Fred Whitton

[Garz]

At the weekend a guy rode up to me on an ascent of Rivington with his shiny new bike (and toys) who was training for the FW. He was doing it with his brother and was a nice chap so didnt mind sharing any tips as we rode up.

Not sure I would want to do it unless I had put in some serious preparation.

 

[Garz]

Well managed 77 mile today including hardknott and wrynoes, stopped twice going up hardknott but didn't get off the bike, cleared wrynoes and am now recovering

Been up the wrynose twice, it's the descent that's pretty scarey - even worse in the wet!

 

[PpPete]

There is one left hander on the way down the Hardknott (going eastwards like the FW) which in the wet is close to impossible. You just can't get your speed down enough without locking up road tyres... fortunately there is a little crag, and a grassy slope leading up to it, on the outside of the bend, so rather than going sideways on the bend - and likely picking up road rash, just carry on straight, up the slope, and either roll back down, or collapse inelegantly on the grass.... assumign there are no cars coming of course.
Last time I was there some pillock in Volvo decided to be kind and let me come down.... but he stopped in my "run out zone". Fortunately it was dry that day and I got round the bend with the butttocks firmly clenched.

 

[mcshroom]

That's why I don't venture over those passes very often (read at all so far with a bike). I'm not worried about the going up but rather about the control on the way down.

 

[fuji-stu]

Even walking down in the wet ain't fun in Hardknott , getting some decent hill training and milage in now there's plenty of 25% hills to go at round here lol

 

[fuji-stu]

Quick update, ive now done two 100 plus mile training rides and plan to do another on wednesay, ive thrown in days in between of hill bashing, up red bank at grasmere then blea tarn and wynos and hardknott and back again so hopefully im on the way to being able to finish the event anyway!

 

[Garz]

Sounds like your well on course stu! Were any of those brutes done in today's conditions?

 

[fuji-stu]

Ha ha no I was suppose to go out and do some hills tonight but bottled out its been blowing a gale here, I'm mountain biking tomorrow night so I'll try and make up for it then

 

[fuji-stu]

Well I've survived the Fred Whitton challenge completed in 8.04 which I was happy with given the annoying strong winds! Also rode over hardknott
Which was a bonus all in all a great event and great day

 

[Edge705]

Well I've survived the Fred Whitton challenge completed in 8.04 which I was happy with given the annoying strong winds! Also rode over hardknott
Which was a bonus all in all a great event and great day

Thats amazing going Stu I cant imagine hardknott with hundred miles in the legs and in 8 hrs thats some going well done

 

[mcshroom]

Well done!

I passed the peleton on the A66 near Threlkeld while driving home from York this morning and it was a bit windy out there.

 

[Garz]

Well I've survived the Fred Whitton challenge completed in 8.04 which I was happy with given the annoying strong winds! Also rode over hardknott
Which was a bonus all in all a great event and great day

Very good time that Stu, especially with todays strong winds!

I was riding round the trough of bowland today and thought it was pretty gusty taking the temperature below what it reads as a high.

 

[Farky]

Very well done, toughest sportive in the UK for sure and that's a very good time!!

 

[Nearly there]

well done stu i notice 1370 out of 1700 riders managed to finished yesterday

 

[Garz]

Wonder if the guy I met the other week finished it, I wouldn't say he flew up rivington so hope the training got him round!