EnduroSport: The sport of timed cross-country
endurance racing has been taking place in Scotland over
the past thirty years. Derived originally from the ISDT
- International Six Day Trial format - several riders in
Scotland decided they would form a club and have this as
regular competition.
Initial test “events” were held in the highlands
and the Scottish Borders. These proved popular and eventually
several clubs were formed from the Borders to the Grampians.
The Scottish Championship is held over events as far apart
as Hawick and Elgin. This year there are 12 events –
with two Two-Day Enduros to really test the riders.
The main difference between Enduro racing and Motocross
is its timed nature. It is a race against the course. Having
actually got round the course without losing any time penalties
you are then faced with a timed “Special Test”.
This is what separates the winners from the rest. This is
a safe part of the course where you can go as fast as you
can over a cross country or Motocross style test lasting
up to 10 minutes. In some events the final places are often
decided by only a few seconds after four hours of racing.
Scottish events are characterised by their fairly hard
nature - no flat sandy forests up here. The scenery is also
a great attraction for some riders - as you get to ride
over ground not normally accessible to bikes. Riders come
from the North of England, Ireland and there have been foreign
riders from Sweden and even the USA.
It is a sport that caters for all levels of riders. Expert,
Clubman and Sportsman. 2000 also saw the formation of a
Ladies award in events. All riders cover the same ground
for the same time. The Expert riders doing more laps than
the Clubman etc. It is also a sport for all ages with a
separate class now for the over 40’s. There are many
riders nearer 60 than 40 who still compete regularly. It
seems to keep you healthy.
Riders from Scotland compete in the British Championship
with great success and also in the World Enduro Championship.
Richard Hay is one of our best known riders and has won
the Ironman class at Dawn to Dusk. Euan McConnel returns
to active competition this year in Team Honda. We also have
a crop of talented younger riders also starting to make
their mark.
|
2004 was a very competitive
season recently with a lot of new young riders coming up.
We also had two British Champions in Richard Hay 450 and Graeme Naismith. Chris Hay rode for British ISDE Trophy team in Poland.
If you are interested in trying out EnduroSport,
any of the clubs will be delighted to welcome you. All that
is required to enter is a club membership and a day licence.
A suitable machine - trials bike, trail bike or even a scooter
was once entered (but its ground clearance meant it was mostly
carried round). There is also a web site with details of all
the events in Scotland, results and regulations available
- www.scottishenduros.co.uk.
The 2007 events
diary is available on the this website along with with
club contact details.
The first event is at Lossiemouth near Elgin
on 27th March and is being organised by the Grampian Club.
A very enjoyable event it is a great start to the year. Finishing
any Enduro is important, as it is more about you against the
course. It is exactly what it says – ENDURO. So if you
try and don’t finish your first event keep going till
you do.
There will be a couple of training days this
year when the experts can show everyone else how easy it is
and pass on some riding tips. There are several multi lap
cross country events during the year that are an ideal way
to start the sport. Never too far away from the pits and you
can stop when you get tired.
Competition Licence Eligibility:
All riders must be aged 16 years or over.
Protective Clothing and Equipment:
Suitable strong clothing must cover legs, arms and body. Knee
length boots and gloves in leather or other approved material
must be worn. Body armour is generally favoured by most riders.
Helmets bearing the new ACU gold or silver
stamp and in sound condition and properly fitted must be worn
throughout the event. In addition most riders now carry a
camelback drinks system to enable them to re-hydrate on the
course. A tool bag with basic spares is also important.
|
