Tuesday 15 July 2014
Team JLR - Longest Ride Winner
As a result of the DynamicRides 100 I rode on 13 July, including the ride there and back from home and getting lost the total distance (118 miles) got me to top of the table for team JLR - Longest ride for week ending 13 July:
Sunday 13 July 2014
Updated UK Cycling Map - July 2014
The great Veloviewer site provides a map of all your rides (all or a dated subset). Given that I have been around the country a bit this year here is my updated (July) version;
Sunday 6 July 2014
100 Climbs Progress - Update July 2014
A holiday in the Lake District saw me complete climbs 80-85 inclusive (another 6 of the 1st 100 and now 13% of the way through).
No
|
Name
(rating/10) |
My Time
Book time |
Strava
Link
|
1
|
Cheddar
Gorge
(3/10) |
14:17
(13:00) |
|
14
|
Box
Hill
(3/10) |
07:50
(7:00) |
|
15
|
Yorks
Hill
(6/10) |
04:20
(3:00) |
|
20
|
Toys
Hill
(7/10) |
10:50
(8:00) |
|
22
|
Ditchling
Beacon
(6/10) |
06:47
(6:30) |
|
80
|
Honister Pass
(9/10) |
15:02
(17:00) |
http://www.strava.com/segments/667735 |
81
|
Newlands Hause
(8/10) |
10:52
(9:00) |
|
82
|
Whinlatter Pass
(5/10) |
12:16
(13:00) |
|
83
|
Kirkstone Pass
(7/10) |
18:38
(21:00) |
|
84
|
Hardknott Pass
(Failed - had to walk) (10/10) |
16:35
(15:00) |
|
85
|
Wrynose Pass
(10/10) |
15:56
(15:00) |
|
98
|
Rhigos
(6/10) |
unknown
(19:00) |
Ride
not meeting 100 Climbs segment
|
99
|
The
Bwlch
(5/10) |
unknown
(21:00) |
Ride
not meeting 100 Climbs segment
|
117
|
Chalkpit
Lane
(7/10) |
08:03
(8:00) |
|
132
|
Gun
Hill
(5/10) |
10:24
(11:00) |
|
136
|
Edge
Hill
(1/10) |
06:16
(5:00) |
Saturday 5 July 2014
Accident
Whilst on holiday in the Lake District, whilst in Hawkshead we drove up into Grizedale Forest for a short bike ride. I was stupidly mucking around and had a minor off - but did a face plant and cut my hands:
I also bruised my shoulder (but no photos) and my sun glasses have a nasty scratch so I wonder what else would have happened to my face if I had not been wearing them - and I did not have my helmet on either
 |
| Lumps missing from my chin (after having cleaned it up a bit) |
Keswick Old Railway Path
My wife and I went for a ride on the route of the Keswick Railway Path: http://www.visitcumbria.com/kes/keswick-railway-footpath/.
We started at Keswick, rode the 3 miles or so to the end, where it meets the A66 and turned around. We didn't cross the A66 though (its very busy) and there is a little bit more on the other side at the old Threlkeld station
It was a very scenic and beautiful ride - very peaceful with very few other people on it. We rode to the end and then I got the camera out and took some photos on the way back whilst riding.
It was a very scenic and beautiful ride - very peaceful with very few other people on it. We rode to the end and then I got the camera out and took some photos on the way back whilst riding.
 |
| At the A66 End of the route - looking east |
 |
| The last east bound bridge before the A66 |
 |
| Another view of the last east bound bridge before the A66 |
 |
| Heading west from the A66 end |
 |
| The cutting about 1 mile west of the A66 |
 |
| A bit of the route |
 |
| A railwayman's hut |
 |
| The bridge and tunnel about 1/3rd of the way from the A66 end |
 |
| The Tunnel - just short under a lump of rock |
 |
| Riding over a bridge |
 |
| A view of the river close to the rail route |
 |
| A South Bound view from a bridge of the river |
 |
| The North Bound view from the same bridge above of the river |
 |
| Another small bridge |
 |
| The wooden walkway around the blocked in tunnel section (under the A66) |
 |
| The impressive A66 Bridge |
 |
| Another view of the river, close to Kewswick |
 |
| The former Keswick Railway Station |
Friday 4 July 2014
Honister Pass, Newlands Hause and Whinlatter - Day 4 - All in the same day
Although its Day 4 of riding chronologically its Day 5 with a rest day on Wednesday!
