Words: Duncan Nisbet
Photos: Ian Linton

The second round of the Alpine Bikes sponsored 2013 Innerduro Series took place on Saturday 2nd March at Forestry Commission Scotland’s 7stanes Innerleithen mountain bike trails at Traquair Forest. The event, organised by Innerleithen MTB Racing, was again completely sold out weeks in advance as some of the best Enduro riders from across Europe descended on Innerleithen for this exciting style of mountain bike racing. Riders followed a course to the top of the forest before riding two special timed stages over technical rooty and rocky terrain, with a climb back to the top between stages. Following a rest period as the sun set, riders then repeated the route in the dark (with the aid of lights!). The cumulative time for the predominantly downhill stages would determine the winner.

Downhill legend Crawford Carrick Anderson made another appearance, it’s good to see him back racing.
Photo © Ian Linton

Competition was expected to be fierce among the 170 or so riders, with World Enduro Series riders Joe Barnes and Katy Winton joined by previous Trans-Provence winner Dan Darwood, Elite World Cup downhiller Jack Reading and mountain bike legend Crawford Carrick-Anderson.

The course really had something for everyone. A real mix of manmade and hand cut trails, flat sections, steep sections and even the odd climb. As usual at Innerleithen, there were roots, rocks, drops, jumps and very tight sections through the trees that proved tricky for those with wide bars.

Following the mud-fest of Round 1, the weather Gods were kind to organisers and competitors as clear blue skies and sunshine led to balmy conditions for practice and daylight racing. Warm enough for Joe Barnes to ride the first stage topless following an incident with a tree.

Once darkness fell, the temperature also dropped, but stayed relatively mild for the time of year. By 2pm, the marshals were in place, there was a feed station at the top of the hill to keep the riders energised and the photographers and spectators were selecting their vantage points for the day and night entertainment.

Katy Winton – expect to see her on the new Enduro World Series circuit this year.
Photo © Ian Linton

Stage 1/3 followed the Cresta Run for the top third, before a loamy transition into 39 Steps. The route then linked onto the old XC route – descending the traditional climb. This section wasn’t technical, but tested the riders’ ability to take on flat turns at speed. The final section dropped riders onto the old motorway and round the bombhole for some off- camber fun into the fast and furious finish. A quick breather and time to swap stories with riding buddies, then a gentle ride back to the top for the next stage.

Stage 2/4 headed down the Wall and round the gap jump into the Tunnel for a fun blast down to the Luge. A quick sprint along the forest road led into the classic Deerhunter and Cresta before a steep and rooty blast to the finish with little room for error.

Innerleithen MTB Racing’s Duncan Nisbet said after the event; “Following the sell-out first round, we are delighted to see this round also sold out. The final round on the weekend of 30th and 31st March looks like selling out too, so we must be doing something right.

The weather for this round was unbelievably good and the tracks were running extremely well. I’d like to thank all the riders, marshals and organisers for making this such a successful series. Thanks also to our sponsors Alpine Bikes for supporting this local series.”

Joe Barnes taking his first win for new sponsor Canyon Bikes.
Photo © Ian Linton

Results

In the Ladies race, local star and Enduro World Series rider Katy Winton took the win by over 3 minutes from Fiona Beattie, with Sophie Buckingham taking third.

1st          Katy Winton                                  28’ 18”

2nd         Fiona Beattie                                31’ 54”

3rd          Sophie Buckingham                      33’ 26”

In the Junior category, Lachlan Blair took the win by under 30 seconds from Drew Carters, with Stuart Wilcox taking third.

1st          Lachlan Blair                                 23’ 37”

2nd         Drew Carters                                24’ 03”

3rd          Stuart Wilcox                                24’ 50”

In the Veteran category Crawford Carrick-Anderson took the win  with Justin Grice in second and Simon Sharp in third.

1st          Crawford Carrick-Anderson          22’ 27”

2nd         Justin Grice                                   23’ 11”

3rd          Simon Sharp                                 26’ 55”

And so to the Seniors category. Enduro World Series rider Joe Barnes took the win with the fastest overall time of the day with Jack Reading taking second and Alex Stock in third.

