Fred Whitton Challenge - 2008
Comments
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G7KSE, if you live in St Bees all you've got to do is keep cycling for longer and longer, the hills/strength will take care of themselves in that terrain. Just don't twiddle tiny gears on the hills all the time and you will get stronger. Sounds like your base endurance from running and MTB will stand you in good stead,0
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Cheers skavanagh.bikeradar, I'll ditch the mtb once the weather is a little better, I don't fancy going down wyrnose with road bike brakes without some practice first. especially as were due rain until around June / july most days up here0
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On the off chance that anyone is about...
I'm in the Lakes to kick start my training for the FWC from Sunday 17 to Tuesday 19 of this month; will be up in Keswick and hope to ride all the passes and a lot else besides in that time. If anyone fancies it give me a shout
btw, has anyone ever been on http://www.salite.ch? I sometimes go on it to see how tough climbs are relative to each other, and think that generally it gives you a fairly good idea, but I've just noticed that it rates Whinlatter (FWC way) as tougher than Honister (also FWC way), no-one in their right mind would think that Whinlatter was anywhere close, would they?!0 -
nasahapley wrote:On the off chance that anyone is about...
I'm in the Lakes to kick start my training for the FWC from Sunday 17 to Tuesday 19 of this month; will be up in Keswick and hope to ride all the passes and a lot else besides in that time. If anyone fancies it give me a shout
btw, has anyone ever been on http://www.salite.ch? I sometimes go on it to see how tough climbs are relative to each other, and think that generally it gives you a fairly good idea, but I've just noticed that it rates Whinlatter (FWC way) as tougher than Honister (also FWC way), no-one in their right mind would think that Whinlatter was anywhere close, would they?!
The Rydale Rumble should be a doddle, most the hills aren't mentioned , Rosedale is a piece of cake. And the moon is made of cream cheese0 -
nasahapley wrote:I'm in the Lakes to kick start my training for the FWC from Sunday 17 to Tuesday 19 of this month; will be up in Keswick and hope to ride all the passes and a lot else besides in that time. If anyone fancies it give me a shout
btw, has anyone ever been on http://www.salite.ch? I sometimes go on it to see how tough climbs are relative to each other, and think that generally it gives you a fairly good idea, but I've just noticed that it rates Whinlatter (FWC way) as tougher than Honister (also FWC way), no-one in their right mind would think that Whinlatter was anywhere close, would they?!
Yes, I've noticed that about that site. It gives you a fair idea, but it does seem to favour the longer climbs than the short sharp buggars we have to endure.
It's all explained here of course (if you can understand a word they're talking about - I gave up on about the 3rd paragraph ;-)
http://www.salite.ch/struttura/indice_diff_en.asp
I remember when we were off to the Dolomites, I looked up some of the climbs to try and get a feel for what we would be facing and was pretty alarmed to see that one of the climbs we were doing, the Tre Cime de Lavaredo got a higher score than Hardknott. However, that is over 7km long and the last 4km are pretty unrelenting. But - I know which one I'd rather do ;-)
As for the Whinlatter comparison - hmmm. Again, I know which one hurts me the most.
Might see you up the Lakes on the 19th - we're out most Sundays. Have a go at the Struggle from Ambleside up to the Kirkstone Pass Inn - that's a fun climb. As is Wrynose from Fell Foot - especially if you come up over from Grasmere (Red Bank) then Langdale (Wall End).
If you're interested, there's a few routes here you might want to have a go at...
http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk/localrides/index.htm
Cheeers... Allan0 -
"The Rydale Rumble should be a doddle, most the hills aren't mentioned , Rosedale is a piece of cake. And the moon is made of cream cheese"
I did notice Rosedale's lowly rating too. I used to live in York and went up the the moors a fair bit; used to find it tougher there than in the Lakes because while the climbs may not be that long or well known, there's bloody loads of them and hardly any have a max gradient of below 20%! Wanted to do the Rumble this year, know lots of the route and it looks awesome, but will be on holiday near Mt Ventoux at the time. Oh well
Allan,
Those routes look good (and btw I've read your account of the 2006 FWC before!). Unfortunately I'm in Keswick without a car, so was planning on doing Keswick - Braithwaite, then the FWC route to Ambleside and back over Dunmail on one day, and something like Keswick - Grasmere - Red Bank - Wall End - Ambleside - Struggle - Matterdale - Keswick the next. I've done Honister, Newlands and Whinlatter loads of times so not bothered with them! Would like to fit in Kirkstone too one day.
If you see a geezer on a Scott with a camelbak, triple and mtb shoes, and looking knackered, it's probably me 0 -
Its funny how climbs are rated...from people perspective to Website perspective...the Salite Site is open to much disagreement...but no one or nothing can really say how difficult certain climbs are...it all depends on personal experience...how many miles you had in the legs whilst attempting a climb...the weather...what you eat and slept beforehand etc...the list is endless...
A big injustice I seen on the salite site was Alpe de Huez...gets a rating of 120 or so...then I checked the Pla D'Adet climn and that was around 105 or so...climb both and I assure Pla D'Adet is a whole level tougher than Alp De Huez.
But the biggest injustice I've seen on the Salite Site is Wrynose Pass from Fell Foot...it gets a rating of 69 where Whinlatter gets 67...thats just complete gash! Wrynose Pass in my book is 3rd toughest climb in the UK....I've climbed it twice...1st time after a good few other brutes and it near killed me...and another time with only 6miles in the legs and feeling fresh( was with Mr RHNB as above) but although I found it much easier this time I wasnt fooled...if you hit THAT at 80-100 hard miles it would murder you....
