Weekend riding in Dunedin in the enduro

Urge 3 Peaks Enduro
The sport of enduro riding is growing all the time and I thought that I could use the weekend as a promotion for the enduro's we are running on Coronet Peak this year. So I borrowed a Giant Trance 27.5 Enduro bike from R & R Sports (thanks team) and bundled myself of on Friday morning to Dunedin and the Octagon where the registration was.

I was on time to register and avoided the queue - 220 racers for this event. And many from Queenstown - so I felt quite at home and I registered alongside Kate Fluker (26yrs old) - just a slight age difference but we chose to ignore that fact and I enjoyed the company of the Queenstown locals later for dinner.

But first is the Urban section of the is race. Mmm - the talk is of tricky stair ways and stuff, so I go unload the bike and head up the hill to look at the course and ride slowly though. It starts out of a school grounds - down a steep gassy bank. I crept down it in the race with all brakes on, while the front runners were pedaling hard down it into the exit through the school gates. Well not quite pedaling but certainly there were no brakes applied.

After that the course dropped down some stairs to turn hard right at the bottom into a small tunnel before emerging up a ramp into Otago Girls High. Again out through the gates and heading for the Dowling Street steps. Well that is fine - don't mine steps - after all I have ridden the ones outside Lonestar, but these are different. Twice they turn 180 degrees on themselves and I can't make it around. In the race I almost fall down the second flight - so I’m off and running as the quickest way to get around the corners - out onto Princess street and a sprint (on the bike) along to the Octagon and around Robbie Burns and down a small flight of steps into the finish line 

I'm about 2.28 secs or so and the quick ones go under 2mins and clock over 60kms hr down one of the roads into the tunnel.

So day one survived - only 5th out of 6 in the class of Masters Mens 3, so not to bad and that sets the tone for the race. (beaten by .38 of a sec out of 4th)

Day 2 (Sat) in Dunedin dawns fine and sunny  (yahoo - dry track) and off to the top of Three Mile hill and the Bull Pen for the start briefing.

The start list is published here and of course reporting time for briefing is 0900 with my start time is 11.15 so I am facing a long wait  Lucky it is a nice day and there are good friend to talk to. The lead riders depart as briefing finishes - well they probably finish before I even get started.

Slowly it comes around to my time to start - but start it isn't - its just the climb to the start and at the actual start - on top of the hill there is still another 30 mins or waiting.

Finally it's time - full face helmet on - click in and away. (it's only half way down the hill that I remember a few other things,
drop the seat down - got that.
2. adjust the front forks to + or racing  - the most absorption you can get.
3. adjust the back suspension to - downhill, or absorb all those bump.

Ah well I am used to a hard tail - it's only been a year or two since that was all I rode.  Whoahl - now it's easier and as the confidence builds I pick up the pace  a bit.
The first part is easy as we roll along the tops pedaling to carry some speed - not yet racing at full noise and waiting to see what is coming as the gradient increase’s.  Sure enough as I rip around a blind corner I'm faced with a boulder field - but now I'm onto it - drop the seat down - relax let it run a bit and the rocks are behind and the pace picks up again.

Perhaps to much as lower down I must grab a bit much front brake and the front washes out immediately and bang - my face is hard on the ground as the first point of contact. In a flash I’m up - googles twisted inside the full face helmet - but that's it - nothing else - no scatches on elbows or anywhere but thanks for the full face - thats for sure.

Down in the forest the tracks turns left and right and left and there are other riders around - that means I've caught some - a couple down a bank, more on the ground - caught by a tree stump. I stop as the unscramble themselves and go to push of, but the bike doesn’t move, I do and I’m on the ground again. But not moving - so just pick myself up - squeeze past the others and away. A small uphill leads to the finishes and clock off. 18 mins and nine seconds and now I'm hot.  Stage one done.

Full face off - pack that on the backpack - xc helmet on - a splash of water and away we go allowing the air to cool me down.

