Trek and Trail 5: Enduro Mountain Biking

Get lost in the endurance sport of Enduro Mountain Biking by learning what gear you need, what skills you have to develop, and where to get your lobotomy.

What the heck is Enduro Mountain Biking?

The Enduro (short for Endurance) is a Gravity competition that combines all the best parts of Downhill racing into a multi-day event. An Enduro is by far the most exciting event in mountain biking right now considering how it does not require riders to exhaust themselves with climbing hills.

Most Enduro events include 5 to 8 downhill races, where the uphill parts are used as a prelude. Racers can get a drink, take a nap, or even walk to the summit of their next downhill stage of the race. Because that made Enduro riders seem lazy, some race promoters decided to have an Enduro that made the Uphill (UH) parts a race right alongside the downhill parts.

For every world championship format of Enduro is four other formats that mix it up to include just about anything. Since formats for Enduros vary, most national competitions replace the need to grind up hills in favor of a gentle ski lift ride to the top.

However, not having to ride uphill does not make it any less daunting. What Enduro lacks in hill climbs it makes up for in multiple downhill rides, usually over a weekend where riders ride downhill trails over and over again.

Some events even require riders to remove their chain in a “chainless” ride down the hill, with only pure gravity and skill to get them to the bottom. Most Enduros take all the rider’s best times over the multiple events, rank them, and add the time differences up. When the final numbers are tallied, they make the final race a pursuit-style cross country or Super-D race. This is where each rider gets a head-start based on their times in the previous stages and makes the competition a “winner take all” race to the final finish line.

The end result of this format is an event that forces riders into a level the playing field. While Enduros try to combine all the skills of mountain biking into one event by requiring riders to be more well-rounded, the international competition is still centered mostly around downhill riding.

Episode Highlights

• Enduro Introduction
• How it Works
• Types of Races
• How it is Changing

Get Lost Racing Show Links

• Crankworxs -- Enduro World Series Giant Toa Enduro
• Sea Otter Classic
• Oregon Enduro -- Oregon Enduro Series, Bend, Oregon
• Blue Ridge Adventures -- Pisgah Stage Race, Brevard, North Carolina
• Rapid Ascent -- The Redback Stage Race, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Until then, I hope you Get Lost Racing!

Outdoor Reckoneering Links

Reckoneer - Business School for Race Directors Merchants of Dirt Podcast - Outdoor Event Management

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