How is enduro timed?

[Odissius]

Forgive me if this has been covered already but how exactly is enduro timed? I noticed on the recent dirt tv enduro vid they showed the stage winners and times were from 4 - 7 mins per stage, I don't understand how the rest of it is timed and how this contributes? In the end the end of the vid they had the cumulative times and the mens was 43mins but obviously there's a lot more riding than that?

Cheers.

 

[thecat]

Only the stages count as far as your time goes. The riding between the end of one stage and the start of another doesn't count.

ie you race the clock between point A and point B cruize up to point C then get times between C and D.

 

[Odissius]

That sounds really weird. So if the ride time doesn't count between stages why bother having a gap betweem the stages at all? Especially if the stage only lasts for 7mins! So if I understand correctly it's about actually being fit enough to ride between the stages and to then post a fast time on the stage. Ie, the gap between stages isn't timed but you've got to have the endurance to actually get to each stage and then post a fast time?

 

[thecat]

That sounds really weird. So if the ride time doesn't count between stages why bother having a gap betweem the stages at all? Especially if the stage only lasts for 7mins! So if I understand correctly it's about actually being fit enough to ride between the stages and to then post a fast time on the stage. Ie, the gap between stages isn't timed but you've got to have the endurance to actually get to each stage and then post a fast time?

Because it's aimed a guys who like to go fast down hill but arn't big on racing up. If you time the lot you have a xc race.... It sort of a long "enduro" form of DH

Don't get confused with the terms though. In Australia Enduro was the name of longer XC races, ie 3, 4 ,8, 12, 24hr where you do a loop and try and get as many laps as possible in the allotted time. These are all timed.

The terminology that has crept in from overseas in the last few years is that described above where you just time the downward sections.

Completely different beasts and maybe that's where your confusion lies?

 

[Odissius]

I guess I find it confusing because if it's just about going downhill for 5-7min per stage (as per the last one in Scotland) I don't really see why you wouldn't just stick a dropper post on your DH bike and cruise between the stages then smash the timed sections. Or just race DH in the first place. Guess I'll just have to give it a go sometime to understand it.

 

[thecat]

I guess I find it confusing because if it's just about going downhill for 5-7min per stage (as per the last one in Scotland) I don't really see why you wouldn't just stick a dropper post on your DH bike and cruise between the stages then smash the timed sections. Or just race DH in the first place. Guess I'll just have to give it a go sometime to understand it.

DH is generally <3min. The Enduro segments tend to be less technical, a bit more pedally with some up thrown in. DH bike usually not the best weapon of choice for it.

Think longer, slightly technical DH without a shuttle bus to get you back to the top. Obviously there is a time limit to get to the start of the next stage.

It's kinda of like what we've been doing for 30 years, Cruz to the top with your mates then bomb down as quick as you can, but now the marketeers have got to it and you need blue stuff and goggles with open face helmets and above all bang on ad nauseam about how enduro everything is.

 

[The_Taurean]

My understanding is that while transition (uphill) stages are not timed per se, there is a time limit on them. So if you bring a downhill bike and take too long to get back up the hill you get penalised. Hence the idea of enduro bikes that rip down but can still be ridden up. Hope this helps.

 

[foxpuppet]

My understanding is that while transition (uphill) stages are not timed per se, there is a time limit on them. So if you bring a downhill bike and take too long to get back up the hill you get penalised. Hence the idea of enduro bikes that rip down but can still be ridden up. Hope this helps.

Spot on, in the EWS there is a time limit on the liaison stages, so you might have 45 minutes to get from stage 1 finish to the start of stage 2 and every bit of time over the 45 minutes is added to your stage 2 time etc etc for each liaison until the end of the race.


Sent by courier pigeon

 

[driftking]

Because it's aimed a guys who like to go fast down hill but arn't big on racing up. If you time the lot you have a xc race.... It sort of a long "enduro" form of DH

Don't get confused with the terms though. In Australia Enduro was the name of longer XC races, ie 3, 4 ,8, 12, 24hr where you do a loop and try and get as many laps as possible in the allotted time. These are all timed.

The terminology that has crept in from overseas in the last few years is that described above where you just time the downward sections.

Completely different beasts and maybe that's where your confusion lies?

Wait what so what the hell is the point of an enduro bike if you dont need to pedal up hill, why not just walk the bike or shuttle to the next stage. It just sounds like a multi stage dh race.

just read above the up hill are not timed but still have regulations, that seems really stupid. why not time the stage?
So is this why dh riders tend to be good at enduro because the fitness to ride in between isnt timed so as long as you have a decent base level fitness your fine than they excel in the downhill sections?

