Cycling Ullswater?

jonny_trousers

I'm off up there for a wedding this weekend and was thinking of taking the bike with me. Anyone ridden round there and know of routes to reccommend? I don't want anything too vertically challenging, but a nice 2 - 3 hour stretch of the legs would be fun.

Agent57

Take the A592 to Bowness on Windermere. Takes you over Kirkstone Pass IIRC. If you take the road to Ambleside, you can go up a nice sounding hill:

dodgy

I think you might have anticipated this reply, but finding a route without too much climbing is going to be difficult if not impossible. Your only option is to stick to the A592 around the western edge of Ullswater. Up and down, up and down

Kieran_Burns

The moment I saw Ullswater, 2 places came to mind:

Kirkstone Pass
The Struggle

Great pub at the top if that helps, and the descent is.... well: Epic

jonny_trousers

I was just reading about The Struggle in Cyclist magazine :shock: :shock: :shock:

Thanks all!

PS. I have a standard chainset.

rolf_f

It depends on what your definition of 'not too vertically challenging' is.

For example, I wouldn't think that Kirkstone is that hard from the North though I've only been down that side. If you can manage that happily, you can take the Struggle down to Ambleside and then head over to Thirlmere taking the left turn before Thirlmere to head down its Western side. This is pan flat for the length of Thirlmere and must be the flattest piece of tarmac in the Lakes. You can then pick up the left turn, Old Coach Road (not sure what the road suface would be like on that - it doesn't show on street view!), to Dockray which brings you down to Ullswater or head on a bit for the flatter backroads that parallel the A66 before turning off for Dockray at Troutbeck

If that all sounds a bit vertical, you'll just have to head out to Greystoke and Hesket Newmarket. Probably nice quiet lanes but missing out on the best of the scenery (though, to be fair, it will still be pretty bloody good!).

jonny_trousers

Cheers!

Rolling's cool, but climbs at 20% are not so. I'm sure I'll work something out.

Kieran_Burns

If you want flat (in the Lake District??) then park up in Bowness - over the Ferry to Hawkshead, loop round to Ambleside and back

wimp.

To be fair - running up Kirkstone Rd to The Struggle would be an awesome ride. The climb out of Ambleside is not easy (I've slid down that road in a car a few times in Winter) and the last sharp climb up the struggle would have you earning a pint at the top, but what a ride.

(Do Kirkstone Pass from the North, straight through to Bowness, then the loop above and back up Kirkstone Rd. then you can do the epicness of a fast descent down Kirkston - you're not allowed to use the brakes )

Agent57

Rolf F wrote:

ld Coach Road (not sure what the road suface would be like on that - it doesn't show on street view!)

If it's the same Old Coach Road we tried to ride when I did the Whitehaven to Sunderland C2C a few years ago, it'ss definitely not (easily) ridable on a road bike. We walked bits of it even with mountain bikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P1dMHcZOrI

jonny_trousers

Change of plan: early lunch at L'Enclumes instead

Thanks for the thoughts, guys. I'd definitely like to do the route in Cyclist magazine one day, but I'll want a compact on the bike when I do.