Enduro Trails?

[sam]

I'm laying out 8 miles of enduro trail for a future event, I have no Idea what enduro riders are capable of riding? This is on my home turf, I have many logs, roots, nasty single track!

How brutal should I make? Would a stadium section be appreciated, setup large tractor tires with on/off ramps, possibly a car or two,

Any suggestions?

sam

Edited August 20, 2007 by Sam

[d. sileo]

a 6 or 7 foot splatter outh to slow them down abit........mud. roots, logs, off chamner hillsides, more mud etc.........

[sam]

I'm stricktly a trials rider looking for creative Ideas! This loop will be part of a 60 mile course, just wondering about having a stadium styled section, 50yrds of obsticals tamed from my collection of woderful treasures of trash.

So, Do Enduros ever have a spectator friendly section, would it be appreciated?

Edited August 20, 2007 by Sam

[alan bechard]

I'm stricktly a trials rider looking for creative Ideas! This loop will be part of a 60 mile course, just wondering about having a stadium styled section, 50yrds of obsticals tamed from my collection of woderful treasures of trash.

So, Do Enduros ever have a spectator friendly section, would it be appreciated?

It will be appreciated by the onlookers, but is usually very difficult to incorporate.

You have to have a way to keep them from "going around" And you do not want it to be such a choke point that they are riding over one another to get through (and I mean that literally)

When I was riding Enduro's / Hare scrambles, what I considered a nuisance obstacle as a trials rider, was a major stopping point for many.

Remember not to funnel them like we would a trials where only one rider is passing through at any particular moment.

[sam]

Thanks Alan!

Thank you for the input, I'm not sure how radical one can get with Enduro riders. Sure do not want to hurt anyone, but would like a unique section!

[city trials]

The stadium section is a spectator fav for those who don't like hiking too much of a distance from the pit area. It's also a great section to get a local sponsor to pony up some money for banner space.

[sirhc]

Speaking as rider who used to ride enduros I hated when the club tried to get creative and make something weird for the spectators. Now that I ride trials I might like it since I know what to do, but at the time I thought it was just a pain in the @ss. To give the spectators something to watch I liked a good man made MX track or something. Going over a car might be fun just make sure they have ramps on and off with no big steps, remember their bikes weight 75 more pounds & you have the novice riders too.

Even for me at this point things that are boring on my trials bike are dang hard on my motocross bike

[onthegas]

I'll probably take some flack for this, but what's fun for a trials rider can be downright brutal in an enduro. Particularly if it's combined with a high speed average. In an enduro riders are racing against the clock over natural terrain. Using obstacle after obstacle to try and take points away from the riders (by making them late) can be a recipe for disaster. Some C riders will hour out just trying to get through/over/around a difficult obstacle. If you have an obstacle that causes riders to back up it won't take long for singletrack to look like a superhighway as riders start making alternate lines. The times I've been "trailboss" for an enduro I've always tried to keep it fun. Some clubs tailor their enduros to the A and AA riders, but you have more B and C riders at an enduro and these guys are the future of the sport. Also remember that the weather can have a huge impact on the trail conditions. My favorite enduros used a lot of tight singletrack where you had to weave back and forth between handlebar width trees. Combined with the correct speed average you can take points from expert/pro riders and not hour out all the novices. Log crossings are not unusual, but keep it simple. A foot or less in diameter and don't have log after log. The only one who'll be happy after an enduro like that is the parts guy.

[sam]

Thanks again,

2 miles will be grass track, no jumps, 6 miles will be single track.

Having splits a bad Idea? Hard line VS long route.

Maybe, logs layed out like a rythm section would be cool, smaller logs in front creating more of a jump/whoop section in the stadium area 20x30 yrds.

[scott_king]

Thanks again,

2 miles will be grass track, no jumps, 6 miles will be single track.

Having splits a bad Idea? Hard line VS long route.

Maybe, logs layed out like a rythm section would be cool, smaller logs in front creating more of a jump/whoop section in the stadium area 20x30 yrds.

Hey

I ride a lot of enduro/ hare and hound races as well as trials.

A few of the events I have ridden use the long vs hard route but it must be done properly otherwise it

[onthegas]

Thanks again,

2 miles will be grass track, no jumps, 6 miles will be single track.

Having splits a bad Idea? Hard line VS long route.

Maybe, logs layed out like a rythm section would be cool, smaller logs in front creating more of a jump/whoop section in the stadium area 20x30 yrds.

Course splits are generally used to give A & B riders an additional timed test section. Occasionally a C rider won't be paying attention and go the wrong way. If the extra section is at the end, it's usually not a problem. If it's in the middle, it can result in a heated debate during the protest period.

Personally I like the idea of making everyone ride the same route. That way a C rider can see how competitive they are against B riders. It also makes it easier to pick out the sandbaggers. The Barbed Wire Enduro (in PA) that has an incredibly steep and slippery hill with an optional go-around that is longer, but the club puts it in a transfer (non-timed) section.

Eight miles is a pretty decent sized test section. With a 24 mph speed average, a rider would have to make it through in 20-minutes, assuming it's a check-in, check-out format, to score a zero. You might consider alternating the trail between the grass track and the singletrack and finish the section with a half-mile grass track sprint, if possible. I know when I've ridden sections set up like that I'd come out of the woods thinking "great, this section is almost over" only to be dumped back into another 2 or 3 miles of singletrack.

[sam]

onethegas,

Thanks for the reply, the loop starts on a 1 mile grass track then single track, then another 1 mile grass track, followed by more single track and then dumps out of are acreage!

[onthegas]

onethegas,

Thanks for the reply, the loop starts on a 1 mile grass track then single track, then another 1 mile grass track, followed by more single track and then dumps out of are acreage!

Is this the Upland Enduro? Pretty sure I rode it once a few years ago when I lived in the midwest. If I remember correctly (it's hell getting old), they used AMA Qualifier Rules with a Known Control check-in format. Pretty much what the AMA Nationals are using now. I left the remnants of a KDX fender along the course as well.

[sam]

Turkey Trot Enduro!