Can You Race Enduro On A Hardtail? | Hardtail MTB VS The EWS

[@renzarnolf9505]

man that's tough, this is so inspiring, especially for us that only have a hardtail. You are indeed our hero Blake! thank you so much for this..

[@thedamntrain5481]

i have a bike with china fork that remains capped everytime, and i doing xc and many jumps

[@wynnfpv]

In the same boat! Only have a hardtail but do my best to send it!

[@chimps4gimps]

Got my first enduro race in a couple of weeks. Should be an interesting comparison with Blake. I’ve only got 130mm of travel though 😬

[@mick4659]

Yes, Blake is the man. He's admirable. Go Blake, Mr. Hardtaile. 😎👍

[@alessandrovinci8724]

Tought fucking the same ! Im doing very good on my HT thanx to this man i think ! 3 months, 3200 km, any kind of trail, er are schratched but alive and this video just pushes me even more 😉

[@roybaty8550]

When the course designer just laughs when you say your doing it on a hardtail, it says it all. Blake you are a top man.

[@Tokyo-go2du]

LoL what's the timer in the clip of that? Cheers!

[@roybaty8550]

4:27 Ric McLaughlin and Ruaridh Cunningham with Blake.

[@alexbvv]

That was so funny, genuine laugh at Blake's craziness, amazing.

[@chiccorocker]

14th on stage 5?! What?! Blake you do crazy stuff and this was very impressive.

[@najaneda]

Think that 14th was before everyone else had finished, that's why it's in red.

[@rockie84]

Shame there isn't a hard tail catagory.. Was there no other hard tails?!

[@PoategProductions]

@@najaneda It was not! He finished 32nd overall, 14th on stage five, in the Masters 35+ category. His overall time would've landed him 90th in the Men's category.

[@najaneda]

@@PoategProductions My apologies to Blake, 14th just seemed a big jump from his results in the other stages.

[@PoategProductions]

@@najaneda Haha he was ready for a hot shower I guess lol

[@zerocoolcat]

Man, that was inspiring! Am exhausted just watching... "Hardtail Hero" the guy said...you should make a shirt with that!

[@PlacidoYT]

UP! GMBN merch.

[@Janntravels]

This!!!

[@LegoNinjaBran]

I would buy that shirt

[@kaedeschulz5422]

Yes man! This MUST get on a shirt!

[@markmeisner]

I would buy 🤘🏻

[@sb0914]

Blake is definitely a celebrity in our community, but considering this man's affability, positivity and mad skills his personality transcends mtb IMHO. This man is a ambassador that is only exploited for a fraction of his capability. Maybe that is His choice IDK. I am always curious what he has next. This video was fantastic.

[@MultiQuickFlicks]

@@sb0914 yes sir

[@chimps4gimps]

Hardtail. Locked in. Wet Scottish EWS. That’s a terrifying combination! Fair play Blake 🙌🏼🔥

[@sameersaroha4949]

Hardtail is love, Hardtail is life.

[@DM-hw4cr]

Hardtail is harsh

[@tasarasforever]

Hardtail is hard

[@johnmckeeman1794]

You got Sus on the front. 😉

[@georgebailey6307]

Thanks for keeping the Dream alive in all us hardcore hardtailers. Blake the Beast!!

[@oliverdurgen5953]

what is the dream exactly? be slow, not have any fun, and get half the workout I would have got on a real bike because my ass and wrists are fatigued. cool BRO!!!!!! ur so core man....

[@georgebailey6307]

How do you know slow and not fun? Why do peoples dreams need to be as yours? Maybe your dream is to be an arrogant asshole, Congrats😘!! sounds, sounds like you've fulfilled by tenfold..@@oliverdurgen5953

[@kelvin5005]

@@oliverdurgen5953 I mean if you wanna spend 3000$ on a bike to get smoked by a 500$ GT on a climb be my guest lol

[@SteelR4t]

Grinning the entire way through this. Probably my most favourite GMBN vid yet. Blake, you are an utter legend and the dude who called you a "Hardtail Hero", couldn't have been more right!

[@yengsabio5315]

Hear, hear!

[@senorcharrleh5146]

Absolute legend.. 14th of the final stage very impressive. We need more Hardtail love.

