Cycling the Wyrnose Pass

[BMWBen]

Word of advice - don't. I had an unflattering race with a man who was walking it, and at times I wasn't sure I was going to win. I went through all seven levels of enlightenment before arriving firmly at the gates of hell and falling off as my front wheel lifted off the road.

Not helped by having a stupidly heavy hired bike, so no times to write home about either!

If you are going to try it, then bear in mind that a compact and 25 tooth sprocket is not enough to spin up 25-30% gradients.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Which side did you do??

[RemyMartin]

Isn't this a case for rule #5 though

[BMWBen]

I went up heading west from langdale. The plan was to then carry on to the top of hardknott before coming back, but it killed me and I'd already done kirkstone pass and back so I just turned at the top and headed back east!

Rule 5 was applied so many times it no longer made sense. I was considering being a woman because that would be lighter.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

I think that side of Wrynose is probably the hardest climb in the country. The issue is the consistency of the gradient. There is very little let up to get your breath. There's a bit near the top where it flattens out to 16% or so, but the rest of it is 25% odd. Really nasty. Obviously this does not change the fact that you are a bender for not carrying on and doing Hardknot.

I also think The Struggle is very tough for a similar reason. The steepest bit is right at the bottom, and that just puts you deep in the red for the long 20%+ bit that follows. I recall almost being in tears up there on my winter bike when the snow started coming down and I couldn't see the top for the fog.

[TKF]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

There's a bit near the top where it flattens out to 16% or so

This phrase is enough for me to know I'll never even attempt it.

[BMWBen]

I found the struggle really easy tbh... But I might have been heading south

Wyrnose was just an unrelenting grind. The flat bits were still 15% so not really flat enough to recover, then it kicks back up really steeply at the end, just when you've chewed through your bars completely. That's where I fell off, trying to tack my way up the road, when the front wheel lifted as I turned.

Oh the shame of being glad to have to pull in for a few seconds every now and then to let a car past.

[Usget]

Nothing ever looks steep on Google Streetview.

I've just looked this up on Google Streetview. It looks bloody steep. It must, in other words, be unbechuffinglievably steep.

Props for beating the walker up there, I fear I'd have to wait for it to erode down a bit...

[BMWBen]

Usget said:

Nothing ever looks steep on Google Streetview.

I've just looked this up on Google Streetview. It looks bloody steep. It must, in other words, be unbechuffinglievably steep.

Props for beating the walker up there, I fear I'd have to wait for it to erode down a bit...

It messes with your mind... 15% starts looking like a flat bit and your brain just can't understand why it's so hard to ride on a flat bit of road

I took some video, will upload when I've had a chance to edit it after I get home.

[RemyMartin]

Usget said:

Nothing ever looks steep on Google Streetview.

I've just looked this up on Google Streetview. It looks bloody steep. It must, in other words, be unbechuffinglievably steep.

Props for beating the walker up there, I fear I'd have to wait for it to erode down a bit...

I just did exactly this.

Jesus that looks steep LOL.

[nammynake]

I did Harknott and Wrynose last weekend but from the West, heading East. I'd like to try them from the opposite side. The descent in the wet was interesting....

[Rocksteadyeddie]

nammynake said:

I did Harknott and Wrynose last weekend but from the West, heading East. I'd like to try them from the opposite side. The descent in the wet was interesting....

That's the "hard" side of Hardknot. I've not done it that way for many years.

[makes mental note]

[Rocksteadyeddie]

BMWBen said:

I found the struggle really easy tbh... But I might have been heading south

So you came up Kirkstone Pass from Patterdale? I quite like that climb, and the ride along Ullswater is stunning.

[Cheib]

When I was 18 or 19 (25 years ago) myself and a mate did two week long summer holidays staying in Fell Foot Farm which is that farm right at the bottom of Wrynose just before that sharp left as you go up the hill. We'd rent some mountain bikes from the only place in the Lake District which was a couple of miles away ( I think they had 10 bikes!)....we'd ride up Wrynose a couple of times during the week which looking back tells me how fit an 18yr old is compared to a 45 yr old especially on a bike made of pig iron! I still remember the smell of burning clutches from cars going up and the smell of brakes driving down. I try not to think about how fast we used to ride down.

[nammynake]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

That's the "hard" side of Hardknot. I've not done it that way for many years.

[makes mental note]

Tell me about it, I'd done 100 miles before that too. I think the following photo of me says it all:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfleming/8737101346/s...

[Rocksteadyeddie]

nammynake said:

Rocksteadyeddie said:

That's the "hard" side of Hardknot. I've not done it that way for many years.

[makes mental note]

Tell me about it, I'd done 100 miles before that too. I think the following photo of me says it all:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfleming/8737101346/s...

Great photo. Congrats on completing the Fred Whiton. Tough ride.

[DrMekon]

I'll be doing this next month on the Pendle 600. The climbs include

Sutton Bank
Rosedale Chimney
Robin Hood's Bay
Eggleston Common
Edmundbyers Common
Hartside Pass
Whinlatter Pass
Hardknott & Wrynose
Trough of Bowland

613km, 10150m, 40hr time limit. Based on last year's riders, I'm looking at 38hrs and no sleep.

I'll have 34x30 to fail back on. Got me up Park Rash and the Coal Road with no bother.

Places still available - http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/12-312/#more

[Rocksteadyeddie]

DrMekon said:

I'll be doing this next month on the Pendle 600. The climbs include

Sutton Bank
Rosedale Chimney
Robin Hood's Bay
Eggleston Common
Edmundbyers Common
Hartside Pass
Whinlatter Pass
Hardknott & Wrynose
Trough of Bowland

613km, 10150m, 40hr time limit. Based on last year's riders, I'm looking at 38hrs and no sleep.

I'll have 34x30 to fail back on. Got me up Park Rash and the Coal Road with no bother.

Places still available - http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/12-312/#more

You Sir, are a fking nut job!

[DrMekon]

Nah, just too slow to TT or race. Did a 200km with 3 guys who are consistently under the hour on a 25 last weekend. Would love to see more guys like them on a 600.

[BMWBen]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

BMWBen said:

I found the struggle really easy tbh... But I might have been heading south

So you came up Kirkstone Pass from Patterdale? I quite like that climb, and the ride along Ullswater is stunning.

I did both ways - picked up the bike in windemere and cycled up the long way through troutbeck, then down to ullswater, turned around, back up from Patterdale and down the struggle to Ambleside. Deffo preferred the climb up from Ullswater, the troutbeck side doesn't ever let you get into a good rhythm!