2012 Pine Hill Enduro May, 6th 2012

I'll add a "me too" to a lot of the comments.

The good:

LOTS of very good trail. I will ride this event again, just to ride the trail. Nearly zero pavement, and they did a good job minimizing dirt roads too. Lots and lots of singletrack, and some of it was absolutely amazing. I was flying in some of the sections after lunch, really good stuff. The organization and trail marking was all great as well, I never had a situation where I wasn't sure where to go. I'm no fan of stick farms, but it was nice to have it in there just to mix things up.

The not-so-good:

Timekeeping. I'm an average C rider, and I was on time to nearly every check (1 minute late after a long technical section with the stick farm). I fully understand that an enduo is a timekeeping event, and if everybody was my speed, this would have been sweet. However, I imagine that the A guys, and probably a lot of B guys, would have spent a LOT of time sitting in the woods, or going 5 mph down a wood roads trying to get back on time. That's not super fun.

I'm bad a timekeeping, so I burned a few checks, which I am sure will put me out of contention for the win, and that's ok with me, my own fault. I just feel like if I can keep on time even in the worst bits, that there must be a bunch of fast guys having a miserable time.

All-in-all, especially for a C rider, it was a good event, perhaps I just do not have an appreciation for the timekeeping aspect of enduros.

Good to meet and ride with you. Hope to see you at another event soon.

Ed

I was told by a club member that the low speeds and resets were all designed to keep our speeds low in the State Forest. In the past the Rangers clocked people on radar at over 60mph. They wanted to prevent speeding and I guess they achieved that goal.

Really nice to meet you too Ed, thanks for keeping Dave & I on time......it woulda just been a bomb run without your help

What a wonderful time I had, thank you.

Pine Hill Enduro sweep riders get a big thumbs up!! for their support, tips to negotiate tough sections and advice on equipment. Most of all, their patients.
I know, these are the little things that would bring a new C rider like me back to club events.

So who were those people taking pics and where are they going to be posted?

its rare if I hear that a enduro was just perfect. If its there are too many whoops. There are complaints.(they are called "Enduros") If its too smooth, there are complaints, If the averages are high, people complain, if they are too low, there are complaints.
I have never put an Enduro together, but I imagine trying to tie 100 miles of course together and set speed averages is a challenge and takes countless hours.
The fact we still are allowed by the State of New Jersey is amazing and keeping the Man happy not to shut enduros is harder than it ever was.
Im glad there are people that live and have a passion for the sport to put these events on so I can have a few Sundays of fun throughout the year. No one is getting rich off these things and I imagine every clubs intentions are to put on the best event they are able to. To me , any time Im on my bike in the Pines, its a good time

+1 Well said..

Thank you!!!

I think at the end of the day everyone was happy maybe not as happy as the people that placed where but everyone I seen seem to had a fun day..

And to all that think it was too easy I hope to see YOU at RORR's Broad Mountain on the 27th

The trails were great, but the pace was way too slow. It was flat out boring for 95% of the day...I would imagine I spent more time sitting or going 5 mph then actually riding. I am an A rider, however I convinced two C riders to join me for this event and they were even bored! "This is an enduro? Im going to stick to harescrambles. Thanks" Not to mention this club in particular tends to overdo it with enthusiasm on catching people off their minute...Even if it is when they are flipping the card over to the correct minute showing the rider isnt hot but merely riding at the top of his minute... Or jumping out of the woods like monkeys and screaming at you "We got another one!" Its just not necessary. Enduros are about using your noodle, I agree, but not to the point of aggrivation and bordom. There should be some skill by the rider needed to top the rest of the field. Yesterdays "timekeeping event" could have been completed on a mountain bike.

Chalk that event up to seat time and getting ready for Delaware...

Rant over.

Just when a newbie liked the enduro...some A rider had to come and spoil the fun.....:huh
ohhh well we all got to start somewhere......

He prolly burned checks. Go out and have fun, that's what is about. Riding your bike in the woods all day.

looking at watch going down a dirt road all day is kind of lame, their has to be some points takers to test riders skills otherwise why even do an enduro? you could join a math club instead.

I guess it's a good thing it was not up to me cuz I would beat you all down in a long deep sand whoop fest then put you in the stick farm for 5 miles and then drop 100yrs of big ass logs "redwoods" for you all to go over then I would do a C rider cut off and let the A and B guy have it.. Set the speed at 30mph with no reset and you would have a check in and only one check out.. Let 4 or 5 big cats go into the woods right before the C rider cut off only after I beat them and not feed them for 2 weeks..

ive done this run a few years ago, the course was good but the timekeeping was kinda silly.

Now that sounds like a good time!

You liked the bit about the big cats I bet...

Don't get me wrong, the trail was fantastic, and there is nothing "wrong" with having a timekeeping-heavy event; it is an enduro, after all. I would run this event again for sure.

However, I didn't (and I wouldn't) necessarily worry too much about being on time. Some guys might love that, but for me, having to worry about burning a check while riding through singletrack or through a stick farm isn't super appealing. And, it's certainly understandable that the fast guys would be grumpy about spending a big portion of their day waiting for the clock. The clock was on the slow side even for me, and I am not that fast.

Every person has a different preference; the opposite side of the spectrum is the start-restart format, and plenty of people complain about that too. You will never be able to hold a race with no complaints. I don't think people are being overly negative, they are just giving feedback!

We know that. I think my post can only be taking one way or do we really have big cats

Yes it sucked to be fast but 99% it sucks to be slow. Slow guys got one on this run...

Math clubs are fun also. If you want to race for speed do hare scrambles or motocross. This club put on an old fashioned time keeping event and did a good job at it. They strayed from the norm of racing through the woods at 30 mph and some people liked it and others didn't. That is what diversity is for.