[@radiocontrolled9181]

14th out of how many riders?

[@nelsonglover3963]

14th in the Masters (35+) category, in the EWS-100, not the EWS Pro. Still impressive though

[@jamesbowman5062]

I picked up my first hardtail this morning. My dually was stolen whilst I was in hospital, army infantry veteran with multiple injuries. Just getting back into it as a 40 year old with my kids. Would love to try to compete but have a while to go with my ex-physio and training. Surgery in November. I could only afford a Merida Big Nine, so nothing bulletproof but I love it. Great Vid, thank you for the inspiration.

[@stujm8376]

I hate bike thieves, been there and lost a bike it took two years to build from scratch...... Keep it up bro, good to see you're not letting anything hold you back

[@jamesbowman5062]

@@stujm8376 Thanks mate, looking forward to using it every day I can.

[@vulpes536]

Hey man merida big nine is a bomb👌

[@MarcelvanderGraaff]

I've got a 2019 Big Nine 200. I think it's a pretty solid bike for it's price! it's light and easy to handle. Great for the flowy XC trails down here in the Netherlands.

[@sixate]

"Hardtail hero" for sure. Great job and keep the hardtail content coming. I love riding my hardtail too.

[@youtubeviewer9523]

Gotta love more hardtail content!! Loving my enduro hardtail, IMHO way more fun than an xc/trail full sus.

[@yudhakriswara4837]

UP !!

[@mikearmstrongofficial1725]

Agreed, if you take a look at my channel I'm doing the same but on a modded Voodoo in Fort William. Soo much fun!

[@somguy728]

Hardtail made me better, not just as a rider. I'll never ride one again unless it's a rail trail. When you hit a certain age you want all the toys.

[@mikearmstrongofficial1725]

@@somguy728 yeah agreed. I've got a couple of races left this year on the hardtail then it's full Suss time!

[@destinhook3826]

I’ve had a trail full sus since I started mtb and now I have an enduro ht as well. The ht has been my bike of choice on most rides since I got it.

[@nickcsuki8123]

I cannot even ride that on a full-sus! Thanks for showing my hardtail is not the limit for progress at this point! You're awesome Blake!!!

[@Imrael69]

Blake, you're my hero. With your previous videos you've swayed me towards the hardtail when I was almost completely sure that I wanna go with the full sus. After this one... I wanna be a HARDTAIL HERO!

[@sebastianroa2302]

This is by far the best gmbn video! Blake’s love for hardtails spreads. I love them as well and I’m really happy that there’s people like him pushing the limits and showing that yes you won’t go as fast but regardless very capable rigs. What a legend 🐐

[@leoliu8617]

Blake either: Has the biggest balls amount all those contestants. or: Is willing to make the most interesting MTB contents at all costs. or: Does not care about result but to have fun. or ALL of above.

[@stephengrimes6303]

All of the above!

[@thelonewolf3515]

Blake is the guy to do it all 🤙🏻

[@amc5926]

poor Blake...his voice cracked at 14:23 THERES NO CRYING IN ENDURO!! honestly tho ..wow. and the real question isn't..."how hard can you push a hardtail?" the question is "how hard can you push a rider on a hardtail?" you set the bar super high there sir.

[@Ricobonito1]

And my dream of seeing hardtail race EWS came true!! You're my hero Blake! Hardtail represented!

[@vomErsten]

This kind of content is peak GMBN and why I am subscribed.

[@HolisticHealthEducation]

Awesome! 👊🏻 That performance deserves not only a gold medal in the hard tail division, it is certainly also deserving of a bottle of one of Scotland’s best whiskey. Congratulations also on p14, on that final run.

[@adamstarkart]

GMBN videos getting more and more cinematic. Epicness to the Maxxx! Redbull Studios better watch out haha! Oh yeah and obviously Blake showing all the softies how its done.

[@calmacnz1171]

06:34 "Im sorry but the the weather is SCOTTISH" 🤣🤣

[@stefang.2937]

Blake, "Hardtail Hero" brings it to the point. That was amazing. Now I'm even more excited about my new Nukeproof Scout, when it is built.

[@stephenmilam5562]

This was such an epic challenge, I love the ews I can't wait to get involved in the southern enduro. Been riding for nearly 30 years and these videos just keep the hunger for it fuelled. Well done Blake such a great vid.

