Tough Trough

HasselHough

Me and a few pals have registered for The Tough Trough this July. Done all the hills but Waddington and Tatham Fell, so I better get up them first!!

Looking forward to it, also doing the Manchester- Blackpool the weekend before.

Anyone else planning the tough trough?

Two Flat Tyres

The Trough is a great route. Not done Tatham, but Waddington is a nice climb. Long and steady with superb views.

Guanajuato

I was due to do the Kendal Sportive this weekend just gone, but it was postponed. I've been offered the possibility of transferring to the Tough Trough as I can't do the rearranged date.
I've never done more than 40 hilly miles in one go, so doing the shorter version of the Kendal Sportive was going to be a challenge for me. I generally can't get out for more than a couple of hours at a time, unless I plan months in advance. I really suspect that the Tough Trough at double the distance I've ever done before will be beyond me. I've asked the organisers if there's a possibility of cutting off the southern loop by turning left at Dunsop Bridge - 20 miles less and about 1000ft less climbing. No response as yet.

I just don't know the hills around there. ~10% for about a mile I can cope with, much steeper for more than a short distance and I'm buggered! My usual routes are around 30 miles with 2-3000ft climbing in the lakes. I do struggle with hills. That said, I've done the 9 mile climb up Shap from Kendal a few times in around 45 minutes. The last part of that climb (from the Borrowdale dip to the summit) is about my limit for sustained climbing.
Would I be asking for trouble if I go for it?

Graeme Jones

Thinking about going for it. I like the idea of sportives with decent elevation gains!

HasselHough

Guanajuato wrote:

I was due to do the Kendal Sportive this weekend just gone, but it was postponed. I've been offered the possibility of transferring to the Tough Trough as I can't do the rearranged date.
I've never done more than 40 hilly miles in one go, so doing the shorter version of the Kendal Sportive was going to be a challenge for me. I generally can't get out for more than a couple of hours at a time, unless I plan months in advance. I really suspect that the Tough Trough at double the distance I've ever done before will be beyond me. I've asked the organisers if there's a possibility of cutting off the southern loop by turning left at Dunsop Bridge - 20 miles less and about 1000ft less climbing. No response as yet.

I just don't know the hills around there. ~10% for about a mile I can cope with, much steeper for more than a short distance and I'm buggered! My usual routes are around 30 miles with 2-3000ft climbing in the lakes. I do struggle with hills. That said, I've done the 9 mile climb up Shap from Kendal a few times in around 45 minutes. The last part of that climb (from the Borrowdale dip to the summit) is about my limit for sustained climbing.
Would I be asking for trouble if I go for it?

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/151725143

This is the route, 4 good climbs with some nice fast descents and a good break between each climb.
I say go for it!

If you only get 2 hours to train just make it a really tough 2 hours :-) hill repeats or something. If you climbed 9 miles in one go you're doing ok by me!

Guanajuato

HasselHough wrote:

If you only get 2 hours to train just make it a really tough 2 hours :-) hill repeats or something. If you climbed 9 miles in one go you're doing ok by me!

Thanks That is 9 miles of road, not 9 miles of height. Strava has it down as 9 miles and 1200ft of climbing.
As for Hill Repeats - I live in Kendal, so its difficult to find routes that don't include a lot of up & down. Unless I follow the river valley, I've got 500ft+ climbing in about a mile whatever direction I go. I just don't get to go all that far. Its more the distance that scares me. I'll try & work up to it a bit. I'll just have to abandon the wife and kids on a Saturday morning for longer more often.

lakesluddite

Guanajuato wrote:

HasselHough wrote:

If you only get 2 hours to train just make it a really tough 2 hours :-) hill repeats or something. If you climbed 9 miles in one go you're doing ok by me!

Thanks That is 9 miles of road, not 9 miles of height. Strava has it down as 9 miles and 1200ft of climbing.
As for Hill Repeats - I live in Kendal, so its difficult to find routes that don't include a lot of up & down. Unless I follow the river valley, I've got 500ft+ climbing in about a mile whatever direction I go. I just don't get to go all that far. Its more the distance that scares me. I'll try & work up to it a bit. I'll just have to abandon the wife and kids on a Saturday morning for longer more often.

If you can get up Shap then you'll be fine on this route, the climbs are a little more gradual than the final slog up from the Kendal side of Shap - I remember them from the 'Ride with Brad' last year.
If you haven't got a lot of spare training time, try and get into the Lythe Valley where you have either Brigsteer Road or Underbarrow Road (both up Scout Scar) to play around on. Underbarrow Road is a killer from the bottom of the valley, but the descent into Kendal afterwards is a great reward, and you can always go up Brigsteer road again, and make a circuit of it, if you're feeling sadistic.
If you're feeling even more sadistic, get over to Newby Bridge and go up Fell Foot Brow. Lung burster.

