Conquer the wildest race in the world: Erzbergrodeo
![A competitor in the Erzbergrodeo rides over logs. Their bike is in a wheelie position. Conquering the World's Wildest Dirt Bike Race: The Erzbergrodeo [VIDEO]](https://cdn.3dfindit.com/directus/15287833-91d7-497c-bc59-5f74931d1507.png)
It is the race that has been described as "wild", "treacherous", "gnarly" and "grueling". The Red Bull Erzbergrodeo.
What is the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo?
The Red Bull Erzbergrodeo has been held since 1995 and is the most famous - and toughest - off-road motorcycle race in the world. It takes place in a working ironstone quarry and covers every conceivable terrain.
Every year, up to 1,800 riders - along with 40,000 spectators and organizers - descend on the normally quiet mining town of Eisenerz in Austria (population less than 4,000) for two days of enduro and hard enduro racing.
The Erzbergrodeo is open to all skill levels, from professional to amateur riders, but only 500 qualify for the final and most notorious race of the rodeo: The Red Bull Hare Scramble.
If you've ever ridden a dirt bike, you know that it takes more than just hitting the gas and brakes. It requires an incredible amount of physical strength and technical skills. Anyone taking part in the Hare Scramble has to show tremendous stamina and physical fitness, and 90% of riders won't even finish the race.
They have four hours to complete a 22-25 mile course (the route changes every year as it is in a quarry) that goes around the Iron Giant, a mountain that reaches a height of 2,500 feet (more than twice the height of the Empire State Building).
A dump truck drives over the Iron Giant atop the ore mine.
A route map of the Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble 2019, which will be held on the Iron Giant in the ore mine. Original track map from Red Bull.
(Some of the) most notorious Erzberg obstacles
Carl's dinner
Water pipe (water pipe)
Dynamite
Green hell
What kind of dirt bikes do Erzbergrodeo riders use?
Here, an Erzbergrodeo rider explains the special features of the bike he uses to tackle the track:
What is enduro racing?
Enduro races are long-distance races with off-road motorcycles. They fall under the same term as motocross (MX) racing, but require completely different skills and equipment.
Think of MX as track racing and enduro as off-road racing. MX riders ride short courses on a track (sometimes in an arena) and do tricks and jumps over obstacles that are set up. Enduro riders ride over longer distances in natural, steep terrain - often in the forest - and have to overcome random obstacles.
MX is much more aggressive and faster than Enduro and requires more muscle power from the riders. Enduro requires more stamina and technical riding.
Anyone who rides for hours over rugged terrain naturally needs different equipment than someone who only rides for a short time on a closed track. MX motorcycles are lighter than enduro motorcycles, and they have faster acceleration. However, unlike an MX bike, an enduro bike has:
- protective equipment (e.g. handguards, underride protection, windshield protection)
- a wide-ratio gearbox so that you can ride both fast and slow
- A heavy flywheel so that the speed increases more slowly, the power delivery is more even and the rider has good traction
- Stiff suspension
- A more precise clutch
What is hard enduro racing?
As Red Bull puts it: "Hard Enduro combines the most extreme elements of the major disciplines of off-road motorcycle racing: the high speed and long distances of Endurance, the technical skills and obstacles of Trials, the jumps and fast lines of Motocross and the navigational challenges of Cross-Country...A great Hard Enduro rider is a synthesis of the low-speed mastery of a Trials rider, the pure speed of a Motocross racer and the endurance of an Endurance rider."
The Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is a testament to the extreme endurance, technical skill and mental strength required to conquer the toughest terrain. Riders must overcome brutal obstacles and unpredictable environments while competing against the Iron Giant itself.
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