[@effinareenwisy]

Keep riding, Blake. you’re awesome! I passed my full susp to my son for a hardtail.. Not many can afford a full susp, the maintenance cost, etc but you proved time and again a hardtail has something to show for.. it’s ok and possible to own a hardtail for such terrain. End of the day, it’s about enjoying the ride!

[@markhollis9822]

Totally agree, I’m as much a gear head as the next mtn biker but, my experience is the only thing that has increased my enjoyment of mtn biking since I started in late 90s are hydraulic discs of all things. (It was a revolution to me to have similar braking at the bottom of the hill as the top)

[@haxificality]

Blake's the only true Hardtail Hero!

[@The80shilling]

As a fellow hardtail rider from Scotland, all I can do is salute your ability to take an entirely unsuitable bike for the task, and make it do what you did; I can utterly relate to your struggle. No only did you do it on a hardtail, but an ALUMINIUM hardtail, at least mine's Carbon, so it beats me up less than an Aluminium does. Good on you Jimmy...

[@davidsnow1481]

Awesome job Blake for doing this on a hard tail. It looked brutal the entire time I really felt bad for you when you bit into the rotten apple. I used to race a hard tail in XC all the time we’ll that was over 30 years ago. Great video thanks for sharing keep up the good work and stay safe out there.

[@noone4024]

AMAZING!! this is worth watching.. Production was 2nd to none like watching documentary in NATGEO / Discovery Channel. AND THAT Braveheart vibe WOW

[@666psicko]

Congrats Blake. That was awesome. Love the hardtail content. Hardtail is life. To help prevent cramps, you are partially correct with potassium. Electrolyte powders to mix in with your water will help(at a minimum they should contain potassium, magnesium, and salt). I usually drink one the day before any strenuous activity, and one to two during. When you drink lots of water it dilutes your electrolyte levels, so you need to replenish them.

[@BBurton1231]

Pickle juice and a shot of whiskey will tame the lactic acid in your legs. Haha

[@ArtHistoryNstuff332]

Such an inspiration! At 53 I am getting back into riding on dirt and trails, which I haven't done since I was a kid. Just got a new Diamondback hardtail two weeks ago and riding almost everyday. Love watching Blake!

[@gmbn]

Hi @MyArtHistory, Great to see you've found the love for mountain biking again. Have fun exploring and stay safe 🤘

[@henriqueesteves8895]

Blake hardtail vids are the reason I follow this channel!!

[@frekj4350]

GMBN and Blake are such a nice contrast to all those "New / Max out / latest technology" YT/Insta etc chanel's. Thanks for not just saying stuff like "It's about the rider not only the hardware" but proofing it. After showing this to a few of my friends they went from "I only got a hardtail" to "I got a hardtail" and that's just great. Keep it up Hardtail Hero Blake.

[@MattH198]

Congrats man. Was stoked for ya the whole time. You’re nuts.

[@peterreeves598]

I watch this over and over again. So inspirational.

[@domfluin1819]

Legend. Those tracks on a hardtail in those weather conditions, truly incredible. If anyone asks if hardtails are capable, they only need to watch this. I sold my full suss and run two hardtails now & switched to clipless (something I never thought I’d do!) Love the HT content ❤️

[@johnmckeeman1794]

Hard tails are well capable. Might seem a bit old school. But definitely will help you in bike handling and learning.

[@louiludog]

This is absolutely mental! Cheers from California

[@petercroce]

Everyone loves a good hardtail video! My hardtail is my only bike for now, and I’ve done a couple enduros on them. I’ve found clipless pedals and Cushcore to be essential, and I feel like the rollover you get from 29” wheels is really really helpful and more confidence inspiring. Like you said you definitely won’t be the fastest but it sure is fun… to a point.

[@allenjanes5976]

My wife saw this. Now she won't let me get a spesh enduro. Said I've gotta make the stumpy work. Thanks Blake. Seriously, top notch. Well done

[@ChrisCapoccia]

Plus Blake knows how to properly ride between all the slalom flags :D

[@wynnfpv]

Haha

[@lamefart]

Oh I see what you did there. That's rude. 😆

[@VIEultimate]

Man, I love these kinds of videos from GMBN and GCN. Really shows you the abilities of their presenters.

