RACE: Trysil Enduro 2024

Enduro. Just savor that word. Enduuuuro. It sounds like a type of ADHD.

Oh no, have you heard about Bjorn?
He's been diagnosed with Enduro.
It doesn't look promising. He can't sit still.
And it's spread to his bile duct.

The description of this year's race was, of course, exactly the same as last year: Join us to ride Trysil's gnarliest singletracks.

We've come to realize that only the gods know what that means, so the only natural thing to do is to take a step closer to God: Trysilfjellet. Hallelujah.

Last year's race wasn't particularly Hallelujah, so I wasn't particularly looking forward to it. I thought, as people like me do, that it would be pretty much the same as it was. According to ChatGPT, that makes me a conservative, traditional, risk-averse, and pessimistic person who likes to maintain the status quo. Talk about a reality check.

But my knees will only last a couple more years, so we might as well try again before it's game over.

The rules for the weekend:

We don't go home until the award ceremony is over
We eat at McDonald's on the way home
No sulking about bad performance in the car

Friday, September 13th.

I love leaving my wife and children at home. I also asked ChatGPT what this says about me. You get many different answers depending on how you phrase the question, but I choose to go with this description (which works best in English): An adventurous, free-spirited escape-artist and man-child.

So I head north, on an adventure, with three other man-children. And it doesn't take long for the adventure to begin. Who do you think is driving the same way as us? North on the E6? Indeed: Linni Meister.

Saturday, September 14th.

An email arrives from Trysil Enduro HQ. Chief Strategist Fredrik immediately gets to work, and within one to two minutes, everyone knows where we're going and what we're doing.

There was immediate excitement that this year's course wasn't much like last year's. In addition, the weather is considerably better, so everything was set for a joyful day on the bike.

RACE DAY. Sunday, September 15th.

Tire check:
Front tire: Magic Mary Super Downhill Ultra Soft, 25 PSI
Rear tire: Big Betty Super Downhill Ultra Soft, 28 PSI

FE1

As "usual," you stand at Special Stage 1 and wait. We, the veterans, know that the wait will be a cold affair on an early autumn morning in Trysil. But I, the creature of habit, forgot this from last year, so this year, like last year, I'm standing with my hands in my pockets, a shrunken penis, and nervous nerves.

The first stage is always a journey. You haven't quite gotten into the rhythm of the day, and I feel a slightly pleasant and unpleasant pressure. It's precisely this pressure that I suspect is good for me, though I can't be entirely sure. Everyday life at home is otherwise so predictable and often a bit monotonous. Home is Groundhog Day.

It's always at enduro races that I realize I have a problem with clipless pedals. Usually, I clip into the pedals and unclip without a second thought. But here at the starting line, the task seems almost impossible.

But once I get on the bike, things loosen up. You're flying. Fun fact: Our man Jon won this stage in the old-timers' class!

FE2

Suspension check:
Fork: Rockshox ZEB Ultimate, Charger 3.1, 170mm (Complete overkill)
Shock: Rockshox Super-Deluxe Ultimate Air

With Stage 1 over and done with, I've got some adrenaline in my system and a grip on the handlebars. Everything gets better then.

FE2 is varied fare. Here you first plummet down a gravel road in the heaviest gear, then onto a marshy slide, before you have to fight your way uphill (!) a slippery and nasty singletrack. When you're done with that, with your heart about to fall out, you pound on down an endlessly long switchback before collapsing at the finish line.

FE3

Bike Check:
Deviate Claymore XL. This bike frame is a hairy beast downhill, and even the timidest of us (like me) can benefit from it. But when it flattens out, or the trail ahead points slightly uphill, it becomes a blue whale for me. In other words, it thrives best downhill.

FE3 is a gem of a trail. I'm speechless. If it had been a little longer, it would have been perfect. This is Trysil at its best.

FE4

Drivetrain:
XTR throughout. 1x12. 32 teeth in front. I'm pretty sure this is the smoothest mechanical drivetrain there is.

Up into the mountains. That is, right at the top of the mountain. Towards the top, I get flashbacks from hypothermia the year before, and fortunately, the start gate is empty when I get up there. So then it's just a matter of putting on the glasses and getting down as fast as possible. I think the Trysil crew has been good at patching together trails and roads and finding exciting variations. FE4 is a real patchwork: high mountains, clear-cuts, parking lots, residential areas, and finally a small nightmare of a singletrack that eats bike parts. There's no shortage of bent derailleur hangers, brake rotors, and loose chains in the finish area.

FE5

Brakes:
XT. No frills. Just solid and responsive brakes that have stood the test of time.

Rocks. Lots of rocks. The weather in the days leading up to this has taken its toll on this course. Imagine a hundred thousand rocks the size of a baby's head, covered in mud. It's hard to find the flow here! Then it plunges into a section of Trysil's new park course, which is probably awesome if you dare to hit the jumps, but causes the most anxiety for people like me who just get seasick in such undulating terrain. Then it's straight down the slalom slope, through the resort, over the airbag, and to the finish. Good heavens.

Epilogue

What an experience. I have to take my hat off to Trysil this time. This was good stuff. It's not easy to admit, but I was wrong. It can't be easy to serve up a plate of stages that are so varied, so manageable for most, and that create an entire weekend of fantastic cycling. Well played. See you next year.

PHOTO CREDIT: GINTARE KALKAUSKATE & OLA MATTSON