Lakeland Loop

popette

I wrote my ramble on here http://2010etape.blogspot.com/2010/04/l ... ccccc.html

Highlights in summary: I crashed on the first 25%descent into a wall. Carried on. Cycled the first bit of Hard Knott, got off and walked the final steep section. Fell off on Wrynose, twice. Fell off into rocks on the foot of the last climb when chain jammed, just before the photographer. Need a new helmet - dented and cracked right through. Left side of body bit wrecked. Finished in 5hrs 25 mins or thereabouts.

Thank you to the many people who stopped to help me on the crash and subsequent idiotic falls. Thanks to the supporters too - superb.

What an amazing day. Loved that course so much - absolutely perfect with a bit of everything. Organisation superb. Food and support, outstanding. Start location, fantastic. Weather, best day of the year so far.

I'll be back next year, DEFO!!!

r3 guy

Conquered Hardknott for the first time !!! All the way without walking, and then felt obliged to do the same with wrynose. Also cramped in different parts of my legs mostly when sat, so had to stay off the saddle.

Finished in 5 hours dead. (45 min improvement on last years time)

Great event and great weather. Just wish organizers would put savoury snacks out.

MrZ

Agreed it was a brilliant day, great route and glorious weather topped it off.

Also agreed on the perils of hardknott and wrynose descents.
I like many had to walk parts of the hardknott ascent and was moving pretty fast in just my socks until i had to step off the road and let 2 cars by. Wet socks and swiftly blistered soles of feet resulted. I rode for a bit then walked the tough top stretch in my shoes.

Got to the top and realised i had destroyed my cleats so couldnt clip in for the rest of the ride. It was a bit hairy going down both descents without being clipped in!

Still at least the lakeland passes destroy more than us biker's legs. On saturday half way up honister pass on a ride we came across fire engines and police loading a classic Ferrari onto the back of a truck. It had set on fire trying to get up the hill and burnt itself (and a large patch in the road) to a cinder! Was quite amusing,,,,,

320DMsport

Had a great day and had a good crack!

Made a schoolboy error and ran out of water before hardknot.

3hr 30 to hardknot then cramped up real bad and ended up walking riding walking then i was alright after that.

My finish tim was 4hr 48min 45seconds so quite happy after all my antics and a good learning curve for the Fred Whitton this year as i won't make that mistake again!

AndyD2574

Totally bonked on Hardknot............combination of bad cramp and wrong gearing!!!

I defo seemed to be pushing much biger gears........what is the sugestion for FWC.

Apart from that absolutely brolliant day!!!

6 hr 20 with 1 full hour of stops so riding for 5.20........with a wee bit of pushing too!!

Great learning curve for the Fred!!

sagalout

I had a horrible final 15 miles or so. Was going well enough until about 45 miles in. I'd skipped the first feed station as I was feeling great and had plenty of food with me, and sometimes I find it hard to get going again. Tried out a new SIS gel for the first time. I think it didn't agree with me as shortly afterwards I felt really ill. Stopped for half an hour at the 2nd station to try and feel better, ate some mal loaf etc, but as soon as I got back on the bike I started feeling sick again.

Walked up most of hardknott, only riding the easier middle bit, then had to get off again on Wynrose and that final 25%. Struggled over the line in about 5:46, hobbled to the car and threw up, followed by a 2 hour drive home, stopping every half an hour to honk again lol.

Not really sure what the problem was - I've completed similar Sportives in the past and usually finish in the top 20%. Maybe a reaction to the gel or poor fitness due to not training much in the past month. Either way it was a thoroughly miserable end to what was otherwise a great day.

Popette - I think I might have been riding with you until about Keswick. I came down the first big descent to catch up with someone that had just fallen. Were you wearing a white top with a chrome pump attached to the bike? We were riding with a guy from Kelso Wheelers who could descend like a rocket lol. I was on a Trek madone, red Gore jacket with a banana lol. Anyway, great effort to get back on and complete the ride knowing there was worse descents to come!

r3 guy

Does anyone know where the pictures will be online?

popette

sagalout wrote:

Popette - I think I might have been riding with you until about Keswick. I came down the first big descent to catch up with someone that had just fallen. Were you wearing a white top with a chrome pump attached to the bike? We were riding with a guy from Kelso Wheelers who could descend like a rocket lol. I was on a Trek madone, red Gore jacket with a banana lol. Anyway, great effort to get back on and complete the ride knowing there was worse descents to come!

I had a black and white rapha top on at that stage. Took it off later - had a black top with predominantly white back. Def had chrome pump and I was riding behind a big guy with a kelso wheelers top on so you must have been the guy in red that I was tailing for a while. The guy with the banana actually unclipped me from my bike and picked me up. Was that you too?

sagalout

Ah, there must have been 2 of us in red tops and bananas! When I came down the hill you were already just starting off again, just before that big fella down the hill snapped a spoke.

Must admit I hated descending on some of those 25% ers yesterday - bloody hard work in the drops and always a feeling the pads are going to overheat at any minute!

Pigeons in flight

Agreed - a cracking day. I too came a cropper on the Hardnott - fell off in a slow mo kind of way into the pillow-like moss at the side. I have never seen anything like those hills in my life - they really do live up to their mythical reputation. I'm not sure gearing was an excuse as I was running 34/27 - more like about 5kg too much jelly belly and lack of training. I'll be back next year to try and get up the hills without hoofing it!

friso

Hi

Also had a great expierience on the Loop
This was my first time and my second only Sportive
Coming from Norfolk i don't get much chance to ride the long climbs

I was so worried leading up to Hardnott that i didn't go off as fast as i should of
Hardnott was worse than i exected, got up to the steepest part on the second half and had to walk about 100 meters before finding a suitable part to get back on and clip in without falling off sideways

I stayed up in the Lakes for the week for a break with the family so i drove to the foot of Hardnott on Wednesday evening and got the bike out of the car and had another go with fresh legs, not that it made much of a difference. Got a bit further this time but just couldn't clear it without stopping but after this second time i know i can clear it next year with a bit more training and a lot less weight. Well done to everyone for taking part and welldone to the organisers and feedstop helpers on the day. Pity there wasn't a sponsor such as SIS as there was no energy drinks at the feedstops

Time, 5hours 24mins (inc stops)