It can be overwhelming and nerve-racking starting something new, but we are here to help welcome you into the awesome Enduro Community with ease and excitement!

Our events are a part of a Series with points earned based on your finishing position at each round.

However, there is no requirement to enter every round and anyone can enter any event at any time with no qualifications or prerequisites to race.

Enduro Mountain Bike Racing is an exciting mountain bike competition aiming to uncover the best riders who can adapt their technical skills and physical fitness across different mountain bike terrains.

Competitors are assigned a number of different ‘special stages’ which they must complete and are timed. One of the best things about Enduro is competitors can race alongside family and mates and rub shoulders with the worlds best in the same race. Each competitor has the opportunity to set their fastest time down the ‘special stage’ as competitors are released one-at-a-time, usually 30 seconds apart. The ‘liaisons’ or transitions between stages are untimed, however, we require competitors to complete their course within a time window, which varies on category from 1hr to 4hours.

  3 STEPS TO ENTER FOR NEW COMPETITORS

1) Get Auscycling Insurance

As our events are sanctioned through Auscycling, all competitors must have Auscycling Insurance. Insurance allows you to use our on-course Medic Services (St John Ambulance) and allows competitors to make claims.

More information available at https://www.auscycling.org.au/membership/other/insurance

Auscycling offers a number of Insurance Options for Competitors

• Annual Off-Road Membership, or
• Single Event License, or
• 4 Week Free Trial

If you are not affiliated with a Club, please enter ‘Western Trails Alliance Inc’ when requested during signup. It is free and helps support local trail builders.

We strongly encourage anyone riding a bike (particularly our ‘Shadow’ riders) to have Auscycling Lifestyle Insurance. It’s very affordable and will help us ensure all riders on the trails are covered, protecting WA Gravity Enduro, the landowners and all affiliates and helps grow our Sport by supporting Auscycling.

The Off-Road is the best Membership for Mountain Biking and will even cover you during recreational riding.

Once you have your insurance confirmed, make note of your Auscycling Membership Number to enter it into EntryBoss (see next steps).

2) Sign up to race at Eventplus

Entry for our events takes place on the Eventplus platform in 2024. It only takes a few minutes to create a new rider profile. Parents and guardians can add children under their own profile and add themselves as their dependants for each event.

Hit the Sign up link in the top right at https://eventplus.net/wge24.

3) Get your equipment ready

Your bike must be in good working order, handlebars with endplugs and brakes working front and rear. More information here.

You must also have a Full Face Helmet. Helmets with detachable chin-guards are permitted. More information here.

 All under 17 competitors (which includes the categories U9, U11, U13, U15 and U17) MUST have elbow pads, knee pads and full fingered gloves. No gear, No ride, No refund.

Be aware of key dates and cutoffs

Our events can sellout at anytime before the event so when you are ready to race, don’t delay and sign up straight away.

Monday before an event weekend – we release the course map. This contains all essential times and stages required to complete. Race briefing is mandatory.

Tuesday midnight before an event weekend – cutoff for named raceplates. All new competitors in the Series will receive their first raceplate for free. Don’t forget to bring it to future races. If you damage it or lose it, you can request a reprint during your next race entry in Entryboss.

Wednesday before an event weekend – we publish the Start List showing your category and raceplate number. Check this and email steve@wagravityenduro.org if you have any issues.

Friday 8pm before an event weekend – usually the final chance to enter unless already sold out. We may accept on-the-day entries only if capacity exists and riders must enter through Entryboss.

LET’S GO ENDURO!

MONDAY MAP

The excitement might be starting to set in now!

On Monday before an event weekend, we release the Course Map. The Course Map has all information required for you to get the the Race Village and plan your race. You will see your Category, a Mandatory Race Briefing time and the stages required. Due to the size of our events, we release competitors in Groups with varying start times to space out competitors to reduce queue times and manage the competitors on course.

An example Course Map from Round 3 of the WA Gravity Enduro Series 2021 in Pemberton

SATURDAY PRACTISE

On Saturday, we usually run a practise session with the times available on the Course Map. We have Medical Services available during the Official Practise time. However, if you ride outside this Official Practise period, it is at your own risk. 

SUNDAY RACE

We advise arriving at Race Village about 15-30mins before Race Briefing. If you are a new competitor for the year, you can collect your raceplate. Existing competitors for the year must bring their existing raceplate. At Race Village, you will also be issued a timing band, also known as a SIAC, which stores all your race data. Look after this – damage or loss means you will lose your race data (no times available) and you will be required to pay a $120 replacement fee.

You must attend Race Briefing. It has critical last-minute information which may change your race, particularly if course conditions have changed. The Race Director may also have you ride in an order which must be followed, or free order where you head to the shortest queues to complete your required stages. Beware – completing an incorrect Stage can be a 60 second penalty!

Once you have finished completing your stages (only 1 attempt per stage), competitors return to the Centre of Gravity Trailer to return their timing band and recieve a printout of their times. Not until all competitors return can be know how you placed among other in your category.

Sometimes, food is also available for our Competitors. Make sure you select food during the Entry Process as we can only cater for those who make the selection, and there is no additional charge.

And finally, (and hopefully!), it’s time to brag to your friends that you beat them down the hill!

SAY WHAT?

TERMINOLOGY

Auscycling – the Australian National Governing Body for bicycle racing in Australia

Commissaire – the referee on course who can make decisions on rules and their applications

Entryboss – the WA Gravity Enduro competitor entry system

Marshal – a legend who is on-course monitoring an area to keep everyone safe and following the race rules

Provisionally entered / Nomination – a competitor has paid and entered an event and is awaiting the Race Director to check and approve their category selection

Race Briefing – a mandatory session where the rider must be present to listen to all information by the Race Director. This information is critical for the safety of the riders, spectators and marshals, and to ensure rules are adhered to for the fairness and enjoyment of the race.

Rock Garden – a section of trail comprising of rocks and little to no soil

Sanctioned – official approval eg sanctioned trail is a trail which is approved for use by the land manager. Sanctioned event is an event authorised to proceed by the approval organisation

Shadow Rider – a guardian rider riding accompanying an U18 competitor, usually only if the competitor is young and/or new to racing. Shadow riders must ride behind the competitor when racing on a Stage. A Shadow Rider must have Insurance and we recommend Auscycling Lifestyle Insurance at only $7 a month. A Shadow Rider must have some experience with mountain biking, should have a bike in good working order and in most cases, should wear a fullface helmet (which is mandatory at Private Venues).

Shuttle – a bus and trailer service where a rider can load their bike on the trailer, sit in the bus and driven to a location (usually highest elevation point)

SIAC – Sportident Active Card. This is the Timing Band fitted to a competitor’s right-wrist and stores the race data throughout the course.

Special Stage (also known as a Stage) – predominantly a downhill trail which is timed. These ‘special stages’ are selected by the Course Coordinator based on perceived abilities of the majority of competitors. For example, our younger categories (Whippets U9, U11 and U13) are required to race 2 to 3 of the easiest ‘special stages’ available, whereas our Full Enduro Competitors (Elite) must race several stages.

TTF – Technical Trail Feature eg a section of mountain bike trail with an increased difficulty of use such as a rock garden or jump

Waitlist – a competitor has paid and entered an event but does not currently have a timing chip allocated as the event is over-subscribed.

Whippet – a WA Gravity Enduro competitor under the age of 13