greeek32
Active Member
so I hate xc racing but I love enduros. I've done over half a dozen enduro races so far (I watched @UtahJoe ride from the bottom of mtn creek to the top, it was impressive, i walked it... and then puked). When it comes down to it, your ability to ride makes much more of a difference than the bike you ride. I run a 125mm santa cruz 5010 with a 140mm manitou mattoc on the front and it's absolutely fine for 90% of stuff for me, but it's also orange. I get beaten by guys on full XC race bikes and I beat guys on $9k enduro-specific dream bikes and vice versa.
I don't win races and I certainly don't try to. I go out with only the intention of having a good time and I race casually (heroically uncompetitive is how i like to describe myself). I generally finish dead middle of the field. For me, it is not worth either hurting myself (i've done enough time in the ER for my lifetime and I have enough metal strapped to my bones to remind me) or ruining my bike just to come in a few places ahead. I also generally enter the last stage like 5 minutes before the cut-off. The way I figure it, I paid for the race and I'm gonna get my money's worth and have fun, why not take my time. Oh almost forgot, I'm not in good shape and I don't train or anything and these races are still fun for me.
So all that being said, this is what enduro races are like for me, the most casual of racers: Enduro races are a full day long and a full day hanging out with friends and riding bikes. Generally everyone is supportive and the stoke is high; everyone cheers each other on constantly and you can hear it from all over. When I finish a stage, my friends are there waiting for me and I wait for them. We laugh and talk about the different lines, who crashed, and where we think we made up time. We ride casually during the transfer stages and stop to have some food when we feel like it. I look forward to all of these races because they are so much fun. Oh, and there's usually ice pops at some point in the race.
Now a bit about the races. Every race I've been in has some sort of a prize incentive for finishing one of the transfer stages the fastest (for some reason they seem to like to give away dropper posts). Depending on the race you enter you may have to do more or less climbing during a timed stage. @a.s. I think you would like the Round Top Enduro up by windham, ny or the Steel City enduro out in Bethlehem, PA. They are both much more "trail" style enduros where the timed stages have more climbing than the bike park enduros like mountain creek which in a lot of ways feels like a bunch of mini DH races. Steel City and Round Top are enduros set on the type of trails that most of us ride when we go out for a mountain bike ride.
Round Top is my favorite race by far. They have totally dope trails with lots of short punchy climbs and really fun tight downhills all set in a german resort town (you ride and race through multiple different properties of different resorts). The people are super friendly and your entrance fee goes directly to support the trail system there (same with steel city). you can pretty much ride it on any bike you have and you'll have a good time. I even get excited to do the pre-ride of the course.
If you have any questions or if there's a race you're looking at going to and want some company, let me know. I'll probably go.
I don't win races and I certainly don't try to. I go out with only the intention of having a good time and I race casually (heroically uncompetitive is how i like to describe myself). I generally finish dead middle of the field. For me, it is not worth either hurting myself (i've done enough time in the ER for my lifetime and I have enough metal strapped to my bones to remind me) or ruining my bike just to come in a few places ahead. I also generally enter the last stage like 5 minutes before the cut-off. The way I figure it, I paid for the race and I'm gonna get my money's worth and have fun, why not take my time. Oh almost forgot, I'm not in good shape and I don't train or anything and these races are still fun for me.
So all that being said, this is what enduro races are like for me, the most casual of racers: Enduro races are a full day long and a full day hanging out with friends and riding bikes. Generally everyone is supportive and the stoke is high; everyone cheers each other on constantly and you can hear it from all over. When I finish a stage, my friends are there waiting for me and I wait for them. We laugh and talk about the different lines, who crashed, and where we think we made up time. We ride casually during the transfer stages and stop to have some food when we feel like it. I look forward to all of these races because they are so much fun. Oh, and there's usually ice pops at some point in the race.
Now a bit about the races. Every race I've been in has some sort of a prize incentive for finishing one of the transfer stages the fastest (for some reason they seem to like to give away dropper posts). Depending on the race you enter you may have to do more or less climbing during a timed stage. @a.s. I think you would like the Round Top Enduro up by windham, ny or the Steel City enduro out in Bethlehem, PA. They are both much more "trail" style enduros where the timed stages have more climbing than the bike park enduros like mountain creek which in a lot of ways feels like a bunch of mini DH races. Steel City and Round Top are enduros set on the type of trails that most of us ride when we go out for a mountain bike ride.
Round Top is my favorite race by far. They have totally dope trails with lots of short punchy climbs and really fun tight downhills all set in a german resort town (you ride and race through multiple different properties of different resorts). The people are super friendly and your entrance fee goes directly to support the trail system there (same with steel city). you can pretty much ride it on any bike you have and you'll have a good time. I even get excited to do the pre-ride of the course.
If you have any questions or if there's a race you're looking at going to and want some company, let me know. I'll probably go.