Planned for a biggie today - 3 climbs in one day with 2 of them in a single ride. This was partially because the next day is/was forecast to be very wet. The plan was to drive to Buttermere, and ride to Honister Pass, then turn round and ride Newlands Hause. Then later in the day I'd have a go at Whinlatter Pass.
All went OK - we drove up to Keswick but then missed the turn for Borrowdale so ended up on the road to Buttermere that would take us up and over Newlands Hause from the opposite direction, so at least I got a look at what I would face later. We parked in a small carpark behind the Bridge Hotel in Buttermere (problems with it not taking my debit card and cash meant we didn't pay) and I got ready to ride. The weather was good - warm and sunny but some wind. I rode up to the road and turned left to put in extra mile or so before turning back towards Honister.
There was a reasonable tailwind but as before I didn't really get properly warm in the time available. I could feel the burn in my legs and my heart rate rose but was not sustained despite trying. The road was rolling and after a couple of miles I got to what was the start of the pass - i.e. there was a warning sign! Despite this the road, like Kirkstone Pass did not really start going up - in fact it probably took another mile of gradual ascent before it really started climbing - I was in the big ring for most of this phase.
However once it started climbing it properly started! There was a short steep section for which I needed the 34-28 but was then able shift up a gear or two for a few meters. This didn't last long though and I was soon back in the 34-28. From this point the climb got harder and harder.
It was incredibly difficult - I was having to stand on the pedals at some sections, and was pouring with sweat. The easiest gradients were around 10-12% but more often than not it was in the high teens and low 20% range.
Slowly I could see some form of building ahead and was hoping it was the summit. Gradually it got closer, just as the road got steeper again. It seemed that it might be the top and I was really digging deep to keep going. A few people were looking down at me from the building so it was clearly not a time to stop. As I approached the building I could see a slight bend to the left and an easing of the gradient. I was finally at the top and cruised a few more yards on past the Youth Hostel, turned around and paused to put my Gilet on for the descent as it was quite cool at the top and the wind was blowing quite hard by then. 30 seconds or so later I was on the descent. Like Kirkstone the gradients weren't stupid steel but the road surface was not great and 30mph was more than fast enough. At one section I was bounced all over the road and needed to brake quite hard - fortunately there was no traffic in either direction and the strong headwind helped to keep the speed down. Once at the bottom it was a slog back to Buttemere to attempt Newlands Hause. Climbing Honister I thought I might be too ambitious to do 2 climbs so quickly but its amazing how quickly you recover and are prepared to go again.
I stopped just outside the Buttermere YHA and took my gilet back off and rode the 100 yards or so to the bottom of the next climb. Immediately it was very steep, and the road surface was poor. I ground my my past the parked cars to the left hander and needed the 34-28 again. It remained steep for another few hundred meters and then eased off for another several hundred meters, even at one point going down hill. This down hill section was just before it kicked back up again for the long drag up the side of the hill to the summit. Here the gradient was a persistent 12-16% or so but the surface had improved. Going off the road to the left was not an option - it dropped away almost sheer so it was sensible to keep towards the centre - and very little traffic helped. It seemed like a long drag but soon there was another left turn just below the top where the road kicked up again to over 20% before easing as it swung right. This was the only part of the climb that I stood to ride up. Before you know it it was at th top. I stopped and took a few photos (with my rubbish iPhone3) before setting of back again down to Buttermere (again I put my gilet on for the descent).
Taking my bike apart again to put it in the boot of the car I noticed how warm the front wheel was. Although there was some sun again at the bottom, there was no way this down to solar heating and it was a lot warmer than the frame, so it was clear how much heat goes into the rim and tyres on long descents. The rear wheel was warm as well, but I used the front brakes much more on the descent as the rear wheel kept locking on these steep hills.
Having completed these 2 climbs we drove off to Cockermouth for some lunch and a stroll around. Perhaps we didn't see it on its best day but there was not a great deal to do or see (and we're not that bothered by William Wordsworth!
We then drove across country to the top of Whinlatter Pass for a go at this climb. We parked in the visitor centre at the top and I rode down through the village at the bottom to the A66, turned round and rode back up again.