Racing took place during the day and at night… More like this?
Photo © Ian Linton

Full results and photos are available at: http://www.innerleithenmtbracing.com/

Many thanks to Alpine Bikes for sponsoring the series and to all the marshals and volunteers that makes the event possible. Thanks also to the competitors for supporting our event – we hope to see you for the rest of the series.

Round 3 is a standard Enduro on the weekend of 30th/31st March.

Further information and details on how to enter can be found on the Innerleithen MTB Racing website at: http://www.innerleithenmtbracing.com

INNERDURO SERIES 2013 ROUND 1: 50 SHADES OF MUD

Words: Innerleithen MTB Racing
Photos: Ian Linton

The first round of the Alpine Bikes sponsored 2013 Innerduro Series took place over the weekend of 2nd/3rd February. The event, organised by Innerleithen MTB Racing, was completely sold out weeks in advance as some of the best enduro riders from across the country descended on Forestry Commission Scotland’s 7stanes Innerleithen mountain bike trails at Traquair Forest for this exciting style of mountain bike racing. Riders followed a course of around 20km in length, with three special timed stages and over 1100m of climbing/descending. The cumulative time for the predominantly downhill stages would determine the winner.

Competition was expected to be fierce among the 170 or so riders, with local Enduro expert Gary Forest joint favourite with mountain bike legend Crawford Carrick-Anderson in the men’s event and three of the UK’s top female enduro racers in Helen Gaskell, Sarah Newman and local rising star Katy Winton battling for the honours in the ladies event.

The course really had something for everyone. A real mix of manmade and hand cut trails, flat sections, steep sections and even the odd climb. As usual at Innerleithen, there were roots, rocks, drops, jumps and enough different mud types to keep a pedologist satisfied for days.

Innerduro Rd1: Crawford Carrick Anderson riding fast and showing that age doesn’t matter!

Saturday practice went well with just enough of a frost to keep the mud solid and therefore running fast. A few new lines were already opening up by the end of the day and that was to be a feature for race day as roots and rocks were uncovered in the most unfortunate places.

So, race day came and things were hotting up enough for the mud to defrost and become more of a feature than on practice day. The marshals were in place, there was a feed station at the top of the hill to keep the riders energised and the photographers and spectators were selecting their vantage points for the day’s entertainment.

Stage 1 followed the excellent rocky and rooty “Alistair Lees” track down to a forest road where the riders turned left for a short, sharp, lung-busting climb to the entrance to “Mince Baby Mince” for a fast and furious descent through the mud and over the furrows to the end of the Stage. A quick breather and time to swap stories with riding buddies, then a gentle ride back to the top for the next stage.

Stage 2 started with a furious pedal through energy-sapping sodden peat and heather before dropping onto the old “XC enduro” trail. Line choice through this section was paramount to avoid the deepest mud sections before crossing into the “Plora Craig” section of the XC course. This was a fast, pedally section on manmade trails, that included the “Razor Rock” black section before turning off onto the “Classic”; a trail that requires every bit of concentration and physical control that you have. The road at the end of the stage was strewn with bikes and bodies as riders recovered before the gentle, but long ride back to the top for the final stage.

Stage 3 started on the manmade upper sections of “Make or Break” before a road crossing into a fresh, loamy track that lulled the riders into a false sense of security. It then got steeper. And steeper. And steeper again! Throw in lots of roots and rocks and you have one challenging descent. Add to this thick clay that has just had 2 weeks of snow followed by 5 days of rain and you have comedy central. There were cheerleaders to welcome the riders onto the road at the end of the section, before a short uphill to the final section – “Jane’s Lane” into “Caddonbank”. The final manmade trails are fast and furious with lots of jumps, drop-offs, doubles and even a bomb-hole. The end of the stage was greeted by the riders with wide grins and a sense of relief that it was all over.

Helen Gaskell took top honours in the ladies race.

Innerleithen MTB Racing’s Duncan Nisbet said after the event, “We started enduro style events here at Innerleithen a few years ago and they’ve gone from strength to strength. We take feedback from riders very seriously and they repeatedly ask us for more of this type of event. Our chilled out approach to race day and the relaxed attitude to transitions, allowing competitors to ride with their mates, always seems to go down well and the introduction of a feed station was well received. To sell out so far in advance of the actual event is all down to the riders themselves and hopefully that is repeated for the other two rounds.”

