One of the most wanted events to enter, the Merida Ex Enduro is a long weekend filled with trails, food and making new friends. Throw in some drinks and a campground for the ultimate weekend.

Merida Ex Enduro, a weekend of sweat, smiles and sweet singletrack.

I’m in Pembrokeshire, I’d normally be in the Alps but this year has not been a great success regarding riding my bike. I’m out of shape and out of form and have only managed one race all year. 

I have been roaming around South Wales the past few days with basically no cell phone signal. Camping, riding and kayaking, escaping the ‘hustle and bustle’ as much as possible. 

As I check into my new accommodation for the night (a very minimalistic caravan), the phone picks up a bit of signal and starts to dance across the worlds smallest caravans table, vibrating urgently.

In amongst the usual notifications of missed calls, new Whatsapp notifications and e-mails, I spot the words “The Ex Enduro'' flashing on the screen. I open the email and am greeted by the amazing news that there is a space available, should I want it. Small detail: the event starts in less than a week. No time to get fit but hey, I have my bike in the van and I have been putting my name on the list for the event since it started. I responded immediately, a big fat yes please!

As a warm up, I exhausted myself by riding the brilliant W2 route at Afan in 30 degrees Celsius heat. There is nothing like severe dehydration to prepare you for a big weekend! Not content with that, I decided that some blisters and mild back ache from kayaking on the Wye was definitely a good idea…. Anyone ever heard the expression poor preparation leads to poor performance? Nah, me neither. 

As my adventure buddies head back to my native Kent, I steer the van in the direction of Allerford, a quaint Somerset village on the road to Porlock. 

According to the race details, the riding starts in anger at noon on Friday but this is where the whole culture of the events reveals itself. The camping is open from Thursday, there is even a guided ride out should you turn up and feel the need to go explore. 

I rocked up on Thursday lunchtime, and pulled in with a sense of trepidation. Spotted a couple that looked friendly. Well, the lady was pitching both tents while the guy was playing with the madly energetic dog, perfect.

Moments later another van pulls in and it becomes apparent that it is two lads riding while their wives are heading off with the dogs to drink copious amounts of wine somewhere a little more luxurious than a field.

Mark and Ray strike up conversation immediately, as it turns out we would end up riding together throughout the weekend, I am no longer a lone rider.

Luke, who is here to marshal pulls in on the opposite side of me and again, common interests make conversation easy.

Wandering over to the event village, the first thing I’m asked to do is to hold a rope. I was slightly disappointed it wasn’t for a game of tug of war, but to assist pulling the Shimano arch in place. Always glad to help out though. Then the fire pit is lit and I’m told to help myself to a beer from a fridge that is stacked high with a selection of ales from the Bristol Beer Factory.

I’m amazed at the numbers turning up on a Thursday afternoon, there must be 50 riders and they are all being welcomed, directed to the fridge and then to the HQ building that houses the kitchen where food has been laid on for everyone. To be feeding this many people before the event has truly got underway is both a logistical feat and a generous one.

Over dinner I meet the Plymouth boys, a trio that will provide many laughs throughout the weekend. Another few names to add to my list of newly made friends. 

Having turned up on my own some 6 hours earlier I am now laughing, chatting and listening to stories from six people I have never met before.  This is a feature of mountain bike events and the reason I attend them, not really being a racer by nature.  

Friday kicks off with brekkie and then there is yoga laid on, I get back to the van to give the bike a check over before jumping in the van for the uplift.

Having been driven up to a point near the top of Dunkery Beacon it is time to get the race face on! A fast drop on a well defined track sees the race stage done, what follows is a wonderful traverse on superb moorland tracks. For me this was a highlight in terms of what Exmoor can offer but the simple fact is you can’t race on these shared paths.

The riding then took on the familiar winch up to the stage, race down format. Friday gave us a flavour of what was to come, a 28km loop which included over a 1000 m of climbing and 6 race stages. The trails were classic Exmoor woodland singletrack, loamy at times, slick as on occasion from the recent rain and roots aplenty.

Back at base I was happy with the fact I’d ridden solidly, kept the wheels rubber side down and was feeling good. Even the lack of preparation and training couldn’t bring my spirits down. 

