wrynose hardknott gears

John C.

A full report will apear shortly but for now if you can ride a local 25% hill comfortably then you can ride Wrynose and Hardknott east. The best tool to have is a HRmonitor and if it starts going up slow down. I rode it at 35 1/2 inches which is 42-32 or the same as 30-23 on a normal tripple or 34-26 on a compact. The only bit which felt a bit steep was the first bit of Hardknott. Having said that we only started at Skelwith Bridge(6 miles away) so after 70 miles I may put a different perspective on things.

Brian B

Thats good going with those gears John. I have done Wrynose both ways and Hardknott west and I need a 30*27 on a triple to get up them but then again I'm a big lad. I dont think these hills really care about miles in your legs as i have done these climbs with various miles and done Hardknott/Wrynose at 100 miles in this years Fred Whitten and it was the same as hitting them at 40 miles.

They are to date my nemesis climbs and I even though i have done them I still dont like to climb them. It might sound strange but I would rather climb an Hor catergorie climb abroad than those hills as for me I need to to give 100% to get up. I never stop on hills and I think that there in lies my fear that I really come so close to stopping when going up them.

John C.

You could say size is everything but in some cases the opposite is true. Although my bikes are rather heavy by modern standards I am on the small side ! and more often than not I am riding with people who weigh more than me and my heavy weight bike put togeather. Hills, I love em.