with ‘about’ one mile to go

Being my 2nd year I think I now understand the ‘country mile’ joke. And they moved this year to even further away!

The 1 mile to go at the cattle grid did make me chuckle as I’d just seen a sign to Ambleside that said 6 and I knew it was 5k from Ambleside

Those mile markers were a cruel joke I knew something was up when Hardknott marker said 101 miles and I tracked about 96, the 5 miles to go marker was about 10 from the end. They were probably right when the finish was in Ambleside.

What a day! It was certainly a warm one.

My first run at the Fred and I really enjoyed it. There was a group of seven of us who stuck together all the way round. I managed all the passes without putting a foot down, got to love a compact and a 32!

My rolling time was 8hrs 7mins but official time was 9hr 24min. We had some decent food stops thanks to our team van and there was a bit of waiting for some of the group after the climbs.

It was one of my team mates that came off on Kirkstone. Thank fully nothing broken, just a bit of a mess. They kept him in hospital over night but he should be out today.

Picture of my group coming up the leeps, heading towards Ennerdale (and Cold Fell). Unfortunately the Beats Box had ran out of batteries by then so we didn’t have any tunes on. Ha ha.

I was surprised by the number of punctures at the bottom of some of the passes. There must have been 20-30 at the bottom of Honister. Bit too much heat in the rims from braking and the hot temperatures of the day?

fooman – Member
Those mile markers were a cruel joke I knew something was up when Hardknott marker said 101 miles and I tracked about 96, the 5 miles to go marker was about 10 from the end. They were probably right when the finish was in Ambleside.

I don’t think the finish has ever been in Ambleside. It was in Coniston prior to Gramsere

matts – Member

Besides, it ain’t that hard.

Depends how fast your going compared to your ability. For some it is a battle to finish. For others 7:30 is a nice steady ride. If you found the Fred easy you weren’t trying hard enough 😈

What is the Team XIII thing all about? I saw loads of you guys as I went round. And you certainly had your support guys well organised.

There was 52 of our team (Team XIII) riding the Fred. It started as a group of ex-rugby players (hence the 13) in West Cumbria and escalated from there. Quite a few people commented on the day that there were a few of us!

13. Proper rugby too

Bit too much heat in the rims from braking and the hot temperatures of the day?

plus too much pressure to begin with. The Fred route is bumpy – you need to set the bike up to handle this.

120psi, dragging brakes, hot day and BANG. No surprise there then.

There must have been 20-30 people part way down Honister changing tubes, I’d never seen anything like it! I stopped to help one of my team mates change his tube and could barely touch the rim of his wheel to start with.

If you found the Fred easy you weren’t trying hard enough

😀 I think you’d have to be pretty good to find it ‘easy’.

But I’ve never seen the point of ‘racing’ a sportive. TBH, I’d normally rather go for a quiet ride alone or with a couple of mates. More chance to take in the scenery.

When I want the pain of racing, I enter a race. 😉

I found it straightforward to do it in 8:30 a couple of years ago pacing a friend around but rather uncomfortable when I went over an hour and a half faster. Similarly I suspect Mr Jebb and Mr Reid would find my pace rather pedestrian.

Re ‘racing’ sportives there is only one that I’m even remotely interested in doing a time and that’s the Whitton but I’m under no illusion that I’m racing anyone other than myself. The experience is a far cry from any road race/time trial that I have done and there aren’t many (any?) that give the same epic feel of climbing/descending and traversing the landscape as this event does.

Marshalled this year so I will be back next year for more fun and games. .

good work EarlofBarnet, loved the disco train you lot had.

I was around that group pretty much from patterdale to winlatter, tunes were fun and you all seems to be having a wale of a time.

Thanks Mr.Chrispy. We got a few laughs with the tunes we had one and only a couple of grumbles. Certainly helped liven up the climbs.

When I want the pain of racing, I enter a race.

**** a duck, how hard is it? People enter sportives to challenge themselves, to hit a time, not beat the field, that’s the sport bit, or challenge, in this case. It’s not racing, no one said it’s **** racing. Jeeeeesus.

DO you think everyone in the london marathon has an eye on the podium?

matts – Member
Best way to do the Fred, IMHO, is to rock up one day and just ride the route. Fewer people walking up the road, fewer irate motorists, more scope to pick a nice day.

