I'm doing some/all of it 'unofficially'. A mate is riding so I said I'd join him for bits of it. Will see what the weather is doing as to how much I ride and how much I just jump between bits. We're staying in High Close YH on the Saturday night.
And before anyone gets too wound up, I won't use the official feed stations and I'll chuck a sizeable donation to Mtn Rescue in lieu of an entry fee.
Planning on using the CX bike with slicks. Low gears + disc brakes = win. 🙂 And if the weather really is atrocious, I can just dive into Grizedale and play in there while my friend gets blown off Hardknott!
Our Tandem is just about ready with triple and 34t on the back for the long ups. I Was looking forward to the descents but feeling a little reserved as it gets closer. It's a rocket ship down hill!
I just came back from an after-work loop over Newlands and Honister, and can confirm it is wet 🙂 Had to cross a few streams across the road where there were no streams mentioned on the map... But Sunday will be glorious sunshine, or so I was told by the honister weather fairies.
I've just seen a forecast that says light winds, 13deg and sunny for sunday. I'm going with that one and not looking at anymore forecasts.
I like that one, screenshot and we'll stick with that. I bought some gels - that's a good substitute for training right?
the forecasts are fun! xcweather=pleasant day, bbc=super mega rain. should be alreit not like it'll be muddy so just need to wear the right stuff. Never done a sportive, not sure i'll cope without a mass start and jossling for position on first climb.....
[url=chris-noble-mtb.blogspot.com]chris-noble-mtb.blogspot.com[/url]
[quote=stever ]I like that one, screenshot and we'll stick with that. I bought some gels - that's a good substitute for training right?
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Thanks, that's much more comforting than the Beeb.
BBC is now saying rain from 1pm. I think their models are struggling to predict a pretty complicated system over the weekend. I don't mind a bit of rain, just really don't fancy 7+ hours in continuous showers.
BTW, anyone else staying at Langdale YHA? I contacted them regarding breakfast on the Sunday and they confirmed it will be available from 5:30. One less thing to worry about!
BTW, anyone else staying at Langdale YHA?
High Close YH for us, the big mansion type place on the hill, western end of Loughrigg Fell.
Breakfasts at YHA are pure filth and not worth the money just make porridge(proper with salt in it) and your own orange juice!
I'm not expecting Michelin Star quality. It's a fiver and quality is fine IMO....apart from the sausages, they are pretty filthy !
Ambleside YHA was a veritable porridge fest last year at 4 am onward.
Langdale YHA for me, too, didn't realise they offered breakfast that early, good to know.
Got to Ambleside earlier this afternoon. Started shitting it down with rain about 20mins later. Hasn't stopped...
Pretty sure we got all 4 seasons when I last did the Whitton. Started nice and dry and reasonably warm. Then it got windy and very, very, very wet and cold. Before finally drying up a bit for the home stretch.
it was wet last year in parts in other parts sunny and in others mild............expecting it will be just wet this time
Something is clearly wrong with me...I haven't entered and I'm looking out of the window and it's pissing down but I'm bloody gutted I'm not doing it this year now it's here!!
Have a good ride everyone, make sure you eat plenty and stay safe!
Take care on the bends down Whinlatter - gravel washed across the road just above the badly broken tarmac.
boxelder - Member
Take care on the bends down Whinlatter - gravel washed across the road just above the badly broken tarmac.
Cheers for the heads up Boxelder
Forecast is looking a bit more promising. Mostly dry with strengthening southerlies according to MWIS.
Bon chance all.
Fred Whitton status report.
Target 1: Finish. Check
Stretch Target 2: Finish under ten hours. Check (9hr35m)
Stretch Target 3: Ride all of Hardknott and Wrynose. Check
Anyone want to buy a road bike. I don't like mine anymore.
Well the weather was awful
My bike is getting thrown into Windermere at some point this evening if I can manage to pick it up
Well done to everyone who got round today. Conditions made an already very hard ride even harder. Toughest in the last 4 years IMO.
Got round in 7:30. Was aiming to 7 hours but it wasn't to be.
Did anyone see the guy pulling a wheelie up the foot of Kirkstone? Boss !
Well done to all who got round and thanks to all the supporters, my riding time was 8hrs which I'm happy with given the conditions. No walking either, I pulled a wheelie up hardknott but that was because it was hard to keep the front end down.
Did anyone see the guy pulling a wheelie up the foot of Kirkstone? Boss !
No but I saw the lunatic on a chopper, also plenty others with shorts on, does nobody look at the weather forecast..........brrrrrrr.
7:55 for me, Cold Fell was erm cold and fell like with a ****in massive amount of head wind
Cold Fell was erm cold and fell like with a **** massive amount of head wind
Yeah, Cold Fell is probably the least pleasant part of the ride. No-one expects it either - everyone focuses on the main passes but Cold Fell is almost always into the teeth of a headwind, it's brutally exposed and it's that horrible middle bit where everyone is wrecked but you're not on the morale-boosting homeward stretch yet.