Hardknott Pass gets a rating of 105...think they forgot another zero...should be 1050...
I know this will raise a few eyebrows but this is how I rate the FWC climbs starting with the easiest to the hardest:-
Hawkshead - Fangs - Matterdale End - Cold Fell - Whinlatter Pass - Wrynose Pass - Kirkstone Pass - Newlands Pass - Honister Pass - Hardknott Pass of course!
The way the FWC does Wrynose is a dawddle compared to the other side...it still hurts like hell but your at 106 miles and just climbed the monstrous brute previous, thats why Wrynose is so tough on the FWC, but breaking the Wrynose climb down its got one real nasty steep bit...get up that and its all over...I would much rather have this than Newlands or Honister at that point!
Just my honest opinion0 -
I know this will raise a few eyebrows but this is how I rate the FWC climbs starting with the easiest to the hardest:-
Hawkshead - Fangs - Matterdale End - Cold Fell - Whinlatter Pass - Wrynose Pass - Kirkstone Pass - Newlands Pass - Honister Pass - Hardknott Pass of course!
That's quite encouraging actually; I rate the ones I have done in the same order, but I don't find Honister that bad from Seatoller. It's much harder from Buttermere, anyway (again, in my opinion, and again, Salite would disagree!)0 -
nasahapley wrote:I know this will raise a few eyebrows but this is how I rate the FWC climbs starting with the easiest to the hardest:-
Hawkshead - Fangs - Matterdale End - Cold Fell - Whinlatter Pass - Wrynose Pass - Kirkstone Pass - Newlands Pass - Honister Pass - Hardknott Pass of course!
That's quite encouraging actually; I rate the ones I have done in the same order, but I don't find Honister that bad from Seatoller. It's much harder from Buttermere, anyway (again, in my opinion, and again, Salite would disagree!)
Again another viewpoint, I've did Honister from Seatoller 3 times and think it is absolutely horrendous, I near spew nearing the top of the 1st very steep section(just before the cattlegrid), Last time I did Honister was from Buttermere and I agree its an absolute killer aswel, I think in this direction it plays more psycologically with the head, you can see the entire climb from way below and it looks awful....but after ascending it I must say I found the Seatoller approach a tad tougher...both in my top 10 UK toughest climbs list...
Just to think, I tried to convince Paul Loftus to do Kirkstone via the Outragously difficult STRUGGLE in this years FWC, luckily he refused and told me to sod off and seek help
Can you imagine the FWC with THAT added? Maybe he will do it for the 10th edition or so...0 -
Again another viewpoint, I've did Honister from Seatoller 3 times and think it is absolutely horrendous, I near spew nearing the top of the 1st very steep section(just before the cattlegrid), Last time I did Honister was from Buttermere and I agree its an absolute killer aswel, I think in this direction it plays more psycologically with the head, you can see the entire climb from way below and it looks awful....but after ascending it I must say I found the Seatoller approach a tad tougher...both in my top 10 UK toughest climbs list...
Just to think, I tried to convince Paul Loftus to do Kirkstone via the Outragously difficult STRUGGLE in this years FWC, luckily he refused and told me to sod off and seek help Wink
Can you imagine the FWC with THAT added? Maybe he will do it for the 10th edition or so...
Going to have to agree to disagree about the Honister thing Richyboy! When I go up the Seatoller side once I'm over the grid, tough though the first bit is, I feel like I'm pretty much done because if the first bit hasn't beat you, the rest surely won't. When I go up from Buttermere I find that I'm already in a fairly low gear on the lower slopes which don't look that steep, but it just gets steeper...and steeper...and steeper...it's like riding up a giant halfpipe. The only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that somewhere on the fells someone will be watching!
But that's just me
As for the Struggle, heard good things about it and will do it next week. Even though it would kind of make sense for the FWC to go up it (it is a bit of a detour to go through Troutbeck), I'm sure that hundreds will curse you and Mr Loftus if it ever does get included!0 -
Hawkshead - Fangs - Matterdale End - Cold Fell - Whinlatter Pass - Wrynose Pass - Kirkstone Pass - Newlands Pass - Honister Pass - Hardknott Pass of course!
Yes pretty much agree - though I couldn't identify which of the first four are which. Whinlatter is just a long drag really - not even on the bottom sprocket on a standard double set up - whereas those last three plus Wrynose I'm searching for gears which aren't there.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
Don't say any more :shock: Most of these hills I'll be riding for the first time on the day. All I have been told is to save enough for a little hill on the 100 mile mark. 0
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nasahapley wrote:On the off chance that anyone is about...
I'm in the Lakes to kick start my training for the FWC from Sunday 17 to Tuesday 19 of this month; will be up in Keswick and hope to ride all the passes and a lot else besides in that time.
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Well if you get weather next weekend like we've had here this weekend, you're in for a treat - bring yer camera. Managed 94 miles today up around Derwentwater and the weather was brilliant. A tad cold in the morning with some mist around when you got near any water, but it warmed up in the afternoon and was positively spring like for the last 3 hours of the ride. Best time of the year for photos (imho) if you get the weather right. (But that's a BIG if up here).
Look forward to hearing how you get on.0