Besides, it ain’t that hard.

matts – Member

When I want the pain of racing, I enter a race.

You are SurfMat! you are Awesome! ICMFP 😀

**** a duck, how hard is it? People enter sportives to challenge themselves, to hit a time, not beat the field, that’s the sport bit, or challenge, in this case. It’s not racing, no one said it’s **** racing. Jeeeeesus.

😀

I dunno…..something popped up on Facebook last night; a mates cousin who won the Junior (U19?) “race” by 10 mins! He got a storming 6:36 I think. That’s the spirit o’ youth for ya!

just been looking through some of the photos on steve fleming. Hardknott looks even harder in the sun. I think I would have just keeled over into the ditch and stayed there…

DTF – that’s going some and TBH if you ‘won’ then you’d definitely describe it as a race! 😛

must admit did feel a bit guilty basking in the sun, eating a sandwich and drinking a cold bottle of pop….but not very.

DTF – that’s going some and TBH if you ‘won’ then you’d definitely describe it as a race!

Very true!

must admit did feel a bit guilty basking in the sun, eating a sandwich and drinking a cold bottle of pop….but not very.

You could have at least scribed your mates names on the road…..

**** a duck, how hard is it? People enter sportives to challenge themselves, to hit a time, not beat the field, that’s the sport bit, or challenge, in this case. It’s not racing, no one said it’s **** racing. Jeeeeesus.

DO you think everyone in the london marathon has an eye on the podium?

Nope. And I don’t have a major issue with sportives. Shock, horror, I even ride them occasionally. 😯 I have no problem if people want to go out and challenge themselves. I do take issue when people go out and treat it as a race, take risks, and ride like nobs.

Interestingly, the London Marathon is only a ‘winnable’ race for the elite athletes. Those in the mass start can actually run a faster chip time and not be classed as the winner. But there is a full road closure though.

I didn’t see anyone riding like a knob (apart from me) and i was, like, you know, there. I went over Hardknortt and wrynose amongst the riders, to go to elterwater and most people were descending very conservatively (probably cos they were knackered), I even passed a few – and a motorbike :P, people were shoulder checking and braking early/smoothly for corners, do diving about all over the road, no probs that I could see.

DTF – wish we had taken some chalk, would’ve given the lads a boost

of all the events that I’ve done, the fred probably had the lowest level of bad riding.

try ride-london if you want an eye opener.

I spend every day riding London. The last thing I want to do is pay for the privilege of doing it on the weekend. 😀

But, yes, I’ve also heard many reports of crazy riding in the past couple of years.

And I do appreciate that the vast majority of people are not running lights, bombing through crossings, and taking stupid risks at junctions, but as these mass participation events become more and more popular, they are more under the spotlight and this has more of a knock-on effect.

Just a quick question. Whilst marshaling I noted that there were about 150-200 riders who did not have a number on. I was fairly near the start so its unlikely that the numbers had come off and one guy without a number I asked stated that he wasn’t part of the event. What are the thoughts of people who turn up to ride this charity event without paying the entry fee?

I appreciate that the roads are free and people can ride them whenever they want however the costs incurred to put the event on and create the atmosphere etc isn’t free. I’m local and I ride these roads early in the mornings at the weekend and I have never seen that many people out all ride let alone by 8:30am so its apparent that they are choosing to ride because the event is on rather than they always ride that way.

spectators? there we plenty of people (me included) riding around and abouts, following a bit of the route to get to a vantage point?

Possible but I wouldn’t have thought many would ride up kirkstone pass to spectate after the majority of riders had come through. By the way all of them were in the bunches and putting the graft in and there wasn’t a single spectator prior to the first riders arriving.

You don’t want to do it _after_ all the riders have been through; there’ll be no food to snag at the feed stations. 😉

Could they have been something else? Where would groups of local riders/clubs go for a ride?

(I think it’s a bit sad to do the event if you’re not entered)

No clubs based in central lakes, lakes RC run the event, other local clubs have big representation in the event (honister 92, xiii etc). Numberless riders were all without club jerseys. I don’t think there will be 200 road riders in the Ambleside/Grasmere full stop so they have travelled to start at that time.

Noticed quite a few stealth numbers attached for maximum aero

I was stealth 8)