Fred Whitton 2019

antonyfromoz

Just starting this thread (with apologies if there is already one in existance). I'm in and already nervously thinking about gearing, training and places to stay. Any advice from FW veterans welcome!

ugo.santalucia

antonyfromoz wrote:

Just starting this thread (with apologies if there is already one in existance). I'm in and already nervously thinking about gearing, training and places to stay. Any advice from FW veterans welcome!

If you can afford it, stay in Grasmere... it's lovely and you are right at the start, with no hassle. B&Bs and hotels are typically quite good or excellent in the area, you can't really go wrong.

Gearing, I went up Hardknott with a 36 x 36 and would recommend something along those lines... stronger riders manage with a 34 x 28.
Make sure your brakes are in good working order, newish pads etc...

The ride itself is not as hard as people think... there are a few very demanding climbs, but that's it, the rest is straightforward, so don't overthink it. If you find a steep climb to practice your zig-zag skills all the better, otherwise do what you can and walk if you need to, most people do.

It's an event to look forward to, rather than one to dread.

mrb123

If you haven't done them before, try to get up to the Lakes and have a go at Wrynose and Hardknott. As much for practicing the descents as the climbs.

sloppyschleckonds

A Cat 3 climb is a Cat 3 climb, work on your 8-10 minute power and you'll be fine. As Ugo says a 30/32/34/36 cassette would be a sensible option.

antonyfromoz

Thank you all for the advice and feedback - accomodation at Grasmere was already pretty much booked out and the remaining places were a bit too expensive but I booked a place in Ambleside which hopefully won't be too much of a hassle on the Sunday morning. I am running Athena 11 speed on the bike I will probably take and current gearing is a compact with 11-27 cassette. My thinking is to at least install an 11-29 but I have read that I might be able to use a Miche 12 - 30 cassette instead. I am looking forward to it but with some trepidation (and a new found resolution to drop a couple of kilos). Current thinking is also to use MTB pedals/shoes in case of having to walk rather than my road set up even though the shoes are not as stiff.

Candyon

I'm doing the same making myself nervous about it already.

I did the Lakeland Loop Sportive in April last year and that's a good training ride for the Fred. I'll be doing that again this April.

I had a lowest gear of 36 x 32 last year but I've got a compact I'm going to fit this year.

overlord2

I got in again for the 4th time. Best advise - train for the weather. You can guarantee it will be ***t or 28 degrees so use your experience to gauge how to ride it on the day - you know look at the weather forecast - which some people find hard and set off in short sleeves like its mid summer. I did the famous 2013 biblical ride and some peoples decision making that day was was :shock: :roll:

The hardest climb out of all of them is probably Honister if its your first time you will have done about 20 miles flatish and then you hit that thing. Hardknot you mentally prepare for and Wrynose is that last.

dish_dash

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Gearing, I went up Hardknott with a 36 x 36 and would recommend something along those lines... stronger riders manage with a 34 x 28.

Some of us have managed it with a 27 on the back.

Totally agree about the brakes, make sure they are in very good working order.

DeVlaeminck

My take - it's a hard ride but how hard depends partly on how fast you want to get round but also the weather - I've done it I think 4 times and never had a nice day but a couple of them have been absolutely horrendous with freezing fog or a stone wall headwind on the Cold Fell/Fangs section.

Gearing - I would use something like a 34*27 but I've known people ride Hardknott on 39*25 if they were decent climbers - err on the side of caution but I wouldnt go mad spending money on new gears as the super steep sections are only a km or two !!

No way is Honister the worst hill - yes it's nasty but nothing like Hardknott and it comes at 50 miles not 90 plus. However you get more crashes on the descent of Honister than any other part of the course because it starts out like just another descent - Hardknott and Wrynose are so steep all the way down that unless you are truly mental you never let the bike get beyond your comfort zone for the gradient.

I have seen some bad crashes on it so don't get carried away and remember it's a mass participation event so beware of the riding standards of others and by the same token if you are experienced don't put others in a situation which you might be ok with but they may not be.

mamil314

I think I know what Overlord2 means. While Hardknott and Wrynose are more difficult, they are more famous and you brace for them. In my case, I was really punched hard by Honister as it was just before food station and I was starting to run out of juice.

diplodicus

Interested in this thread as this year is the first time for me

nammynake

I’m not riding this year but I’ve done it 4 times including last year. Some tips:

- Take 2 bottles as it’s a 2-3 hours between feed stops (I carry 1 water and 1 with 50:50 fruit juice water) just to keep carb levels topped up.

- Fit the lowest gearing you can / can afford. I’ve always used a 50/34 compact chain set and gradually moved from 25t to 32t cassette. You will still struggle on the steeper climbs but every little helps.

