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Flats help a lot with the steep must stuff at golfie
Clipped in is better as long as you have confidence that your tyres will dig in for you when you need to turn
great thread, sounds ace. a few of my mates are on their way up today - wish i was now!
yeah I've been reading with envy. All the best to everyone taking part this weekend. It's going to be amazing
any advice on whether the flats would be the way to go?
Why not make the best of both worlds and ride with one clipped in, one flat pedal?
In all seriousness, there is no right answer. Take both and ride whatever you think you will be most comfortable with after practice. I'll be clipped in as always - that way, you don't have to go back up the hill to get your bike when you take a tumble, you're still attached.
Clever, huh? 😉
[i]any advice on whether the flats would be the way to go? [/i]
If you need to ask the question, probably better to use flats...
Depends a bit on the weather tbh! If it stays halfway grippy then I reckon the only stage I'd really want to be on flats for dabby purposes, is jawburn. Maybe prespacker (not the steep bits, the traverse in the rut) Both have single greasy ruts where an occasional power-dab can keep everything moving nicely (don't dismiss the power-dab, plenty of pros using it when they used these stages in 2014) Pretty much everything else is harder to ride with a foot out anyway so I'd want to ride it tidy and feet up.
But, I know all the trails pretty well, if you don't then things are flappier.
Power dab requires to be patented Northy, along with Laser cock! 😆
I should write a skills article for bike mags, "Shit skills that totally work". "Today, we're going to learn about the Enduroscooter, and when to use it. Not to be confused with the Endless Dab, which we covered in issue 276."
I can see it on the front page of WhatMTB - 'shit skills tested - best shit skills for under a grand!' 😆
Given the weather what tyres should I run?
Shorty on the front or leave my minion dhf on?
As for the rear my HR2 will be staying on unless it drys out significantly and the Semi slick can go on.
Cheers
it's been dusty dry down there so it depends how much rain comes and how churned up it becomes, you could gauge on saturday how manky it might be sunday though. Purely looking at the weather I can't see it turning into a mudbath but famous last words and all that...
TBH a little wet will make a lot of the trails grippier- give them some give and take away the crumble. Not sure what I'd use. Split the difference and go shorty/semislick, for maximum rear-wheel-overtaking-front action.
Reading the rules there are no tyre changes allowed either between Sat/Sun. I am going with Shorty/SS Semi Slick I reckon unless it hoofs down.
Reckon unless it properly shits it down today and tomorrow I'll be going Minion DHF and DHR2. If it properly shits it down I'll replace DHF with Shorty.
Having done Vallelujah the other month, if it shits it down biblically then I'll stay at home. But looking at the forecast I'm hoping it's gonna be good.
I've currently got Magic Mary's on front and rear but will be bring my HR2s - will see how it's looking. Would rather have extra grip when tired and a bit of drag I think.
Reading the rules there are no tyre changes allowed either between Sat/Sun.
That's one of those unenforceables, to be filed alongside the 'manadatory' race briefing!.
Nobeerinthefridge - MemberReading the rules there are no tyre changes allowed either between Sat/Sun.
That's one of those unenforceables, to be filed alongside the 'manadatory' race briefing!.
True, all bikes should really be put in Park Ferme justto mess everyone up
im a serial dabber, really struggled with the cleats at last years King & Queen due to mud clogging up my pedals! the weather was diabolical mind.
reckon id be swapping pedals to flats on Saturday night if i were racing... is that even allowed?
Back to this mandatory briefing... is it really mandatory..?
It's my mum's birthday so plan was to head back to her's (about an hour away) in time to take her out for a meal. I'm 99% going to stick with that plan- but don't want to turn up on Saturday to be turned away or missing some key bit of information.
Stages 4 to 7 open for practice today. Dry fast and grippy says Abigale
tom.nash - Member
Reading the rules there are no tyre changes allowed either between Sat/Sun. I am going with Shorty/SS Semi Slick I reckon unless it hoofs down.