The rain and wind hit full blast there, it actually dried up quite nicely for the Hardknott/Wrynose section.
A guy came past me going up Hardknott, full club kit, obviously a very strong rider and he was pushing a big gear (well, it was the lowest gear his race bike had but must have been a 39:25 or so). I caught him up again very near the top and was about to say "well ridden" when he saw me and shot off in a sprint finish for the summit. He rolled over about 5m in front of me, started the descent, missed the first left hander and went straight over the bars! Fortunately he was OK but his bike had a deep gouge to the carbon forks.
I enjoyed the day but I was just rolling round supporting a mate, I missed out Honister and Newlands and went for breakfast in Keswick instead. 🙂
Yep, definitely harder than last year. I was talking to Lofty (the organiser) at the end when I was having a pint and he said most people where 20-30mins down on last year. For me cold fell was brutal, although There was a group 100yrds ahead ofme I just couldn't bridge the gap to shelter so I was on my jack jones. By the time I'd got to Hardknott I'd blew my doors off and all hope of a really good time had gone 🙁 eventually came in joint 34th at 6hr 42min. Should be happy with that (I beat last years time by 3 mins)but I've been building up for this for 5 months so I'm a bit disappointed. Shouldn't winge but I'm a competitive so and so 😆
Only saw a couple of incidents today, there had been a coming together just after Lorton, one rider looked in quite a bit of pain. On Hardknot, a chap next to me lost traction, then momentum, then fell over still clipped in. I had a sideways incident dropping down to the second feed station on a steep tight bend when a car coming up the hill meant I had to change my line. Luckily my orsum skills prevented carnage. Hope you all had a trouble free ride.
Hopefully there were no serious incidents today. I was fully expecting some crashes given the wet and windy conditions. Had a sketchy moment myself on the right-hander descending Kirkstone - a strong side gust pushed me across the road and I managed to stop just before the wall.
Saw a woman on the Newlands climb who must have fell off. She was right on the edge of the grass - would have a been a long and nasty fall if she's gone over.
Only saw a couple of incidents today, there had been a coming together just after Lorton, one rider looked in quite a bit of pain.
I was nearly caught up in that. Not entirely sure what happened but suddenly three guys went down hard about 5yds I front of me. Not entirely sure how I managed to avoid them.
There were 2 I know of on the descent from Kirkstone. One lad hit the wall very hard and his bike went over it, he was pretty bloodied, but walking and another guy did similar and broke his collar bone.
Target 1: Finish. Check
Stretch Target 2: Finish under ten hours. Check (9hr35m)
Stretch Target 3: Ride all of Hardknott and Wrynose. Check
Nicely done! Same checklist for me except my target was eight hours and I managed 7:43 (I preferred my riding time, naturally, as I sprinted in to beat 7:30 by about 20 seconds 😀 )
Usual second wind nonsense which I've never managed to understand, started feeling better and better after 2nd feed station (actually, maybe not a second wind, maybe just tea and flapjack!). Either way, got to base of Hardknott, and before it even started to ramp up got some weird cramp on the inside of my quads, really thought it would scupper my chances but it passed really quickly, and I think I did a decent job of the pass, seated for most of it and even had to accelerate past three guys who'd practically stalled on the steepest section, although I paid for it immediately after and they all passed me again 😀
After Wrynose I pretty much just sat up and coasted, back and neck were getting pretty sore, but quite a few guys passed me so I wound it up again and enjoyed a great wee time trial back to Ambleside, big ring and drops all the way, felt great!
Used the 32 tooth sprocket on every climb though (too preserve the legs more than necessity of gradient) very glad of it.
I was pretty apprehensive riding the approach into hardknott as I really didn't feel like I had a lot left but just kept grinding the pedal strokes out and eventually it was over. Was close to stalling on the last straight steep ramp but had a word with myself and crawled over the top.
The ten miles to go sign at the top of Wrynose was cruel...
The ten miles to go sign at the top of Wrynose was cruel...
At least you don't do the hairpins up to the Coniston road any more.....
Everyone back alive then? Happy with mine - 9h 20. I've only done about 400 miles all year so can't grumble. Slightly soft pedalling first half with a mate and then we went our separate ways in that stretch of doom out West past Lowes Water and over Cold Fell. Kicking myself for walking a minute or two on Hard Knott around the last sharp L-R - but honestly not sure if digging in further would have done it. Couldn't remember if Wrynose was harder, but it was fine actually so probably should have emptied the tank on Hard Knott. Interesting to hear it was as hard as 2-3 years ago when I assumed it was truly grim.
a great route, but a month too early 😉
another DNF blown knee and doctors waiting room now 😥
a great route, but a month too early
cough.........Tour of the High Passes in July........cough
loads of photos on flickr if you search for fred whitton.
this one pretty much sums up my experience of cold fell.
[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8853/16907902143_fefefbc410_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8853/16907902143_fefefbc410_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/rL6qfc ]Fred Whitton 15_1116[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brian_phillips_pics/ ]Brian Phillips[/url], on Flickr
