Have A Go Heroes

Brought to you by the team behind the Ard Rock, this new event replaces limestone with dirt and heather, and lets the good times roll.

- Dan Trent

My initial reaction to making the cut as a — slightly sweaty — pundit in the official Ard Moors video is flattery. On reflection I realise it’s less the pithy insight I was sharing to the camera, and more that I was about the only rider not to cross the line of the fifth and final stage issuing a stream of excitable and adrenalin fuelled expletives.

Air as blue as the cloudless September skies that blessed this first running of the Ard Rock’s moorland offshoot isn’t to imply enduro riders are somehow any more potty-mouthed than downhillers, XCers or anyone else who pedals a bike for the thrill of risk and reward. Just that it’s so fu- … oops … so full-on fun, and the buzz is so intense it tends to inspire suitably fruity reactions.

But why would you want to turn a day ride in the hills into a race? Plenty seem keen to. Now in its fourth year, the Yorkshire Dales-based Ard Rock enduro has cemented itself as a sell-out event, attracting over 2,000 riders to this stunning and rugged corner of northern England. As a showcase for regional pride, superb trails, and the very best of local produce and scenery, it’s not hard to see why the scramble for entries is now as intense as the annual bunfight for Glastonbury tickets.

Enduro is clearly en vogue, but the real organisational masterstroke in this case was combining fantastic trails and great racing with a modern festival vibe supported by quality food and drink, evening entertainment, and a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. Think of it as the successor to the hedonism and madness of 90s classics like the Malverns, just a little more mature and sensible.

UP-MARKET ENDURO