I'm running a Michelin Wild Mud up front and a Minion out back... Wet or dry.. im not changing 🙂
Brilliant fun today. Stages 4 and 7 are turbo rapid. I forgot how steep and techy jawbone is after the rock garden. Made an absolute pigs ear of pro spacker. Only consolation is everyone is in the same boat. Weather held up very well. Looking forward to tomorrow's practice!
Nice chilled run down stage 4 today. The bottom section is rapid!
I started out late for practice on stages 4-7 yesterday (17.00). Noted the happy campers who had finished their practice with bikes looking like they had just come out of the garage and not a speck of mud on their tops. By the time I got to Stage 6 it had been chucking it down for at least half an hour - it was very slippery in places. Once I had ridden Stage 7, my bike looked like it did after Vallelujah this year.
Hopefully with it having been so dry, everything will have dried out again over night!
Anyone been down stage 3 today? If so what are the new bits like? Will be riding them blind tomorrow :-).
Abigale has rode it today. Says its very good. Muddy. Grippy. Roots a bit slippy. Bike isn't as dirty as I thought it would be.
Any new cut in sections at GT or is it just a standard course?
Stage 3 new bits are pretty good, only really a new section cut into the matrix with a drop down in to fire road, it was running lovely at lunchtime. Ponduro/super steep was tricky in the middle section, as it always is. Everything else was running brilliantly. I expected broon troot to be a mess but it was really nice.
GT stages are very physical. That climb after brown trout is horrible. Sniper roots galore in BT. I barely touched the brakes and all of a sudden I was on the floor! Wish they had taken the end of stage 1 all the way to the bottom of deliverance. The big pedal section at the end is a real test.
Good luck to all you enduroists
Me and my son are going to watch at walk or burn and hopefully that bastard rooty corner near end of pro spaker !
I've been on leave this week and ridden all the stages and some yair stuff .it was on the whole fun !
So here my tuppence worth
All were pretty much bone dry except prospaker
The squeakybum time steepometer got me on the short section in middle of prospaker after I entered corner badly . Had to dab and walk/abseil down the next two switchbacks. Yes it is that steep it hardly walkable.
Jawbone and walk or burn was imho a lot easier than it was when used at EWS .there's a rut at most of the bits I used to slide out on .
I was ecstatic that I cleaned jaw bone and walk orburn and have failed many times. So it's defo easier .
So I find those sections a real challenge mentally and skill level wise so huge respect to all you boys and girls who will be racing them .
Everything elSe was great fun and highlight for me was the cresta run in the dry ! Just ****ing awesome
Enjoy
Was there anything important said at the briefing?
[i]Was there anything important said at the briefing? [/i]
Yes 😉
Does anyone know what the exit of pie run is like - didn't do pie run after brown trout today so haven't seen how it's taped. Is the drop in and/or is there a chicken line?
No chicken line, Julz!
Drop but it's rollable
Managed to do stages 6, 7 and then 5 yesterday - 6 was a bit of a baptism of fire as our first run of the weekend having never ridden Inners before! Was tough but we all made it though and I only dabbed once. 7 was a hoot - very fast and some nice techy bits. 5 was great - had got in the zone by then and managed to ride it cleanly with a few whoops at times. Slightly nervous we didn't have time to ride 1-4 but c'est la vie.
Good luck everyone - enjoy!
Good luck today everyone, it looks fairly sunny! I'm sat in Peebles Hydro trying to stop drinking coffee. 90 minutes until kickoff.
I'm at the slowest end of the G1 numbers, so I think I might be one of the first blokes off the start ramp this morning.
Awesome day yesterday, pretty tough in terms of pedalling on the first two stages, third was brilliant, I wanted to go back up and do it again!.
Nice to meet Tracey, Kevin and Abigale of this parish too.
OK own up, did any of you get caught out by the Stage 6 First Corner of Doom? All that peril and terror on prospacker but that root had the most crashes on the stage, including a couple of the elites 😆 And I got to watch, bonus!
Good to chat to Myopic and Boardinbob, probably a ton of other stwers that I spoke to for 5 seconds, hope y'all had a great day.
Well done everyone that competed. I got as far as Tweed Green both days. Stuck with the kids. The weather largely held off. Good atmosphere.
