Author Topic: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...  (Read 2060 times)

FifeingEejit

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200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« on: 15 October, 2018, 01:55:37 pm »
I'm staying at Low Halgarth from Wednesday Night which is near Stang End, which is Near Skelwith Bridge so had planned a very tough ride (I'm not even a decent climber) for myself to try and do at BR pace.
Just had a look at the CCC road closures and spotted that part of a route I was thinking of doing later this week is closed.
Post about that and alternatives here: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=109880.0


So...
Does anyone have a 200km ride they would be willing to share if the two bridleway routes up Whinlatter are no use to me?

Also plan is to ride on Thursday if anyone's around and wants the amusement of me trying to climb passes...



Edit:
Plan is now this:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28705378

yes the odd convoluted bit at the top is to get it up to distance...

Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #1 on: 15 October, 2018, 04:17:05 pm »
Hi, there is a short diversion over a temporary bridge to allow access to that side of the pass for pedestrians and cyclists so you can still plan to go the direct route up Whinlatter Passs if you want.

From the Whinlatter Facebook page
PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS: There is access around the road closure for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists over a temporary footbridge.


FifeingEejit

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Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #2 on: 15 October, 2018, 04:43:43 pm »
Ah ha! thanks.


whosatthewheel

Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #3 on: 15 October, 2018, 05:04:47 pm »
This is basically the Fred Whitton Challenge route in reverse, with a few alterations and avoiding Newlands Hause... great route!

A few question marks... descending Hardknott... I hope you know what you are doing! Likewise, descending Honister from the east side... very narrow and steep road at the bottom, take extreme care... the west side is equally steep at the top, but the road is a bit wider and you can see all the way from top to bottom.
If you are a slow climber, as you say, you will struggle to finish in BR time, but worth trying!

At my leanest in 2016, I did the FWC (180 km) in under 8 hours...  8)

FifeingEejit

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Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #4 on: 15 October, 2018, 05:34:10 pm »
That reminds me why I need to tidy up the usual bike after this weekends wet ride and not just grab the rim braked bike on the basis that it's lighter, clean and ready to go.

Deliberately didn't look at the fred whitton route so I didn't just lift it, though it seems I pretty much have!

I reckoned I'd want to get the Hardknott and Wrynose out the way early rather than right at the end, the original plan was also to go down the Kirkstone and onto the ferry so I'd be able to hold a decent bit of speed, but the ferry being burnt out means death gripping the struggle as well which'll affect overall speed.

Might switch the direction on the honister and therefore Whinlatter for improved descending visibility, although that'd slow down the Whinlater descent.

hm...

Might also accept this is more than I can chew and find a way of getting the distance with less of the hills

Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #5 on: 15 October, 2018, 08:08:31 pm »
You're welcome to use my May 2019 route from Troutbeck Bridge.  Simple to do as a DIY by GPS.  I do note, however, that there is quite a lot of debris on some roads here in the Lakes.  We had a lot of rain over the weekend and it washed some quite large stones over the roads in places.  Be prepared to take it easy as you approach bends (or other places with limited visibility).  The conditions caused puncture problems for some over the weekend.  Carrying a folding tyre might be an idea.

FifeingEejit

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Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #6 on: 15 October, 2018, 08:32:31 pm »
Thanks, I'll have a proper look at that later on tonight, have got a car problem to resolve, drowned bike electronics* (could be the cause of the car problem too) and a load of stuff to both buy and pack all before setting off direct from work on Wednesday.
Looks like a similar amount of climbing but if less severe climbs it may be preferable over steep stuff when I've had 2 tough weekends in a row this month!

Very drowned looking Lezyne Super GPS from Saturday; and the USB-Werk charger isn't working, but can't manage to spin the wheel, hold onto a AC Volt Meter and put the contacts on the connectors at the same time to find the source of the problem...

Noted on the road rocks, bit less traffic to shift them at this time of year too?
The Ben Lawyers to Glen Lyon descent is the worst I can think of for that.

FifeingEejit

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Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #7 on: 15 October, 2018, 09:26:30 pm »
Hm, looks a bit more forgiving in terms of gradients; playing with it to start at the road end, just wish I could remember where the road turns from decent to rubbish as I know there's a few spots I can park up, and geograph isn't helping much!


https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28787246

Looks good and I won't make it down for the Calendar event as I've entered Deano's Great North Road 400 that weekend

Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #8 on: 15 October, 2018, 10:30:50 pm »
The section round the back of Skiddaw - around 40 - 46k can often suffer from stones washed on to the road in winter, also the descent to 113k can be worth taking cautiously.

