Fred Whitton Challenge 2016, the big thread

mamil314

Congratulations to those that made it in!

Does not getting email mean i am not in? A bit disappointed, was well bracing myself for an epic grind.

dean7879

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19782299#p19782299]Overlord2[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19782272#p19782272]dean7879[/url] wrote:

Walk?! I'm a cyclist not a ****ing walker.

Anyway i'm in target <7hrs which will end up being 8hrs on the day. Biggest advice I can give is wheelsuck like a mother on the day

Of course you are. Everyone who takes part are cyclists. But hardknott pass puts many good cyclists on the walk of shame

mike1-2

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19782506#p19782506]mamil314[/url] wrote:

Congratulations to those that made it in!

Does not getting email mean i am not in? A bit disappointed, was well bracing myself for an epic grind.

Check your junk folder.

1986sv

I'm in, time for some hill repeats and a few more trips up Mow Cop

brucebar1980

I've got in too. First time doing it officially so really looking forward to it. I did half of the route last year with a friend to give him some moral support. I finished half way round at Whinlatter Forest and then wished him all the best with the rest of the ride. I didn't envy him at that point. It was raining hard and i was completely knackered!!

Need to get proper fit this time for it. Looking to do 7 hours (Hopefully !)

Spartacus1981

I'm in too !! Both myself and my mate. Can't wait :shock: . Mallorca, Fred, Marmotte (all entered), then hopefully get into 'the monster' too !! In that order. Just getting training

Agent57

I'm in. The timing's a bit awkward as it's only two weeks after I'm running the London Marathon. Hope I recover from the run well enough. Even so the Fred's going to take me about twice as long as the Marathon I reckon.

pollys_bott

I've done it the once (2014) when I think the weather was the most benign it's been for a few years so was lucky on that score. All I would add to the sage advice already offered up is:

* everyone goes on about Hardknott & Wrynose. Ignore Honister at your peril: I knew it was steep, but for me it was like a tarmaced ski-jump. It's relentless on the bottom half whereas Hardknott is short and sharp at the bottom then a relatively easy drag across to the last few ramps & Wrynose is only really steep in the last bit.
* unless you have an absolute dinner plate on the back you'll be grinding your way up the steepest bits. Get plenty of practice at low cadence / big gear work to simulate riding up a 30%+ incline at little more than walking pace!
* know your threshold and train lots at it. I think there are 14 recognised climbs in total, you'll be spending a lot of time working hard.
* have a decent breakfast but bear in mind that after a short run down through Ambleside you turn up Holbeck Lane and you'll spend the next 40-60 minutes heading uphill, so get it down yer neck nice and early.

Enjoy it - I think my work pattern has me off that w/end in 2017 so hopefully I'll ride it again then.

ugo.santalucia

Operation weight loss is coming to an end... lost a stone... if I manage another couple of Kg great, otherwise it doesn't matter.

Now operation Watts begins... I'm trying to build power by holding speed on a relatively big gear on gentle inclines... basically it's work beyond threshold

The last operation will be endurance and for that I need longer days and a bit more luck with the weather in March-April

So far so good

Spartacus1981

Good news Ugo. Just checked the scales myself. 73kg ish but wanting to get to 70kg for the Fred. Should be possible if I try not to eat so much crap. Also training myself up a bit. Mostly turbo. Low cadence sesh yesterday, 2 x 45 min blocks at 60rpm churning away. Recovery in-between.

honeybadger99

Lost 6gs myself since Crimbo, down to 80kg by eating sensibly and doing long and steady fasted road miles (in fact I've just got back from a 70mile fasted Z2 ride) but would like to get down to 73-74 if I can. Last year I did the Fred weighing 77kg and the loss of weight certainly helped. Now I've lost most of the lard I'll start hitting the hills where I live (The Bowland Fells of Lancashire) at weekends along with the turbo sessions during the week.

london-red

The training is going pretty well. The weight loss, less so. I reckon I'll get down to my target weight in time, but it's going to be a longer process than some of you diet wizards. Anyway, clocking enough miles and enough climbing to get me through I reckon. Turbo sessions and SS commuting is definitely helping combined with a long ride with solid climbs every other weekend. We'll see

For those interested, there's a Fred Whitton Club on Strava - always interesting to see what others are doing 8) https://www.strava.com/clubs/181411

magic_hat

Hi All

Anybody still looking for accommodation for the Fred?

