Enduro mountain bike racing is the new cool kid on the block.
It combines the fitness of cross-country mountain biking with the speed of downhill racing.
But why has this sport gained its popularity so quickly?
What is Enduro Mountain Bike Racing?
Enduro is a type of mountain bike race that has multiple timed downhill stages. Riders start at a set area and have to pedal to the top of each stage on trails called liaisons.
Once they finish a stage, they pedal to the next and repeat until the race is completed. Only the downhill stages are timed. At the end of the race, each stage time is combined for the rider’s overall time.
The History of Enduro
The enduro race discipline is still young. But its roots come from trail riding. The racing format is set up to replicate an all-day ride that includes multiple descents and climbs.
The Enduro World Series (EWS) held the first official race on May 19th, 2013, in Punta Ala, Italy.
Since 2013 the EWS has held a race series every year. They have multiple levels of racing, starting with regional qualifier races all the way up to the top-tier world series races.
Enduro Race Organizers
With enduro’s increasing popularity, there are now race organizers for every level of competition, starting at the local level moving all the way to the pro level.
Local races tend to be shorter races overall and feature less technical trails. The top-level races can be two days long, featuring enormous amounts of vertical and highly technical descents.
Some popular race organizers include:
- BC Enduro Series
- Big Mountain Enduro
- British National Enduro Series
- California Enduro Series
- Canadian Enduro Series
- East Coast Enduro
- Enduro World Series
- European Enduro Series
- Gravity Enduro SA
- Trans BC Enduro
- Trans Cascadia Enduro
- Trans NZ Enduro
- Trans Sierra Norte Enduro
- Victorian Enduro Tour
Enduro Mountain Bikes
Enduro racing has also driven the development of a new genre of bikes called enduro bikes. These bikes are built to pedal up long climbs and descend extremely rough trails. If you look for them, chances are these bikes are everywhere at your local trails.
These bikes have more suspension and more aggressive angles than typical cross country and trail bikes.
These bikes typically have anywhere from 140mm to 180mm of suspension front and rear. They have either 29 or 27.5-inch wheels, and some feature mixed wheel sizes.
The geometry of these bikes feature a slack head angle which helps with descending. They also include long reach to provide stability at speed. Further, they also have a steep seat tube angle to make it easy to pedal.
Almost every brand makes enduro bikes today. Some of the most notable brands include Specialized, Yeti, Trek, Commencal, Nukeproof, Pivot, Intense, Lapierre, Cannondale, Ibis, GT, Rocky Mountain, Canyon, and Devinci.
Check out this guide if you are looking to buy an enduro mountain bike.
Enduro Mountain Bike Racers
Many athletes race in this discipline. To be a successful racer, you need a high level of fitness and great descending skills. Every year the face on the top steps of the podium changes slightly, but there are some great enduro racers you should know.
In the Women’s Field:
- Cecielle Ravenelle
- Tracy Moseley
- Anne-Caroline-Chausson
- Isabeau Courdierer
- Morganne Charre
In the Men’s Field:
- Richie Rude
- Martin Maes
- Sam Hill
- Jared Graves
- Jerome Clementz
- Adrian Daily
How to Race Enduro Mountain Bikes
An enduro race is a great way to test your skills and be a part of the mountain bike community. To join a race, simply search for a race near you. A simple google search for “enduro mountain bike racing in [insert your location” should bring up your local series.
Then register for the class that fits your skill level and begin training. Try to build up your fitness and skills (learn how to train for enduro here), so when you are in the race, you just think about going fast.
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