Whinlatter Pass was quite different to the other Lakes climbs I have done this week. Firstly it was through trees all the way, apparently because its a lot lower than some of the others. Also its longer and less high so the gradients are nothing like as severe (I think the solitary warning sign was just 15%) and there were quite long stretches of relatively flat road (so flat I was in the 34-15 gear for some time). It was steepest immediately out of the village, and just before the summit. I won't say it was easy but it wasn't Wrynose or Honister.
I rode over the top for a few hundred meters and then back to the car, put the car in the boot and drove into Keswick so that we could ride the old Keswick Railway path (see later post)
Stats for the rides (and the key climbs) are:
Honister and Newlands Hause
Link to ride: Honister and Newlands Hause
Distance: 12.5 miles
Time: 1:00:37
Height Gain: 1995ft
Average Speed: 12.5mph
Whinlatter
Link to ride: Whinlatter
Distance: 5.4 miles
Time: 23:28
Height Gain: 778 ft
Average Speed: 13.8mph
And the 100 Greatest Climbs Segments:
Official 100Climbs No80 Honister Pass
Distance: 2.3miles
Height: 810ft
Avg Gradient: 7%
Time: 15:02 (vs suggested time of 17:00)
Position: 119 of 1557
Official 100Climbs No81 Newlands Hause
Distance: 1.2miles
Height: 678ft
Avg Gradient: 11%
Time:10:52 (vs suggested time of 9:00)
Position: 486 of 3179
Whinlatter Pass - I found that my GPS Trace was too noisy for me to match the Official segment (drat) so there was an almost identical segment
Distance: 2.0miles
Height: 747ft
Avg Gradient: 7%
Time: 13:13 (vs suggested time of 13:00)
Position: 434 of 4152
Planned for a biggie today - 3 climbs in one day with 2 of them in a single ride. This was partially because the next day is/was forecast to be very wet. The plan was to drive to Buttermere, and ride to Honister Pass, then turn round and ride Newlands Hause. Then later in the day I'd have a go at Whinlatter Pass.
All went OK - we drove up to Keswick but then missed the turn for Borrowdale so ended up on the road to Buttermere that would take us up and over Newlands Hause from the opposite direction, so at least I got a look at what I would face later. We parked in a small carpark behind the Bridge Hotel in Buttermere (problems with it not taking my debit card and cash meant we didn't pay) and I got ready to ride. The weather was good - warm and sunny but some wind. I rode up to the road and turned left to put in extra mile or so before turning back towards Honister.
There was a reasonable tailwind but as before I didn't really get properly warm in the time available. I could feel the burn in my legs and my heart rate rose but was not sustained despite trying. The road was rolling and after a couple of miles I got to what was the start of the pass - i.e. there was a warning sign! Despite this the road, like Kirkstone Pass did not really start going up - in fact it probably took another mile of gradual ascent before it really started climbing - I was in the big ring for most of this phase.
However once it started climbing it properly started! There was a short steep section for which I needed the 34-28 but was then able shift up a gear or two for a few meters. This didn't last long though and I was soon back in the 34-28. From this point the climb got harder and harder.
It was incredibly difficult - I was having to stand on the pedals at some sections, and was pouring with sweat. The easiest gradients were around 10-12% but more often than not it was in the high teens and low 20% range.
Slowly I could see some form of building ahead and was hoping it was the summit. Gradually it got closer, just as the road got steeper again. It seemed that it might be the top and I was really digging deep to keep going. A few people were looking down at me from the building so it was clearly not a time to stop. As I approached the building I could see a slight bend to the left and an easing of the gradient. I was finally at the top and cruised a few more yards on past the Youth Hostel, turned around and paused to put my Gilet on for the descent as it was quite cool at the top and the wind was blowing quite hard by then. 30 seconds or so later I was on the descent. Like Kirkstone the gradients weren't stupid steel but the road surface was not great and 30mph was more than fast enough. At one section I was bounced all over the road and needed to brake quite hard - fortunately there was no traffic in either direction and the strong headwind helped to keep the speed down. Once at the bottom it was a slog back to Buttemere to attempt Newlands Hause. Climbing Honister I thought I might be too ambitious to do 2 climbs so quickly but its amazing how quickly you recover and are prepared to go again.
