Grizedale NFT

P1LTS

Posted yesterday but appears to have been removed.

Anyway I completed the North Face Trail on Monday. I really enjoyed it but I have to admit that the first couple of miles nearly killed me. :oops:

It took me 2h15m, which I realise is probably quite slow compared to others. I'd still be interested to know what an average time is to complete the 10miles.

Ian

allmountain76

68 minutes is my best. Under an hour is a regular. Average i recon about 1 hour 40?

P1LTS

Average i recon about 1 hour 40?

Guess I've gort someway to go then. Oh well practice makes perfect I suppose

allmountain76

The first climb past "elephant rock" after the fire road is key! If you can clean it with no stopping you can recover on the top fire road and then go for it again on the next single track.

I wouldnt worry too much about times - if you are new to it and dont know the route it takes ages. I bet after 4 or 5 trips round you will have shaved neraly an hour off it just knowing where you are and where to push / recover!

I recon i am at about 1 hour 20 now as im 7 years older and 3/4 stone heavier since my best. Plus its a lot rougher and harder going round there these days!

Whytepeak

70 mins dead - but that was me going as fast as possible on the blender. (absolutely knackered after that )

Just keeping it going up the climb is the key...

P1LTS

You chaps could get round twice in the time that it took me to do one lap :shock:

The way I felt when I had finished made me never want to see a bike again

that feeling soon wore off though and I can't wait to do it again.

Whytepeak

P1LTS wrote:

You chaps could get round twice in the time that it took me to do one lap :shock:

Believe me I couldn't

The NFT is very tiring for it's length, becuase the trail surface is so rough, and all the little rocks and stones tire you like no big drops could.

ratty2k

Whytepeak wrote:

P1LTS wrote:

You chaps could get round twice in the time that it took me to do one lap :shock:

Believe me I couldn't

The NFT is very tiring for it's length, becuase the trail surface is so rough, and all the little rocks and stones tire you like no big drops could.

eh? If you go off piste in the many bridleways it can get rough... but NFT itself is smooth...

Whytepeak

ratty2k wrote:

Whytepeak wrote:

P1LTS wrote:

You chaps could get round twice in the time that it took me to do one lap :shock:

Believe me I couldn't

The NFT is very tiring for it's length, becuase the trail surface is so rough, and all the little rocks and stones tire you like no big drops could.

eh? If you go off piste in the many bridleways it can get rough... but NFT itself is smooth...

Maybe 'rough' is the wrong word, but I do find it to be a rough trail - whinlatter is smooth, the NFT is rough.

The Northern Monkey

Whytepeak wrote:

ratty2k wrote:

Whytepeak wrote:

P1LTS wrote:

You chaps could get round twice in the time that it took me to do one lap :shock:

Believe me I couldn't

The NFT is very tiring for it's length, becuase the trail surface is so rough, and all the little rocks and stones tire you like no big drops could.

eh? If you go off piste in the many bridleways it can get rough... but NFT itself is smooth...

Maybe 'rough' is the wrong word, but I do find it to be a rough trail - whinlatter is smooth, the NFT is rough.

Totally agree. Grizedale is a proper workout on the teeth compared to whinlatter!

sparrowlegs78

Grizedale it a good bum rattler lol
Caz xx

P1LTS

I really struggled with my SPD's as well on the technical bits. I had a couple of those horrible moments when the bike stops moving forward and you realise that you are still clipped in :shock:

Got the bruised elbows to prove it as well. Again practice makes perfect I suppose.

allmountain76

Get some 5.10's and flat pedals!

sniper68

Whytepeak wrote:

Maybe 'rough' is the wrong word, but I do find it to be a rough trail - whinlatter is smooth, the NFT is rough.

Personally i think the NFT is pavement smooth and a bit boring which is why we only ride the last bit and the first couple of sections and then go natural.Whinlatter isn't much better.Out of the 2 the NFT is slightly better but i wouldn't describe it as rough by any means.

allmountain76

NFT - rough in relation to other trail centres (Gisburn, Winlatter). Smooth compared to natural (Garburn, Loughrigg).

Rocketmagnet

I think you should just go at your own pace you find fun P1LTS - once you get some
fitness you'll find your own time rapidly drops - what time others do it in is irrellevent IMO.

Personally my times vary wildly as i can have a bad day or simply a long spell off
the bike and i know it's gonna take me alot longer.. I never worry at all about my time
just that it improves over a period of frequent riding which it does of its own accord.

I've had ages off the bike recently and done Kirroughtree a week ago and didnt
even concern myself with pace - I just had fun and took it easy knowing the fitness will come once i get back to 2-3x per week - what was important for me was i enjoyed myself. Doing Newcastleton tomorrow which is another easy course then mabie
in the afternoon - certainly wont be concerning myself if people overtake me they are
simply better than me or currently fitter.. dont care really as it wont spoil my enjoyment
one little bit.

I've not done the NF for ages but i think Whinlatter is physically harder overall but its
certainly been tamed down technically with all the roots being paved over or removed
still the only challenge on the NF is the boards when slippery (which is most of the time).

P1LTS

Did the NFT again on Fri. Dragged the other half around with me this time. Took even longer on this occasion but I was waiting for the missus quite a bit, especially on the descents as her bike has NO SUSPENSION :shock: (my old Carrera Quattro Pro)

The initial climb from the visitors centre killed me again :oops:

I'll stick at it. It can only get easier (I hope!!)