- Be cautious on the descents. Saving a minute by riding like a dick isn’t much good when a paramedic is picking your teeth up off the floor.

- Ride conservatively for the first half (either using heart rate, power or ‘feel’). Don’t jump into a passing group unless you think you can match the pace. Equally, if you can draft then it’s a great way to save energy.

- Be suitably dressed. Weather can be horrendous and I’ve seen people with hypothermia in past years.

- Don’t faff at the feed stops if you want a good time or don’t want your legs to seize up.

- Try to look up and enjoy the scenery. Take in the cheers from people lining the route and remember to smile for the obligatory photo on the last Hardknott switchback.

- Note that the route now includes another 25% climb after Wrynose. This will add about 10 minutes to previous route time (much to my annoyance having finished in 7:02).

davep1

I'd agree with all of Nammynake's points. I've done it once, in 2016, it is a fantastic event, which has kind of put me off paying to enter lesser events, they aren't worth it in comparison.

Honister is very hard, but doable for most of us normal not-at-Ugo's-level folks. Hardknott and Wrynose are very very tough, especially as you are 90+ miles in. I got up the first part of Hardknott, through the woods, but the hairpinny bit did me.

I everested the year before and my suffer score was 703; on the Fred it was 630...this might have been to do with the temperature. It started cold and drizzly, but quickly warmed up and became a hot weather ride. I ran out of water a couple of times, I was glugging so much of it down.

I made a mistake in riding with a couple of guys that were aiming for 16 mph at the start; I can't maintain that pace on a 100 miler down south, never mind the Fred, so I let them go. There's a long beautiful ride beside a lake after the third climb at Matterdale End, I was cruising along trying to absorb the stunning scenery and realising my legs weren't really there, this was about 40 miles in before Honister.

There's a couple of tough climbs that don't even get mentioned in the Fred blurb, similar to Steyning Bostal if you know that. The first is near the start, is the prelude to Kirkstone in a way, gets you up away from the lake after Ambleside, the second is before Hardknott, I think at Santon Bridge.

The food stops are really good, but I found they didn't have much you could take with you. I was starving by the first one, which is after Honister's descent, but is also just at the bottom of the Newlands climb. I stopped there a bit long, ate a bit much, and then it was getting hot too, so I really battled up Newlands.

shoulder_of_orion

Thanks for all the insights, my first year this year too. Bit scared! I booked this as buildup for the Etape but starting to think this might be just as hard. Maybe I should do ronde van vlaanderen as build up for this!?

ugo.santalucia

Shoulder of Lamb wrote:

Thanks for all the insights, my first year this year too. Bit scared! I booked this as buildup for the Etape but starting to think this might be just as hard. Maybe I should do ronde van vlaanderen as build up for this!?

but then you need something to build up for the Ronde... :roll:

Don't overthink it... have you done 100 mile-ish before? Yes? Then you'll be fine...

antonyfromoz

DaveP1 wrote:

I'd agree with all of Nammynake's points. I've done it once, in 2016, it is a fantastic event, which has kind of put me off paying to enter lesser events, they aren't worth it in comparison...

Once again, thank you all for sharing - my assumtions are proving correct and I will have to train and prepare accordingly. If anyone has been spoilt for UK sportives after FW then I can recommend Bergen-Voss in Norway for a great ride: http://bergenvoss.no/bergenvoss/bergen- ... sentation/ I have completed this a few times and it will be interesting to see how it compares (B-V is a beautiful route but my thinking is that this will be several steps in difficulty)

Nick Cod

I’ve got a place on this years Fred, my first time too. I’m considering riding it on my gravel bike as it’s been my winter road bike this year, 47mm WTB Byway tyres, tubeless and discs, 11-34 cassette and 48-32 chain set. I do have a cube C62 SLT disc but feel much more confident descending and comfortable on the gravel bike. Thoughts from anyone who’s done it??

ugo.santalucia

Nick Cod wrote:

I’ve got a place on this years Fred, my first time too. I’m considering riding it on my gravel bike as it’s been my winter road bike this year, 47mm WTB Byway tyres, tubeless and discs, 11-34 cassette and 48-32 chain set. I do have a cube C62 SLT disc but feel much more confident descending and comfortable on the gravel bike. Thoughts from anyone who’s done it??

It's a long way on 47 mm tyres, but if you are happy... if roads are dry, then road tyres are certainly better

mrb123

Nick Cod wrote:

I’ve got a place on this years Fred, my first time too. I’m considering riding it on my gravel bike as it’s been my winter road bike this year, 47mm WTB Byway tyres, tubeless and discs, 11-34 cassette and 48-32 chain set. I do have a cube C62 SLT disc but feel much more confident descending and comfortable on the gravel bike. Thoughts from anyone who’s done it??

