Enduro Basics
The purpose of this publication is to give you the basic
information that you need, in a simple form, to help you
understand the basics of timekeeping. We will start with
some definitions.
| Term |
Meaning |
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Key Time
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This is the actual time of day that the enduro starts, and
is the time that the club will use to calculate your arrival time
at a checkpoint. Most enduros use 8:00 AM, but actual key time can
be any time.
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Bottleneck
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A portion of the course that is difficult and causes riders to
back up and block the course for other riders.
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Checkpoint
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A place on the trail where the club marks your time to see
exactly what time you got there. A standard checkpoint is
marked with a red and white flag.
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Check-in
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A checkpoint placed at the beginning of a test section
to insure that you don't enter the section early.
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Check-out
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A checkpoint at the end of a test section to
accurately measure the time that it took you to
ride the section. These checks are often tie-breakers
and your time will be taken to the second to
measure exactly how long you took.
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Known Control
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A checkpoint whose location is disclosed by
the club. You may arrive at a Known control up
to fifteen minutes early without penalty, but you
can't leave until your time comes up. The finish
of an enduro must be a known control, unless
announced differently in advance, in which case,
you can leave early. A known control is marked
with a yellow flag.
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Tie-breaker Check
or Emergency Check
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A checkpoint marked with green and white flag.
The club will take your time to the exact second.
These checks are usually at the end of a test section.
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Observation Check
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Sometimes called a "Visual", marked with a white flag.
These checks are set up to make sure that everyone
follows the course as marked, and don't take any shortcuts.
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Test Section
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A portion of the course where the average is raised
up to a speed that you can't maintain with a check-out
at the end. There will usually be a checkpoint at the
start of the section.
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Speed Average
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The rate of speed that the club expects you to ride.
Most common averages are 15, 18, 20, 21, 24, 30
and 36 mph. This can also be expressed in tenths of
a mile per minute. This can easily be calculated by
dividing the 60 minutes in an hour into the speed
average. So 60 div. into 18 = .3 tenths, 60 into 24=.4
tenths, and so on. Some averages will be "uneven". 60
into 20=.3333333 or 1 mile in 3 minutes.
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Possibles
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The places on the course within the rules
that the club may place a check.
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Free Miles
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Mileage after a check that the club cannot have
a check. The rules say that checks cannot be
within 3 miles of each other. So if you go
through a check, at 24 mph, .4 tenths per minute,
at 3.2 miles, then the next check has to be at
least 3 route sheet miles away. So from 3.2 to 6.2,
there can't be a check. And since checks must be
on "even" tenths and minutes, the next check has to
be at or past 6.4.
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Free Time
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This is like a "time-out". The club will usually
give you free time after a test section to help
get you back on time so that you don't have to
speed or take chances on other parts of the course,
particularly roads.
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Gas Stop
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A location designated by the club for refueling.
Most of the times the club will take your cans
on a trailer to the gas area. You should put your
riding number on the can or cans.
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Mileage Marker
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A sign along side the course that displays
the official mileage. Remember, It may not be
right, but it's official. Always reset your
odometer to the club's mileage.
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Reset
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A course mileage adjustment to either give
you some free miles to help get you back on
time, or to adjust the course mileage to help
the club design the course.
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Number
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The club will assign you a riding number
that corresponds to the minute past key
time that you start. Your number will also
have an a, b, c, d, or e after it and
that is merely to tell you from other riders
that are on the same minute.
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Minute
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The 60 second window of time that you are
given to ride in. You can arrive at a check
one second past the turning of the minute,
or 59 seconds past, and still be scored as
on time. You will hear riders talking about
riding at the "top" of their minute ( 1-10sec.)
or in the "middle" of their minute ( 25-35 sec.).
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Zero
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Slang for arriving at a check on time. Zero points
are lost if you are on time, hence you "zeroed" the check.
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Rollchart
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This refers to pre-calculated information that you
are allowed to carry on your handlebars that will
tell you the location of every possible check, and
the exact time that you should be there. It will
also give speed change, reset, free time and gas
stop information.
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Rider's Meeting
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All enduros have a meeting of all entrants one hour
before Key Time. You should attend this meeting because
the club will explain any last minute changes, show the
course markings, tell where the start is, gas stops, and
a lot of other useful information. It also a good place
to get acquainted with he other riders.
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The simplest explanation of an enduro is that it is similar to an auto rally,
in that you must maintain a very precise time schedule and attempt to arrive
at each checkpoint at the exact time prescribed by the club, and as shown on
your roll chart. If the speed average is slow, and the trail is easy,
this is easy to do because it is a simple mathematical calculation, and your
roll chart will tell you exactly at what time to be at every spot that there
can be a check.
Part of the skill of a good enduro rider is acquiring the
discipline to go slow when you could easily go much faster. The club will typically
put in some terrain on which you cannot maintain the speed average, and that is
what determines who has the best riding skills. So, an enduro will test your
timekeeping ability, your discipline, and your riding ability.
You lose one point for each minute that you are late to a checkpoint, but you
lose more if you arrive early; two points for the first minute, and five points
for each other minute, so you can see why you must develop the discipline to go
slow when necessary.
