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Am I the only one who thinks enduro racing hurts?

weedkilla

weedkilla

Monkey
Jul 6, 2008
362
10
So I've raced for years, mostly Dh, but the odd marathon or xc race. I've come to the conclusion that enduro is the discipline where I suffer the most.
I've accepted the fact that a proper Dh race run isn't fun, I have to put myself in the hurt box, but it's maybe 3 minutes. Xc I just pick a steady pace I can hold. Enduro requires a 6-8-15-whatever minute effort at the redline. Absolutely destroys me. You have to ride your favourite trails above the pace where they flow.
I get the concept, race on the best bits of trail, cruise on the boring bits. But i end up not enjoying the best bits of trail as my heart is coming out my ears and I'm breathing through my eyes, desperately sucking up jumps so I don't over clear everything. Practising is just the same, so all my trail rides turn into pseudo races instead of a blat with mates.
Whaddyareckon? Am I just not fit enough for the effort? Too old and grumpy? Am I thinking too hard about this? I figure if you don't enjoy it, stop, but part of me is sucked into the idea that this style of racing sounds so cool.
 
demonprec

demonprec

Monkey
Nov 12, 2004
237
15
Whonnock BC Canada
i did my 1st Enduro format race this past July it was also my 1st race in over a decade i got my ass kicked LOL way harder then DH IMO . with DH i found you could catch you breathe on some of the decents , but with enduro i,m out of breathe the whole time the flatness and slight up hill sections just kills me you have to be cogged out and pedaling the whole time . i,m looking forward to our local series it,s typically 4 races on mountains that are close and tons of fun to ride at any speed .
 
MinorThreat

MinorThreat

Turbo Monkey
Nov 15, 2005
1,630
41
Nine Mile Falls, WA
Can't say for sure, not having actually done an endure format race yet; but the event that has exhausted me the most has been an 8-hour endurance DH. 20-minute DH runs at 3/4-7/8 of one-run pace separated by the 20-minute gondola rides back up . . . 11-12 runs cooks you.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,367
1,603
Warsaw :/
It's a 9-15 min race, sometimes more. If you try to do the downhills on dh pace which kill you in 3 minutes then why are you surprised 3times the same effort is a problem? Longer race means you have to pace yourself more.

Also trainin more. I know I have to and a 40 hour work week (well more tbh) does not go well with that but that's the best option for anything bike related.
 
P

project_d

Chimp
Dec 15, 2009
93
0
SoCal
I've heard a few pro Enduro racers say that they have to get "used to racing this format". I also did my first Enduro race a year ago (didn't do nearly as well as I thought I would have). What do I make of it?...You know how exhausted you feel at the end of a DH race? Well, you need to pace yourself at the beginning of each stage so that at the end of each stage you are as tired as you were at the end of a DH race.

Riding with friends, for years I used to just climb at "my pace" to the top of the hills. But during the last year, I started pedaling harder up those hills and doing longer climbs, and now I'm on par with the people who were significantly faster than me at that Enduro race!
 
U

UncleHowie

Chimp
Feb 9, 2011
76
0
Switzerland
My father rode MX, Enduro (with engine :D ) and supermoto for over 20 years but after the first enduro mtb he said that he never suffered like that!
 
OGRipper

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,650
1,121
NORCAL is the hizzle
If you want a good result, racing pretty much always hurts, regardless of format. But dude, just 'cuz something "sounds cool" doesn't mean you're gonna like it, or that you have to.
 
M

Matt 891

Chimp
Apr 14, 2008
58
0
Salem, VA
weedkilla said:
You have to ride your favourite trails above the pace where they flow.
I get the concept, race on the best bits of trail, cruise on the boring bits. But i end up not enjoying the best bits of trail as my heart is coming out my ears and I'm breathing through my eyes, desperately sucking up jumps this?
Click to expand...
perhaps you should hammer on the boring bits and flow more on the goods.

Should you practice harder anpt the stuff youre already good at? Or practice (train) on the stuff you need improvement?
 
motomike

motomike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 19, 2005
4,584
0
North Carolina
weedkilla said:
I've accepted the fact that a proper Dh race run isn't fun, I have to put myself in the hurt box, but it's maybe 3 minutes. Xc I just pick a steady pace I can hold. Enduro requires a 6-8-15-whatever minute effort at the redline.
Click to expand...
You pretty much nailed it right there. Enduro is hard as fvck.
 
profro

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
JMK said:
Turns out bike riding is more fun than bike racing sometimes!
Click to expand...
I'm glad I had my stint of racing. It taught me a lot and I'm a better rider for it. But heck I just enjoy riding now and can't get enough. I actually love mtbs again. (and mx too. ;) )
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,367
1,603
Warsaw :/
profro said:
I'm glad I had my stint of racing. It taught me a lot and I'm a better rider for it. But heck I just enjoy riding now and can't get enough. I actually love mtbs again. (and mx too. ;) )
Click to expand...
Exactly that. Especially that recently the local race got a little hostile and anal without really being fast or profesional. Though I still do an odd race or two to see some old friends and test myself (and usually crash).
 
K

kail

Monkey
Mar 14, 2002
134
0
Montana
I didn't think it hurt that bad when I tried it last summer. What hurt was when I began my final "dh" section and found myself in need of a road bike.

My idea of enduro racing would include a 3500+ foot sustained climb followed by a world cup level descent complete with hucks that CANNOT be rolled. Until then, I'm gonna stick with just riding...
 
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norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,367
1,603
Warsaw :/
kail said:
I didn't think it hurt that bad when I tried it last summer. What hurt was when I began my final "dh" section and found myself in need of a road bike.

My idea of enduro racing would include a 3500+ foot sustained climb followed by a world cup level descent complete with hucks that CANNOT be rolled. Until then, I'm gonna stick with just riding...
Click to expand...
Not everyone is as hardcore man.

Also go to yurp, race the mega or the mtn of hell. Then complain.
 
Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
Just find anyone who owns a Specialized Command-dildo seatpost, and ask them how much Enduro hurts. Chances are they won't want to talk about it..
 
Udi

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,915
1,200
weedkilla said:
Practising is just the same, so all my trail rides turn into pseudo races instead of a blat with mates. Whaddyareckon?
Click to expand...
Go back to riding DH socially and taking cheat lines to cut off your mates while giggling.

What you described sounds like no fun at all.
 
weedkilla

weedkilla

Monkey
Jul 6, 2008
362
10
Thanks for the replies, I found them helpful - mostly. I've realised I just don't like flogging myself on the boring bits to get a time.
I'll pick and choose some enduro races, but it's just not me. I'm not prepared to turn my trail rides with mates into training rides, so I'm only going to race an enduro if the timed section is actually an extended downhill. The idea of two good bits of track joined by a climb where more time can be made than all of the technical bits combined is the antithesis of how I ride.
 
F

Floor Tom

Monkey
Sep 28, 2009
288
55
New Zealand
To be a contender at any Enduro race you have to be fit. If you aren't, or you struggle with hurting yourself on the climbs then you will never be great at at. However, you can still look on them as a good excuse to go and ride some cool trails that you probably wouldn't have ridden otherwise.
 
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