The Fred Whitton 2017

slowmart

It's coming to that time when lottery entries will be accepted and I was wondering if any other Fred virgins are considering entering?

ugo.santalucia

Not this coming year. Doing the Etape du Dales instead.

The Fred is a fantastic ride... brush your descending skills... everybody worries about the climbs, but it's the descents that are truly scary

antonyfromoz

I am thinking of doing it this year so will probably enter the ballot.I have Athena compact with a max 27 cassette on at the moment so might be looking at doing something to lower the gearing if I get in though...

ugo.santalucia

Good luck with the draw and if you don't get in, consider the Etape du Dales the following week.

34 x 27 should be OK for most of the way, except the really steep bits (25% up Honister and Newlands) and of course Hardknott and Wrynose, which are mental

stu227

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Good luck with the draw and if you don't get in, consider the Etape du Dales the following week.

34 x 27 should be OK for most of the way, except the really steep bits (25% up Honister and Newlands) and of course Hardknott and Wrynose, which are mental

As mentioned above, it's the down rather than the up that can be more terrifying. You can always walk the ups, the downs will scare the sh*t out of you if you're not used to them - hoping to get some serious downhill practice in before May! Got myself a paid-for place, don't tell the wife...

rc856

Yes for us!
I think we've got 14 from our club. Vast majority will, hopefully, be first timers.
Going to try and get in as small groups.

If not, it'll probably be a club trip down from Scotland on another weekend.

nammynake

Thinking about it. Did four on the trot from 2012-2015 and decided to have last year off - and typically the weather was great! I have unfinished business until I can do a sub-7 hour ride.

ugo.santalucia

nammynake wrote:

Thinking about it. Did four on the trot from 2012-2015 and decided to have last year off - and typically the weather was great!

Ah, that explains... glad I am not doing it this year then...

Spartacus1981

Agreed, the downhills are B-B-B-B-BONKERS ! I suspect even Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards would shat himself of some of these. My advice, take a spare pair of shorts. Or some Pampers !

mike1-2

This year will be my third. First time I did it I was plagued by 3 punctures and a snapped chain, I finished, but in a worse time then I would of expected and wanted. Last year bike was perfect, I however was not, had a complete breakdown around 65 miles and couldn't get my head off the stem, desperate for some sugar but was in the middle of nowhere, had to turn off the route and ended up at 110 miles for the day but no Fred finish. It's a necessity I go back this year and put it to bed.

homers_double

I'll do it again sometime, hopefully when I'm a bit lighter!

overlord2

Done it a number of times now. Hardest parts;

The weather
Ironically the flat(er) part after whinlatter
Other riders

Other than that if you can ride a bike 100miles then you can do it.

ugo.santalucia

Overlord2 wrote:

Done it a number of times now. Hardest parts;

The weather
Ironically the flat(er) part after whinlatter
Other riders

Other than that if you can ride a bike 100miles then you can do it.

Agree... the flatter parts are a filler that lacks the challenge... difficult to keep the motivation going. I found the 45 minutes or so between Wrynose and the finish the most mentally draining

homers_double

Really? I thought that section was ok as the end was nigh, almost gave me a boost but by that point my feet were cramping like they do when I've been skiing.

ugo.santalucia

homers double wrote:

Really? I thought that section was ok as the end was nigh, almost gave me a boost but by that point my feet were cramping like they do when I've been skiing.

It did appear as if they were deliberately trying to stretch the course after Wrynose... it took me ages to do that bit... could be because I looked at the profile in advance, which did refer to the course starting in Coniston rather than Grasmere and I expected it to be a short stroll... a 20 minutes thing

overlord2

homers double wrote:

Really? I thought that section was ok as the end was nigh, almost gave me a boost but by that point my feet were cramping like they do when I've been skiing.

If you are going for sub 7hrs then the part after Wrynose is hard. You know time is draining but you need to keep the pace on dead legs and an empty tank.

ugo.santalucia

Overlord2 wrote:

homers double wrote:

Really? I thought that section was ok as the end was nigh, almost gave me a boost but by that point my feet were cramping like they do when I've been skiing.