[@twowheelsperth8240]

What works quite well to prevent cramping is having small amount of regular coke or pepsi (not the diet version) throughout the ride. They contain Quinine which is generally used for treatment of cramps. You can dilute it with a bit of water or let it sit overnight in a cup to get rid of the fiz. Does the trick for me when doing 100km+ road rides or longer trail rides. A few triathlete friends of mine will use this little trick during their events. Tonic water is also the other option, but coke and pepsi have the extra sugars(liquid carbs) that will aid the muscles. Not healthy drinks for everyday consumption but for long rides or big events, it has good benefits.

[@thebluelion3337]

Regular pepsi and coke are quite common in pro pelotons as well. As you said, they have the right combo of caffeine, sugar and hydration to make it a decent option on a bike. However, they don't contain quinine any more (tonic water does though - it's the bitter flavour you associate with tonic water)

[@sendyboiii7]

Thanks for that comment, gotta remember that

[@chimps4gimps]

Coke is also great for settling/protecting the stomach. I used to drink it during Tees Barrage kayak sessions. The water quality is a bit sketchy there.

[@radiocontrolled9181]

Regular Coke is the best digestive drink I found. After a heavy meal I drink one regular Coke and it works like magic. Thank you for this comment. I will probably start diluting half a 330ml can of Coke in my water bottle on my bike rides now, although I rarely experience cramps. I just love regular Coke. I buy mine from LIDL supermarket, the 330ml red cans.

[@traildogisla]

Had to give Blake a second comment. Mad respect, iv once done a tweed valley EWS qualifier in the dry on my hardtail and that was the limit for me back then. For the cramp, I suffer, carbs, salt, more carbs and more salt, way more than you think, but ultimately getting fitter and stronger is the only real cure to over fatiguing those muscles

[@traildogisla]

Blake, get in touch with the folks at Torq for your fuel. An apple doesn't cut it! 🤣

[@ROLLandoSKATE]

Go Blake! Our hardtail hero!🔥🔥🔥

[@harrygrimley4352]

Some of the best marked trails I've seen on a race. Great job to the workers. Cool idea little crazy. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@andynelson1977]

Awesome work! P14 on the final stage after 2 massive days out in horrific weather - what a legend! And how pimp does the Scout look with all that new kit on it? 🤩

[@jameskim7266]

This is what ever enduro race content should show. They just don't show the downhill portion but they also show what's going on in between and the grueling climbs.

[@rasmusadventures6070]

🤘great work. Enduro races done best on a hardtale! I’ve done two of theme in Sweden this summer. Åre and Falun, Åre had one stage that took about 15 min to get down and one other that was around 10min long. My hands and arms hurt so bad, but man it was fun! 😁

[@durriek9952]

Come to FINLAND, our enduro series has a hardtail class just for you my friend....!

[@sparky694]

If there's one person on this planet that can ride a hardtail in the EWS than it's Blake Samson. He's a Jedi Master with a hardtail

[@goatsplitter]

This was a truly inspirational video - probably the best I've seen on GMBN. Blake may not have taken first in the race, but he took first in the people's hearts - if the comments section is a judge of anything!

[@frankthetankricard]

Not only did he finish, 32nd overall is really impressive! Seems like Blake didn't dial back the speed all that much on the hardtail.

[@stefanodruetta]

Since you have Orbea as a channel partner/sponsor, ask them for a Laufey! I'd like to see you riding that bike, since I ride one too ; ) mine is a little like your Scout, but 29er: 160 yari up front, 4-pots SLX brakes with 220-203 magura rotors, hunt enduro wheels, mazza 2.6 front and rear. It's a missile! My buddies say my rear wheel is rarely on the ground, it's tons of fun!

[@RicardoPetrazzi]

Most ambitious challenge yet? hmmm. tough one.....Blake does the Megavalanche on a Hardtail from a few years back! Nukeproof Scouts are Hardcore Badass Hardtails! 👍

[@sprindustrieztz1015]

We have the goat paddock in Perth Australia, my mates bike was stuffed so he just sent it all day on a brake less, seatless bmx, he done fine, lol!