Didn't know what to expect next but we are directed back into the forest for some more twisty single track but no hurry now. Out onto a road and begin climbing, and climbing, and climbing. Across the motorway and into some paddocks. When we leave those paddocks the real climbing begins. The road up to Mt Cargill. The engineer who designed that one was not european for sure - no zig zags.  Three kms straight up as far as the eye can see - all at or about 15-18% and I'm on a 1 by with chain guard,  but it's more my countryside and I'm passing lots of people who are just crawling up the hill.

Finally the top of my Cargill - the highest point around here and being coastal with a good strong southerly blowing - it's not the best place in the world to hang out.   That liaison, or ride between stages is about 1hr 30mins.

In fact why are we waiting at all - with starts every 20secs back over on Flagstaff we should just roil up - get suited up - knee pads / helmet / elbow pads and go - but the medical crew are not in place and everyone has had to wait for about half hour and cool down a bit.

Time to chat and to wander over to the edge and look at the first corner - after watching thirty or so attempt and seeing only two actually make it my start involves running the first 10 meters and lifting the bike around before mounting. But it's only 100 meters or so later that ‘THE STAIRS' appear - be brave ok  - just take the launching ramp straight into the top of them and sTop - not likely for me. Off the bike climb over the stile  / launching ramp and run down the three lots of stairs - rough wooden off angle  / broken twisted stairs.

Of course the big boys - or is that the young boys - launch - grab a  bit of brake to control the entry and bounce the eyeballs out on the way down - lucky the googles hold then in and they continue - maybe a dab her and there with a toe but most ride clean (from what I hear. later)

On the bike again and there is still a boulder field or two but confidence is good and I ride - that suspension is working on the Trance and later I see that I used all of it at some stage. But it nice riding.  Conrod Straight - highest speed down some single track - at out 59 - 50kms hr - me, probably about 30 or so.

Down into the trees - well low Dunedin bush - ducking under the occasional low branch - bouncing through boulders and a couple damp spots. In one I'm following close a guy from The Menace team (Wellington) and I hear a loud 'SHIT' and I put my foot down to watch whats about to happen - well it ends up being nothing but he was very close to having a nasty fall onto some big rocks. Balance, good luck and the hand of god save him.

I follow and pick my way through and follow him as hard as I can - this is good  I'm keeping up but I brake once to often and he is suddenly gone  - like he found another gear or something.

This stage soon empties out onto the flats  and a couple hundred meters of high speed shingle road before we slide to a halt to get the timing chip read.
14mins 43secs.

Yahoo - some food and drink - a couple banana halfs and a couple glasses of water - change the gear around and away. Wonder how long this liaison is ? But I know from time in Dunedin that it an't be so bad. Iin the end it's just 30 - 40 mins to the top of Signal Hill.

It rains a bit on the climb - not enough to wet the track but with no one at the top waiting I’m keen to go.  I know where I am going now - I’ve been here to watch the downhill riders in a National series a year or so ago.
What !!   What am I doing here riding the same track the same rock gardens that had seemed almost impossible then, but I have no trouble on any of it - albeit a bit slower than some.  I do get tangled up wit the tandem riders.  I had stopped to let them past and then they didn't,  and then they did, and then they stopped in front of me,  and then they went.  Yes that was tandem - this couple ride there double bike well  (they have entered for the Super D and and the Mega in the Bike Fest) It's very impressive the way the ride and what they can ride.

A quick sprint on grass and gravel and I'm looking for the line - but wait - there more - we zig zag our way throughout he outside corridors of the school - left and right - down and up stars, before down the last stairway to the finish. Stop get the time recorded and get out of the way for the next rider.

My time overall is 45.20secs,   Jamie Nichol, the winner  27.57 
Three riders are inside the same minute.  Justin Leov second and Anton Cooper third.  I'm also well beaten by all the local girls who ride extremely well (of course I knew that was going to be the case before I started anyway)

So after the first enduro that I competed in. Would I do it again ?
Yes is the answer (and in fact Dave Drew, Wayne Olds and Al Clifford will be joining me)