I rode the event a couple of years ago and in anticipation of doing it again this year i booked a place to stay before the ballot results were announced ... obviously i then didn't get it! I have been on the reserve list ever since but am finding it hard to motivate myself to train without a guaranteed spot so am going to withdraw and try again in 2017.

Anyhow ... I have the issue of the accommodation i have already booked. Anyone still looking and interested in taking it off my hands?

It's a private en-suite room at an independent hostel in Grasmere. It is a short, mostly downhill, roll to the start line of the Fred.

It's a sleeps 4 family room (4 bunks) but i booked the whole room out for 2 people.

It is booked for 2 nights, the 7th and 8th May. It costs £155 in total (2 people, 2 nights, ensuite room with 4 bunks).

Anyone interested, send me a PM and we can sort something out.

Cheers

Escher303

Honeybadger99 wrote:

Lost 6gs myself since Crimbo, down to 80kg by eating sensibly and doing long and steady fasted road miles (in fact I've just got back from a 70mile fasted Z2 ride) but would like to get down to 73-74 if I can. Last year I did the Fred weighing 77kg and the loss of weight certainly helped. Now I've lost most of the lard I'll start hitting the hills where I live (The Bowland Fells of Lancashire) at weekends along with the turbo sessions during the week.

I thought, cor, wouldn't fancy doing the Fred at 77 let alone 80, but then realised who you were! If your friend Vladimir Smirnoff went on holiday until June then you could probably get even lighter and will recover better and faster from your training to boot!

honeybadger99

Escher303 wrote:

Honeybadger99 wrote:

Lost 6gs myself since Crimbo, down to 80kg by eating sensibly and doing long and steady fasted road miles (in fact I've just got back from a 70mile fasted Z2 ride) but would like to get down to 73-74 if I can. Last year I did the Fred weighing 77kg and the loss of weight certainly helped. Now I've lost most of the lard I'll start hitting the hills where I live (The Bowland Fells of Lancashire) at weekends along with the turbo sessions during the week.

I thought, cor, wouldn't fancy doing the Fred at 77 let alone 80, but then realised who you were! If your friend Vladimir Smirnoff went on holiday until June then you could probably get even lighter and will recover better and faster from your training to boot!

I can't help it, good old Vlad is like a little devil on my shoulder. "Go on, just one bottle won't make any difference" :twisted:

dean7879

any tips on what to eat and drink on the ride and how often?

gel every hour?
how often would you go through a full bottle?

ugo.santalucia

dean7879 wrote:

any tips on what to eat and drink on the ride and how often?

gel every hour?
how often would you go through a full bottle?

I'll probably try to force down a gel every 60-90 minutes or so... water depends on the day, but roughly speaking I do 3 hours with 750 ml, I'll probably try to drink more, given it's a long day

lakesluddite

dean7879 wrote:

any tips on what to eat and drink on the ride and how often?

gel every hour?
how often would you go through a full bottle?

Well my guess is it's not going to be that warm, so not a huge amount to drink for me. Last time I did it I was 'caught short' quite a few times (and this included using the facilities at the feedstops), so I probably had too much liquid (I was probably going through 3/4 of a bottle per hour). On things like this I probably tend to over-drink out of a misplaced fear of dehydrating, when really I should be listening to my body more.