Results

In the Ladies race, local star Katy Winton was forced out with illness, leaving Helen Gaskell and Sarah Newman to battle it out, Helen eventually taking the win by a minute from Sarah, with Emma McRobb taking third.

1st          Helen Gaskell                               32’ 25”

2nd         Sarah Newman                             33’ 25”

3rd          Emma McRobb                             40’ 53”

In the Junior category, local boy Brodie Hood took the win by over 3 minutes from Scott Lindsay, with Grantown’s Donald Rodgers taking third.

1st          Brodie Hood                                  27’ 42”

2nd         Scott Lindsay                                30’ 52”

3rd          Donald Rodgers                            31’ 24”

In the Veteran category, as expected, Crawford Carrick-Anderson took the win by 2.5 minutes from Justin Grice, with Patrick Bruce not far behind in third.

1st          Crawford Carrick-Anderson          23’ 59”

2nd         Justin Grice                                   26’ 35”

3rd          Patrick Bruce                                26’ 53”

And so to the Seniors category. Gary Forrest, riding a new bike, took the win with the fastest time of the day and the fastest stage time in all three stages. Chris Buchan came closest and to take second with Calum McRitchie taking third.

1st          Gary Forrest                                 22’ 08″

2nd         Chris Buchan                                24’ 45”

3rd          Calum McRitchie                          25’ 09”

Full results and photos are available at Roots and Rain.

Innerduro Rd1 winner, Gary Forrest.

Many thanks to Alpine Bikes for sponsoring the series and to all the marshals and volunteers that make the event possible. Thanks also to the competitors for supporting our event – we hope to see you for the rest of the series.

Round 2 is a day/night enduro on Saturday 2nd March.

Round 3 is a standard enduro on the weekend of 30th/31st March.

Further information and details on how to enter can be found on the Innerleithen MTB Racing website at:

www.innerleithenmtbracing.com

About Innerleithen MTB Racing

We are an Innerleithen based race team and event promoter with supported riders in many cycling disciplines. We are a ‘not for profit’ volunteer organisation with the aim to stage fun, friendly and challenging events for all disciplines of mountain biking. Over the last few years we have organised the British Cross Country (XC) Championships, numerous XC and Multi-Stage Enduro races, a Mini DH race series for under 18s and the very successful iXS European Downhill Cup.

About Alpine Bikes

Alpine Bikes was founded in Aberdeen in 1989 by Dave McKay. Since the beginning, Alpine Bikes offered not only the best bikes, cycle clothing and accessories, but provided an unrivalled level of customer service and aftercare.

Alpine Bikes is now the biggest independent cycle retailer in Scotland and prides itself on offering exceptional service as well as quality and value. They have built strong relationships with suppliers to ensure they can pass on the best and most varied products to the customer. Initially starting with mountain bikes, their product line up now includes all kinds of bikes.

Here’s the low-down from the organisers:

Crawford Carrick Anderson racing in 2012.
Photo by Ian Linton

Innerduro Series 2013 Traquair Forest, Innerleithen

Innerleithen MTB Racing is delighted to announce the Alpine Bikes Innerduro Series as follows:

Weekend 2nd/3rd February 

Alpine Bikes Innerduro Race 1

Multi-Stage Enduro

Alpine Bikes Innerduro Race 2

Multi-Stage Day/Night Enduro

Alpine Bikes Innerduro Race 3

Multi-Stage Enduro

All events will be held within Traquair Forest, Innerleithen.

Gary Forrest racing in 2012. Photo by Ian Linton

Following the success of last years partnership, Innerleithen MTB Racing and Alpine Bikes are delighted to again be working together to bring you the 2013 Alpine Bikes Innerduro Series. This year’s series focusses on multi-stage races in recognition of feedback from riders. The Series consists of three races through February and March with prizes in various categories for individual races as well as the overall series.