Gearing sounds eminently sensible but I'd go 28mm tyres if I was you.

homers_double

ugo.santalucia wrote:

If you can afford it, stay in Grasmere...

The issue we found is that hotels, B&B's etc didn't want to put us up for one night.

Me: Hi Have you got a twin room for Saturday the something of may
Hotel: Oh the Fred Whitton weekend, not for one night, no.

Rinse and repeated about 7 or 9 times then we gave up and booked a camping pod at Hawkshead YHA

DeVlaeminck

Nick Cod wrote:

I’ve got a place on this years Fred, my first time too. I’m considering riding it on my gravel bike as it’s been my winter road bike this year, 47mm WTB Byway tyres, tubeless and discs, 11-34 cassette and 48-32 chain set. I do have a cube C62 SLT disc but feel much more confident descending and comfortable on the gravel bike. Thoughts from anyone who’s done it??

I'd have to be a really nervous descender to consider using a gravel bike over a race bike type setup. No doubt the gravel bike will be slower but if the idea is just to finish it may be more enjoyable on that.

cgfw201

Hope for good weather and have fun. Here's the long version of the 2017 version.

http://thatbloodybike.com/2017/05/08/fred-whitton-2017/

lakesluddite

cgfw201 wrote:

Hope for good weather and have fun. Here's the long version of the 2017 version.

http://thatbloodybike.com/2017/05/08/fred-whitton-2017/

Ha! Brilliant!

Just look at the first photo on this blog, this is something else you have to content with. The tougher climbs are not just tough to climb, but you have people all over the road - at times Hardknott can become a slalom course. Not to mention people weaving, suddenly stopping and even falling off right in front of you!

I notice from the photo at the foot of Hardknott a road closed sign. Is this what they do now? When I have done it (2016 last time) we've had to contend with the odd idiot in a car/van.

davebradswmb

LakesLuddite wrote:

I notice from the photo at the foot of Hardknott a road closed sign. Is this what they do now? When I have done it (2016 last time) we've had to contend with the odd idiot in a car/van.

Yes, the road is closed from Hardknott until after the descent of Wrynose, though last year I was passed just before the summit of Hardknott by an ambulance which was on its way to pick up someone who had crashed on the descent.

antonyfromoz

I hope everyone's training is going well - I haven't got any rides in any long rides so far but I have been getting in some climbing (as much as I can in Oxford anyway). Quick question - I am currently using Vittoria open corsa cx tyres on my bike but the back is a bit squared off and so I am considering replacing it (or both) with another 25mm tyre which hopefully will improve on the wet road grip and be a bit more puncture resistant. I have been looking at the Corsa control - anyone using these or is it back to the Conti Grand Prixs?

ugo.santalucia

antonyfromoz wrote:

I hope everyone's training is going well - I haven't got any rides in any long rides so far but I have been getting in some climbing (as much as I can in Oxford anyway).

If you are free on Sunday, you can join us for this, brutal climbs, perfect training for the Lakes and not far from Oxford

https://www.strava.com/clubs/472362/group_events/465078

londoncommuter

Long shot (and very cheeky) but I don't suppose any has a place they can't use anymore and is feeling generous (or just sadistic) and wants to pass it on

ugo.santalucia

londoncommuter wrote:

Long shot (and very cheeky) but I don't suppose any has a place they can't use anymore and is feeling generous (or just sadistic) and wants to pass it on

I don't think that is allowed

londoncommuter

ugo.santalucia wrote:

londoncommuter wrote:

Long shot (and very cheeky) but I don't suppose any has a place they can't use anymore and is feeling generous (or just sadistic) and wants to pass it on

I don't think that is allowed

Probably not strictly allowed but I would be helping them to not waste a banana that would otherwise go to landfill....

ugo.santalucia

londoncommuter wrote:

Probably not strictly allowed but I would be helping them to not waste a banana that would otherwise go to landfill....

There is a problem of insurance and it's not insignificant. If you were to run over a pedestrian riding the event without an insurance, the organiser would go into a hell of a lot of trouble, for not checking IDs...

Now that it comes to think of it, I seem to recall they do check IDs at the registration marquee in Grasmere

londoncommuter

ugo.santalucia wrote:

londoncommuter wrote:

Probably not strictly allowed but I would be helping them to not waste a banana that would otherwise go to landfill....

There is a problem of insurance and it's not insignificant. If you were to run over a pedestrian riding the event without an insurance, the organiser would go into a hell of a lot of trouble, for not checking IDs...

Now that it comes to think of it, I seem to recall they do check IDs at the registration marquee in Grasmere

Looking at the T&Cs it also says "Absolutely No Fancy Dress". If I can't wear a gorilla suit riding up Hardknott then I'm not interested anyway.