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ESC Enduro in Killington on August 25th?

slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,316
5,065
Ottawa, Canada
Anyone going to the next one August 24-25? Or race the last one in July?

I love the riding in Vermont, and I'm really curious about this new racing format... So me and a buddy have registered and are going to make the long drive down in a couple of weeks.

But I have a few questions. I've never ridden at Killington (closest I got was Waistfield and Millstone), and I'm wondering what tires I should bring for this event. I'm currently running a Hans Dampf front and 2.4 X-King in the rear. I figured since this is primarily a gravity race (at least the timed portions are), that I might want to have a beefier rear tire. I have a 2.35 dual ply high roller that I can put on.

Any other tips and or travel advice for the area?

Anyone else going to be there?

We're driving down Friday and coming back on Monday. I figured we could stop in Waterbury on the way down to stretch our legs, and then hit Millstone on the way back. Any other better suggestions?

thanks in advance...
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,061
5,970
borcester rhymes
Hey dude, I'm not going and I don't really have a ton of advice to provide. I've heard that Millstone is a great ride, and can always swing by the kingdom trails (you should, if you haven't been).

As for Killington, the riding is very natural vermont. It's all roots and dirt. I don't recall many rocks at all when I was there. It's also pretty flat. It's odd how a mountain can have 2500' of vert or whatever and still seem flat, but it does. I'm not sure how those tires perform, but i'd definitely plan on needing more "dirt" traction than "rock" traction, and if it's wet, it should probably be pretty muddy. I actually imagine that the enduro there should be an awesome race, since the downhill trails aren't really downhill, and even riding the lift at that mountain would probably be best on a 6" travel bike. Pedaling up won't be so bad either, since you can just ride up the gravel road you just rode half-way down.
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,316
5,065
Ottawa, Canada
Awesome! thanks for that, it's exactly the feedback I was looking for. I threw my 2.35 dh-casing high roller on there, but I will bring my 2.4 x-king in case it's mellower than expected. The +/- 500g weight difference in the tire is noticeable....

we're driving down tomorrow morning and going to hit Perry Hill in Waterbury on the way down, and then driving back on Monday and riding at Millstone. If I had an extra day I think we would have gone to KT, but given that I have to be back on Monday night, Millstone should do the trick. I've been to KT before but that was over 3 years ago, it was a fantastic time, my fondest memories are of Moose Alley and lower J-Bar. I haven't been to Waterbury yet, but spent a day at Millstone last year and really enjoyed it.

to say I'm stoked for this trip would be an understatement. It'll be my first escape from the family since #2 came along 6 months ago. and I really need the sleep!
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,316
5,065
Ottawa, Canada
yeah, so indeed, the first stage (trail #7) was really burly! stage 2 was my favourite (trail #6), and stage 3-4 had lots of pebbles and gravel and stage 5 was pretty burly too (trails 30-32-26). It was sick!

On my first day, when I first rode stage 1 (trail #7) I was kinda like "whoah, what did I get myself into?!?! I'm not gonna survive and neither is my bike". But after going back and walking some of the key rock gardens I was a little less worried. Then race day came and I somehow found extra energy and desire to charge! It was lots of fun, and met some pretty cool dudes out there too. I finished mid-pack, which was what I was expecting, so I'm happy for that.

There were so many different bike setups and tire choices out there, I'm pretty sure the ideal setup was to run whatever benefits your riding style... so my High Roller on the rear was a good choice for me and my "bash through it and hope you don't pinch flat" style. It held up well all weekend.

Thanks for the info and tips, like I said it was a really good time. I highly recommend hitting one of these races up sometime if they come close to you, it's a fun vibe and pretty chill attitude. The ESC people put on a great event...
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,061
5,970
borcester rhymes
That they certainly do! Glad you enjoyed it. I have my own enduro coming soon, it's gonna last about 18 years and starts at about 8lbs...so no racing for me for a while!
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,316
5,065
Ottawa, Canada
Sandwich said:
That they certainly do! Glad you enjoyed it. I have my own enduro coming soon, it's gonna last about 18 years and starts at about 8lbs...so no racing for me for a while!
Click to expand...
I wouldn't quite say 18 years... I'd say more like 6, and that's if you're planning on having more than one, in quick succession... But even then. To make it to this race, I left behind an almost-three year old, and a 6-month old... of course, one didn't sleep well, and the other didn't behave very well, it didn't go to well on the home-front, and I haven't biked since the race. :( Hoping to make it out tonight if possible... but Mr. 6 month old decided to have a crummy night sleep last night and mommy's not so keen on taking care of the both of them alone... so I'm in a holding pattern. :think:

Anyways, if I'm not mistaken your bundle of joy is almost ready to break out into the big bad world... Congrats in advance and I hope it's all smooth sailing. Good luck to you and the missus... enjoy!
 
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