I was signed up for the Kendal Sportive as well (you might have guessed that I'm also based in Kendal), but wasn't that disappointed when it was cancelled - I drove through Ingleton last friday and it was horrific - but then again I can do the re-arranged date so it's not too much of an inconvenience for me. I'm still going to do the Tough Trough though.

Guanajuato

Thanks! Good to have a comparison. I think I'm going to go for it.
Distance is the other issue. I've got a while to build up. I quite fancy a go up Kirkstone and possibly all the way round and back via Penrith and Shap to get a good distance in with plenty of climbing.
My usual short loop is up Beast Banks to Brigsteer and down the Lyth Valley to Levens and back over Sizergh Fell. I'll vary the route from Brigsteer along the valley floor or the higher road, and along to Meathop or Grange as the mood/time/headwind takes me.
One of my irregular routes takes me down the Underbarrow rd and back up Brigsteer Brow. I've tried Underbarrow to Scout Scar twice as part of a longer route out through Staveley to Windermere and down the Lyth Valley Road. Failed twice, toppling over in slow motion at the last right hand bend before the Scout Scar car park. From the Kendal direction its not much easier either. Failed the first time that direction, but made it all the way up every time since, just!
I've driven up Fell Foot Brow enough times to know I'd end in a heap well before the Gummers Howe car park. Its on the Tour de Staveley route isn't it?

essjaydee

I've asked the organisers if there's a possibility of cutting off the southern loop by turning left at Dunsop Bridge - 20 miles less and about 1000ft less climbing. No response as yet.

Bit selfish of you (IMO) And I'm not surprised they are ignoring you. I would too!
These events take an awful lot of time and energy to organise and run, and they are supposed to be a challenge. You have plenty of time to get a few longer rides in, so just go for it.

Guanajuato

Not sure quite why you think it selfish. I appreciate that there will be a fair bit of work involved. I also appreciate they are supposed to be a challenge. But as I said in my original post, the shorter version of the Spring Classic would have been a challenge for me. To do more than double what I've ever done before, with a lot of climbing (which I struggle with) I think may be a challenge too far. All I was asking was whether they'd consider allowing an unofficial slightly shorter version, given that they are offering this as an alternative to a 45 mile ride. As you say, I do have time to build up some distance. When I started last spring, 10 miles nearly killed me. Now 30-odd doesn't phase me. But 70-odd does!

But as you'll see from my post above, I've gone for it after the encouragement above. It might take me all day. I might end up with an arse like a baboon. But I will do it! I might even have a better bike in time for it too, if my company gets its Ride2Work scheme in order by then.

lakesluddite

Guanajuato wrote:

Thanks! Good to have a comparison. I think I'm going to go for it.
Distance is the other issue. I've got a while to build up. I quite fancy a go up Kirkstone and possibly all the way round and back via Penrith and Shap to get a good distance in with plenty of climbing.
My usual short loop is up Beast Banks to Brigsteer and down the Lyth Valley to Levens and back over Sizergh Fell. I'll vary the route from Brigsteer along the valley floor or the higher road, and along to Meathop or Grange as the mood/time/headwind takes me.
One of my irregular routes takes me down the Underbarrow rd and back up Brigsteer Brow. I've tried Underbarrow to Scout Scar twice as part of a longer route out through Staveley to Windermere and down the Lyth Valley Road. Failed twice, toppling over in slow motion at the last right hand bend before the Scout Scar car park. From the Kendal direction its not much easier either. Failed the first time that direction, but made it all the way up every time since, just!
I've driven up Fell Foot Brow enough times to know I'd end in a heap well before the Gummers Howe car park. Its on the Tour de Staveley route isn't it?

Yup, sure is - although at that point there is an alternative route 'off-road' up what they call the 'Strada Bianca', a gravel climb up through the woods that is longer but less intense, but yes this is on the Tour De Staveley. This is actually where I encountered Fell Foot Brow for the first time, and i did have to get off - which made me determined to get back to it asap and crack it.

essjaydee

My point is, that you will never please all the people all the time and why should the organisers change routes for one person? Pick an event with a shorter distance or less climbing. Simples

But, good on you for going for it. It will motivate you to get out and make the most of any time on the bike, as you now have a fixed goal to aim for