UK Gravity Enduro team deliver an ultimatum to racers

Jamie Edwards·
NewsRacing
·

The return of the UK Gravity Enduro Series has been a blast of fresh energy for UK mountain bike racing.

But, it seems, the future of the series isn’t certain with lower than expected rider numbers.

The UK Gravity Enduro Series shut up shop in 2015 after a long run of successful races.

In its absence, two race organisers tried to repeat the formula and failed before the UKGE returned in 2018 to put on a revamped series.

With three rounds complete (Innerleithen, Eastridge and Afan) the UK Gravity Enduro series is in full swing but, it seems, the future still isn’t certain for the UK’s national enduro series.

Series organiser Steve Parr posted on Facebook today with an ultimatum for riders, simply that if numbers don’t increase and more riders don’t support the series then it won’t return in 2019.

“I’m going to be real honest with you all here, if we don’t get more than 250, there will be no 2019 for the series.

Remember if you want UKGE in 2019 you have to support in 2018, it’s your National series”

The numbers

Individual event entries haven’t reached 250 riders to date in 2018 with 233 at round one, 238 at round two and then 201 at the most recent event at Afan.

2015’s series had between 193 and 312 entries per round, with three of six events breaking the 250 rider mark.

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In comparison, the British National Downhill Series had 310 and 292 riders at its first two events of 2018.

How to enter

Anyone looking to enter the UK Gravity Enduro Series can do so here on MoreDirt, with races costing £73 per person.

Your entry gets you two full days of riding on marked stages with a mix of technical and natural trails and man-made trail centre. There are prizes for the top 3 in each category along with spot prizes and give aways. There’s also trade stands, demo bikes, tech support and free camping where available.

There are two races left in the series:

UK Gravity Enduro Series round 4 – Ae Forest, 25th and 26th August 2018

UK Gravity Enduro Series round 5 – Dyfi Forest, 15th and 16th September 2018

What’s stopping you from entering the UK Gravity Enduro Series? Tell us in the comments below and let’s get some conversation going.

You can read Steve Parr’s full post here on the UK Gravity Enduro Series facebook group

Or view all of our UKGE coverage here on Wideopenmag

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Jamie Edwards
Jamie Edwards is the owner and founder of wideopenmountainbike.com, Team Wideopenmag and Openwide Agency. Jamie first rode a mountain bike in the 90's and was raised on a steady diet of Sprung Video, Dirt Mag and North Wales downhill. He's spent nearly 20 years sharing stories from the UK mountain bike scene and helping young riders achieve their goals through Team Wideopenmag. You can find him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jamie_wideopen
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23 Comments

  1. For me it’s the cost of the events. Not just this one, but all in general. BMX nationals are half these costs for example.
    Not sure what can be done about this though.
    Always thought if it were possible to make all riders have their own insurance or opt in at the entry to pay for extra insurance, if that would help reduce costs and then entry fees.

    1. The event covers more ground, requires more organisation, more Marshalls and more med cover than a BMX event. The pricing is at where it should be.

  2. For me it’s not seeing any personal value in racing.
    It’s a relatively high cost of entry, I have a disinterest for riding to someone else’s schedule and no real interest in racing (I can see if i’m getting faster/slower by looking at Strava).

    Also, I have a perception that the races are run on trails that I could otherwise go and ride with my mates and work to our own schedule.

  3. I think it’s down to the promotion, I live local to Afan and follow almost everything mountain bike related on social media but didn’t know the event was on until a week before. I would be really keen to enter events but I think it needs to be put out there more and shouted about.

    2. +1 for the skill deficit. I can fill the bottom half of the table for less cost and more locally at other events

  6. The price is a little steep but its not until you rock up at UKGE round you realise where your money has gone. Such a lot of effort goes into these events and in return I get to ride with like minded folks, race awesome trails (which are fish cut, Fact!), live timing, medics, listen to music, chill in the evenings next to a Bbq with beer and friends, oh and also listen to Steve Parr throw out some witty banter on the mic!! Whats not to like? Promotion probably will help in the future but those that have done a UKGE must spread the word.

    1. how does it compare to something like ard rock? vs Welsh Enduro Series? I’ve never considered a UKGE for the same reasons I’ve never considered a BDS. I assumed it was those who are seriously fast and are wanting/expecting to go places in their mtb career

  7. Price is the issue. I think £60 is steep enough… anything over that is getting too expensive. Would love to do more racing but can’t afford it.

  8. I’d say the reason is that the regional series have upped their game. There’s no need to travel nationwide. Plus Afan had too much trail centre.

  9. Ultimately feedback on this is useless. Steve has a huge amount of input from riders and potential riders on his Facebook account. It all gets dismissed. I think, in his head, he has it perfect and hasn’t left a stone unturned. Feedback would suggest this is not the case. This unwillingness to continually evolve and improve is costing the series valuable numbers.
    Simply stating ‘use it or lose it’ doesn’t address people’s issues…

    1. I can understand that… and Steve can certainly be pretty fixed in his attitudes. But, he called me after we wrote this piece and we had a chat and I think he is happy to listen to what we and you guys are saying. Regardless of that, we’re here to represent the racers and act as a voice for the riders to the organisers … so whether or not they’re listening we’re going to be making the noise and making sure they’re getting the feedback!

