The Fred!
Comments
-
liversedge wrote:Really up for the Fred this year. Regardless of the weather. Rode in 07 with a chest infection and struggled. Will be sub-8 this time. Its a bloddy long way for me to drive for a wet ride, but this is my first (and last) test before La Marmotte.
Please let it be relatively dry .......................
Pretty nice on the Cumbrian coast today... 12 C, sunny and very windy!"In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Looking like light rain all day now. Might fit my rear race blade.Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.
Felt F55 - 2007
Specialized Singlecross - 2008
Marin Rift Zone - 1998
Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali0 -
Met office website has 13 C sunny spells and no wind.
Me likey."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
disgruntledgoat wrote:Met office website has 13 C sunny spells and no wind.
Me likey.
I'll take that!
On the question of mudguards, will I be persona non grata for not having any if it does get a bit wet? I'm actually going up to Coniston tomorrow night, so if anyone fancies a steady pootle sometime on Saturday PM me and we'll sort something out.0 -
Outlook for Saturday to Monday:
Largely unsettled through the outlook with showers on Saturday, showery rain on Sunday but more in the way of sunny spells for Monday. Breezy on Saturday but with winds easing.
Updated: 1523 on Thu 7 May 2009
Looks like easterlies too so drizzle in the face on the home run!Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.
Felt F55 - 2007
Specialized Singlecross - 2008
Marin Rift Zone - 1998
Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali0 -
The weather this morning (friday) in little langdale really quite unpleasnt, temp 5 degrees, heavy rain when it ain't hail stoning, strong blustery north easterly winds. Best of luck to you all for sunday, if its like this its going to be a nightmare of a ride.0
-
Thanks for that BD, I'll look forward to it :evil: :evil:pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................
Revised FCN - 20 -
On the coast near Whitehaven it is now clearing up. Bit of blue sky, wind has dropped."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Reading above posts, people are making comments about the danger of the various descents.
I'm not some sort of demon descender, I do like zooming downhill but only when it's a road I know and/or it's something I can see is clear from some distance away.
And I'm too old and (cowardly / have a sense of my own mortality, delete as appropriate) to want to go flying downhill round a blind bend on a broken-up road surface, so I intend to err on the cautious side rather than fast time side this weekend anyway, I don't want to end-up requiring any blue lights
But what are these descents like ?
- I've driven over all of them at some stage in the past, but perhaps a while ago and some are a bit hazy, but what's to watch out for ?
Kirkstone - this one's OK ? (obviously with caution, but I remember it as a straightforward-ish bit of mountain A-road)
Honister - this one's not OK, don't let the bike run away with you because once it's going too fast you can't scrub the speed off again ?
Newlands - I do remember an unexpected really tight hairpin at a farm partway down, but where it's straight and clear and you can see where the road goes, it's OK ?
Whinlatter - bigger A-road, but could be slippery under the trees ?
Hardknott - brakes-on-white-knuckles all the way down, engine-braking and boiling the brakes in a car let alone a bike...
Wrynose - upper bit is clear but there's a couple of surprises at the bottom so don't go mad ?
These about right ?
Anything else ? (traffic and cats-eyes on the A66 for a start !)0 -
Andy... You asked for it.
Descents and other hazards:
Hawkshead Hill- Narrow, very fast. hedges obscure visibility of oncoming traffic. Tight junction at the bottom
Kirkstone: Off camber corners, holes on apex twisty, busy.
A66. Bog standard A-Road. Some traffic calming stuff about 4 miles outside Keswick makes it a bit narrow and sketchy but onlt for about 400m.
Honister: Worst. Descent. Ever. You got that one spot on.
Newlands: There's two hairpins. One is cunningly disguised at the bottom of a long straight section. They even knocked down the big purple house that alerted you to it.
Whinlatter: A doddle. They've filled all the holes on the S bends now. No gravel when I went down it on Wednesday
Lamplough: Massive holes in the road after you come past the church
Croasedale. 3 tight hairpins in quick succession, fast run in
Cold Fell: My absolute favourite. Only problem is the tight, steep chicane at the bottom.
Irton Pike: Very fast blind corner, otherwise great fun
Hardknott: See Honister
Wrynose: Only place i've ever seen the air ambulance on the Fred. bumpy and fast once you get through the steep section, evil in the wet."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Sounds about right - it was unpleasant last year in warm dry conditions. If its wet, it will be horrible. Probably worth investing in some of the red "wet weather" pads. Good luck to everyone riding this year, its a great sportive and I will be back at some point to tame Hardknott!0
-
There is a warning on the fred web site about pot holes in the road on the decent past the drunken duck, i think these are new and are on the line taken around a fast ish bend. Also awkward traffic lights at clappersgate/brathy bridge0
-
Sounds great !
Thanks folks !0 -
Yeah thanks for the heads up on the road conditions. Hope you all have a great ride.
p.s. slight improvement on some forecasts so fingers crossed they are correct!Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.
Felt F55 - 2007
Specialized Singlecross - 2008
Marin Rift Zone - 1998
Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali0 -
The user and all related content has been deleted.0
-
Good luck everbody. I will be the big Scottish lad on a black orbea with a black Assos Intermediate jersey given the forecast - give me a shout if you see me. Hope the weather is okay!Brian B.0
-
Take care all.