I stopped just outside the Buttermere YHA and took my gilet back off and rode the 100 yards or so to the bottom of the next climb. Immediately it was very steep, and the road surface was poor. I ground my my past the parked cars to the left hander and needed the 34-28 again. It remained steep for another few hundred meters and then eased off for another several hundred meters, even at one point going down hill. This down hill section was just before it kicked back up again for the long drag up the side of the hill to the summit. Here the gradient was a persistent 12-16% or so but the surface had improved. Going off the road to the left was not an option - it dropped away almost sheer so it was sensible to keep towards the centre - and very little traffic helped. It seemed like a long drag but soon there was another left turn just below the top where the road kicked up again to over 20% before easing as it swung right. This was the only part of the climb that I stood to ride up. Before you know it it was at th top. I stopped and took a few photos (with my rubbish iPhone3) before setting of back again down to Buttermere (again I put my gilet on for the descent).
 |
| My Scott at the top of Newlands Hause |
 |
| At the top of Newlands Hause looking North East (Ambleside Direction) |
 |
| Another view looking NE |
 |
| At the top of Newlands Hause looking SW down to Buttermere (the Official 100 Climbs route up) |
Taking my bike apart again to put it in the boot of the car I noticed how warm the front wheel was. Although there was some sun again at the bottom, there was no way this down to solar heating and it was a lot warmer than the frame, so it was clear how much heat goes into the rim and tyres on long descents. The rear wheel was warm as well, but I used the front brakes much more on the descent as the rear wheel kept locking on these steep hills.
Having completed these 2 climbs we drove off to Cockermouth for some lunch and a stroll around. Perhaps we didn't see it on its best day but there was not a great deal to do or see (and we're not that bothered by William Wordsworth!
We then drove across country to the top of Whinlatter Pass for a go at this climb. We parked in the visitor centre at the top and I rode down through the village at the bottom to the A66, turned round and rode back up again.
Whinlatter Pass was quite different to the other Lakes climbs I have done this week. Firstly it was through trees all the way, apparently because its a lot lower than some of the others. Also its longer and less high so the gradients are nothing like as severe (I think the solitary warning sign was just 15%) and there were quite long stretches of relatively flat road (so flat I was in the 34-15 gear for some time). It was steepest immediately out of the village, and just before the summit. I won't say it was easy but it wasn't Wrynose or Honister.
I rode over the top for a few hundred meters and then back to the car, put the car in the boot and drove into Keswick so that we could ride the old Keswick Railway path (see later post)
Stats for the rides (and the key climbs) are:
Honister and Newlands Hause
Link to ride: Honister and Newlands Hause
Distance: 12.5 miles
Time: 1:00:37
Height Gain: 1995ft
Average Speed: 12.5mph
Whinlatter
Link to ride: Whinlatter
Distance: 5.4 miles
Time: 23:28
Height Gain: 778 ft
Average Speed: 13.8mph
And the 100 Greatest Climbs Segments:
Official 100Climbs No80 Honister Pass
Distance: 2.3miles
Height: 810ft
Avg Gradient: 7%
Time: 15:02 (vs suggested time of 17:00)
Position: 119 of 1557
Official 100Climbs No81 Newlands Hause
Distance: 1.2miles
Height: 678ft
Avg Gradient: 11%
Time:10:52 (vs suggested time of 9:00)
Position: 486 of 3179
Whinlatter Pass - I found that my GPS Trace was too noisy for me to match the Official segment (drat) so there was an almost identical segment
Distance: 2.0miles
Height: 747ft
Avg Gradient: 7%
Time: 13:13 (vs suggested time of 13:00)
Position: 434 of 4152
Wednesday 2 July 2014
Cycling In the Lake District - Day Three - Kirkstone Pass
Day 3 - Kirkstone Pass
Day 3 saw us spend the day on the Ullswater Steamers, at Ulsswater funnily enough. The steamers (dieselers now) sail between Glenridding at the souther end to Pooley Bridge at the northern end with a stop off at Howtown
The weather was superb (just a little cool on the lake when the sun went behind a cloud) with bright sunshine. We started from Glenridding and rode up to Pooley Bridge, had lunch out side then sailed back again. My wife then settled down to read a book and I put my bike together again to ride up to Kirkstone pass.
The pass itself started around 4-5 miles from Genridding so I felt there was probably just enough distance to get warmed up properly - although at about 3 miles my legs were really full of lactic acid and I felt less than great. Fortunately that passed quite quickly and my heart rate went to ~160bpm with about 1/2mile to go - just as I was about to turn round again and get another few miles in.
