[Closed] Swinley Forest Enduro

Looks pretty good and only down the road. Cheers.

Yep, Mrs Uber and I are both thinking of entering this one - looks good!

You don't have to wear a full face and they are open to all levels of hopeless knobber? I may have a go 🙂

🙂

You don't have to wear a full face and they are open to all levels of hopeless knobber? I may have a go

Sounds perfect, me too.

I'm thinking of doing it too, but I suspect a single practice lap of the 24km loop will expire all my energy.

Argh! Clashes with my daughters christening. I'm am atheist - do you think the wife will forgive me if I use that as an excuse for not going to church?

Argh! Clashes with my daughters christening. I'm am atheist - do you think the wife will forgive me if I use that as an excuse for not going to church?

What are you going to do at the Christening? Mumble the vows or stand at the back?

I reckon an Enduro is much better use of your time 😈

daughters christening. I'm am atheist

Does not compute

As i'm just down the road it might be my first taste of enduro, I know a fair bit of the forest and can pedal so i'll be OK!

Anyone know the entry prices?

Not quite sure how "enduro" it's going to be. It's all XC terrain.

XC race on 6" carbon gnarpoons?

I have a mid-travel HT so will be hoping people will come over-biked 🙂

Unless entry is silly money, then I won't be going...

paulneenan76 - Member

Anyone know the entry prices?

Which is about average for enduro's in the UK

Not quite sure how "enduro" it's going to be. It's all XC terrain.

There's a bold claim on the website of 80% descent in 7 1min30 - 6 minute stages. I've not seen much in Swinley that convinces me that this is possible, but either way, it's localish and there's some good trails there so I'll be riding.

Not quite sure how "enduro" it's going to be. It's all XC terrain.

There's a bold claim on the website of 80% descent in 7 1min30 - 6 minute stages. I've not seen much in Swinley that convinces me that this is possible, but either way, it's localish and there's some good trails there so I'll be riding.

It's not all on the waymarked trails, there might even be some of the "old" trails included.

Knowing the Swinley Bike Hub guys it won't be very XC. Looking forward to racing locally, its great to see someone else organising races so I get to race 🙂

7 stages sounds cool too even if they are all sub 2 mins each. 10mins plus of stage times is good.

don't suppose that someone is going from London, with a spare space in their car/van/bus/camper/helicopter/hot air balloon? I've just moved to London and don't know anyone interested in this.

It's a 10 minute pedal from Martin's Heron train station, which is about 45 mins from Waterloo.

Thanks jim, but you didnt quite fix it. It'd be nice to meet some likeminded bikers aswell

[i]Not quite sure how "enduro" it's going to be. It's all XC terrain[/i]

I Bet there were some smart arses saying that about the qecp one too...

Can someone please explain an Enduro race??

How does it differ from XC?

If I'm slow downhill is there any point?

Can someone please explain an Enduro race??

How does it differ from XC?

If I'm slow downhill is there any point?

7x [s]downhill tracks [/s] [i]enduro stages[/i] and you have to ride between them. Only the stages are timed, so you can pootle between them (time limits permitting, looks like the only limit is to be finished by 1630) then the idea is to sprint through the stages in the lowest cumulative time.

1min30 would be a slow time down any of the big hills in Swinley (15, 25, deerstalker?), 6 min must be Stickler or Seagull?

Stickler long isn't very downhill

6:54 Team Magentodog!!

I like the look of this for a first event for Jnr and I.

By then I might be fit enough for a practice loop and a race in the same day. But if not are the courses usually obvious the day before if I wanted to check things out?

Surprised that this isn't mentioned on the Trail Team Swinley website, I do hope that some of the money is going back to fund trail maintenance, which is carried out mostly by volunteers............

Might give this a go as my first Enduro, bring local. Not sure on the difference between Vet and Open in terms of what Open is for?

If they are cherry picking the best bits of the main trails, a lot of people will be disappointed turning up for a normal ride Sunday, so I presume they will use for example one of the other runs off the hill rather than section 20.

Not sure on the difference between Vet and Open in terms of what Open is for?

Open is aimed at being a less competitive class so that newcomers aren't put off by being up against the best riders in their age group. As a result of this the times are a little slower, for example at the last Southern Enduro, Fun/Open was won in a time which would have been 15th in Veterans.