  10. I don’t know what the trails are like in the ukge series but the general perception seems to be if you are not super skilled then stay away or get hurt. The fact it’s effectively a national series puts off riders like me who like racing but fill the lower end of the results sheet and don’t think our skills are up to it. Yes I could try but I could also end up in hospital and not be able to work for months. Also much prefer Mash up style race formats which are much more rider orientated formats

  11. Agree with some of the other comments. The fact it’s a national series requires a big commitment, time and money, from riders.
    Typically the only riders able/prepared to make that commitment (for a full series) are going to be those who feel they’ll be top 50%.
    A rider looking for a one-off enduro race will probably go to a regional event.

    Having said that I’m a big supporter of UKGE and hope it continues

  12. For me the cost would be a sticking point with other great events out there. I’ve done Ard Rock every year to date and seen its costs creep. Boltby was sweet and Pitfiche still to come this year and all were a chunk less. Admittedly I haven’t done UKGE to see what I’m getting extra but for a hobby I couldn’t justify it. I’d also probably put that sort of money (+travel, accommodation, food costs) to a coaching day if I were going to spend it.

    I also live in Lincoln. The nearest decent riding is the Peaks but generally its fairly overlooked for events. I do events away as part of a bigger trip (eg. Pitfiche) but the locations mentioned above are all too far.

  13. Location too far , but maybe should try next one, I had not heard of Afan at all until this message, need better advertising maybe

  14. I raced UKGE before the break, and I know Steve puts in a huge ammount of time and effort before (prepping organising and negotiating with landowners working with sponsors) during (keeping us rolling, keeping the timing system going seeding problem solving entertaining and helping individuals as if he didnt have enough to do) and after. The cost is a bit high but reflects the amount of work in the background and the size (geographically) of the series (don’t think Steve and his small team arrive on the Thursday before an event to prep it). In my opinion there are perhaps three things that might be issues 1) Perception – with the pros getting really involved and being promoted in edits ‘normal’ riders perception may be that it’s too hard for them, and while ratboy may win, the event needs 249 people to lose to be economically viable with roughly 200 of them there just for fun 2) Cost – its all been said 3) UKGE set the bar back in the day, but now regional events are arguably as good and cheaper in every way, as well as less time consuming for the average punter who may have to drive to Afan from Inverness on Friday night, race and get back for work on Monday for instance.

    Steve should be thanked and recognised for kickstarting Enduro for us all, it was a significant contribution to the sport, but perhaps co-ordinating points from regional races and then having perhaps a national champs or British Champs would be the way forward?

  15. Sod it I’ll just give my honest opinion.
    I don’t like what enduro has become and where it is heading in uk. Its become xc enduro.
    I like descending but don’t like pedalling as hard as i can for 3minutes because the track doesn’t flow.
    Now & then i race enduro abroad and remember why i like racing, if only uk races could be as good.
    I know we don’t have the biggest hills in the world but using eastridge & Afan for a national series is a joke, eastridge is a 90 second hill at best yet stages over 3mins.
    This isn’t necessarily the organisers fault, but im not paying 75£ to race on a track that i wouldn’t even consider good enough to take a trip to ride if it weren’t in race.
    Unfortunately the forestry commission and natural resources uk will not allow race organisers to use decent unofficial tracks to race. Also not just the uk series but generally when new tracks are cut in and marketed as natural they are normally really poorly built (don’t flow and don’t stand up to bad weather), this can be solved though.
    #matesraces4thewin

  16. Time, I can’t do two day weekends anymore
    Regional events are on sometimes better tracks and there’s more regional events that mean I don’t have to travel as far

    I don’t want to race the same venues I did in 2014/15

    I don’t want to race in a full face helmet
    I am old enough and wise enough to know my risks when using a open face helmet

    Most of my pals feel the same so if we do a race we will pick a local regional one at a good venue and have this as a local ride that we have a bit of competition in between us for a day a bit of firefly competition non of us are aspiring to race at a higher level anymore we ride for fun now.

    The uk national series isn’t a stepping stone to EWS as per the uk downhill aeries isn’t a stepping stone to world cups so here isn’t the need to race such events. Yes you could say for race experience but they are nothing like world cups or EWS- I have been and Continue to go to both top level world events.

    If there was national points available to get to these events then perhaps people would then ride these races – this is a British cycling federation issue.

    Going back to time I’d say there is a generation of riders that used to fill these events that are in the masters and veteran category’s that now have families and jobs that won’t allow them the time to do a Friday practice – that’s unofficial then two days away racing.

    The younger riders aren’t into it (racing) as much as they see more riding to be had for less money at bike parks etc and if they want a career in mountain biking racing isn’t the only way. Just have a scroll through Instagram

    In my opinion racing in the uk is for one day races and then festival style events like ard rock etc

    See you at the races!

  17. I totally understand the price of the events and have no issue with that at all. I have just finished 3 years of a degree and am totally skint, I would LOVE to race UKGE but just can’t afford to. Maybe reduced student entry? I am going to enter the round at the Dyfi as it is just down the road reducing my travelling costs (Afan was mid final exams…)

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