The pass didn't start with a bang like Wrynose or Hardknott - it seemed to just start going up consistently so I was not really sure when it had started.
It was never massively steep, just a long slog to the top. It was probably steeper for the first few 100m or so, eased of in the middle section and then kicked up a little to the end, before cresting the top and a short descent to the pub just over the other side. It was a nice day, although the cloud had come across for most of the climb, but it was warm and I was sweating freely on the ascent. Despite being a relatively major road traffic was light and what there was gave me some space. The friendly local who stopped near the top to tell me "you're nearly there" was appreciated.
On the descent, unlike Hardknott and Wrynose, it was fast and flowing. I managed around 30mph on the way down, with fast sweeping bends and again, luckily, minimal traffic. A pleasant 3-4 miles back to the steamer car park and the ride was done.
On the was back to the cottage I stopped and took a few photos about 300m from the top. We also drove back to Ambleside via "The Struggle" - a ride for anothe day I think.
From Strava the ride data was:
Distance: 13.0 miles
Ride time: 47:50
Average Speed: 16.4mph
Height Gain: 1135ft
And again the segment that mattered:
"OFFICIAL 100Climbs No 83 Kirkstone Pass", 3.3 miles, 965ft, 6% average - my time 18:38, placing 98 of 1445 (well inside the top 10% and also in the top 100) .
So this was a monster achievement for me:
Some photos of the pass:
Day 3 saw us spend the day on the Ullswater Steamers, at Ulsswater funnily enough. The steamers (dieselers now) sail between Glenridding at the souther end to Pooley Bridge at the northern end with a stop off at Howtown
The weather was superb (just a little cool on the lake when the sun went behind a cloud) with bright sunshine. We started from Glenridding and rode up to Pooley Bridge, had lunch out side then sailed back again. My wife then settled down to read a book and I put my bike together again to ride up to Kirkstone pass.
The pass itself started around 4-5 miles from Genridding so I felt there was probably just enough distance to get warmed up properly - although at about 3 miles my legs were really full of lactic acid and I felt less than great. Fortunately that passed quite quickly and my heart rate went to ~160bpm with about 1/2mile to go - just as I was about to turn round again and get another few miles in.
The pass didn't start with a bang like Wrynose or Hardknott - it seemed to just start going up consistently so I was not really sure when it had started.
It was never massively steep, just a long slog to the top. It was probably steeper for the first few 100m or so, eased of in the middle section and then kicked up a little to the end, before cresting the top and a short descent to the pub just over the other side. It was a nice day, although the cloud had come across for most of the climb, but it was warm and I was sweating freely on the ascent. Despite being a relatively major road traffic was light and what there was gave me some space. The friendly local who stopped near the top to tell me "you're nearly there" was appreciated.
On the descent, unlike Hardknott and Wrynose, it was fast and flowing. I managed around 30mph on the way down, with fast sweeping bends and again, luckily, minimal traffic. A pleasant 3-4 miles back to the steamer car park and the ride was done.
On the was back to the cottage I stopped and took a few photos about 300m from the top. We also drove back to Ambleside via "The Struggle" - a ride for anothe day I think.
From Strava the ride data was:
Distance: 13.0 miles
Ride time: 47:50
Average Speed: 16.4mph
Height Gain: 1135ft
And again the segment that mattered:
"OFFICIAL 100Climbs No 83 Kirkstone Pass", 3.3 miles, 965ft, 6% average - my time 18:38, placing 98 of 1445 (well inside the top 10% and also in the top 100) .
So this was a monster achievement for me:
Some photos of the pass:
 |
| About 200m from the top, looking down |
 |
| About 200m from the top, looking down |
 |
| About 200m from the top, looking up (final steep section) |
 |
| About 200m from the top, looking down |
Tuesday 1 July 2014
Cycling In the Lake District - Day Two - Hardknott Pass
Day 2 - Hardknott
(updated 2 Jul 2014 with some photos)
It started well enough with a pleasant but long drive from Thirlmere to Ravenglass - in fact Eskdale - as we went for the day on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Steam Railway. We drove to the station at Dalegarth for Boot Station which is the Eastern end of the line. As an aside it took us over 1½ hours to drive south, east and north around 3 sides of a square rather than driving directly west across Wrynose and Hardknott.
