Anyone entering the ballot?

I’ve never done it before and been nudged to give it a go.

Time to give up the cake?

Time to give up the cake?

That and get lots of practice on gradients > 20%.

It’s a nice ride and very well organised. I don’t do sportives but got given a free entry through work a few years ago. Pottered round and had a good day. Big hills are quite hard work when you’re as heavy as me though 🙂

I’ll be entering the ballot. Not done it before either.

One of the original Sportive back in the days when there were only a dozen or so such events!

Well worth doing – one of those rides that every cyclist should do at least once. It’s quite tough which tends to mean the riders on it are towards the more experienced end of the spectrum which therefore cuts down on the idiot quota.

In the recent past I’ve erred more towards the CX bike with 30c slicks as the bike of choice. The increased comfort, lower gears and hydro disc brakes are well worth it over a standard road bike!

its a great event and a good route to do once. loads of marshals and locals out cheering you on. hardknott pass is absolute bullshit though.

I quite enjoyed hardknot.

Once I’d got over it…

It is well worth doing, a classic ride and it can get under your skin. Its very hard, heavy roads, the west coast can be awful and the ride up eskdale knowing hardknott awaits is like waiting to be judged. I’ve always got in from the reserve list so don’t worry if you miss out on the ballot.

Cheers guys. I’ve been told a lot of people fito a compact chainset, would an 11-40t 11 speed cassette and xtr 11 speed mid cage mech have the same effect? I’m running 105 11spd shifters so unsure on compatibility but if I can pick some bits off the mtb for a weekend it’ll work out cheaper!

Better still, an 11-40 and a compact

11-40 and a Claris (46 max) double on the front would be ideal. You may have some fun crossing the cattle grid on Hardknot.

11-40!!!! Jeebus it’s a road ride not a frikkin mountain ascent.

I thought it was ok, don’t get the bike along the A6 though if I’m honest.

Don’t see any reason not to use an 11-40 Steve, even taking Hardknott out of the equation it’ll allow you to save your legs by sitting and spinning up more of the steeper stuff.

a triple and 11-32 got me up hardknot without stopping and i’m not light…

I did it for the first time last year. Actually quite enjoyed it although there are a lot of people really going hard on the descents (which are very steep, very fast and extremely dangerous as witnessed by a couple of big offs the aftermath of which I was witness to).

So if you get in – take it easy out there. It is not a race and dry stone walls are pretty hard.

Having said that it was a great ride and I really enjoyed it. Not so much the six hours to get home afterwards.

Just don’t turn up on a fatbike…

Cheers guys, this is all sounding very positive.

Are there feed stations as it’s a sportive?

2. one at about 35 just before newlands. one at 70 just after cold fell.

First feed station is at more like 45 miles. Its at Buttermere YHA.