If you are going for sub 7hrs then the part after Wrynose is hard. You know time is draining but you need to keep the pace on dead legs and an empty tank.

Yeah... that's the idea... although I was going for under 8 hours... :roll: and only just managed to snatch it

mrb123

I'm in! Just had the email.

rc856

Me too...with a few club mates. Waiting to hear if we all got in.
Better start training!

overlord2

I'm in kinda hoping I wouldn't be

sebbyp

Got a rejecton email. Cant believe it. never been to the lakes. :-(

overlord2

sebbyp wrote:

Got a rejecton email. Cant believe it. never been to the lakes. :-(

Go another time. I have done another route which imo is better than the Fred have a look at tour of the high passes its a defunct sportive but the routes are in ride with gps. I do the route every year - Corney fell a brilliant climb that never gets a look in.

honeybadger99

Overlord2 wrote:

sebbyp wrote:

Got a rejecton email. Cant believe it. never been to the lakes. :-(

Go another time. I have done another route which imo is better than the Fred have a look at tour of the high passes its a defunct sportive but the routes are in ride with gps. I do the route every year - Corney fell a brilliant climb that never gets a look in.

+1 Done both routes and The tour of the high passes is every bit as good as the Fred. Remember when I did it the organiser said the corney fell climb is the highest climb you can do in the lakes due to it starting at more or less sea level.

EarlofBarnet

Looking forward to it. Last year was my first year and I couldn't miss it this time round. There's 53 from my club (Team XIII) got through so far.

Guanajuato

sebbyp wrote:

Got a rejecton email. Cant believe it. never been to the lakes. :-(

Do come any other time of year. There's plenty of other sportives. The Lakeland Loop is sort of a Fred-Lite. Basically cuts out Kirkstone & Matterdale and doesn't include the Honsiter/Newlands bit. But adds a nasty little bugger after Wrynose past Blea tarn into Langdale.
There's the Tour de Hawkshead, which is run as a fundraiser for the primary school in Hawkshead. Goes over Wrynose from the east, then down the Duddon (best road in the lakes on a bike!)
Wheelbase Spring Classicdoesn't go into the lakes as such but is nice.
The Jennings Rivers Ride is a fantastic event, suitable for absolutely anyone. And again its a fund raiser rather than making money for the organisers. That's based in Cockermouth (stop giggling at the back), the longer route doing a loop of Newlands/Honister but most of the route is north of the A66.
If you fancy a challenge, the Great Dun Fell sportive has one hell of a finish line. Not in the Lakes, but who cares when the scenery is as good and the roads are quieter.
A challenging long one coming up is the Bowland sportive from M6 Jct 36. Again, not the lakes but much quieter roads. Cycling in the lakes is a bit of a nightmare with all the tourists admiring the views. :roll:
The Fell Beast looks like a nasty bugger.
And not forgetting another charity fundraiser - Wrynose or Bust, although it looks like it doesn't go to wrynose now.

Loads of others if you search. Or just come up and ride. I'd suggest avoiding routes that go between Windermere & Ambleside and the main road from Ambleside to Hawkshead or Coniston.

I'd echo the comment about Corney Fell, and add Birker Fell. A lovely loop route from Broughton or Ravenglass. Hardknott and then down the Duddon Valley and back over Birker fell is as good a summer evening loop as you'll ever ride. A word of warning on Corney though - you NEED to time it right. Its a racetrack for Sellafield contractors heading north in the morning and south in the evening. Most of them will NOT wait until the next passing place 50 yards ahead or even ease off the accelerator. Probably better done on a weekend.

Cycling in the western lake district is a joy. Round Windermere/Ambleside/Consiton not so much.
A short loop from Holmrook/Drigg out to Wasdale and back through Gosforth & Seascale is my favourite short loop when I'm over there. From Kendal I tend to head to the Dales, Lune Valley, silverdale or cartmel peninsula.

