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- Enduro racing.
You might've heard of it. It's been around for a while now.
And I think we can collectively say it's here to stay.
Personally speaking it is my favorite discipline
of racing mountain bikes, because it is truly
all encompassing.
You've got the lung busting transfer stages,
the pure adrenaline of those downhill timed runs
and memories.
Think about all those memories you create in the saddle
day after day. I mean, what's not to love.
Let's get technical just real quick.
When we're referring to an Enduro mountain bike race,
we're talking about a race with multiple stages where the
downhill sections of the course are timed.
And then the transfer sections between the time stages are
not timed.
So at the end of the day,
you've got the accumulated over all time raced,
which are the downhill sections.
And then that's how you find the fastest rider.
Sounds pretty straightforward, right?
So overall you really do need endurance on the bike because
you've got a ride, you know, sometimes six hours or more,
and then you need those technical riding skills as well
because the downhill sections are where it counts.
Whether you've never before stepped foot into a mountain
bike race atmosphere,
or you're a seasoned veteran in those multi-day stage races,
there is something to be said about being prepared and
knowing what's to come.
I'm going to share my personal insights into Enduro racing
cause I want you to go out there and feel confident and
ready to take on your next adventure.
We recently shared a video on getting your bike ready for
race day. So make sure to check that out if you haven't.
There were also some tips on what I carry for spares and
tools in there, as well.
As for today, let's get to the race actions.
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Most of the time the race is going to start with a
transition to get the riders up to stage one.
And then after that,
the transitions are just pedals linking up the stages,
moving the riders around the course.
Now they're not going to be timed as in adding
to your race time, but there's usually a cutoff time
where you need to get to that next stage.
So you don't want to milk those transitions too much,
which leads me into Enduro walking.
Now you'll see a lot of really, really fit racers out there,
literally walking up the hills between the stages because
we're not getting timed.
So we want to save our energy in those scenarios.
Save it for the downhill sprints because that's where it
really matters.
Lastly, I personally like to know exactly
how long my transfer stages are going to be
length and time so I can prepare to get to the next stage
with enough time to still put on my knee pads,
have a little drink of water and drop in.
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And now the fun stuff, the downhill stages, these are timed.
So definitely go for it. Pedal every opportunity you get.
Now, if you do have a start time to get to that stage,
don't want to miss it.
That could actually result in a disqualification or a time
penalty.
Tons of events do still go on without those specific start
times.
And they're actually quite fun because you get to ride
together in a bigger group atmosphere and kind of hang out
with the homies.
Times on the race stages can drastically vary. I mean,
three minutes on a shorter stage,
that's going to require you to push hard right out of the
start gate.
Give it everything you got versus a longer stage,
which could be 15, even 30 minutes long.
That's going to require you to moderate your energy
a lot better, push when you can,
but also reserve a little bit in the tank because you don't
want to make a big mistake out on track.
So think about it and play to your advantage.
If you're a super fit rider and you love pedaling,
make the most out of those big transfers along
ski hills perhaps, give it all you got.
But if you're more of a technical rider,
then make sure to smash those downhill sections
to make up for it.
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Know where the feed and the tech stations
are out on course, if they're available,
cause that's going to help you decide what to pack with you.
If you're passing the feed zone multiple times throughout
the day,
maybe you don't need to carry 10 granola bars with you,
but you do want to always be self-sufficient because there
is no one doing the bunk.
Only you can know how many calories
you need for an all day effort.
And what foods do you like to eat.
Personally speaking, I like easy to eat food.
Maybe some baby foods, some trail mix,
just stuff that's going to taste nice,
be easy to go down on trail.
If it's a really, really big day,
probably pack a sandwich.
If there is a tech zone available out on the course,
then that's quite helpful.
Maybe you don't need to bring as many spares or tools with
you out on the race,
but I like to be self-sufficient because chances are,
if I go to the tech zone, whatever part I need,
they're not going to have it.
They can't help you fix little things,
maybe a bent derailleur or broken brake lever.
But realistically you want to have everything with you,
either on your bike or in your bag.
Remember to eat early and eat often.
Race days aren't going to be planned around our ideal
eating times.
So therefore I like to make sure I pack well enough calories
to get me through the day.
Make sure I'm not too fatigued.
Sometimes crazy things happen. You have a mechanical,
you don't have enough time to stop at the feed zone.
So again, I'll just reiterate it, be self-sufficient.
Now this should go without saying,
but I'm going to say it anyway,
water.
So very important, especially on a big hot summer day.
Make sure to pack a bunch of electrolytes in there.
It's going to help you not cramp up over those big pedals.
And it's also going to help speed up the recovery.
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Now I know what you guys are wondering.
Biggest question of any girl's life.
What do I wear now?
Now it can be actually a little bit overwhelming
picking out what to wear on race day, but for the most part,
just go with what you know, don't get too complicated here.
The usual suspects for me on any given bike ride
are going to be a Jersey, shorts obviously,
pair of bibs to carry my snacks or any spares in,
armor, gloves.
And then it gets a little bit tricky.
Full face or half shell helmet?
A lot of Enduro races do require the riders to wear
a full face helmet.
So definitely read the fine print before you just show up in
your half-lid.
As for me, I almost always race in a full face helmet.
I feel a lot safer at race speed.
Chances are I'm taking a bit more risk.