FifeingEejit

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Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #9 on: 15 October, 2018, 11:11:13 pm »
Just checking it against the CCC road works page now

The road from Over Water to the A591 passing south of Bassenthwait - High Side? -  is shown as closed

So adjusted to deal with that, which also gets a 1.5km safety margin.

Think I'm happier with having a crack at that rather than my original idea!

Thanks :-)

Edit: That's it submitted.

FifeingEejit

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Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #10 on: 18 October, 2018, 08:32:05 pm »
Cracking route, bit beastly at the end and Newlands.

Would never have gone into WasDale if not on this route, clearly Byron hadn't been when he wrote Lachn-Y-gair.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk

Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #11 on: 18 October, 2018, 09:44:32 pm »
It is a bit less beastly in May!  However, the calendar version has to take in a Hawkshead control after Coniston, so you've to go over Hawkshead Hill too.  Glad that you 'enjoyed' the scenery.

FifeingEejit

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Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #12 on: 22 October, 2018, 01:08:11 pm »
What! You mean the hills are wound in for the spring masses?
If only I'd known!!!!

Got back from a tough long weekend last night.

Set off down the gravel track in the dark and set off from the road end (I couldn't be bothered with the lumpy bit of tarred road out from the Little Langdale ford); descent into Skelwith Bridge was warm but I was above the Inversion at that point!  Didn't find the road from Waterside to Troutbeck Bridge as bad as I feared nor was the Kirkstone starting with the climb past the hostel; didn't need to stop, but then my bike+gear weight was about 40kg lighter this time even though I'm about 15kg heavier....  The lap of Blencathra and Skiddaw was brilliant though spent a fair bit of time dodging ramblers who were congregating on the roads in preparation of setting off and not really paying any attention to other traffic.  Stopped at the shop in Heskett Newmarket for some Mint cake and then round to Keswick just before 12 to get a late second breakfast at the filling station cafĂ©.

First struggle of the day was up Newlands, finally failing near the top of the pass; a bit annoying as just last year I got myself up the cockbridge ramp on the Lecht which is about 30% at its worst, but then last year I spent a while playing on the steep hills while this year I've overly focused on going long and eating way too much cake so maybe not a surprise.
and then on the descent I was held up by a car....

Took in the sights of Calderhall Nuclear Power complex and then into Wasdale; the visual extremes of the ride!  Pint of coke and a pork pie at the pub (probably not enough) then back out, too late for any trains on La'al Ratty and only 3 big lumps left on the Wahoo's profile display.

Birkerfell I got over ok, but after crossing a cattle grid into a steep left hander on Kiln Bank I ground to a halt and didn't get going without some amount of cleat destruction.

Seems I stopped on top of Old Rake too, don't remember it but I do remember having to stop to open my bag of Jelly Babies, not sure how that could take 4 mins...

From there though it was a nice plunge down to coniston in the dark and then a fairly gentle climb past the set up works for the Langdale Marathon.

3852m of recorded climbing, 12hrs 23m on the clock and aparently only 10hrs 42m of that was spent traveling at a speed that RWGPS considers to be moving...

Tough Day out, but well worth doing.

followed it up with a hike to Silver how on Friday from Low Hall Garth and then with High End, Wet Side Edge, Great Carr, Swirl How and Wetherlam (descended back to Greeburn on saturated slippy grass...) on Saturday; only had enough energy to vegetate on Sunday but didn't fancy walking in that rain for a second day in a row!

Back at work for a rest now...



whosatthewheel

Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #13 on: 22 October, 2018, 05:27:44 pm »
So a completely revised route over the over-ambitious Wrynose/Hardknott/Honister...  ::-)


Phil W

Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #14 on: 22 October, 2018, 05:30:47 pm »
Sounds like a grand outing. I was in Lakes with wife last week on a mini cycling tour.  It does like mighty fine in its Autumn clothes. Cold in shade now but still nice in the sun.

FifeingEejit

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Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #15 on: 22 October, 2018, 05:32:26 pm »
So a completely revised route over the over-ambitious Wrynose/Hardknott/Honister...  ::-)
Aye! Still a tough day, while descending to low hall Garth from weatherlam I could see the blinking rear light of someone crawling up the wrynose pass.

Posting here made me realize the excessive ess of what I'd planned.

Sent from my BKL-L09 using Tapatalk


FifeingEejit

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Re: 200km in the Lakes? Might need an alternative option...
« Reply #16 on: 22 October, 2018, 07:42:27 pm »
Photys going up on pussjotter now.

Which it seems no longer provides external links to... bah.