I WILL enter the Fred one day...

Boo. A few minutes after I posted this, I got an email from the Cumbria Community Foundation. The Rivers Ride is no more

lakesluddite

Guanajuato wrote:

sebbyp wrote:

Got a rejecton email. Cant believe it. never been to the lakes. :-(

Do come any other time of year. There's plenty of other sportives. The Lakeland Loop is sort of a Fred-Lite. Basically cuts out Kirkstone & Matterdale and doesn't include the Honsiter/Newlands bit. But adds a nasty little bugger after Wrynose past Blea tarn into Langdale.
There's the Tour de Hawkshead, which is run as a fundraiser for the primary school in Hawkshead. Goes over Wrynose from the east, then down the Duddon (best road in the lakes on a bike!)
Wheelbase Spring Classicdoesn't go into the lakes as such but is nice.

Loads of others if you search. Or just come up and ride. I'd suggest avoiding routes that go between Windermere & Ambleside and the main road from Ambleside to Hawkshead or Coniston.

I'd echo the comment about Corney Fell, and add Birker Fell. A lovely loop route from Broughton or Ravenglass. Hardknott and then down the Duddon Valley and back over Birker fell is as good a summer evening loop as you'll ever ride. A word of warning on Corney though - you NEED to time it right. Its a racetrack for Sellafield contractors heading north in the morning and south in the evening. Most of them will NOT wait until the next passing place 50 yards ahead or even ease off the accelerator. Probably better done on a weekend.

Cycling in the western lake district is a joy. Round Windermere/Ambleside/Consiton not so much.
A short loop from Holmrook/Drigg out to Wasdale and back through Gosforth & Seascale is my favourite short loop when I'm over there. From Kendal I tend to head to the Dales, Lune Valley, silverdale or cartmel peninsula.

I WILL enter the Fred one day...(

I did the Lakeland Loop as prep for the Fred last year, and although it's not the Fred, it was damn close! It had been extended due to the main Lakes road (A591) being still shut due to storm Desmond (ie it had basically been washed away), so was around the 80m mark. I think it's gone back to it's 69m route this year, but those climbs are still all fairly brutal!
Are you doing any of these Guanajuato? Might do the Wheelbase and the Lakeland Loop again - I procrastinated too much about the Fred and ended up missing the deadline! I might do the Etape Du Dales instead, as I've never done it.

Guanajuato

LakesLuddite wrote:

Are you doing any of these Guanajuato? Might do the Wheelbase and the Lakeland Loop again - I procrastinated too much about the Fred and ended up missing the deadline! I might do the Etape Du Dales instead, as I've never done it.

Not signed up for either, yet. Its a case of balancing wanting to get out for a longer ride and not upsetting t'other half too much. Regular saturday morning club rides mean I don't get too many full-day passes.

In the Good news, my note about the Rivers Ride was premature. The organisers (Rather be Cycling) are aiming to keep it going to support other flood relief charities.

keef66

Guanajuato wrote:

Do come any other time of year. ....
....STUFF....
....Cycling in the western lake district is a joy. Round Windermere/Ambleside/Consiton not so much.
A short loop from Holmrook/Drigg out to Wasdale and back through Gosforth & Seascale is my favourite short loop when I'm over there. From Kendal I tend to head to the Dales, Lune Valley, silverdale or cartmel peninsula.

Thanks for taking the time to detail that lot, I've copied and pasted it into a Word document for future reference if that's OK

Guanajuato

keef66 wrote:

Thanks for taking the time to detail that lot, I've copied and pasted it into a Word document for future reference if that's OK

Fine by me wonder if cumbria tourism will pay commission. 8)

stu227

How's everyone's training going? I went up to the parents in Sheffield (I live in Essex) at the weekend, and to my delight discovered that part of my training run was 38% - and I made it to the top. Gonna head to the lakes in a few weeks and see if I can get up Honister without walking...

webboo

Where in the Sheffield area is 38%?