Planning to ride the South Pennine '25' at Etwall on the way up to the Lakes for a weekend of R + R did not quite go as planned, the morning we had squally showers and the brisk NE wind made the A50 a fairly hostile place so after signing on I then backed out of riding after talking to a few other riders, I apologised to the organiser and we set off North feeling we would have better weather in the NW where sun was forecast.
Sure enough above Stoke the temperature began to climb from below eight degrees to the seasonal norm of fifteen by the time we got to the Lakes, I did a rapid 25 mile lap of Windermere above evens (not that easy) just to pressure my legs as I was meeting up with some friends who were riding the Fred Whitton on the Sunday. I was not entered in the event (never ridden a sportive) but I was up for a few gentle miles to see them over the first half as they were relatively inexperienced at this sort of thing although Rinaldo had done the event last year and had a couple of work colleagues, one Matt from Sweden said they had only just commenced riding their bikes at the start of the month because of the terrible winter (& we think we had it bad!)
Tour style climbing
I rode out and met them as they came through Ambleside from the start at Coniston, the first part over Troutbeck & Kirkstone (highest point) I knew quite well but Matterdale towards Keswick and the NW Lakes are new territory for me, there was a long section on the A66 perhaps the fastest section of the ride. I was going to return from here but as it was turning into a beautiful day and the four of us were working well together I thought I'd carry on for the rest of the ride.
Honister at 45 miles is a brute of a climb with a large burnt patch on the road where some unlucky soul had overheated their sports car (Lamborghini) and set it on fire trying to get up the 25% climb, a couple of riders had crashed on the decent one wrapped in a foil blanket we were urged by marshalls to take it easyier than the near 50mph on the decent of Kirkstone
Buttermere YHA
Just after we stopped at Buttermere Youth Hostel the first checkpoint where I looked after the bikes and the lads filled up bottles and got some grub, I had taken enough for the day, I did sneak a refill but it wasn't a hot day and I was able to enjoy the scenery in this part of the Lakes Newlands and Whinlater are still serious climbs and you had to pace yourself as you would in a race.
On a good day you can see Snowdonia as you descend from Cold Fell to the final check point at Calder Bridge within sight of the coast and Sellarfield, the Isle of Man was clearly visible but the two climbs everybody want to conquer which come in the final twenty miles are Hardknott and Wrynose. There is nothing to prepare you for the 'shock & awe' of these two idiot bits of unique British approach to the countryside, while the Victorians were off reshaping the world this little bit O' Blighty was left with an almost un-passable 'pass' which still has the air thick with the smell of burning clutch, if they were on the continent would have a beautiful engineered series of hairpin bends up the side of the mountain buy here we get a higgly piggly ribbon of lumpy tarmac with an average gradient of 25% but in places must be over 30%
Top of Wrynose
Many were dismounting before the cattle grid that marks the first approach but I just had to wring every ounce of energy from my legs to force 39 x 25 gear up all the way to the top, you need to rest on the not so steep and then sprint the hairpin bends and the very steep bits out the saddle as you lift your front wheel off the ground seated, I estimate only two in ten managed it but it is a brute of a climb and one for the box tickers rather than the cycle purist. Aparently the film of local fastman fell runner and cross rider Rob Jebb (Wheelbase) going over is something to behold.
We all descend into Little Langdale after regrouping at the top, I left the lads to finish their ride back to Coniston while I rode back to Windermere 110 miles in 7:30 that last part of the day putting the average speed back half a mile per hour. Not the best day of R + R but certainly one of the most beautiful.
No comments:
Post a Comment