TTR Rnd 1 - Waitemata MCC

[B0000M]

anyone know anything about this? ive never done an enduro - what does it entale?

does my bike need to have a light or any such other bullshit?

never ridden at riverhead, what sort of terrain should i expect

is this an mnz event?

chur

[cheese]

River head is a clay based forest and is alot of fun. It has everythign there from tree roots, to open gorse padocks to some steep as fuck forest sections.

Great fun place to ride. The WMCC run a good event and have a good club room there.

Don't know about teh event though

[cheese]

Oh and Sam you need to update your bike and location

[Henk]

You don't need a headlight but you'll lose 20 points.
Enduros are great fun, just like a trail ride with scoring. Not sure about the course this year but will incude clay based pine forst and a farm section.
If you don't know how enduros work have a look at the MNZ website, details in the rule book. Riverhead, some people hate it others (myself inclded) love the place. Can be quite challenging in the wet.

[B0000M]

well looks like ill be there. hopefully my mnz license shows up before then.

[Dutchee]

If you've applied for an MNZ licence & don't have it by Thursday, get them to fax it to the club.
An enduro is basically a timed trailride. You have sections you need to clock in by a certain time, meaning you ride at a certain pace. You can get to the check early & not clock in, it means you get a rest. If you're late for the check, you just carry on, but you get penalty points.
There are terrain tests, where you go through when you're told (spacing out the riders) and go as fast as you can until the end.
For every minute late to a check you earn 50 points. Each second in a terrain test is one point. Lowest score wins (just like trials).
If you end up over an hour late to a check, you've houred out, winning you a DNF.
Good luck & try to have fun. If any more rain comes down this week (or even if not), make sure you have good tyres, brake pads & some snacky things in your camelback.

[GR81]

well looks like ill be there. hopefully my mnz license shows up before then.
im waiting on mine too :P

[B0000M]

If you've applied for an MNZ licence & don't have it by Thursday, get them to fax it to the club.
An enduro is basically a timed trailride. You have sections you need to clock in by a certain time, meaning you ride at a certain pace. You can get to the check early & not clock in, it means you get a rest. If you're late for the check, you just carry on, but you get penalty points.
There are terrain tests, where you go through when you're told (spacing out the riders) and go as fast as you can until the end.
For every minute late to a check you earn 50 points. Each second in a terrain test is one point. Lowest score wins (just like trials).
If you end up over an hour late to a check, you've houred out, winning you a DNF.
Good luck & try to have fun. If any more rain comes down this week (or even if not), make sure you have good tyres, brake pads & some snacky things in your camelback.

yes..... my camelback..............

[B0000M]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Cycling/Parts-accessories/Other/auction-92247248.htm

anyone got an opinion on this camelback?


or got a suggestion of another one?

[cheese]

I got a camelback spy adn that is really good. It's got compartments for tools and stuff. But for that price who cares. $30!!

Do you want to carry food in it?

[chop]

What do you mean by terran tests, how do they work? How long do you usually ride for at one time?

[B0000M]

I got a camelback spy adn that is really good. It's got compartments for tools and stuff. But for that price who cares. $30!!

Do you want to carry food in it?

from where?

[MikeJ]

Terrain tests are between 2 and 10 minutes long ....but typically are 4 to 6 minutes. They are simply a part of the course where you have to ride as fast as you can. Most times you will get the chance to ride the test at least once before you are timed. As you arrive at the start, the test crew will signal you to stop so they can programme your rider number into the palm pilot then tell you to start the test when you are ready. The moment you start rolling they will record your start time...you race till you come to the crew at the end of the test where you need to stop so they can record your finish time and get your rider number. Your rider number is allocated to you when your sign on and is also the minute that you riding to. Three riders leave the start every minute ...for instance say you are on the 22nd minute...you will have either 22, 22A or 22B on the front of your bike on a large sticker that will be given to you when you sign on.
It may seem a bit complicated but once you have ridden 1 or 2 sections it all makes sense.
The Top Trail Rider Series is a low key introductory enduro series....approx 90 to 100 ks of riding with only 2 or 3 terrain tests. If you can manage 2 or 3 laps of your average 30k trail ride you can easily do these. They are a lot of fun plus at the conclusion of each round there will be a chance to bench race with your mates, eat a hamburger/sausage etc while the results are being worked out.
Even if you dont have a MNZ licence you will able to enter by purchasing a "Day Licence".
You will also need enough fuel for 3 hours riding.
And you DO NOT start your bike till you actually leave on your minute.
There will also be a "How enduros work" at the conclusion of the riders briefing for all the new riders at each round.

