I contract away from home. Currently near the Lakes. Always have a bike with me. Brought the 100mm 29er full suspension. Gave it some good use round the bash etc. Trouble is my gear is so filthy and wet getting it cleaned between shifts is an issue. Either I stink out my b+b room or car. Neither is particularly pleasant. Accommodation has no hut etc for storage.
So for this weekends ride I fancy the FW. Not bothered about starting finishing in the dark. Hopefully my kit will only need dried.
Has anyone done the FW on a FS?
Never done this sort of mileage on anything but my road bike,by the end of which I was rather sore anyway. So will the FS be any more comfortable? I anticipate not being far off average road speed as I have semi slicks fitted.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RijB8wnJCN0[/video]

Brave lad.

Obviously it’s possible to ride 112 miles on a full sus.

Obviously it will be slower than a road bike.

But you won’t die, rather you than me though, especially given the forecast.

I anticipate not being far off average road speed as I have semi slicks fitted.

I would disagree. road speed would be 14/15mph, for an average road rider on the FW. there’s no way you’ll be close to that, you’ll crawl up the climbs.

Just hire a road bike for a day.

http://www.keswickbikes.co.uk/pages.asp?id=1

I did the Witton ride/event last year on a full suss Rocky Mountain Element with Sammy Slicks, actually 103 miles before my knee collapsed long standing 24 years old injury

ave speed 10.2 miles per hour limiting factor was a double chain ring, and no lock out front or rear

made all the cut off points comfortably. Training was limited due to injuries in the lead up so really rode on training from Sept to Feb, 50 % hardtail and Full suss, lots of 70 to 80 mile rides

On the event there were two others on Full suss a cove and something else with big tyres

So yes doable and a challenge……….I was planning on a 29er HT for the event this year but was not luck in the lottery

Enjoy

Well I managed it and found it not as bad as I had prepared myself for mentally after some experiences I read online. I completed it in 9 hrs 11 mins. If anything I think I made the correct bike choice in two aspects really. The roads in some parts were in truly awful condition. Going over them on a road bike in 25mm tyres in the wet would have been pretty sketchy I think. The gearing also. I made a promise to myself not to put a foot down and push on a climb. That was a challenge even out on the smaller undulating climbs in a headwind never mind the high passes. I don’t think I could have cleared Honnister pass with a double compact. Never have I known tarmac roads to be so steep as what I encountered yesterday.
A really unforgettable ride and one which I will be doing again in the summer months where I can get a weather window and complete it in the sunshine. I’d imagine at some points as was the case yesterday the scenery would be breath taking.
A ride I would recommend to all.

I don’t think I could have cleared Honnister pass with a double compact. Never have I known tarmac roads to be so steep as what I encountered yesterday.

Honnister from Borrowdale? Thats one of the tame ones, either you mean one of the others or did you do it backwards?

I’m not sure if I done it backwards. There was various reviews I found on the net of both directions. I opted for the one that got Hardknott and Wrynose knocked off early on. Glad I did. Think finishing there would have been tough.

Backwards by the route map on the FW site I reckon. It’s a tough finish to Honister that way for the final push.

Honisters harder from Borrowdale than Buttermere. It’s not Hardknott though…..