TRF Forums

It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 6:48 am

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 17 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 9:40 pm 
Offline
80 cc

Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:15 pm
Posts: 78
Hi, Fairly new to off road riding, and loving it sooo much. My goal is to do enduros and Hare and hounds and alike, hopefully a couple before christmas, then start properly next year.
A question.
bike skills.....
I am riding farm tracks (yes I am allowed) for relaxed riding positions and ruts.
green lanes.... for throttle control at lower speeds, and riding through ruts.
and an old chalk pit, it has jumps, bumps, and those banked corner thingys, very tight with no time to relax, so i ride this for bike fitness. can now do 45 mins without to much arm pump, but I am finding after about 30 mins my hands hurt from griping onto the grips to tight. probably a combination of xr400 power and sheer fear.
Are these places combined going to give me the skills needed??? or am I wasting my time......but having an absolute hoot.
I have chatted to some members of the local club, and they say just enter, but I really dont want to be a liability to myself, my bike, nor those around me, plus I run on confidence, and if I mess up on my first outing it may put me off, so I am happy for 3-6 months playing .....er i mean practice, before entering.

cheers Murray.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 9:50 pm 
Offline
200 cc
User avatar

Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 7:08 pm
Posts: 273
Location: Just North of York 07974354188
Like they say, just enter. There's nothing like doing for learning.

Look at http://www.tbec.co.uk/ as it's designed to be slightly lower level than most championships for those on proper trail bikes rather than competition enduro machines. As such the tracks are generally non damaging to bikes and a bit easier going for rider.

To get an idea of what riding an enduro track is like consider going to http://www.enduroland.co.uk/ practice days. Top fun and great practice, but without the need to keep going if you fancy/need a break or the pressure of "competition".

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 9:26 am 
Offline
300 cc
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:43 pm
Posts: 625
Location: North Yorkshire
Try this : http://www.enduro-neec.org.uk/calendar.php

The Yorkshire enduro this weekend is a very easy one.

_________________
http://www.nytrf.org.uk


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:54 am 
Offline
200 cc
User avatar

Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 7:08 pm
Posts: 273
Location: Just North of York 07974354188
As I have just moved to Yorkshire I was looking at the NEEC site last night, which lead me to a search for vids on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc-2HpWgrCw

Worth taking a look at the rest of his vids:
http://www.youtube.com/user/nargle19

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:55 am 
Offline
400 cc

Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:44 pm
Posts: 1463
Murry

Adams suggestion of TBEC is a very good one. I was a member for several years and have actually just rejoined (I'm racing on Sunday as it happens) but whether this will help really depends on where abouts you are.

TBEC events are generally located in the east and south east of the country.

Generally though I would agree with the other comments, there's no substitute for entering an event and learning as you ride. I know this can seem intimidating but if you approach it with the right attitude it doesn't need to be.

Unless you are an exceptionally talented individual you are not likely to be that competetive in your first event anyway so just go along and see how you do. Enter in the Sportsman class if there is one, don't take it too seriously, stop if you want rest, watch other riders etc (but don't get in their way) and generally treat it as learning experience.

As for bike skills I don't actually think that this is likely to be your problem. I would say that most average trail riders could quite happily tackle an enduro from the riding point of view (especially a Hare & Hounds type course). It is the physical stamina required to ride hard for long periods that gets most people.

If you want to improve your chances of a decent result you would probably be better off training down the gym rather than on the bike but lets be honest, thats very boring isn't it.

Which is of course why I can't be bothered and also why I am likely to collapse in a big heap on Sunday and put in a miserable performace :roll:

Good luck and give it a try, it is hard in the physical sense but very rewarding and completely different from trail riding.

To be honest I think that if more people did this there would be less people riding like idiots on green lanes. Why upset people by playing racer on your local byways when for a few quid you can join a club and enter a real race?

Cheers

Richard


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:06 pm 
Offline
80 cc

Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:15 pm
Posts: 78
cheers for the response. will let you know how I get on.
im near bury st edmunds, so tbec is well worth a look.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:43 pm 
Offline
200 cc
User avatar

Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 7:08 pm
Posts: 273
Location: Just North of York 07974354188
Make sure you get entered (as early as possible!) into Rendlesham then.
Fantastic course.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvv3dQ--E-4

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:26 pm 
Offline
80 cc

Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:44 pm
Posts: 62
Location: Aston clinton
Worth going to Enduroland practice day at least once to get a feel for riding a course with better riders comeing past.
http://www.enduroland.co.uk/
From what you say you wont be the slowest at an event by a long way.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 2:51 pm 
Offline
400 cc

Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2009 11:44 pm
Posts: 1463
For anyone who's interested here's a quick report from theTBM forum on how I did on Sunday in the TBEC event at the Enduroland Adstone venue.

For anyone who isn't interested (I know this is a trail riding forum) lets just say I was mediocre at best and leave it here ;) .


Wow, what an excellent event!

Great course, fast and flowing for the most part. Nothing very technical, well apart from the tyres but that suited me fine. I particularly liked the section through the old railway cutting, nice climbs, short but fairly steep.

Bike went great all day, in fact I was very pleasantly suprised on that score. Yeah it was quite heavy in places, mainly in the woods where I found it really difficult to turn around the tighter trees etc but that's probably just poor technique. Everywhere else though it was good.

As for me well, that was a mixed bag.

First lap was a bit of nightmare. I droped it on the tyres whithin a few hundred yards of the start which cost me time and energy but I got going again. After that I sort of overstretched myself trying to compensate. You know I was just trying too hard. To be honest I was a bit out of control and all over the place, lucky not to crash.

At the end of lap one I stopped, took a deep breath and decided to just slow down, take it sensibly and stop trying so hard. Result? Not suprisingly I actually got faster! Mind you the fast boys were still flying by me like I was stationary but I did expect that

Sometime on one of the early laps I passed Domsday who looked to be going OK but I obviously jinxed him because as I came up behind he binned it right in front of me. Glad you were OK though mate (I did stop to check of course).

After that it's all a bit of a blur but I was really getting into it. Infact I had a fantastic ride for the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon.

Hell, I even passed a couple of people

It couldn't last though and it didn't

About an hour into the afternoon my back started playing up. I immediately made the effort to stand up more which did help a bit but it was too little too late. By the next lap it was agony. I limped in at a trail riding pace just to get a finnish.

Worst of all though I still had twenty odd minutes of riding time left. If I hadn't been in pain I could easily have cruised round in that time for another lap and no doubt boosted my result by several places.

Still, thats life aint it! I was never going to win so what does it matter? I enjoyed it and thats what counts.

According to the provsional results that have just appeared I did 14 laps which is pretty low down the score board but not a total disgrace at all so I'll settle for that with a bad back (and thats my excuse alright and I'm sticking to it).

Glad you enjoyed it Dom and it was nice to meet a few old faces from the past and some other TRF people.

If you want to see "several" photos of my incompetent first lap baffoonery check this out,

http://gallery149449.fotopic.net/p60816058.html

A quick scan shows that I certainly wasn't the only one though All part of the fun ehh!

Cheers

Richard


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: getting into enduros and H&H???
PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:58 pm 
Offline
200 cc

Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:53 am
Posts: 289
Well done richard,
I would be happy with 14 laps mate.
I was going to do it, but was to late to enter :cry:

When are you doing your next one :?:

_________________
Duncan
Cambridge Group


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Forum locked This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 17 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group. Color scheme by ColorizeIt!