Fred Whitton

John C.

I'm not doing it this year, funds etc.... But last years was the best days cycling I've ever had, So a little bit of advice for those lucky enough to be doing this years event.
Prepare well and the climbs will be OK but the hard part is the down hills. You will nearly pass out climbing Honister and Hardknott and then you relax on the down hill. NO NO NO. The decents will have your arms on fire they are horendously steep with hairpin bends especially Hardnott and coming off down there will not be pleasant.
The feed stations are exellent and the maltloaf last year was worth all the pain of the climbs alone. The cats eyes on the A66 are another thing to look out for, they are big and unyielding, they have caught a few riders out in the past.
I should have said sod the funds and enterd anyway, never mind there's always next year.

Brian B

Good solid advice there John. This is my 3rd time this year and its not too far away to the event. Just going out now to get some more miles in.

Feltup

Thanks for the advice

My folks drove over Hardknott at New Year and said the potholes were horrendous. Fingers crossed they have repaired some of them.

nasahapley

Yep that's all good advice; your ride in t'moors on Easter Monday is going to be a significant part of my prep! The most important thing I learned last year is to really take it easy to the first feed station. Maybe it's because it was my first event and I got a bit carried away, but I got to the first feed in 3 hours flat, thought I was on for a really good time, and then died on my arse shortly afterwards. The second half is much harder than the first, IMO.

Anonymous

YES...IMO I reckon a clever ride would be...start at a very steady pace...get your body in climbing mode over hawkshead and Kirkstone....dont even push it over Matterdale...you'll get speed along the horrendous A66 and it will be wise to work with others here...then rolling roads to Honister...and this is where is really starts...if you havent pushed it too much then you'll die as always going up it but you should recuperate ok....quick feed at Buttermere before Newlands hause...again another brute...you'll be feeling it now and Whinlatter will give a real kicking aswell so its good not to push too hard anywhere....people forget about Fangs and Coldfell but last year I so most carnage around there....guys who had underestimated...went too fast...whatever...and we all know what the freds all about....its about Hardknott at 100miles....even if youve paced yourself well and consereved energy you know at best its 50:50.....Ive a good memory and Ive hit that at 100miles 3 times now...and I cannot convey the awful feeling...I reckon I'm not far from weeping ...and the effort involved is unique....Wrynose afterwards is easy in comparison but its such a kick in the gonads...

Best advice...pace yourself **** do not get fooled into thinking youll be last when guys fly passed...no doubt youll catch 75% of them later on when they die!*** / small gears are a must / take the decents carefully.....especially Honister and Wrynose...people are so tired after Wrynose it can all turn so bad so quick....

The Goal of the FWC?...For me scaling all climbs without stopping or walking...especially Hardknott....thats what the FWC is all about...if you havent managed this then I reckon the course has beaten you...be realistic with your gear choice....I've a triple and I near died on a 30 x 27 on Hardknott...there were well over a 100 guys on it last year when I hit it...no one was on there bikes...all pushing or stopping....hardknott at 100miles is the hardest thing Ive ever did in Cycling...be prepared...I wish you all luck and best of fortune...(glad Im missing it this year)

pinarellodude

Couldn't argee more, I hit hardknot for the first time on Sunday with a 34-27and it was dreadful. I had to stop due to cars where backing up as they were just spinning there front wheels and couldn't get traction or the engines were struggling with the gradent. I managed to ride it all bar two stops one because off the cars and one to stop the suffering in my legs and head but the thought off 100 miles in your legs first then seeing the acent off Hardknott as you aproach is just horrible.
No matter how much you weigh it makes you wish you weighd a bloody site less lol.

holmeboy

Here's a few phpto's to give you a taster! :oops: 8) :twisted: Enjoy!

suze

Already expecting to walk up Hardknott despite having a triple....so I'm not going to be too disappointed with my overall time...just want to get around.

I'm going to set off early and enjoy the day :shock: if you can...

Tom Butcher

You can take it easy all the way round but that's not going to get you near the kind of time you could have done. I'd get in a group travelling at a reasonable speed up to Kirkstone, don't go mad over that but it's worth putting a bit of an effort in to stay with a reasonable group as you don't want to get isolated between Kirkstone and Honister - ride that section on your own and you'll never make up the time. Be careful on the A62 though there are a lot of novices do the event who aren't used to travelling at 30mph in a big group on a main road.

Honister is just a case of getting over it - I'd try and save a bit if you can - no need to stay with a group there as the first feed is coming up and then Newlands. Newlands I'd try and ride within yourself get over it and look for a group on the descent if you can - Whinlatter is just a long drag but somewhere along the climb/descent getting in a group will pay off - first of all for drafting but secondly because after Whinlatter there are parts you could get lost and it's odds on someone else will know the way if you get in a group. In the past signing hasn't been the best on the FW - this may not be the case now but beware - you do not want to be standing by the road looking at a map or even worse an unplanned detour.

