Jennride 2024

Any one else on here doing the Jennride this coming weekend?  (25-26/05/24)

It’s something that I had wanted to do for years but it never fitted with my other commitments. Then, a couple of years ago I did have the time but I was just too ill. Anyway, this is the year I’ll be there 🙂

This event has grown in significance for me… I remember Jenn Hill’s stoicism as she lived through her cancer journey. And the recent death of Nils Amelinckx still plays heavy on my mind. Both of these fine people have inspired me as I endeavour to live each day to the full whilst having my own battles with stage 4, metastatic cancer.

Please say hello if you see me. I’ll be doing the gravel ride on my Mason ISO, whilst wearing my vintage Singletrack jersey, or Rider Resilience T-shirt. Also sporting a white beard and wings tattoo on back of neck. And sweating profusely at all times owing to hormone therapy. Or hiding behind a bush owing to radiotherapy damage to bowels 🙂

Hope to see you out there.

I’m riding it this year.

I’ve missed a couple due to family commitments.

I’ll be on my geometron, probably pushing up some of the tougher climbs.

Hope to see you on the trails, sounds like you are going to have a tough time of it, good luck!

Hoping the weather will dry up… I was foolishly expecting all-day sunshine after last weekend 🙂

Hey @stanley it would be good to see you again, it’s been a while. I’ll be about for a beer on Friday!

Yep, currently seeing if I can fit a front mudguard…

Hope it’s a good ride for you all

Any thoughts on a rear tyre?

From is a 2.6 butcher.

Rear is currently a 2.3 slaughter ( a semi slick).

It’s been raining here for 3 days, I have a 2.6 purgatory, new 2.4 purgatory or 2.3 butcher in the shed.

Every time I’ve done the Jen ride before it’s been bone dry and the semi slick has been fine.

Any thoughts?
Thanks

I think you’ll be fine with the Slaughter. Remember you have to drag yourself over Hardknott and Wrynose on day 2.

Mezcal 2.1s for me on the Mason ISO.  Gravel route though.

Thanks,

I had spotted the climbs, and then fitted the easy rolling rear when it was nice and dry.

Any thoughts on overnight spots?

I’m thinking that I’ll probably make use of a campsite; having a clean-up means I’ll probably sleep better, plus I need loads of water to rehydrate. Maybe one of the Wasdale campsites?

I really should look at getting a waterfilter-bottle type of thing so I can top up water supplies on the go.

I’ve thought about a campsite. The MTB route goes quite close to one.

I’ve probably left it a bit late to book for bank holiday weekend

Thanks very much to Rich for organising the event. It was great 😃

The campsite was much lively than last time I rode the Jen ride. Disappointing by the time I had my stuff set the brewery tent had closed.

There was the same great sense of togetherness this year. Had lots of short pleasant chats to folk as I passed and was passed by people.

I was on my geometron G13 with 160/130 travel and 2.6/2.3 tires. The first bit of technical riding Into Ambleside was tricky for me. I would have been off and walking on any ridgid bike. Respect to the gravel riders who looked unbothered!

I was a bit too enthusiastic as I got a puncture which cut the tire in the tread and at the bead.

Big thanks out to the gent on the super sparkly gravel bike who gave me a tire plug. I normally carry about 5 but clearly have forgotten to replenish them as there was only one in my tool kit.

A whole sachet of peatys tire sealant and a borrowed charger track pump at Alpkit and it held with only a few stops to pump it up.

I had a wee crash. Front wheel went into a rock and I wasn’t quite fast enough to lift so stalled. I managed to break my GPS mount somehow in this very tiny crash which made navigation a bit faffier for the rest of the ride.

I thought about cutting the loop off round Wast water to reduce the distance by 20 miles. I’m glad I didn’t. I’ve never been round there before. The climb up to burnmoor tarn was tough but the view was incredible. The decent was some of the most fun I’ve had on a bike in years. Tricky and full of surprises but ok after a significant distance.

A few people told me they were heading for the fort on Hardknott pass as a camp site so I decided to go for that. By 10pm and 60 miles I’d had enough and camped about half way up hardknott.

I was pretty knackered the next day. With a 4 year old and 6 month year old there’s not been much opportunity to ride loads two days in a row.

I chopped some of the route and made it into Ambleside for some breakfast and there was a biblical shower. In hindsight I should have had another coffee and waited it out. Instead I continued on, and got drenched.

I had an amazing pizza back at the campsite and sat under a tent watching another massive shower.

All the finishers looked cheerful if soaked 😃.

Parts of the ride were proper awesome. A lot of the climbing was type 2 fun. I had trouble shoving my heavy bike with a load of gear up some massive hills.

There’s no way I’d do a ride like that in the lakes without it being planned so thanks Rich. I hope you raised a ton of cash. I hope to be back fitter next year.

A proper fun ride this year. Thanks Rich.

I took the ‘easy option’ and turned at Santon Bridge rather than push on over Burnmoor, as I knew I wouldn’t have the legs to also get over both road passes that night and stay ahead of the weather. Also didn’t want to risk not getting any food at Wasdale Head (nice pub at Santon).

Got back as far as the little campsite at Loughrigg Tarn – 68 miles and 9500ft of climbing, which is more than I’ve done for a couple of years.

One of the more rideable Jennride routes overall – only a couple of compulsory pushes. Worst part was the BH boy racers on Birker Fell Road…

It was a pleasure to meet you! Hope you had a great weekend, shame the weather didn’t hold but while the sun did shine it was glorious!

Andy