12hr Track Changes
Wed, 14/11/2007 - 08:11 — johncarney
After riding parts of the new 12hr track last night I am going to make some changes to make it easier on the legs and a bit more fun. I will be out there either tonight or Friday night to make the final changes. Sorry for all those who have already been practising but it is just too boggy in parts.
It will go back to being a more traditional 12hr loop. More to follow.....
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track was good
I did a lap the other day and I thought the track was good. Not really any parts that needed changing in my view. I prefer it to the 12hr track from the last couple of years.
So if it was me I would save yourself the extra work and leave it as is. But it's your call I guess.
The main thing I wanted to
The main thing I wanted to get ride of is the second climb that is quite boggy. I think it will put a few people off. Also once you are at the top of that and you turn left you come out onto the fire road descent and have to take a very loose left hand turn. I can remove all of that and effectively we will have the six hour with only minor variations.
changes
If you are talking about where I think you are talking then those changes sound interesting (is it around the 3 to 3.5 km mark?). That fire road descent didn't do much for me, but it was pretty short, so it didn't phase me.
I will be keen to see how you remove the hill though. That's been in nearly every 6 and 12hr race that I have done.
I rode it at the weekend and
I rode it at the weekend and thought that the changes from the top of the crown where good - yes, a little boggy as you put it - but I figured a bit of spade work and a few ride in would bring it out.
The return climb - OK, up the first - and famous climb - which I hope you are keeping, top of the crown, left down a small patch of losse fire road - then back into the six hour, grind down that then, on the return climb there is a lot of slow loose stuff, (Before you rejoin the well known part of the track) - that needs a bit of spade work, but again, generally i liked it -
Tomness, I think you are refering to the famouse climb that has been in most (every?) endruo out there, surley they wouldnt take that out???
Generally I think its shorter and faster than last year, and, much to my delight, the bit about 2 kms from the end that was added to last years has been taken out - the run to the end is more streight forward now . . . . . .
Will ride it again this weekend . . . . . must do more laps . . .
IG
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I may be slow but I an't dumb
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The first climb to the top
The first climb to the top of the crown as you describe it is definitely staying. We can't take out all the hills. The change I'm talking about would remove about 1km of track but I think would help the track flow a lot better. At this rate I will be down there on Friday night to make the changes so that everyone can ride the track properly on the weekend.
The hill I want to remove is the one before the fire road descent that gets you back towards the northshore rubbish over near the crown. (All this trail description is getting me confused!)
Lost
I have no idea what hill people are talking about but one less hill to climb sounds pretty sweet.
hills
It seems that you are thinking of taking out the famous short(ish) but quite steep hill that is always in the enduro races. The one that starts from a left turn off the fire road, with another left very soon after into about 20m of the boggy gravel and then a right hander where it gets a bit steeper before levelling out around 200m later. This climb always sorted the field out. I kind of enjoy the challenge this bit offers (sick i know)
If you are taking 1km out here, will you be adding it in again later? I would like to say that I prefer the track layouts that have the bulk of the climbing in the first half of the lap. The 6hr had that last little twisty climb near the gazebo, which I always found quite arduous. It wasn't that is was a big hill but by that stage of the lap, when you have been going flat out, the energy required to get over it just wasn't there.
This is what I really like about the current layout, as the last half of the lap is really good fun with no climbing. I am sure whatever you do will be good though and I do appreciate all the effort thus far with marking the track.
tomness I'm confused about
tomness I'm confused about what hill you are talking about. The hill I'm getting rid of hasn't been in any of the enduro races over the last couple of years so nothing to worry about. If anything it may have created a bottle neck.
So, what your really saying,
So, what your really saying, is that the piece you added from the top of the crown (After the first - and most famous climb) is being changed.
The new section you added (Which lead back up to the crown) would create a bit of a bottle neck as it was boogy(er) and tight up hill - as opposed to the first climb, where, boggy or not - at a pinch you could over take on it.
If your taking a bit out - I'm thinking you will have to add it back in as its already a bit shorter than last years.
But if I may beg a request here - if your going to add in at the end (Before the final downhill fire road drag to the pines), please add in from this years 6 hr and not last years 12!!!!!
Keep up the good work!!!!
Ian
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I may be slow but I an't dumb
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Just remember that everyone
Just remember that everyone has different tastes when it comes to riding. Some people are able to sit in larger gears and push their way around a buttery smooth fireroad course, while others are more technical riders who enjoy the challenge of obstacles and technical terrain requiring the use their gears. If the 12 hour course designers do their job properly there are always going to be parts that some people like and others hate, it's all a part of the challenge of an enduro event.
Oh yeah
*Rubs hands together
Cant wait, three and a bit weeks to go!!!
I luv da hills
haha - so easy to say now. By midnight I'm gonna turn into a hater!
I loved the 6hr track more than any of the 12hr routes.
(but I loved them too - ahh too much love)
too true
Just remember that everyone has different tastes when it comes to riding. Some people are able to sit in larger gears and push their way around a buttery smooth fireroad course, while others are more technical riders who enjoy the challenge of obstacles and technical terrain requiring the use their gears. If the 12 hour course designers do their job properly there are always going to be parts that some people like and others hate, it's all a part of the challenge of an enduro event.
Very true!!!!
After 11 hrs, it could be a paved flat foot path . . . . . and it would still hurt!
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I may be slow but I an't dumb
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silly question
is there no mixed duo category for the 12h?
At this stage there is no
At this stage there is no due mixed. The reason for this is because I thought it would be better to have a few less categories. The other reason for that is that I can give more of the great prizes out as spot prizes instead of having to spread them thin to just the winners. I also thought most of the mixed categories may go for the 3 or 4 person teams as a more social way of doing the race.
If there is at least three different sets of people that want to race as mixed duos then I will open up the category.
How many k's is this years
How many k's is this years track? And what was the outcome of the hill change - did you end up taking it out?
yeah
He just took out that hill after the loose gravelly bit that has a left hand turn before the northshore. You know the one.
Just kidding.
I met John on the weekend and even a face to face discussion of the track was doing my head in. It's no wonder we can't work out where we with our online descriptions. MeridaGreg was suggesting that we give parts of the track names to help everyone know what bit is where. Similar I guess to the Roundtuit track. Everyone who has done that knows exactly where the "downhill all the way" is. I guess there are bits that we always use, the pines, the big hill etc. Maybe can just hand paint some signs and name these bits. Make them simple easily memorized names though.
I'm looking forward to seeing the 12hr course changes.