[Dutchee]

A common mistake is to hand over your time card at terrain tests - we're used to it (have even had the odd expert hand his over - doh!). When you're being timed, there are 2 or more people who will stop you (do not roost or run them over, we do take exception to this & depending on how badly you piss us off, we will add 10 seconds to your time or just make a note to say to add time to your number). There are also normally signs to say start & finish, but the real give away is people standing there waving you down.

Please and thank you's are appreciated, but not obligatory. Every person you see out on the course helping out is a volunteer giving up THEIR time and believe me, we really do remember some of the more obnoxious riders. I will not be seen at either Auckland enduro, unless I decide to help out friends in the pits - after 6 days at the ISDE, plus about 6/7 years of helping out, I'm over it. I now am being totally selfish & refuse to go out to the forest unless I want to go for a ride.

If you have any friends who can help out with checks or refuelling (boring, long days), bring them along - don't let them sit in the car being antisocial, get them involved - it helps kill time & it can actually be fun.

If you're a rider who wants to see how an enduro works, go along & help out - wierdly enough, a lot of us helping out actually do enjoy riding. It all does make sense.

Most importantly, don't be scared to say it's your first enduro & ask how the rules work - as Mike says, they do cover it after riders' briefing, so stick around & put your hand up.

Whilst day licences are available on the day (not at national enduros, though) - if you've applied for a licence, it's up to you to get a copy sent to the club beforehand if there's not much chance of it turning up in time. A discount is available from MNZ for day licences on the purchase of a full licence - but I doubt it's applicable if you've already applied ;)

It's meant to be fun (hence I don't ride races), you won't be yelled at if you stuff up time keeping (those of us who've worked plenty of enduros before will be happy to try to explain what's going on, but if there's a queue, it gets a bit tetchy as other riders will be getting snarky about losing time while we chat).

As for camelbacks, preference would be for one to carry tools & spare levers, plus food - things like jelly snakes & muesli bars, not sandwiches & bananas which will turn to mush).

Oh, another thing. If you've got 2 10L containers, fill both & bring them along. If you've got 2x 20L containers, bring both along but only half fill them. I'm not sure if there's an away fuel dump, but most likely there is. Ensure the container(s) are clearly marked with your name & for the home fuel dump, remember where you put it. You can also put spare food & water there (also goggles, gloves & whatever else you think of). If you're not amongst a bunch of riders, chances are someone will help you out if they see you're alone.

If your bike doesn't have a sidestand, it may pay to bring the triangle stand along as at the hq there isn't much room for bikes to lean against it (at least 1x check is there, often 2 or 3). Which reminds me, experienced check crew know to look around at the bikes & yell at you if they think your number is up. We don't know if you're over your minute, so feel free to yell back at us that you're now on a later minute (the # on your bike is what we see & relate to time, not what is on your time card).

if the rum has turned any of that to custard, I apologise. There is a lot to learn but there's not a lot to remember - you ride to your minute, you remember your minute. You be polite, you be appreciated, you be rude, you be remembered. We be volunteers, you pay money to ride. You get tired riding, we get tired hanging around.

It does all make sense when you're riding after a couple of sections, it just sounds scarier than it is. It's a timed trail ride. Don't stress, everyone was new at some point & there's only one way to see if it's for you (I figured out after houring out in the 1st section, I just ain't interested - nah, never ridden an enduro, but too lazy to be bothered).

Don't start your bike before the start - that is frowned upon - only bikes that will be starting are those who are prerunning the event or riding out to a check. Check her before you leave home or the day before. Cold start failures are 50 points & a lot of drama you don't need.

[cheese]

Sounds like fun. I got to get me a bike!!!!

[chris]

Can be quite challenging in the wet.
Henk, that has to be the understatement of the week!!

[cheese]

Anyone got a pic of that sapbuster promo? LOL

[B0000M]

sounds awesome to me, so let me get this bit straight tho, u race against the clock, not against other bikes?

[Henk]

You race against other bikes in that the scores get added up at the end of the day, but you are mainly trying to stay on time and post the best terain test times you can. When you go into a section you go in three on a minute and in terain tests you start one at a time, so the only other bikes you see are guys you are passing or guys that are passing you. If you are on time and doing OK in tests this might be nobody all day and at most 10 people if you aren't doing too badly or flying.