It’s been nearly ten years since I last raced an Enduro. Ten. Years. That’s long enough for trail standards, wheel sizes, and acronyms to change multiple times. So when Liam Mercer — Tech Editor over at Off.road.cc and my regular partner-in-dust — suggested we sign up for the opening round of the 2025 Southern Enduro Series, I’ll admit I felt a little… twitchy.
To be fair, I’ve done my time. I started off XC racing back when bar ends were still a thing, dabbled in downhill during a stint in China (long story), and threw myself into a few Enduro events back in my Singletrackworld.com days. I even managed an EWS race (back before it was rebranded into oblivion as the EDR) and once wrangled a UCI DH Team — so it’s not like I’m a total stranger to the race tape. Quite the opposite.
The Green-Eyed Monster
Most days on the bike, I’m not fussed about being the fastest — or slowest, for that matter. I’m perfectly happy to get shown up on the climbs or schooled on the descents. That’s just riding, after all. But call it a “race”? Oh, that’s a different beast entirely.
What I didn’t want was for the whole thing to spiral into a stats-fuelled obsession with times, splits, and whether or not I should have swapped tyres the night before. I wanted to keep it light, ride bikes with my mate, and — crucially — have fun. So we entered the ‘Fun’ category. No pressure, no expectations. Just two guys with questionable fitness and a shared fear of Lycra suits.
Training? Yeah… about that. I meant to train. I really did. But then winter happened. And work. And a few product launches. So instead, I squeezed in a gloriously last-minute five-day binge of riding before race day. Turns out, muscle memory is a wonderful thing.
Milland Enduro – Dust, Roots, and Good Vibes
Our race took place in Milland — the kick-off venue for the Southern Enduro series. A compact little hillside with a mellow climb and five very fun stages. The total elevation? Just 290 metres. Not exactly an alpine epic, but perfect for a casual comeback.
Conditions were dreamy. The tracks were dry, dusty, and surprisingly technical in spots, and we spent the morning sessioning features, talking tyre pressures, and pretending to be much more serious than we actually are. A couple of hours later, we were lined up and ready to race.
I was on my prototype Privateer 121 — a 120mm travel Gen 2 platform with a 140mm Fox 34 up front. Not exactly what you’d call “enduro race spec,” but frankly, it was absolutely perfect for this terrain. I’ve even ridden this bike in the Alps, and it handled itself like a terrier with something to prove.
Liam, who could ride basically anything he wanted thanks to his day job, opted for his personal Canyon Spectral — 160/150mm travel and was probably more capable than either of us on the day.
So… How Did It Go?
Well, I won the Fun category. Liam came second. Technically, if we’d entered the main categories, we’d have finished somewhere around 90th out of over 300 riders. Which is either humbling or impressive depending on how much beer you’ve had.
Was I chuffed? Absolutely. The sun was shining, the trails were ace, and I got to spend the day riding bikes and talking nonsense with my mate. Did I bring the right bike? 100%. Did I get weirdly competitive? Nope — not even when I realised I could actually win.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Maybe with a little more training next time. Maybe.
Maybe not.