That's me though, everyone is different in their refuelling needs. Don't take someone else's feeding regime and think it will be perfect for you - it won't be. Use your training rides not only to increase strength and stamina, but also try and get your refuelling right before the day. There's nowt worse than the dreaded bonk.

ugo.santalucia

Very true...
It also depends on the effort... if I ride hard a gel lasts me exactly 60 minutes, after which I bonk very rapidly, but if I pace myself, the same gel lasts a lot longer and I fade progressively, meaning I realize it and I can take more food in. Regardless of the climbing, my wide range of gears means I can pace myself even on very steep climbs...

defride

LakesLuddite wrote:

dean7879 wrote:

any tips on what to eat and drink on the ride and how often?

gel every hour?
how often would you go through a full bottle?

Last time I did it I was 'caught short' quite a few times (and this included using the facilities at the feedstops), so I probably had too much liquid (I was probably going through 3/4 of a bottle per hour). On things like this I probably tend to over-drink out of a misplaced fear of dehydrating, when really I should be listening to my body more.

If you're not already it's worth trying isotonic drinks rather than just water, seems not to go through one quite so readily.

Expect to try and make it to Calder Bridge on two 750's, definitely energy/isotonic (homemade version - full sugar squash and some sea salt, though for this will prob use SIS stuff which I seem to get on with)

Will also take gels and some solid, couple of energy/protein bars and start getting them on quiet early after an hour or so.

I notice the lack of go at the end if I don't start early and keep having a bit every now and again throughout on a long one even though I can get by on drink alone on a fast 3hr ride.

Best of luck all with training

DeVlaeminck

dean7879 wrote:

any tips on what to eat and drink on the ride and how often?

gel every hour?
how often would you go through a full bottle?

I know I had less than 4*750ml bottles as I wasn't out of juice at the first feed when I topped them up and didn't fill up again. As for food I tend to cram a bit of whatever is on offer at the first feed so I count that as a cafe stop. Then if I have a couple of things on the way to that feed - maybe a bar and a banana or something, then a couple of things on the way to the finish - maybe a gel and a bar - that probably does me - I might take another gel at the top of Hardknott just to make sure.

That's 4-5 snacks and a decent feed at a stop at about 50 miles.

That's just me though I'm sure others will take more and some less - it does no harm to take a bit more than you really need but in the past I have done events like the Marmotte and stuffed my pockets with gels and bars half of which I just binned at the end of the ride . In hot weather or even reasonable weather of course I'd be drinking more and if someone had passed me up a bottle I'd have taken it - I just didn't want to stop and queue for liquid I didn't really need.

markynulty

Got offered a place today through the reserve list!!!

homers_double

I hate this thread...

EarlofBarnet

Just spotted this thread and thought I'd join in. I got confirmation of my reserves place on Friday morning. Luckily been training for the Fred since early January, slowly building up the miles (and climbing). This will be my first time, so after all the advice/tips I can get. Currently riding loops of circa 75 miles, with Saturday's ride having 8,800ft of climbing. So nine weeks out hoping I'm in a relatively good position. I'm literally just looking to make it round the Fred, with a time around 9 1/2hrs.

petegraaf

EarlofBarnet wrote:

This will be my first time, so after all the advice/tips I can get.

I've done it a couple of times now, other than checking the weather and dressing accordingly I would say:

1. Print out a profile map and stick it to your top bar / stem. Good for morale (hopefully) to know where you are on the course and where foodstops are etc.

2. Get the lowest gear that you can put on your bike if you want to get round without walking. I would say a minimum of 34 x 28. A 32 on the back should mean you get up everything.

3. Don't get swept up with enthusiasm at the start and hammer it up Kirkstone, start easy and finish strong

4. Latch onto groups when they present themselves, especially on the main road sections. Do your turns but again don't get carried away.

5. Don't try to stick with a group when they hit a big climb if they are pushing you over threshold, if you start at or before 7 (which I would advise) you will have groups coming past you all day so just let them go.

6. Climb the big stuff below threshold (either HR or power) at least for the first 2/3rds of the ride. That will mean you have something in the tank for....