[@andrewsupernova]

Blake, you are an absolute legend! Love the hardtail stuff, keep shredding bro.

[@joshp.5799]

Blake, Totally awesome weekend. Thank you for bringing us all along. I'm frigging tired from being tensed up riding with you from your go-Pro. Too funny. Thank you!

[@WussyCatMTB]

Cramps? One of the most effective things to do is to make sure you are taking Magnesium supplements. You have to do this BEFORE you go out on big rides, not during. Tonic and salt tablets do work on the trail, but I think prevention is preferable. Careful with the Magnesium capsules though - too many, and they act as a laxative 😂

[@jeffv.akaonsjeffke9865]

Eat a banana every day, they have a high magnesium content. They also pump up your positivity due to this mag content.

[@rohanbullock6532]

1000 percent - in Aus you can get dissolvable magnesium tablets and they work brilliantly!

[@destinhook3826]

I’ve been taking magnesium supplements for a good while now and I’ll never go without it now.

[@Thedoug369]

Bananas man, lots of bananas!

[@chrisadamson2455]

Mate you're my Hero for all us Hardtail rider's and yes more Hardtail content we love it. From down under.

[@deejaymassive1181]

Very impressive and very inspiring for me, as a beginner on a hardtail!!! That shows: There is no need to buy a expensive Fully for the next years! 😎 #hardtailforever ✌

[@PavloIscariote]

You're my Idol Blake!!! The Hardtail Man is here!!!

[@AccFinEco]

Blake well done! Awesome performance! You need to stretch those muscles after and during your warm down. Older riders like us, recovery is important.

[@wendylee8755]

That was amazing! I am a NEWbie to MTB and just got a hardtail 29er. I have so much to learn but this is inspiring!!

[@soundwarper]

Sick effort, Blake! 🤘😎 Unreal levels of commitment to the hard tail cause… 👍 I’ve always suffered with cramp as well. Flat tonic water (quinine) and salted peanuts work for me. 👍😁

[@Cous1nJack]

And gin.

[@jeffhayes1855]

@@Cous1nJack & a squeeze of lime

[@cgriggsiv]

Blake you are definitely the hardtail hero and this is one awesome video and congratulations to everyone that went through all the stages And for anyone that has dropped out because of accidents or injuries or bike breakage congratulations to them as well for a job well done you'll get them next time

[@elrictdb]

Loving it, a most entertaining video, especially as it's Blake. Well done! But....did you ever find out if there was ANY other hardtails?

[@charlesscott8520]

Blake ur the only guy i know as crazy as me!! I just ran my 1st enduro race last wknd 1540m elevation 35kms of 4 stages & it was on my built Giant Talon 3 hardtail !! I also only packed 2 clif bars lol & legs were toast cramping like never before !! It's the rider not the bike & u prove it everytime!! Awesome dude!!

[@deepquotes23]

for the cramps, pickle juice is your bestfriend.

[@Simon-Simon-Simon]

LOVE to see a 29er in same frame comparison i just got a LARGE 290 37 KM 1500M climbing big day and in the wet

[@rafaelkeanne7124]

Imagine training hard for the EWS 100, then blake just beats you on a hardtail.

[@chrisw3327]

Fantastic!!! - thanks Blake - I now feel a bit better about myself. I know it's not exactly like this EWS stage, but I rode Llandegla reds and blacks yesterday on my Titus Fireline Evo hardtail with a 7 yr old 120mm Rockshox Revelation fork and was wondering whether my legs cramping out every few mins in the last half of the ride was purely due to age (48) or lack of practice (been about a year since I last rode, although I have been doing lots of indoor rowing so am fairly fit). The bike could handle the riding, but I was struggling with leg and (although slightly less so with) arm pump. Blake's video has now justified me to consider buying a full-sus for the first time (on the Cycle to Work Scheme, so with lots of discount). Looking at a 170mm front/160mm rear Orbea Rallon. It will also have a proper 51t granny gear.....not like the 42t that my worn out knee is grumbling about at the moment. Still resisting the even more ridiculously expensive eMTB world though.....save that till my knee is totally worn out or my 60s or if I win the lottery. I really really love my hardtail, as it can handle most things and is relatively simple to ride and maintain. If I can afford to, I will keep it for less rough rides and bikepacking. Hardtails are definitely important for making mountainbiking more accessible. It ain't the cheapest of hobbies and top respect to Blake for his mission. Very thoughtful. 💥

[@Truckerdan279]

I believe Blake is the Brett Favre of the mountain biking community. He just loves doing it and even when it's hard, he's smiling and enjoying it. I know it makes me want to get out and try different trails and push myself.