 

[outtacontrol]

With our Townsville series we have an overall time limit to complete the whole course, so as stated, you need to be able to move between stages at a reasonable pace.
The other thing to factor in is how petrol you use transitioning between stages. Yes, you may be able to complete the course on a bigger bike, but will you have enough petrol to put down a fast time on the timed stage??

That and most timed stages will have small amount of climbing involved. The fact that most AM bikes now are so good they are as capable on the downhills as full blown DH bikes doesn't hurt either

The easiest way to get your head around the format, is that it a series of time trials, using the most fun sections of a trail network.

 

[foxpuppet]

Wait what so what the hell is the point of an enduro bike if you dont need to pedal up hill, why not just walk the bike or shuttle to the next stage. It just sounds like a multi stage dh race.

just read above the up hill are not timed but still have regulations, that seems really stupid. why not time the stage?
So is this why dh riders tend to be good at enduro because the fitness to ride in between isnt timed so as long as you have a decent base level fitness your fine than they excel in the downhill sections?

All the rounds I have done have had a small element of uphill on the timed section. In my first ever race at ourimbah I was passed by 2 riders on DH bikes, all starting 30 seconds apart, on the downhill section. That means the last guy was started 1 min after me and passed me about 4-5 minutes into the track. I caught both of them at the climb and then on the flat pedally bit I didn't see them again a different rider finished about 45 seconds behind me with those 2 coming in about 1 minute after him. They had gone fast at the start and the bikes let them smash hard down the technical parts but they were done physically at the first climb.


The round at Delrio last year involved a long way to the start line. With limited time to make the start on the 2 stages and reach the finish by a cutoff time a full blown DH bike was a penalty rather than an advantage.

Sent by courier pigeon

 

[Jaredp]

There is usually an overall time limit to finish the course.

The idea of the climb is to climb fast enough to complete the course in the allocated time Vs climbing slow enough to recover from the all out effort you just exerted on the last descent.

It's a real thinking mans game. The point of the stages are that there is minimal practice so it's up to your technical skill and endurance to get you through.

I love this form of racing and if I had to be brutally honest I hope it explodes even faster than it already is and causes some real marginalisation of XC.

Enduro needs a little more evolution in its rules for my liking.... But geez I am liking what I am seeing at the moment though. :first:

 

[driftking]

There is usually an overall time limit to finish the course.

The idea of the climb is to climb fast enough to complete the course in the allocated time Vs climbing slow enough to recover from the all out effort you just exerted on the last descent.

It's a real thinking mans game. The point of the stages are that there is minimal practice so it's up to your technical skill and endurance to get you through.

I love this form of racing and if I had to be brutally honest I hope it explodes even faster than it already is and causes some real marginalisation of XC.

Enduro needs a little more evolution in its rules for my liking.... But geez I am liking what I am seeing at the moment though. :first:

Id assume the smart riders ride the untimed sections as close to the limit of the set time as possible to conserve more energy for the timed sections?
sounds interesting and more fun than I originally thought enduro sounded.

 

[andy]

Id assume the smart riders ride the untimed sections as close to the limit of the set time as possible to conserve more energy for the timed sections?
sounds interesting and more fun than I originally thought enduro sounded.

Hey Driftking, I think I invited you before to one of our races. We had a round yesterday at Mt Joyce. You need to come out and see what it is all about, easiest way to get your head around how hard it is one the body.

Our next round will be at Toowoomba on the 3rd of August.

 

[driftking]

Hey Driftking, I think I invited you before to one of our races. We had a round yesterday at Mt Joyce. You need to come out and see what it is all about, easiest way to get your head around how hard it is one the body.

Our next round will be at Toowoomba on the 3rd of August.

Don't recall, if it was in person it definitely wasn't me. But maybe you did in a thread on here.

 

[andy]

Thought I sent you a PM, but checked my Sent folder and it wasn't there. Maybe I typed it and forget to press send.

Anywho, see you in August eh

 

[andy]

Hey Driftking, have you ridden Mt Joyce before?

This is what Enduro can look like from the race on Sunday.

 

[driftking]

nope never been out there before.
Only have the downhill rig in the garage so never really ridden any enduro either. It sounds good though I always thought it as more like a xc race where you have a point to point race but the track as just compromised of about 70% downhill. I never really realized it was staged. It definitely makes me more inclined to give it a go though.

 

[andy]

Over the last few years we have had quite a few people come out on DH rigs for their first race. Most of them come back on something different just so they can be more competitive.

But at a the state champs in Toowoomba last year Masters was won on a V10c. He still races now but on smaller bikes.