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How Does the Enduro World Series Work?

zdubyadubya

zdubyadubya

Turbo Monkey
Apr 13, 2008
1,273
96
Ellicott City, MD
So I've watched the highlights of a couple of the recent Enduro races which are part of the EWS and am still not really sure what is going on. This forum makes fun of the new contests, but in all seriousness, could someone enlighten me how these contests are conducted? What are the basic rules? What is the structure of a race? Which sections are timed, which are not? Why did the Whistler race have 4 "stages"? Why do some guys ride with tons of gear and some with almost none? Etc... Etc...

Basically, if I were to enter an Enduro race for the first time, what should I expect?

BTW, I already looked over the EWS website. I'm still unsure.

Thanks!
 
demonprec

demonprec

Monkey
Nov 12, 2004
237
15
Whonnock BC Canada
i compete for fun in a local series and basically you climb a mountain to a certain starting trail , the climb is untimed but you may have a start time for the 1st trail or stage .now it,s race time , you get in line and race down that trail/trails to the finish line . then you climb back up the mountain and do it over again . the races i have done are 2 stages but may be 6 or 7 trails and some are linked by short uphill roads sections . bigger races are multiday events with the same for stages .

i raced dh for several yrs and i enjoy this format alot more i hit dh speeds in some sections and descend for 15min or more per stage depending on the course/mountain .
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Aug 25, 2003
42,146
13,340
Squirtin ketchup n' mustard on charred flesh
A brief history........

In the 1990s the evolving discipline of dh mountain biking was leaving behind a bit of detritus. Rednecks with money were left with nothing to do but self-medicate and ride skis and snowboards down abandoned 4x courses in winter, or become overbearing dads with michael jackson father complexes towards their children. What most people thought of as mountain biking had become a leotard-based fitness contest that had already existed for centuries and seemed just........"a little off".

Bike companies began to realize that people would pay absolutely absurd amounts of money for bullshlt, and realized that inventing new wheel sizes could only last for so long. What had been a dirty little secret in europe seemed like the ultimate proving grounds for an avenue to sell people more dumb bullshlt under the guise of a new racing endeavor. And the money flowed!

Failed and washed up downhillers rejoiced! A new format was born that held all the excitement of america's favorite pastime and so it took the same name. Fortunately an influx of failed downhillers in their early 20s who had never heard of fanny packs provided fertile ground for this new thrilling format.

Along with fanny packs came the ever challenging stategery of what to bring with you for race day. Because in enduro, it's just like real life™! If you break a bike part, you just wasted a shlt ton of money on entry fees! Just like at home! And just like real life™, you pay money to pedal your dick off down a trail that no one ever descends (because it sucks) called "6 billion switchbacks". Sound familiar? It's because you're already living it! See? Just like real life™ mountain biking!

Tired of restrictive and stodgy UCI rules, the new organizing body through the EWS established a much more casual and laid back approach to the sport we all love. The EWS brought back the fun to mountain biking.

Stages are just that. The points in the day much like the stages in your life (first kids, blowing too much money on a house, screwing the neighborhood teenage daughter and getting caught) where as soon as it's done you ponder "what the fvck did I just do?" They are periods of reflection for just how much not fun you are having. Just like mountain biking in real life™!

And just like in real life™ specialized, trek, maxxis, santa cruz, cannondale, and every other bumfvck eurowierd company no one buys bikes from, are basically pulling a general mills and telling you that garbage in your cereal bowl that they call lucky charms is something palatable that you should like and be excited about. Except now in convenient race format!

So don't try to make sense of it. There is none. Just be excited about it and buy stuff! Because that's really the only reason that it's there.
 
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