The ultimate hill ride?

[Tamar]

This looks fun (in a fun to have finished it rather than fun to be doing it kind of way):

http://www.fredwhittonchallenge.org.uk/

Has anyone done it?

Does anyone want to do it?

[huw williams]

This is a great ride - I did a report on it for CW two seasons ago and it's easily the best and hardest ride I've done in the UK - It's basically two TOSH rides back to back but the climbs are much longer and in a few cases much steeper. The scenery is breathtaking and the roads largely traffic free as it's all over mountain passess. The final climb up Hardknott pass is virtually unrideable after 90 miles in the saddle and it's LONG! A few of us from CW are going again this year and I'd highly reccomend it. B&B accomnodation in the area is cheap and plentifull if you can get there. As an indicator, we went round in about 8hrs 30 in a group containg a few elites and first cats so it is very VERY hard. If anyone is considering it, check out this excellent link and start training NOW:

http://www.bikeit.eclipse.co.uk/fw/index.htm

[Elliot M]

didnt Rory say he was doing this on the forum a while ago?

[Tamar]

Oh my god, I thought they were taking the piss putting elite time at 7hrs and 1st class at 8hrs.....but if your experience is elite/1st cat riders doing it in 8.30 then I think I will consider it a pretty good achievement to even finish it.

Excellent! I think I might go for it.

[huw williams]

Believe me - just finishing this ride is a huge achievement - many of the local club riders who started with us on the day didn't make it round!

[David Findlay]

I did this ride 10 years ago and needless to say I have never done it again. I only had a 42/23 so Hardknotts was fun (!). I used to live in the area so knew what I was letting myself in for but as Huw says, you do not hit the serious climbs (Wrynose Pass first) until after 90miles.

The ride up to the hills is great, fantastic scenery on a good day, you feel the urge to go flat out along by the river but don't - keep yoursef for the climbing.

Remeber it is the lake distict so there are very few flat sections. When it is not 1:25, its rolling so there is never really much opportunity to recover.

But hey..you only live once so give it a go...


I was thinking about the one in Wales June 19th instead.

[huw williams]

The one in Wales is The Dragon Ride - which goes around the area where I'm from and features the two climbs from the pro tour of britain. We're covering that one in CW so if we can get a team together it would be great. Again, this promises to be one hell of a ride - I know each of the climbs as I've ridden around there extensively, but I'd never considered hooking them all up in one ride as it's so severe.

[Maria David]

Wasn't there a there about this a couple of weeks back ?

Anyway I've got this down already on my list of events for this year - I rode round the lake district in 2003 when I was training for the etape. When I got to Wrynose pass I was determined to get up it in the saddle - it was so steep and I'd run out of gears - I nearly fell off the bike !
I kept just riding up, stumbling off the bike when I hit the 25% bit, riding down and re-attempting. I finally made it up the hill after 4 attempts.

Will definitely be using a triple when I go up.

[David Findlay]

Hiw - If you are doing the June 19th Dragon Ride let me know. We need to commit soon. I am sure Marek and Max would be up for it..

I can take a car with 4 bikes/3 passengers..

[Rory]

Elliot, it's true, I did say I'm going to do it. Need to put some serious training in before the big event. Did a ride on saturday through coniston, ambleside and up and around Thirlmere - blue sky and amazing scenery.
Need more miles in my legs though - only riding at the weekend at the moment. The commute to work is 23 miles each way and goes over 2 hard climbs - could be a good method of training/torture depending on how you look at it.

[huw williams]

Dave - definitely doing the dragon ride. Like I say there's a team from CW on it and I think they're doing a story on the event. Should be a corker. My parents house is right in the middle of the hilliest section so I'll go and do a couple of checks on what the conditions are like during the next three months.

[Tamar]

Oh dear. Just checked dates and the Fred Whitton clashes with Women's Team Series event. Can't say I'm too disappointed. 35% hills do not sound fun.