Getting Ready for the Dyfi Enduro
Amazingly it’s only a couple of weeks until the dreaded Dyfi Enduro, an enduro style mountain bike race in the Dyfi Forest.
I’m supposed to be doing it, along with many of the other local mountain bike riders, but after last night recce of some of the trails, I’ve decided that neither me or my bike are quite ready for it.
As is now traditional, our night rides in April consist of checking out some of the trails that are likely to be in the Dyfi Enduro so last night I met Dave, John, Pete, Bernd and Dave at the ClimachX car park and we checked out some of the trails in the southern part of the forest.
After a climb up the first climb of the ClimachX and the first two bits of single track we headed off to do the Built Descent. This seemed fine, but isn’t usually on the Dyfi Enduro course, so we climbed to the top taking in the climb that constitutes the punishment loop then dropped into the 3 in 1 descent. I never enjoy this descent for some reason and after my troubles on it in the ice of the Dyfi Winter Warm Up wasn’t looking forward to it. The top was extremely wet and muddy but once through that it wasn’t too bad. The surface was still pretty slippery though and I never really got into the flow of things. Still, I made it down in one piece, as did everyone else.
We then climbed back up to the top, did some of the ClimachX Trails and finished off with the final descent of the Dyfi Enduro which was actually riding really well. We all entered the rocky corner at the top with some trepidation but it was fine and from there on it was fast, flat out riding on a nice smooth trail.
I wasn’t really feeling too confident on the bike though. My climbing was OK, but not good and my descending was no better than usual, probably a little worse if anything. My bike wasn’t too happy either. The brakes don’t seem to be doing a great deal when I ask them to, I’m not getting much travel in my forks and the bearings in the front wheel are very worn so that my wheel wobbles around all the time. I’ve been meaning to get a new wheel for a while though so that’s on my shopping list for today and I guess I should get the brakes bled as well and schedule in a service on the forks when I have the time.
Next week we’ll be checking out some of the trails in the north of the forest.
