• This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by cp.
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  • Helvellyn (sic) Triathlon – How hard is it?
  • thegeneralist
    Free Member

    In my usual “try loads of sports cos I know I’ll never be really good at any of them” way I was intrigued by the Helvelyn triathlon.

    I think it’s a mile swim then some biking then run up and down Helvhoweveritsspelled.

    I’ve never done a triathlon, hate running and swimming bores me to death, but I’m hoping to do the great north swim (1mile) version in June and was thinking that hobbling up Helvelyn can’t be that hard, then collapse back down it. Clearly doing the swim, road ride and then mountain walk one after the other might be a tad trickier than I’d envisaged…

    Anyone done it?

    boxelder
    Full Member

    Got mates who have.
    The swim can be hard, and slightly scary.
    Bike ride fine, but ‘the Struggle’ out of Ambleside is a struggle.
    Up/down Helvellyn is just painfull

    trevron73
    Free Member

    Try “Craggy island triathlon” 550 m open sea swim ,from mainland to the island , 18k bike off road and 8k run over a mountain , Awesome i did it last year ,great for a beginner .

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    YoKaiser
    Free Member

    I’ve never done a triathlon, hate running and swimming bores me to death,

    I’m not sure triathlon is for you 😆

    teamhurtmore
    Free Member

    Great event but a toughie for your first tri. But must be one of the most scenic UK tris. Swim is beautiful. Big open expanse of water. Deep blue and clear (except for the scary! reeds around the rock island). Bike is reasonably tough for a tri, plenty of steady climbs before the big one up aply named The Struggle. No place for a tri bike (IMO) and a compact or triple ring at least IMO. And then after all that a little jolly up Helvellyn itself. The first climb is a brute and few run the whole thing. But what a route. Hard fast descent down the zig zags on tired legs (I still have the scars to prove it).

    But is one of my fav’s but more akin to a half IM in effort than a Olympic tri.

    cp
    Full Member

    No place for a tri bike (IMO) and a compact or triple ring at least IMO

    Why? Most of the route is undulating/flat – there are only really two climbs where you get out of the saddle – one up away from Ullswater early on and the other being the struggle. The descents aren’t technical enough not to use a TT bike. You can pretty much spend the rest of the route on the tri bars. I wouldn’t use deep section aero wheels, but light weight wheels with a TT position are perfect IMO.

    And double & 12-28 for me 🙂

    Anyway, swim is lush, every breath has a slightly different, very beautiful view (it was last year in the sun anyway!). Bike is nice, Struggle is great – crowds line the road TdF style. The ‘run’ is brutal if you don’t have many walking/hiking miles in the legs. Learn to ‘run’ downhill on uneven ground – get plenty of practice at that. There’s a great scramble up near the top.

    It’s very rewarding!

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