We had a very pleasant ride on the railway (very cheap tickets as we used some Tesco vouchers), and a lunch at the station at Ravenglass before heading back. The weather was OK at lunch time was but we needed a fleece over a T Shirt but the sun really came up and was beautifully sunny for the ride back.
I had chosen the Dalegarth end as it was fairly close to the start of Hardknott, so my wife read in the car whilst I got changed and got the bike ready. I then turn west and rode back to the village of Eskdale Green to try to get a few miles in and warm up a bit before starting to climb Hardknott Pass.
It was a little further than I though from Eskdale Green to the foot of the pass and was nicely rolling so I was as warmed up as I was going to be. With about a mile to go you can see the pass climbing up ahead and from the few cars on the road you could see, even from that distance, how incredibly steep the road was. I won't deny that there was an element of concern about the difficulty of the climb and I was not sure if I would make it, I was in 2 minds - I had completed Wrynose the day before and that was hard but knew that at 30%, some of the slopes on Hardknott would be even tougher.
I arrived at the phone box at the foot of the pass proper (I knew this because there was a huge warning sign!) and immediately in the trees was forced into 2nd gear. 200 yards further on I hit the cattle grid and was in 1st (34-28) and 50 yards further on was standing on the pedals to try to keep going. There was a stretch of 17-25% (25% on the hairpins) for 500 yards or so, that with a very poor road surface meant that the riding was very very hard, and I needed to stand for most of the steeper parts. I hate standing on the pedals as its very tiring and for me means that I have nothing more in the bag as its a last resort.
I was determined not to fail (my assumption was if I could make Hardknott I could do any other climb in the book) and dug even deeper. Fortunately the road eased off a little (to around 12-15%) so there was some respite. At home this sort of gradient would be a monster but here I was just grateful for it as it was so much easier. Given the way the road wound up, this stretch almost looked flat as well! This phase also gave me a chance to drink some water and pour some over me. The good weather earlier was now fantastic. I was in the lee of the wind on this side of the pass and the sun was beating down and I was pouring with sweat.
Although the short less steep section had been a respite, it did not take long before the road really kicked up to the 30% section of hairpins. This was incredibly steep. It was almost impossible to keep momentum. Earlier on the climb I'd needed to stand to keep going but also to try to keep the front wheel on the ground. At 30% it was almost too steep to stand but sitting just kept lifting the wheel off. I made 50-100 yards at a slower and slower speed and was down to about 3mph. At such a low speed it was getting even harder to keep the wheel on the ground as the cadence was so slow. I had a couple of wheelies and just as I was going to stand to get more weight over the front wheel I pulled another wheelie and lost enough balance that I had to unclip to avoid falling over. I managed to push the bike another 50-60 yards to a slightly lees steep section (although walking was hard as well) and then paused for about 30 seconds more as I had a small stitch and form my heart rate to drop from 192 to a more sensible 175-180. I was able to remount the bike and managed to ride to the top which was another 2-300 yards or so.
So I had got to the top of Hardknott but had failed to cycle all the way, having needed to walk that 50-60 yards or so. I rode just far enough over the top to be sure of completing it and then turned around and rode back down. I think this was worse. It felt as if I were going to fall over the handle bars. Keeping the back wheel from locking was almost impossible so all the braking was through the front but I managed to keep the speed to around 10mph or so. I even unclipped at a few points. Once over the cattle grid it was easier and a pleasant ride back to the car.
On reflection - could I have ridden up it? I think just - but I need a 30 tooth cassette to get the cadence up a bit more as I ran out of low end power on the section that I stopped on. Also I need to practice very steep climbing technique to try and keep the front wheel on the ground better and keep control of the bike - with a lower gear again it would be even easier to lift the wheel. The fact that I made almost all of it and failed due to poor bike handling gave me some confidence that I have the base fitness and I could do it again in one pass, although it was incredibly difficult.
When I got back and uploaded the ride I was surprised to see how relatively well I had done on the only segment I cared about:
"OFFICIAL 100Climbs No 84 Hardknott Pass", 1.4miles, 979ft, 13% average - my time 16:35, placing 727 of 3727 (just about the top 20%)
Statistics for the ride:
Distance: 13.2 miles
Ride Time: 1hr 00mins
Height Gained: 1460ft
Average Speed: 13.2mph
Link to Strava Ride: http://www.strava.com/activities/160059334
Some photos:
(updated 2 Jul 2014 with some photos)
It started well enough with a pleasant but long drive from Thirlmere to Ravenglass - in fact Eskdale - as we went for the day on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Steam Railway. We drove to the station at Dalegarth for Boot Station which is the Eastern end of the line. As an aside it took us over 1½ hours to drive south, east and north around 3 sides of a square rather than driving directly west across Wrynose and Hardknott.
