ews round 1

If it's like Whistler EWS there will be a water aid station at the bottom of each stage. So they'll fill up the bottle after each stage.

Some guys are running a very slim bladder pack under their jersey.

I think the top Pros teams support their riders between stages .

So in the video I see lots of full faces and no packs…. Are these guys really doing 40km + days with just a water bottle?

Or are they doing climbs / timed runs back to a common pit area?

The other thing that struck me is that most of the racers are pedalling 40km+ a day while wearing a fullface..looks painfully hot. I thought many people were wearing a pack with two helmets last year, one for the transfer and one of the descent? Did that become decidedly un-enduro over the off season?

The other thing that struck me is that most of the racers are pedalling 40km+ a day while wearing a fullface..looks painfully hot. I thought many people were wearing a pack with two helmets last year, one for the transfer and one of the descent? Did that become decidedly un-enduro over the off season?

I went full face only last year in Whistler after 2 years of carrying two helmets….for me it depends on the make up of the course I think, but that being said, it sucks to have to have two helmets to do an event.

I went full face only last year in Whistler after 2 years of carrying two helmets….for me it depends on the make up of the course I think, but that being said, it sucks to have to have two helmets to do an event.

I also did single helmet last year just wearing the full face. The transition times were long enough that once I started to overheat on a climb I'd just pull into the old "Enduro Walk" mode for the steeper sections of climbs. Knowing this was going to be my strategy I also decided to run a 34t front ring instead of a 30t that would have had me climbing everything comfortably.

With the 34t I knew I'd be more in the middle of my cassette giving it better chain wrap and tension for the descending and not be as worried about dropping chains.

2014 I did two helmets, glad I did for the extended climbing on Crankzilla.

2014 I did two helmets, glad I did for the extended climbing on Crankzilla.

i did as well, thankfully. did last year's go-fest with the dh lid (mandatory ff) which was pretty toasty, but manageable (nominally). certainly nice not having to juggle shit. if more races stipulated ff's i'd probably looking for a cooler lid.

Not to add a ray of sunshine and happiness to this thread, but I once came across someone lying in the middle of Natural High who had pedaled up Fromme wearing an open face lid, and switched to the FF for the descent, strapping the open face helmet to his pack. He'd fallen on his back, and the open face helmet had acted as a fulcrum, severing his spinal chord. As far as I know he is still paralyzed from the shoulders down.

I will never descend with a helmet strapped to my back. That was a scary experience.

Not to add a ray of sunshine and happiness to this thread, but I once came across someone lying in the middle of Natural High who had pedaled up Fromme wearing an open face lid, and switched to the FF for the descent, strapping the open face helmet to his pack. He'd fallen on his back, and the open face helmet had acted as a fulcrum, severing his spinal chord. As far as I know he is still paralyzed from the shoulders down.

I will never descend with a helmet strapped to my back. That was a scary experience.

I've always thought that exact thing as a possibility. Sucks that it actually happened

gnarly, and really shitty….probably won't ever do that again, now!

faaaark. thanks for that moment of sobriety.

The other thing that struck me is that most of the racers are pedalling 40km+ a day while wearing a fullface..looks painfully hot. I thought many people were wearing a pack with two helmets last year, one for the transfer and one of the descent? Did that become decidedly un-enduro over the off season?

The season before last season two-helmet schlepping all but stopped for the most Enduroey Enduro brahs.

Not to add a ray of sunshine and happiness to this thread, but I once came across someone lying in the middle of Natural High who had pedaled up Fromme wearing an open face lid, and switched to the FF for the descent, strapping the open face helmet to his pack. He'd fallen on his back, and the open face helmet had acted as a fulcrum, severing his spinal chord. As far as I know he is still paralyzed from the shoulders down.

I will never descend with a helmet strapped to my back. That was a scary experience.

wow, that's a horrible story. Makes me think twice about riding with a chainsaw in my pack or any other tools on my back, for that matter :eek:

The season before last season two-helmet schlepping all but stopped for the most Enduroey Enduro brahs.

Is it really 2016? I lost a year somewhere in there I guess :(