I'm not all together there
if I'm a little bit fatigued at the end of the day.
So I just feel better in my full face.
Today, even though it's overcast, it is super hot out.
So I'm going to half-lid for now.
Glasses or goggles?
I personally recommend everybody wear eyewear out on the
race courses or riding because you've got dust, debris,
wind in your eyes.
I mean, who wants to dart off the racecourse
because a bug just flew into your eyeball?
Not me.
If I'm wearing the full face almost a hundred percent
of the time, I'm going to go for goggles.
But if I'm in the half shell,
I might dabble with the glasses.
It really kind of depends on the weather though.
Cause if it's hot, muggy, humid or raining,
it could get a bit fogged up in the goggles.
And your vision is actually just going to get worse with
those on. So you might spring for the glasses instead.
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See as we're here to race bikes and all
at least some of us,
I think it's crucial to at least touch on the different
timing systems that are out there.
Now there's a lot on the market these days,
but personally speaking,
the most that I see are either on the bike or on the person.
It's important to be familiar with how they work so that
when it comes time to drop in,
you're not fumbling around with your race chip.
The most common timing systems that I usually encounter are
the gate systems.
Now they're super simple because you've got some sort of a
sensor either on your bike or on the rider and you ride
through two little gates at the start of the stage and the
end of the stage. It's quite easy.
You do want to be careful though,
because if you're hanging around the start gate and you get
too close to the gates,
it could actually pick up your time a lot sooner than you
actually drop in.
Another popular timing system is the tapping system.
Usually you've got a bracelet,
maybe it's on your wrist and you physically tap a sensor at
the beginning and end of every stage.
Now I know from experience this one's a little bit trickier
as a racer because after you've just dropped in for 15
minutes of downhill, you're a little bit tired at the end.
It's hard to see straight.
It's hard to put your wrist where you think it needs to go.
So do practice this one if you're going to encounter it
out on the race course before you do stage one,
just to make sure you know what's going on.
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When it comes time to practice the stages for the race,
each event's different.
Plenty of top level events only allow riders to go through a
stage one time for practice.
This really helps preserve the nature of the track,
keep it in tip top shape for race day.
But in that case, it's really important
to know what's coming.
My approach with my practice race runs since I usually only
get one opportunity to check everything out
is to drop in with a little bit of pace,
but also just focus on trail scanning with my eyes.
Now, personally, I put a lot of trust
into my own skills as a biker.
I can pick lines quickly and adapt as needed,
but if I come across a big feature,
maybe a blind step down or shoot with lots of lines in it,
that's where I'm going to stop and spend a bit of time
there.
I might have my favorite line that I've chosen.
Maybe it fits my technical riding abilities best,
but I like to practice all of them because when you're in
the middle of a race day in the middle of, you know,
one stage, maybe at a six,
you kind of forget and the tracks start to mesh into each
other if you know what I mean?
So therefore I like to try all the lines that way,
if I'm accidentally thrown onto the wrong line on race day,
or maybe the weather changed an my high line over the roots
isn't working, I can adapt and I can overcome.
Another helpful tip, especially for practice
is to take out a GoPro with you,
record your practice run so that you can revisit it later on
and remind yourself what's coming up on stage 1, 2, 3, 4,
or five.
I'm sure you guys have heard the term slow is smooth,
smooth as fast.
And that makes a lot of sense when we're talking about
Enduro racing.
It's a good tip just to take her a bit easier
than you think you need to.
I kick myself in the butt all the time when I fly off the
track, cause I'm going balls to the wall, like a maniac.
When really, if we just tone it down a little tiny bit,
our overall time's probably going to be faster hitting those
marks than flying off the side of the trail.
So do keep that in mind.
Now, if you don't have a lot of race experience,
maybe you've not spent time in the race tape before,
then here's just a little tip I'm going to give you here,
nothing to throw you off or overwhelm you,
but unlike a downhill track where you might see both sides
of the track lined with race tape,
keeping the racers on course,
enduros are not quite the same.
The tracks are extremely long,
so they couldn't possibly tape the whole entire track.
So I use that race tape as a visual reminder,
that chances are something's coming up,
either a line is marked off closed,
and that's why the tape is there.
Or it's guiding you around a big sharp bend,
or maybe it's saving your life by keeping you from going far
right off of a cliff.
So practice with that race tape,
get used to having it in your peripheral vision and use it
to your benefit.
The final thing left to do is to go racing.
If you've taken the time to prepare yourself mentally and
physically for your race day,
then the best part is yet to come.
All you've got to do is ride the course,
manage your energy levels and have some fun between the
tape.
Make sure to push hard. When that timer goes off,
up time on the course where you can and where it suits you
best as a rider and just remembered a pedal. Dang it.
That is the spirit of Enduro.
All right.
If you're looking for some more inspiration to dial in your
Enduro race lines, make sure to check out a video,
Joe Peters and I released recently,
we broke down the racetrack really gave her some homework to
work on.
Thanks for watching the video today.
And I really hope it was helpful and ripping off that first
Enduro race bandaid.
Even if you never plan on racing your bike,
maybe you'll still sign up for a perfectly coordinated
riding plan with your buddies. Give that a try.
Hope to see you on the trails.
Maybe even in a start gate and subscribe to the channel
so you don't miss any more racing adventures.
Woo.