We had a very pleasant ride on the railway (very cheap tickets as we used some Tesco vouchers), and a lunch at the station at Ravenglass before heading back. The weather was OK at lunch time was but we needed a fleece over a T Shirt but the sun really came up and was beautifully sunny for the ride back.
I had chosen the Dalegarth end as it was fairly close to the start of Hardknott, so my wife read in the car whilst I got changed and got the bike ready. I then turn west and rode back to the village of Eskdale Green to try to get a few miles in and warm up a bit before starting to climb Hardknott Pass.
It was a little further than I though from Eskdale Green to the foot of the pass and was nicely rolling so I was as warmed up as I was going to be. With about a mile to go you can see the pass climbing up ahead and from the few cars on the road you could see, even from that distance, how incredibly steep the road was. I won't deny that there was an element of concern about the difficulty of the climb and I was not sure if I would make it, I was in 2 minds - I had completed Wrynose the day before and that was hard but knew that at 30%, some of the slopes on Hardknott would be even tougher.
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| The bottom of Hardknott Pass |
I was determined not to fail (my assumption was if I could make Hardknott I could do any other climb in the book) and dug even deeper. Fortunately the road eased off a little (to around 12-15%) so there was some respite. At home this sort of gradient would be a monster but here I was just grateful for it as it was so much easier. Given the way the road wound up, this stretch almost looked flat as well! This phase also gave me a chance to drink some water and pour some over me. The good weather earlier was now fantastic. I was in the lee of the wind on this side of the pass and the sun was beating down and I was pouring with sweat.
Although the short less steep section had been a respite, it did not take long before the road really kicked up to the 30% section of hairpins. This was incredibly steep. It was almost impossible to keep momentum. Earlier on the climb I'd needed to stand to keep going but also to try to keep the front wheel on the ground. At 30% it was almost too steep to stand but sitting just kept lifting the wheel off. I made 50-100 yards at a slower and slower speed and was down to about 3mph. At such a low speed it was getting even harder to keep the wheel on the ground as the cadence was so slow. I had a couple of wheelies and just as I was going to stand to get more weight over the front wheel I pulled another wheelie and lost enough balance that I had to unclip to avoid falling over. I managed to push the bike another 50-60 yards to a slightly lees steep section (although walking was hard as well) and then paused for about 30 seconds more as I had a small stitch and form my heart rate to drop from 192 to a more sensible 175-180. I was able to remount the bike and managed to ride to the top which was another 2-300 yards or so.
So I had got to the top of Hardknott but had failed to cycle all the way, having needed to walk that 50-60 yards or so. I rode just far enough over the top to be sure of completing it and then turned around and rode back down. I think this was worse. It felt as if I were going to fall over the handle bars. Keeping the back wheel from locking was almost impossible so all the braking was through the front but I managed to keep the speed to around 10mph or so. I even unclipped at a few points. Once over the cattle grid it was easier and a pleasant ride back to the car.
On reflection - could I have ridden up it? I think just - but I need a 30 tooth cassette to get the cadence up a bit more as I ran out of low end power on the section that I stopped on. Also I need to practice very steep climbing technique to try and keep the front wheel on the ground better and keep control of the bike - with a lower gear again it would be even easier to lift the wheel. The fact that I made almost all of it and failed due to poor bike handling gave me some confidence that I have the base fitness and I could do it again in one pass, although it was incredibly difficult.
When I got back and uploaded the ride I was surprised to see how relatively well I had done on the only segment I cared about:
"OFFICIAL 100Climbs No 84 Hardknott Pass", 1.4miles, 979ft, 13% average - my time 16:35, placing 727 of 3727 (just about the top 20%)
Statistics for the ride:
Distance: 13.2 miles
Ride Time: 1hr 00mins
Height Gained: 1460ft
Average Speed: 13.2mph
Link to Strava Ride: http://www.strava.com/activities/160059334
Some photos:
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| From the ruins of the Roman Fort looking up |
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| Not quite sure where this is from! |
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| Another view from the ruins of the Roman Fort looking up |
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