To be honest, I cannot say that I felt excited about heading out again for the 2 night stages. I opted to keep my kit on, check my bike over and avoid the beer fridge!

Exposure lights were onsite as a sponsor and seeing Mark operate, supporting existing customers, charging lights and lending out lights to anyone that asked, it is easy to see how Exposure have earned a name for excellence in both kit and customer support. 

Although there were plenty of Exposure lights available, I stuck with my antiquated D Maxx and set out into the night.

The first stage was a tight, twisty affair that required some pedalling, it served to remind me just how much fun night riding is.

The second stage was a flat out blast, hitting speeds of around 30mph. Things were wild and at times reckless… I flipping loved it!

So having just done 350m of descent and with adrenaline pumping I rolled into the farmyard where tonight’s BBQ was in full swing. 

Fires burning, BBQ smoking, music playing and happy bikers excitedly demonstrating how they’d leapt a drainage trench or railed a corner, what a fantastic evening.

Besides soaking up the atmosphere, I also soaked up a little too much of the Stowford Press out of the beer fridge. Those Plymouth lads were as happy to party as to ride.

I set out on Saturdays 41km with 1900m of climbing with a slight hangover, poor preparation strikes again!

Ray and Mark had ridden with me throughout Friday, a generous thing to do considering they were both on e bikes, I suggested they go ahead as we had a long day ahead but they stayed with me all day. To have that support was a big help on what was a very tough day. That support and the most excellent cream tea stop during which I may have over indulged again got me home. I did struggle on stage 7 of 8 due to general fatigue, winding it back to ensure I didn’t give the medics work to do.

Dinner on Saturday was yet another standout evening, the marshals and staff dressed as waiters and waitresses and waited on the competitors, serving up a 3 course meal.  

A fun quiz saw our table of reprobates win Merida caps, yay, I actually won something.I turned in early, having learnt my lesson the night before. Making mistakes is one thing, but there’s no need to make them twice! 

Sunday was another day of significant climbing, 1300m of up not including the 250m uplift that started the day.

7 more stages and another stop at the cream tea feed station and it was a great feeling to roll under the Shimano arch with my riding buddies for the last time.

110km, 3600m climbing and 4300m descending… job done.

So what were the trails like? Fun more than scary or super technical, though there were sections that required full commitment. For me it was great to look forward to pedalling hard into a stage rather than setting off with trepidation and I can honestly say I enjoyed every one of the 23 stages and absolutely loved several of them.

Who is it for? Firstly, it is hard work, an e bike can help with that but it is still a long weekend. Watching Ray progress throughout the weekend was a highlight for me, a solid rider but not a racer, he was attacking sections at the end that he would have been picking his way through on Friday, big smiles all round.  

So an average rider with the right attitude would take a lot away from this weekend. Racers too were having a blast, riding fast and challenging for the win there was no mention of it being easy or dull, focus and skill were required and only the best would have made it through the weekend without a slip up.

I achieved mid pack obscurity, which I was satisfied with. It was so much more than a race though, it was an event. I made new friends, ate well, drank plenty and created great memories.

What made this event stand out for me was the sense of generosity, it starts with Michael and Paul who have genuinely thought long and hard about what they wanted it to be and then made it happen. The staff, volunteers and overall feel make it one for the bucket list and I highly recommend it.

I’d like to say a big thank you to all the riders, marshalls and organizers. I will be back, either racing or possibly as a marshal as I’m keen to both help make it happen and soak up the vibe all over again. 

Fact sheet:

  • The Merida Ex powered by Shimano
  • Website: https://the-ex.co.uk
  • 80 rider maximum 
  • 3 day Enduro event (with night stages!)
  • 6-8 timed stages per day
  • 35-35km of riding per day
  • Vintage tea stop
  • Pricing GBP 300 (Includes uplifts, campsite, all food and a few beers) 
  • 2022 dates to be announced

 

By Nigel Garrood
Nigel Garrood was one of the instigators of the IMB project and has been with us since the very beginning. This loveable rogue has more stories than the Bible and is known to enjoy a beer or two. On the bike, he’s fast and loose and often puts younger riders to shame. Equally he’s been known to suffer from the odd crash and carries the scars to prove it. He was once referred to as being a robot sent from the future to save us all!

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