The fangs etc isn't too bad - hilly and you have to push on a bit but try and get in a small group - larger groups are likely to break up anyway. After the second feed you have a decision of whether to take it very easy to the big one or to push on and accept you'll be walking anyway - I wouldn't try and save too much as you can lose a lot of time and end up blowing up and walking early anyway. Hardknott is really a case of gearing - if you don't have a triple you are unlikely to ride it unless you are very good at climbing - yes you could save yourself the whole ride and maybe get up it but you'll end up slower overall - personally I'd accept a short walk here for a faster overall time - if you mate gets in an hour ahead of you saying yeah but you put a foot down on Hardknott isn't much of a defence! After Hardknott it's plain sailing - Wrynose is climbable if you got up Honister (if you didn't then you'll probably walk here too - it's not as hard but your legs are fatigued) and you get a second wind after that and can blast the last 10.

Anonymous

Tom Butcher wrote:

You can take it easy all the way round but that's not going to get you near the kind of time you could have done. I'd get in a group travelling at a reasonable speed up to Kirkstone, don't go mad over that but it's worth putting a bit of an effort in to stay with a reasonable group as you don't want to get isolated between Kirkstone and Honister - ride that section on your own and you'll never make up the time. Be careful on the A62 though there are a lot of novices do the event who aren't used to travelling at 30mph in a big group on a main road.

Honister is just a case of getting over it - I'd try and save a bit if you can - no need to stay with a group there as the first feed is coming up and then Newlands. Newlands I'd try and ride within yourself get over it and look for a group on the descent if you can - Whinlatter is just a long drag but somewhere along the climb/descent getting in a group will pay off - first of all for drafting but secondly because after Whinlatter there are parts you could get lost and it's odds on someone else will know the way if you get in a group. In the past signing hasn't been the best on the FW - this may not be the case now but beware - you do not want to be standing by the road looking at a map or even worse an unplanned detour.

The fangs etc isn't too bad - hilly and you have to push on a bit but try and get in a small group - larger groups are likely to break up anyway. After the second feed you have a decision of whether to take it very easy to the big one or to push on and accept you'll be walking anyway - I wouldn't try and save too much as you can lose a lot of time and end up blowing up and walking early anyway. Hardknott is really a case of gearing - if you don't have a triple you are unlikely to ride it unless you are very good at climbing - yes you could save yourself the whole ride and maybe get up it but you'll end up slower overall - personally I'd accept a short walk here for a faster overall time - if you mate gets in an hour ahead of you saying yeah but you put a foot down on Hardknott isn't much of a defence! After Hardknott it's plain sailing - Wrynose is climbable if you got up Honister (if you didn't then you'll probably walk here too - it's not as hard but your legs are fatigued) and you get a second wind after that and can blast the last 10.

Depends on what you are aiming for?....if it's a faster time then fair enough push yourself a tad fatser over the course....it will obviously reduce your chance of scaling the beasts at the end....if your looking to conquer hardknott then ride more conservatively....

Personally I reckon a 9 hour time without stopping or walking on any of the Hills as a huge success....whereas if I got round in 8 hours and had to stop or walk at bits it would be an utter failure and I'd be gutted....my goal is to conquer the course...thats what the Freds all about for me....90% of the other sportives could allow you to fly round as fast as.....but the Freds unique as its got on eof the toughest tests on the planet at 100miles....and if thats not the true test of the event I'm really puzzled by its popularity?....personally if I had to push 100% all the time I would just hate it...and fail!

P.s the super guys out there who can fly round in 6-7hours are a different category, my advice is for the bog standard riders.

Tom Butcher

Absolutely - the only value in it is the value we put on it ourselves - that will differ from rider to rider. If I were to ride it again I'd be aiming to beat my previous time and probably crack 7 hours if conditions were favourable - though to do that I'd probably have to ride all or Hardknott anyway except possibly the short ramp at the top.

John C.

You've got to go with the attitude of riding ALL of it !
I went from group to group, as in, I'd jump onto a group that past me and stay with them for a bit then ease off a bit, hitch a ride with a lone rider then jump into another group. Cold Fell was The Best leading the Breeze cycle group up hills then jumping back in behind the leader on the flat, well near flat and they were going up gears when I would have been dropping them. We were passing other groups at a hell of a pace. Yes I was up around 90% HR but it was just the best riding I've ever been involved and many thanks to all of them. Hardknott is in the mind you have to tell yourself you can do it. If you've ridden all of it up to this point then you can ride it, you just have to tell yourself you can. If you walk on the earlier climbs then you've got the gearing or training wrong and deserve no sympathy at all

Chinley Churner

Totally agree I rode it last year and it was one of the best days I've ever had on a road bike alongside the Paris-Roubaix sportive. Winnatts Pass is my local tough hill and Hard Knott at 100 miles made that seem like a pimple. My goal for the day was to try and stay comfortable, enjoy it and not to dab on any of the climbs. Managed all three using a 34X27 and came home in 7:03...... my top tip is not to overindulge on cake at Buttermere as Newlands is just up the road and malt loaf isn't so tasty coming back up!