I really don't see the point in an open class in enduro as the racing isn't head to head, but if it encourages people to have a go, then I guess it's worth organisers doing.

I Bet there were some smart arses saying that about the qecp one too...

Not really, i'm not exactly QE's greatest fan, but even I know QE has a hill to start with!

All for more local racing, but I don't think i'll be doing this one 🙂

I have signed up for this (as well as QECP on the 24th). I put in for open after emailing the organiser and explaining that I am a slow middle aged MTB'er who is fairly unfit and talentless 😀

I also self seeded 5 on the 1-5 scale of how fast/slow are you option! I fully expect to be the last competitor off for each stage....hopefully no one will see me walking anything vaguely technical.

After being really really unfit for the last 7 years, I am enjoying getting out and racing, even if I am firmly at the back of the pack! At least with this unlike XC racing I can bimble back up the hills, although I do enjoy the mass start aspect of XC!

48km of pedalling in a day does have me a little scared though! I might need to work on my fitness some more!

On stage times, the Enduro1 I did at Swinley in 2012 the time were as follows:

Stage 1: 03:30 (started at gravel hill)
Stage 2: 04:12 (was in crowthorne woods)
Stage 3: 02:57 (Started at surrey hill)
Stage 4: 03:52 (Started near red 26 I think)
Stage 5: 01:56 (this stage finished in jump gully)

https://www.strava.com/activities/25084096

Deerstalker, Labyrinth, stickler and tank traps were all part of the transition.

Signed up for the Vets category, first Enduro. Looks more fun than the hell that was XC on a hardtail back in the day.

Anyone else amped for this? Not long!

Yup should be there

Will any of the controversial new freeride area be included tho? 😉

Will any of the controversial new freeride area be included tho?

Na, that's definitely not part of it (phew!)

Does anyone know if this will affect access to the trails the day before (Sat 3rd)?

According to their facebook only a few trails will have diversions on Sunday so Saturday will be all clear.

Na, that's definitely not part of it (phew!)

rain on saturday but looking good for sunday, im excited!

Yeah should be running fast and not too dusty 🙂

Can't wait

Does anyone know if we have time to practice on Sunday? The start times in the rider pack suggest we don't.

Looks very much like we'll be doing it live.
I reckon that's a good thing as it takes away some of the local knowledge advantage, no one will know exactly what has been taped until they ride it.

True. I could do with retaining my energy too.

Common sense, but as there's no practice make sure you have a good warm up before taking on the first stage. I'm guessing that the first stage will be furthest away from the car park so that could be enough of a warm up anyway.

Good luck everyone!

well that was mint

some bastard climbs in there, good flowy bits and jumpy photo ops
thought my 21:12 time was good till I saw the qecp boys times, well done scotfitz!

great day by the bikehub guys and the hog roast was delicious, but portions needed to be greedy kimbers sized

oh and that 120mm Aeris looks really good in the flesh

Great riding kimbers! That's the best result for you in some time isn't it? Shame we didn't catch up with you at end.
Lots of tight but flowy trails. Needed sharp acceleration! Wish my bike was a little lighter for this sort of thing! Well organised and well taped, plus a good selection of trails and well used for the lack of height. 7 stages as well, not usual to get that many in a day.

my best result since b4 the twins came along!
had to embrace nightriding- the only way im getting out, realised after southern round I did a couple of months ago that my fitness has gone through the floor, with all this baby weight Ive put on
http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2016/SwinleyEnduro/

I came 19th in Open, really happy with that. My stage times were rather inconsistent & I lost most on the shorter stages but considering that I didn't know any of them I'm quite pleased. Had an over the bars crash on the steep right hander at the top of S6, banged my knee a bit which made the rest of it fun. So much pedalling!

I had the pleasure of being exit Marshall on S2, good fun and went well.

Yeah that was good fun and knew a few bits of the course. Got a cold so not 100% and managed 21:19 with one crash near the end of stage 2. Had a close call at the top of stage 6 and kind of crashed but didn't come off. All things considered I found it well organised and had a really chilled atmosphere. Looking forward to the next one.

Here's someone having a bad day at the top of the drop off on stage 3...

[img] ?v14[/img]

Hope he's ok!

Well I really enjoyed that and my best results ever according to roots and rain. It's great to have a buzz around the local enduro scene. If you haven't already check out the peddle hounds Enduro info on moredirt.com