Hope you are proud of your efforts Northwind 🙂
I know little of the natural trails at Inners. Are any of the sections within the grasp of mere mortals that like things like the Ho Chi Minh, Zoom or Bust, or The Fort?
OK own up, did any of you get caught out by my Stage 6 First Corner of Doom? All that peril and terror on prospacker but that root had the most crashes on the stage
Guilty. Got totally hung up on that corner. Rode Pro-Spacker better than I expected though still had a few offs. May a total pigs ears of Jawburn. Lost so much time. The last stage was my best by a considerable margin.
Absolutely brilliant but brutal 4 days. Non stop practice and racing with no rest is very tough for us amateurs. Currently eating my 2nd pizza of the night 8)
[i]I know little of the natural trails at Inners. Are any of the sections within the grasp of mere mortals that like things like the Ho Chi Minh, Zoom or Bust, or The Fort? [/i]
Yes, loads - look on Strava for Minch Baby Minch and Kity Litter and then explore.
Has anyone got a link for the results? Ta!
Thanks br
Yes, loads - look on Strava for Minch Baby Minch and Kity Litter and then explore.
I'd add Ali Lees to the list.
And the new ones : hoggers, gnarnia, green wing
Great thanks!
OK own up, did any of you get caught out by the Stage 6 First Corner of Doom? All that peril and terror on prospacker but that root had the most crashes on the stage, including a couple of the elites And I got to watch, bonus!
Made it round thanks to your warnings.
Prospacker was great fun - which surprised me as it scared the crap out of me in practice. I said hi at the top - I was the one asking where the bunny suit was and then had to wait to let the guy ahead pick himself up after falling foul of your corner.
Edit - and thanks to you and all the marshalls that make these events work 🙂
Stage 7 from yesterday
NW- I think I cleared first root, but after that it was a calamity (as I expected). Got a lump of mud in my eye on the top section just before I passed you, not that it made much difference!
Just happy to have finished all the stage in 1 piece 🙂
Big thanks to all the marshalls and folks working on all of the support areas 😀
that vid of cresta about 10000000 times drier than when i came down was like riding down a river, had a bit of a disappointing day on sunday with 4 offs. still had a great long weekend.
Bob - you made it successfully over the section i was marshalling, about a minute from the end, the last semi-fireroad you cross into a left hander with a big exposed root. Lots of damage done to the tree straight after it and no doubt a few shoulders.
Was a great spectacle to watch - the top few were just unbelievably quick through there - blink and you miss it stuff.
Bob - brings back good memories. Those roots at 3:54 don't look like much but they were the source of my only proper fall all weekend. 🙂
Great way to finish the day though... (well apart from having to finish it with 6 miles back to Peebles).
jimmy - Member
Bob - you made it successfully over the section i was marshalling, about a minute from the end, the last semi-fireroad you cross into a left hander with a big exposed root. Lots of damage done to the tree straight after it and no doubt a few shoulders
Must admit to being caught out here - was one of the last runners down the hill, managed to avoid the tree but got caught up in the tape. Must've lost a good 20 or 30 seconds trying to unravel my handlebars as my lack of fitness and frustration combined to render my hands absolutely useless. If it was you, I could hear the pity in your voice telling me to just snap the tape as I pathetically pawed at it - thank you for not laughing or filming this chronically embarrassing moment...
Great weekend, the crowds were buzzing for the riders, great to put some faces to names. Didn't see many photographers out and about on the trails. Cant wait to get back up again.
Highlights from the weekend. So much fun
What an incredible weekend! 9 hour drive up on Thursday afternoon (with a nice meal near Penrith) meant we were pretty tired on Friday so only managed to ride stages 6,7 and then 5 once each so we raced the rest blind (all first time racers and first timers at Inners!). 5 and 6 were the steepest stuff any of us had ever ridden so I'm pleased we got to try these once at least before the race.
