilets and showers?
Time to get on Airbnb with 4 of us we could rent somewhere for similar and not have to put up with awful showered and hammered gob shites
I have messaged asking for a refund no way am I paying this. Is it just me or have they just decided to add these charges? I didn’t seem to recall seeing any of this mentioned when I entered?
So the face value of the sport ticket I bought is £61, with booking fee it was £64.05. In reality with camping it’s actually £112.04 for the weekend.
Now if I want to bring the better half it’s £128.04...
£64.05 ticket, £64 for camping and a festival ticket for the other half. So basically the base cost of the weekend has doubled.
While it’s not an excessive up lift for us on camping from £5pppn to £8pppn, when combined with the £16 entry to the ‘festival bit’ it all starts to add up and I think I’m more annoyed that they didn’t mention the increase in costs at the original time of booking.
If they had suddenly realised that they were going to have to charge more to cover costs, or the farmer had decided to charge more for the use of the fields; fine. But you would have expected some kinda social media comment or email saying ‘so guys going to have to charge X because Y has happened’.
At the moment it feels a bit like ‘well they’ve all paid for tickets so they just end up having to pay this and if they don’t come next year so what, there are plenty of other suckers who will (muhahahahahaha)’
Response from ard rock
been on the website since before tickets went live. We get what you're saying about fees for camping and festival entry, but please understand that we can't provide a race, a festival and 4 nights camping for you and your partner for race fees which are between £50-£60 (entry fee excluding VAT).
Sorry it's just not possible to do it safely or to the high standard that we set. Our headline band alone usually charges £20 a ticket for a two hour show.
In addition to this we have live music all weekend, kids coaching, demo bikes, a demo course, air bag, pump track, provision of food and drink. We're including all of this in your race ticket and a £15 ticket for your partner.
If you'd like to cancel your ticket please email gigantic customer services.
been on the website since before tickets went live.
I would like to know where on their site as it still had loads of 2018 information up on it and the events page where you click through to buy the tickets only changed a day or two before the tickets went live.
Well that's me not bothering anymore. Was going to get a resale ticket for this year but not when they hike the camping so high. Been great the last three years but I won't be going back.
It's making the Trancend Race up in Peebles seem like better value now 🙂
I'm sure all those who are in will have a great weekend though, just seems like a tough sell especially when you don't put the camping prices in the opening ticket purchase page - ie chance to buy camping it's going to be this much, discount for booking it all as a package etc.
So it’s £16 a night for 2 adults /3 children one tent,
As opposed £5 per person per night
We all normally take little tents pitched togeather are they going to enforce this one tent rule in which case it’ll be £32 each (fri-sun)
I can understand charging non riders, that seems fair
I had a response back basically saying it’s in our FAQ’s... what I want to know is why wasn’t this info available at time of booking. I get things change but the whole ‘drop this on them as they have no choice’ seems a bit like profiteering.
I also have a ticket for Ard Moors so might have my pants pulled down again later in the year....
That’s a lot of money to occupy a small piece of grazing land for 3 nights. There’s no infrastructure to cover for the rest of the year.
Last year the shower queues were over an hour, they also weren’t free so that’s the ‘cost of showers’ issue covered. They were also, stone cold.
Well I'm glad it wasn't just me thinking I was being tight. I really like the event and the feel but have feared for the last couple of years that something like this might happen. It still might offer value to some... a family of four would pay a very similar price to 1 lone rider/camper for their pitch and entry to the village but I think this could very well be my last Ard Rock which is a shame as we have about 5 regulars with partners a kids but the price is now just too much. I have no doubt that they will still fill all the racing slots but the whole event/vibe will definitely change. Met some great people there over the years.