[@AlbertBergen]

Well, this aged like milk.

[@micheletassino9334]

Videos from Scotland are an inspiration to just get out and ride your damn bike, no matter the weather. Congrats Blake!

[@ericstenglein4661]

Blake takes us back to the beginnings of MTB when skill mattered. Well done.

[@Silv3rfox]

You must love the man imagine if you give a really good bike and wiht his ambition will be at least in top 10 . I discovered if its somthing harder then a hardtail it's you mate ! You did good ! God Bless you The Queen and everybody else!

[@jensbruggemann1771]

Technically, Blake beat out Richie Rude. Way to go Blake! Joking aside, massive effort and result!

[@sgazzz]

Beyond epic!! Next time get an Enduro geo HT with 29s and any other tech you can to help. Love that you're going to keep pushing the HTs!!

[@roberdiscotres]

Stanton swich9er ti.

[@lukaqarsaulidze1500]

Next challenge: racing gravel bike in ews

[@asimov64]

Blake, you'll be TRUE HERO, when you go through this type of terrain on fully rigid bike!

[@Scraptasticle]

I was thinking about getting a fullsus... Now I might just consider going clipless.

[@scottcamp6217]

Great to watch. Love your enthusiasm and willingness to have a go.

[@smefour]

Amazing effort Blake, I have such confidence in you dude, would love one day to see you on a FS Fatty mowing down Avalanche :)

[@bowesproject2304]

Just bought my Nukeproof scout 290 Comp because of you Can Only Afford to have one bike , So really appreciate what you've gone through to show how good a Hard tail is, Collect my bike on the 19/11/2021 Keep the videos coming

[@camerond8176]

4:27 - "He's dong this on a hardtail", they laugh...............Then Blake laughs and seems unsure.

[@WolfAs243]

Loved this video ! I don't even know how many times I've watched it ! Blake Samson is Legend !

[@androdelrosario]

That does it. The “next” bike is another hardtail. A 27.5” aggressive hardtail.

[@laurencejames8623]

Legend! Definitely some more 29er HT challenges!

[@hardtailhero3667]

8:41 That’s me! 🤙

[@shoshaka]

Total inspiration! Can't find any excuses not to master a hardtail given how capable it can be. Cause it's the rider first and foremost.

[@sergeizhilinski]

Omg, Blake, you're crazy! I am delighted and applauded.

[@ms.karihart2983]

Sir that was AWESOME! First I’m happy you completed the race I’m more impressed with your stats I’ve been watching you you keep it up sir

[@filipjoelsson8344]

For cramps, I use horse liniment. It works a treat! (Though I mostly have that problem running, I go out mountainbiking to release the tensions - not the other way around!)

[@karelmacha5431]

Speechless. I salute you, Blake. More hardtail action please!!!

[@hardtailhero3667]

You should totally do this again on the new scout 🤘

[@alexemanuel8996]

blake it was unbelievable!!!!!! i also ride hardtail and i love it madly but you...you're crazy ;) it was exciting to see. applause to you. thank you from all the hardtail riders.

[@craigoneill4504]

Awesome! I've only ever had a hardtail, in fact I've never even sat on a full suspension MTB let a lone ridden one! The bottom line is, I'm 54 & ridden MTB's off & on since 1991 on some type of hardtail or another, I can't afford a proper full suspension MTB so it will be a hardtail until I can! More hardtail content please! Great videos my man, they're awesome! Thank you.

[@ryanpatten2003]

Blake is the man! He inspires me to use my hardtail more. Thak you so much for these videos. You killed it.

[@kaedeschulz5422]

Blake is THE MAN!!! Completely insane! You are my hero!

[@woodbridgemonk]

Superb Effort Blake...looked absolutely ridiculous on a full-suss let alone a hardtail!!! Chapeau sir, chapeau!!!