Had a good first day on Saturday but was a little frustrated that we hadn't had chance to practice these stages, not necessarily to go much faster, but just because they were so much fun! The weather held up and we had a great first day. The second day was always going to be tough but the weather turned against us near the top of the climb as a hailstorm came in just as we started stage 4. It was great fun but the mud was going everywhere and again, it was a shame we hadn't had chance to ride it beforehand as it was a total hoot! When we got to the bottom, there was group who came down 10 minutes earlier who were all clean and dry who wondered where the hell we had come from! We heard later that the temperature had dropped 10 degrees in 30 minutes... Welcome to Scotland!
It was very wet and windy at the top of 5. No idea what happened but I managed to have a high speed off backwards into some trees on one of the fast traverses. Scared myself a little but nothing hurt so I hopped back up and had an OK-ish run through the rest of it. Clean through Jawbone but messed up a couple of the less tech sections when my brain switched off.
I enjoyed 6 - (Northwind - was that you who was giving us a pep talk telling us how short the stage was compared with the EWS version and that we should be thankful?!!! - If so, nice to meet you and thanks for doing such a great job along with all the other marshalls) - managed to ride the super techy bits cleanly but again dropped it a couple of times on the 'easier' bits including twice on the very bottom section once out of the woods crossing the stream!
7 was great fun - had what felt like a fast run and as I crossed the finish line I looked up to see my mate's bike flat across the track right in front of me. With hindsight I should've tried to ride over it but I grabbed the brakes and went OTB and managed to punch his chainring!! The GoPro footage is a little gory as my hand is stuck on there and leaves four clean teeth behind as I un-impaled it!!!
Turns out he'd hit the stump (possibly not the best thing to have in the middle of the track 2m after the finish line) and rag-dolled at high speed, thigh first into the tree.
One very dead leg and four perfect narrow wide holes in my finger but nothing is broken and we had an absolute ball.
I'll upload some GoPro clips when I get some time.
What a way to pop our Enduro cherries.. Unsure much else could live up to it with first class vibe, organisation, trails, marshalls and fun!
We'll be back...
.
I think you might have caused the biggest laugh at marshal control ob1. One of the marshals reported a rider with tape on him = send somebody up to check for tape down. Ian at the stop of seven pipes up "he didn't have tape on him at the start so he must have picked it up on the stage". Thanks, that's really useful. Not sure why but we were rolling on the floor - I guess it broke the tension of a stressful day, which was nearly over !
hughjayteens - MemberNorthwind - was that you who was giving us a pep talk telling us how short the stage was compared with the EWS version and that we should be thankful?!!!
Aye, that was my recurring theme for the weekend! Lot of that at the bottom of stage 1 too, where usually you have to pedal it out all the way to the bottom through those endless up-down-right-hand-bends. Eddie Masters wasn't too impressed hearing he'd done the Lite version of the pedal 
Next day he comes up to me "Suppose you're gonna tell me this stage is normally longer too" "Well funny you say that..." "Aw **** off!".
Ob1 (& Hels) - i remember you! You were one of the last after repairing that section of tape umpteen times already, i was past caring for it. The original break was very early on - a guy came round at the speed only the winner got away with, hit the root, over the bars down the steep hill. Looked bad, he got straight back up...
As for you, not alone in hitting that tree and not having energy to heave your bike a foot backwards up the hill! Felt for you, you describe it well ?
Northwind - MemberNorthwind - was that you who was giving us a pep talk telling us how short the stage was compared with the EWS version and that we should be thankful?!!!
Aye, that was my recurring theme for the weekend! Lot of that at the bottom of stage 1 too, where usually you have to pedal it out all the way to the bottom through those endless up-down-right-hand-bends. Eddie Masters wasn't too impressed hearing he'd done the Lite version of the pedal Next day he comes up to me "Suppose you're gonna tell me this stage is normally longer too" "Well funny you say that..." "Aw **** off!".
Well we found the Lite version GNAR enough for our first attempt! Might be dropping you a line for some off piste trail tips or possibly some advice on local guides in September when we plan to come back for a weekend of non-racing!
They didn't take out any gnar really, just less pedalling! There's been gnarrerer days in the scottish series but mostly not really on purpose, more down to the weather.
Give us a shout any time, it's an excuse for a ride!