Hope to say Hi to some of you.
Will be in mostly blue dynamo top. Even if raining (new dynamo rain jacket). On a blue and yellow Lemond.
Nick
PS email me at nick.dove[at]jh-co.com if you need somewhere to stay last minute.0 -
Don't forget your shoes this time :idea: - may see you there but only as you pass me
I'm using the excuse that I've never ridden that far north and going slowly so I can appreciate the scenery.0 -
Good luck everyone! I might come out to shout some encouragement at you as you pass. I'll be somewhere on the western side, maybe cold fell if the weather is nice. I have never done a sportive and at 42 just getting into cycling I'm never going to reach the times some of you are aiming for but I might train for the fred next year.0
-
Forecast looks ok for tomorrow and little wind. The potholes up borrowdale are terrible so take care other than that the routes good. Enjoy everyone0
-
What a cracking day! The only downsides being the hail after Hardknott and being knocked off my bike in Gosforth. Luckily the only damage from the accident was s twisted knee so was lucky there as my front wheel stopped about an inch short of her front wing! The hand plant on her bonnet saved me sprawling across her car! Maybe next time she will check more carefully before pulling out :?
Anyway came in at 7.58 and didn't walk any of it can't ask for any more than that on my first sportive.
Hope you all had a great day.Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.
Felt F55 - 2007
Specialized Singlecross - 2008
Marin Rift Zone - 1998
Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali0 -
Pebble-sized hailstones! My chest and arms are covered in red impact marks...
Nevertheless, could not have wished for better weather, until Hardknott that is.Feltup wrote:What a cracking day! The only downsides being the hail after Hardknott and being knocked off my bike in Gosforth. Luckily the only damage from the accident was s twisted knee so was lucky there as my front wheel stopped about an inch short of her front wing! The hand plant on her bonnet saved me sprawling across her car! Maybe next time she will check more carefully before pulling out :?
Anyway came in at 7.58 and didn't walk any of it can't ask for any more than that on my first sportive.
Hope you all had a great day.0 -
Congratulations to all who rode the Fred this year.
I didn't ride it this year (wimp) but rode out to Hardknott to offer my support for a bit.
Had intended to take loads of photo's but the bloody battery ran out on the camera!
Anyhow - I've posted up what I got (49 of them) and they're here...
http://picasaweb.google.com/rhnb55/Fred ... llenge2009
Number 36 is worth a look. Rob Jebb and James Dobbin slug it out on Hardknott. (I couldn't believe the speed they went up there!)
If you happen to be one of the lucky 49 and want a bigger copy of the photo, feel free to PM me (with the photo number) and I'll mail it on.
Cheeers... Allan.0 -
The guy on the cannondale is mike cotty I believe.rhnb wrote:Number 36 is worth a look. Rob Jebb and James Dobbin slug it out on Hardknott. (I couldn't believe the speed they went up there!)--
Obsessed is just a word elephants use to describe the dedicated. http://markliversedge.blogspot.com0 -
I'm #11.
Comiserations to the guy who I blocked in that shot, who I beleive was with East London Velo.
And I'm sorry to the guy who got it wrong overtaking me on Honister and lost it. I should have moved further left. Hope You're alright."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
No, that's Rob Jebb (Wheelbase) on pic 36 on the Cannondale.
Mike Cotty? Never heard of him ;-) (was he riding?)0 -
sorry- you're right. my bad.--
Obsessed is just a word elephants use to describe the dedicated. http://markliversedge.blogspot.com0 -
bloody hell - that looks steep. Photo's don't usually capture how steep a hill actually is but I think those really do0
-
It felt that steep!
Just managed to get up it without walking after slotting a gap on the steepest part past a car and a lady who put on a little run to push her bike out the way (thanks!). Sorry to the motorbike behind me who stalled as I blocked him from getting the gap!
My folks were up the top of Hardknott and got talking to a lady who was the Mum of either Robb Jebb or James Dobbin, so my folks got a nice history of recent races.
The descent of hardknott and Wrynose were horrible but Honister and Kirkstone were awesome, Newlands was pretty good also. because we had it car free.
Thanks to all the crowds around the course who cheered us on, it really helped.Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.
Felt F55 - 2007
Specialized Singlecross - 2008
Marin Rift Zone - 1998
Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali0 -
rhnb wrote:Congratulations to all who rode the Fred this year.
I didn't ride it this year (wimp) but rode out to Hardknott to offer my support for a bit.
Had intended to take loads of photo's but the bloody battery ran out on the camera!
Anyhow - I've posted up what I got (49 of them) and they're here...
http://picasaweb.google.com/rhnb55/Fred ... llenge2009
Number 36 is worth a look. Rob Jebb and James Dobbin slug it out on Hardknott. (I couldn't believe the speed they went up there!)
If you happen to be one of the lucky 49 and want a bigger copy of the photo, feel free to PM me (with the photo number) and I'll mail it on.
Cheeers... Allan.
Ahhh it was that blue BMW I slotted past in your last photo so your battery must have run out just before I got there!Short hairy legged roadie FCN 4 or 5 in my baggies.
Felt F55 - 2007
Specialized Singlecross - 2008
Marin Rift Zone - 1998
Peugeot Tourmalet - 1983 - taken more hits than Mohammed Ali0