7. Hardknott, the trick I have found for getting up without walking is basically put it in your lowest gear at the bottom and almost go as slowly as you can (without falling over) on the bottom section. Recover in the middle by spinning a bit and then repeat for the top section. If you can, I would practice some low speed, low cadence manoeuvring as you will be weaving around all the walkers plus you can then use the mini laybys on the road & outside of the hairpins to reduce the gradient.

8. Don't underestimate Honister, again stick it in your lowest gear at the bottom and pace yourself up it. Keep your eyes ahead of you to watch out for the people about to keel over.

9. Hardknott and Wrynose descents are mega steep and invariably wet so be on the brakes straight away and don't build up your speed too much.

One thing to avoid doing is zig zagging up the steep stuff, better to walk than annoy everyone by getting in the way. If you do end up walking (and there isn't any shame in it) keep tight to one side of the road to give others a chance.

Lastly don't forget to enjoy it. I've found it to be pretty much the best organised and supported sportive in the UK, the cheering crowds and cowbells etc. at certain parts will make you forget how much your legs are hurting (for a bit).

EarlofBarnet

Fantastic advice, thank you for that.

I've ordered an 11-32 cassette today. This is what I've used through winter so far, and found it better for me to spin that little more on the climbs, compared with an 11-28.

ugo.santalucia

Great advice.
How does it compare with the Etape du Dales? I did the latter last year on a rather windy day (40-50 mph in places)... but other than that it is very doable, including the steep stuff like Garsdale Head

Solis

Did this last year, would echo everything petegraff says above and would add Honister descent to (9.) if its wet you need to be on the brakes as soon as you crest the summit. Plus don't under estimate Cold Fell especially if the wind is coming from the West (highly likely) it may not have the ramps of Hardknott but its a real grind.
Have ridden Hardknott a few times and (ugo) its in my opinion much harder than the Coal Road, best advice I can give is treat it in your head as two climbs, when you hit the bottom put all thoughts of the summit out your head and just focus on getting through the first few hairpins - job done, then recover as much as you can on the easier (relatively) middle section and only then start thinking about the last section which is brutal.
Weather wise just bare in mind this is the Lakes, which means whatever the forecast may say be prepared to hit bad weather at some point along the route and conversely if the weather is dragging you down try and grin and bare it as long as possible as it may well be dry and calm over the next summit.
My final bit of advice would be keep your wits about you on the A66 Troutbeck to Keswick, its by far the least cycle friendly section of the route, at the other end of the scale enjoy Newlands Hause which is my personal favourite Lake District climb.
Good luck to everyone, may well be stood along the route somewhere watching you all enjoy yourselves.

ugo.santalucia

Solis wrote:

Did this last year, would echo everything petegraff says above and would add Honister descent to (9.) if its wet you need to be on the brakes as soon as you crest the summit. Plus don't under estimate Cold Fell especially if the wind is coming from the West (highly likely) it may not have the ramps of Hardknott but its a real grind.
Have ridden Hardknott a few times and (ugo) its in my opinion much harder than the Coal Road, best advice I can give is treat it in your head as two climbs, when you hit the bottom put all thoughts of the summit out your head and just focus on getting through the first few hairpins - job done, then recover as much as you can on the easier (relatively) middle section and only then start thinking about the last section which is brutal.

Thanks, I appreciate Hardknott is harder than the Coal Road, my question is more in terms of overall... the distance is identical, there is marginally more climbing in the Fred, but the best time ever recorded are the same for both at around 5 hours 40 min, so probably the Fred has more fast main road sections... weather is an issue in both... Cold Fell sounds bang on the same as Tan Hill... in theory an easy climb, in practice an hour long grind against gale force winds. Main difference is probably in the Etape the last two climbs are not much to talk about, while in the Fred they are the vertical ones

Solis

Not done the EtapeDD so can't comment but worth noting that Wrynose is tackled from the "easier" direction on the Fred so don't end up climbing off the bike on Hardknott thinking you need to save yourself for the last climb, its not pretty but neither is it another Hardknott.