You will be given a scorecard when you enter, and it will have your name,
class, and riding number on it. Attach it to your front fender so that
it is easily accessible by the checkpoint people that will be marking your
card. If your fender is not perfectly flat, then you should use some sort of
back-up plastic that will provide a smooth surface for the checkpoint people
to mark on. The "MOOSE" scorecard holders work very well, protect your card
and are inexpensive. Riding numbers are usually available at sign-up, and you
should put your number on the front number plate of your bike, and remove any
extra numbers that may confuse the check workers. Take your gas can or cans
with your numbers on them to the gas trailers provided by the club. After you
do all this, about ten or fifteen minutes before your starting time, you should
head to the starting line. Your watch should be set back by the minute of your
riding number so that your watch shows key time when you leave the starting line.
Since you don't get to pre-ride an enduro course, you must rely on the course
markings, danger arrows, and your own ability to read the terrain to negotiate
the trail safely and quickly when required. For your first few enduros,
concentrate on riding at your comfortable pace; don't ride "over your head" or
further than you can see. You take too big a chance of crashing, and if you crash,
you may damage yourself or your bike to the point that you can't finish. There
is an old enduro maxim that says "To finish first, first you must finish."
By rule, there cannot be a check for three miles, so you can ride early
safely to 1 tenth before the first "possible" shown on your roll chart. Take
a short break there if you are early, and double check your bike and equipment,
and reset your speedometer to the official club mileage shown at either 2.9 or 3.0.
You will probably see the experienced riders riding fast for a few tenths,
then slowing down, waiting for a few seconds, then riding hard again. They
will stop before going over a hill or into a thick clump of brush and wait
until they are exactly on time. Then when they pop over that hill and there
is a checkpoint, you might think they were cheating and knew where the checks
were located. No, they are just "riding the possibles." Remember what we
said in definitions about checks, by the rules, must be on even tenths and
minutes? That means that the club must follow strict rules about where
checks are located, and riders can use that to their benefit. For instance,
at 24mph, the checks must be 4 tenths of a mile apart, so once you go past a
"possible" there can't be another check for 4 more tenths, so you can ride
as fast as you want for the next 3 tenths, then slow down before you get
to the next possible and so on. If you are in wide open country and can
see for a long way, you can conceivably get several minutes early by riding
the possibles. This early cushion can help you if you run into a bottleneck,
or if you need a little time off the bike to check something. The downside
is that if the club is successful in really hiding a check (like in a gully
that you can't see, or around a sharp turn that you didn't see), they will
catch you early and it will cost you a lot of points.
You also are allowed two free miles before a gas stop. and three free miles
after one. Frequently, the clubs will reset you through these free miles, but
if they don't, you will not have to worry about any checks within those miles.
The rules at TSCEC enduros require the clubs to give you 10 minutes free time
at a gas stop to give you plenty of time to refuel, get something to drink, and
clean your goggles. Remember the number that you put on your gas can? The club
gas personnel will put your can out in order based on the last digit of that number.
So far, we haven't discussed enduro computers. It is my opinion that while
you are learning, for the first few runs, you should rely on a route sheet,
your odometer and a watch to help you learn the basics. Even after you start
using a computer, you still should use a route sheet as a back-up, and a double
check. The modern day computers are amazing in how much info they will give
you, but you really need to understand the basic's to become a good timekeeper.
Roll charts are generally available at sign-in that contains all the information
that you need to stay on time. If you set your watch to key time (8:00 usually)
when you leave the start line, your roll chart will show you exactly where you
should be at anytime on the course.
One of the most common rookie mistakes that happens with a computer is that
your mileage will get off slightly from the clubs official mileage, and your
computer will show that you are on time, but you actually arrive at the check
a few seconds early, and you get "burned" by a minute. What has happened is
that your mileage has varied, and your computer doesn't know that. Remember
that we said that the club was under very strict rules about where they can
place a check? The checks have to be on even tenths and minutes, so if you
approach a check, and your computer is showing that you are at 6.3 and you
are right at the check, then the mileage must be 6.4, if you have been at a
24mph. average since the start. Your roll chart will show what the exact mileage
must be, so you can determine the mileage from the check location. When you
enter a check, the flip cards and the sign that shows the mileage and key time
should be on your right. Locate them and double check your mileage with the
check sign, reset your odometer if necessary, make sure they wrote the correct
time on your card, then boogie. You have three miles before there can be another
check so you can go as fast as you want. You may be in a test section, and if so,
you will want to ride as fast as you can so as to lose as few points as possible.
If you start in the "C" class, your course will be around 50 + or - miles. DON'T
let that scare you. You will only have to be riding really hard for maybe only
half of that mileage, more or less, depending on speed averages, terrain, your
ability, etc. You will really get your money's worth on your entry fee, because
you do get to ride 50 miles, not just 6 laps, and then wait two hours to ride
another 6 laps.
While you are starting in this sport, it is important to remember
some "Enduro Etiquette". You should move over promptly for a faster rider.
He (or she) is probably not in your class anyway, but if they are capable of
going faster, you should let them go. You should also turn your score card in
promptly; that really speeds up the scoring process. While in a check and
getting your card marked, be as still as possible. Gunning your motor,
twitching your handlebars, trying to shift gears, etc. make it hard for the
check worker to mark your card, so hold as still as possible! Also, when you
leave the check, be considerate of the workers, and don't "roost" them.
While an enduro may sound complex to the inexperienced, it offers much more
than most other motorcycle events. An enduro takes not only riding ability,
but also mental and emotional capacity. Some trails are really physically
demanding, knowing if you are "on time" takes some thinking, and "burning" a
check really gets you ticking. Keeping these three factors in control and
finishing will really reward you at the end of the day. It has to; its the
only way back to your vehicle! Some say that if you can load your own bike,
it's been a good ride.
Hope this information helps you, and Welcome to the world of Enduro's.
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