2023 Grassroots enduro series

prunudo

Never been to Bree, but have heard great things. Will the stages be similar to last year, will look on YouTube for videos.

Ceepo

I'd imagine that they will use "Isolation" and "Brothers from another mother" anyway after that I don't know. They have a load of options to choose from. Apparently they often use a combination of trails. It's a bit of a warren of trails there.

Ceepo

I see Hush sold out in minutes last night. I managed to get an entry even though I'm not 100% sure if I'll be there. It's mad that the sell out so fast. I believe that the Gravity had less than 100 entries.

Anyone else planning on doing it?

Wailin

Yes I got an entry too, looking forward to it. Any idea what trails will be used?

Ceepo, if you don't plan on going I know someone who will take your entry! Mate of mine missed out.

Ceepo

I was up there a few weeks ago, one of the locals said that I actually rode some of the trails but he said it could well be a mixture and didn't give any more information out🙄.

I actually know 2 looking as well. 😉. They limited the number of entries to 200 due to parking restrictions. So that's what a good few missed out

Top Dog

Didn't even try this time. Would have had to take 2 days off work to attend. Gonna try do the last 2 Gravity events and then next year make a proper effort to do grassroots too.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042870#Comment_121042870

Keep an eye out on grassroots FB page. I believe that there will be more spots released on Wednesday evening 😉

prunudo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121067424#Comment_121067424

Saw that, was wondering were they going to release a few more spaces.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121067510#Comment_121067510

Apparently the numbers were limited due to parking, but they have managed to get more parking sorted out

Wailin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121067424#Comment_121067424

Fair play for the heads up ceepo!

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121069859#Comment_121069859

No problem at all 👍

prunudo

Did you guys make it down yesterday. Grassroots events were pretty unlucky with the weather this year.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121127442#Comment_121127442

Unfortunately I didn't get to go. I didn't fancy the approx 5hr round trip, to get a soaking. I hear the trails stood up pretty good all the same.

Yeah for sure the weather certainly didn't help GR this year. Clonmel was by far the driest of them all.

Guess that's it then fir this year. I'm considering doing the gravity in Cahir this weekend as its local enough to me. I'm just finding it hard to justify the cost over and above Grassroots. The mash up is basically the same thing but €20 more expensive 🙄

prunudo

Next year could be interesting. Gravity Enduro needs to change something because they're not getting the numbers compared to Grass Roots. Also by all accounts the standard of trail is better from the GR series.

I do like the orginal GE format (classic) but it seems to have lost its magic since covid. Its gone a bit stale imo, of the 3 events I attended this year, the Djouce stages weren't as enjoyable as Bree and Hush.

And Djouce has good trails, so not sure what the answer is.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121127660#Comment_121127660

To be honest I'm fairly new to mountain biking. So I can't really comment on it. I've done 3 of the Grassroots this year and really enjoyed them. I also done the mash up in Cahir last year. Totally bias opinion but Clonmel easy fantastic. (conditions helped) and I know they're already planning next year's event.

For what I can gather, the cost is putting of some people doing Gravity, that and a few lads saying some of the trails weren't much better that bike centre stuff.

Edit. Just had a look there. It's €75.00 for the classic and €55.00 for the mash up.

prunudo

I suppose to call a spade a spade, djouce was boring and predictable, more or less same stages from previous years, no surprises. And next to no trail maintenance or prep.

To be fair its a bit harder for GE because they run 5 stages but with GR only running 3 they can mix up the trails, utilise different sections and keep it interesting.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121127774#Comment_121127774

I think the biggest difference there is GR is club run. So they can put the work into the trails for weeks before hand if needed. I believe GE is privately run and they just come in a few days before so there is less time to change things up. I know Clonmel are hoping to hold. GE next year as well as GR, these for the most part will be on completely different trails. As there's plenty of choice. But some of the members were saying that it's down to GE which trails they use.

Wailin

I made it down to Hush, but it did take a lot of self motivation to drag myself out if the bed with the rain hammering off the window! 230 tickets sold and only 182 turned up. Disappointing, as I knew a few lads who missed out on tickets and were dying to enter.

As for the stages, I don't agree that they held up well. Stage 2 in particular, which was a new trail, got badly cut up as the morning went on. The cute lads hit stage 2 first, knowing the mess it would be in later!

I had a poor run, only myself to blame. Just couldn't adapt to the conditions at all. I normally do each stage twice but just did them once and headed home. Didn't ride any stage cleanly so lost a good bit of time. I was flying on stage 3, rode the gnarly bits well but bloody came off near the end on a straightforward corner. Just came in too fast and overshot.

Conditions just got worse after that, the rain was pelting down so tucked tail between my legs and packed in. None of my club mates got tickets so riding around on my own in those conditions, I just did not enjoy it.

Fair play to Hush though for the organising, they can't help the weather and I pitied the marshalls having to stand there for hours in those conditions. It was great that they added in new sections and a new trail, made it interesting. A lot of work was put in by Hush MTB and they deserve credit for that. Such a shame about the weather, a week earlier it would have been bone dry but that's the joy of mtb in ireland!

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121127870#Comment_121127870

"Disappointing, as I knew a few lads who missed out on tickets and were dying to enter."

Feel guilty for not going now.

Wailin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121127910#Comment_121127910

Don't feel guilty ceepo, I was almost another one who didn't turn up! Really had to drag myself out of a lovely warm bed.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121128156#Comment_121128156

OK you convinced me not to feel guilty 🙂 .

I pulled the trigger on the GE in Cahir, it will be first time doing GE, hope is not much harder than GR

Wailin

Thinking of entering too. I've never done the trails at cahir, would they be similar to clonmel, fast and a bit techie but not very steep?

prunudo

I really must look into a camper or converted van, it would make the races with long drives more appealing. Make a weekend of it rather than all the travelling in one day.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131943#Comment_121131943

They would be similar enough really. Nothing that steep there really.

There are a few steep one's in Clonmel on the "Cannon hill" side. The GR was on the Russellstown side.

(all relative to your ability I suppose) 😂

steamsey

Hey all - it's been a while since I was here.

Did Hush myself the other week - thought it was great but struggled with fitness and couldn't re-do Stages 2 and 3. Had a ball on Stage 1. Visibility was an issue - the goggles do nothing! Had to ditch them and was partially blinded for most of Stage 3.

Defo feel the Gravity Enduros are going to go stale soon if they don't make more of an effort. Don't think they are selling out while the Grassroots sells out almost immediately. The Grassroots are more keenly priced and there is a better atmosphere - probably because they are club run.

Will probably do less of the GEs next year and more Grassroots and even a DH that I have been threatening to do for years now.