The first Alpine Bikes Innerduro Series race on the first weekend of February is a Multi- Stage Enduro comprised of a number of special timed stages on the Sunday, with practice allowed on the Saturday afternoon. This is a relaxed event where competitors ride between stages with their mates, swapping stories of the stage just completed and those yet to come. Special stages are mainly downhill XC routes, with some climbing included. Winter in Innerleithen could give us anything from glorious sunshine to drifting snow, so good tyre choice will be essential.

Early March sees race two in the Alpine Bikes Innerduro Series – a Multi-Stage Day/Night Enduro. A similar relaxed atmosphere to Race One is expected, but this time the special stages will be raced at night, as well as by day.

The final race in the Alpine Bikes Innerduro Series will be a similar format to Race One, but will use completely different trails. Practice on the Saturday will be followed by race runs on Sunday. This prize giving will include the award of the overall Alpine Bikes Innerduro Series Champion.

Further information and details on how to enter can be found on the Innerleithen MTB Racing website at: http://www.innerleithenmtbracing.com

Night stage anyone?
Photo by Ian Linton

About Innerleithen MTB Racing

We are an Innerleithen based race team and event promoter with supported riders in many cycling disciplines. We are a ‘not for profit’ volunteer organisation with the aim to stage fun, friendly and challenging events for all disciplines of mountain biking. Over the last three years we have organised the British Cross Country (XC) Championships, numerous XC and Multi-Stage Enduro races, a Mini DH race series for under 18s and the very successful iXS European Downhill Cup.

About Alpine Bikes

Alpine Bikes was founded in Aberdeen in 1989 by Dave McKay. Since the beginning, Alpine Bikes offered not only the best bikes, cycle clothing and accessories, but provided an unrivalled level of customer service and aftercare.

Alpine Bikes is now the biggest independent cycle retailer in Scotland and prides itself on offering exceptional service as well as quality and value. They have built strong relationships with suppliers to ensure they can pass on the best and most varied products to the customer. Initially starting with mountain bikes, their product line up now includes all kinds of bikes.

Just a few miles south of Glentress, without its own facilities or green or blue runs, it tends to be quieter and frequented by more experienced riders. It’s got a brilliant red cross-country trail though and superb downhill runs.

How to get there

From Edinburgh join the A703 to Peebles just south of the Edinburgh City Bypass (A720). Note that the road becomes the A701 between Penicuik and Leadburn, but reverts to being the A703 from Leadburn to Peebles.

Caning it in another downhill race. Image by Pete B Robinson Photography via Flickr

At Peebles, take a left at the roundabout where the A703 meets the A72. Follow the A72 east towards Innerleithen.

Go past Glentress and continue along the main road to Innerleithen.

Once in the village, turn right following signs to Traquair. The car park is on your left at the T-junction.

Sat Nav: EH44 6PD

Facilities

Just parking onsite but you’ve got all the facilities of Glentress just up the road.

Trails

The 19km red graded cross-country trail is not to be taken lightly. Half is predominately climbing including the ascent to the summit of Minch Moor, which is long, steep and technical.

Innerleithen’s downhill races are popular with riders and photographers. Image by Zorker via Flickr

You get payback though with some thrilling singletrack descending. There are jumps and drop-offs and some optional black graded features. If you’re not too confident in your skills everything, apart from the rock drops at the top, can be rolled at a mellow pace.

Most riders come to Innerleithen for the downhill though and you won’t be disappointed. There’s a plethora of classic trails and four tracks crafted by renowned local trail builder Dik Hamilton.

If you go fast enough, the colour can’t keep up. That’s Einstein, that is. Image by Pete B Robinson Photography via Flickr

There are signed push-up paths from the car-park but it’s 300 m vertical and you’re looking at 45-60 minutes of slog. Far better check out the Uplift Scotland link below or contact David ‘Tally’ Tallontine on 07709 144 299 and save yourself the leg work.

Nearest bike shop

Alpine Bike, Innerleithen

Other info

Parking is £3 for the day and, as quite a lot of racing and events take place there, it’s worth checking the sites below.

The chaps from local lights company Full Beam, out for a pootle. Image by Steve Wyper via Flickr

Useful sites

7stanes, Glesstress & Innerleithen
Uplift Scotland
Innerleithen Mountain Bike Racing

View Larger Map