Fred Whitton Challenge

[Diamond]

I recently learnt that I've been granted a place on this ride and was wondering if anyone else had completed it before.

For info, it's a 112 mile sportive through the Lake District on 10th May:

http://www.fredwhittonchallenge.co.uk/

It features roughly 6 very significant climbs ranging from 20% through to 30%, which is pretty intimidating.

I'm fairly fit at the moment as I do a good deal of circuit training and can fairly easily tackle Crouch Hill, Muswell Hill, Shepherd's Hill, Swain's Lane and Hampstead High Street in relatively short order but I suspect that this will be a very different beast altogether.

For those who are into their sportives and much longer rides, what would your advice be?

I don't have very long to get ready now so need to be as efficient as possible in what I choose to do by way of preparation.

ps. I will be riding in a team (charity effort), which should help.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

This is billed as the hardest sportive in the UK. By coincidence I was talking with a bloke on saturday about La marmotte - which we had both done. He rated Fred Whitton as being as hard as that. Its not just the aforementioned climbs, its the undulating nature of the rest of the course which has very little flat of any kind, you're up and down all day.

Having done this kind of thing in the past I would say you probably have the power thing covered for short blasts up things like Swains lane - but you need to think about climbing for 20 minutes at a time with little recovery time between efforts. As you have less than a month and want to be tapering down (ie riding a lot less to nothing) in the preceding week you have 3 weeks to play with at best. I suggest long rides of minimum 4 hours and no cafe breaks and maybe scaling up to ride a century if you can before the event. That should be at weekends, maybe cram 3 turbo sessions of 30 minutes each into weekdays (with intervals up to the puking point) and ride to work for recovery.

 

[fen_boy]

Have you got a big cog at the back and a small one at the front?

 

[steeeve]

Spin classes if you're a member of a gym or Trainer Road if you have a turbo trainer would help

 

[steeeve]

and a 32 cassette!

 

[Pickman's model]

I recently learnt that I've been granted a place on this ride and was wondering if anyone else had completed it before.

For info, it's a 112 mile sportive through the Lake District on 10th May:

http://www.fredwhittonchallenge.co.uk/

It features roughly 6 very significant climbs ranging from 20% through to 30%, which is pretty intimidating.

I'm fairly fit at the moment as I do a good deal of circuit training and can fairly easily tackle Crouch Hill, Muswell Hill, Shepherd's Hill, Swain's Lane and Hampstead High Street in relatively short order but I suspect that this will be a very different beast altogether.

For those who are into their sportives and much longer rides, what would your advice be?

I don't have very long to get ready now so need to be as efficient as possible in what I choose to do by way of preparation.

ps. I will be riding in a team (charity effort), which should help.

why not try highgate west hill, and going up instead of down. oh - and i see you can tackle shepherd's hill but what about wolseley road?

 

[ChrisFilter]

I had a place but no-one I know got in with me, so will try again next year.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I might go with you next year. It appeals to my sense of the absurd. It could be my warm up for Paris-Roubaix (VCdeRC) which is in June 2016.

 

[ChrisFilter]

Do it!

 

[Diamond]

why not try highgate west hill, and going up instead of down. oh - and i see you can tackle shepherd's hill but what about wolseley road?

I'm aiming to do those five and then add in laps of Swain's Lane mid-way through, alternating with the West Hill might be a way of breaking it up a little bit - end aim is to get to stage where I can do the original five and mid-way through 10-15 of laps of either or both of those.

Probably a bit unrealistic but one has to aim high.

The bigger thing that people have warned me of is the descents which are apparently quite dangerous.

 

[Diamond]

I might go with you next year. It appeals to my sense of the absurd. It could be my warm up for Paris-Roubaix (VCdeRC) which is in June 2016.

Would really appreciate your views on what kind of kit one should take for such a sportive in that kind of environment.

I don't have clip-ons for instance and my bike is steel framed.

Some people have advised me to buy a whole new bike given the amount of modifications I will need to make.

 

[a_chap]

You still have time to enter these training rides:

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/15-516/

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/15-400/

 

[Diamond]

and a 32 cassette!

Been advised on the cassette front - am going to get that checked out because I'm not sure where I stand atm.

 

[Diamond]

You still have time to enter these training rides:

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/15-516/

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/15-400/

Yeah, those would be ideal but I'm away that weekend.

Thinking on, I really need to get in some very long rides in the next couple of weekends.

 

[a_chap]

Would really appreciate your views on what kind of kit one should take for such a sportive in that kind of environment.

Make sure you have enough calories, fluids and electrolytes. By far the most important components on a long-ish, hard ride like the Fred Whitton.

I don't have clip-ons for instance and my bike is steel framed.

Funilly enough my bike is steel framed and I currently don't use clipless pedals.

Some people have advised me to buy a whole new bike given the amount of modifications I will need to make.

Contrary to what Lance Armstrong once said; it's not about the bike. Ride what you have.

 

[a_chap]

Yeah, those would be ideal but I'm away that weekend.

Thinking on, I really need to get in some very long rides in the next couple of weekends.

The Audax UK web site lists long rides every weekend of the year. I only posted those because they were near where I assumed to be. I think there are still places on at least some of the 300, 400 and 600km rides.

If you want exceptionally tough then I recommend this one - http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/15-312/

 

[Diamond]

Make sure you have enough calories, fluids and electrolytes. By far the most important components on a long-ish, hard ride like the Fred Whitton.

Funilly enough my bike is steel framed and I currently don't use clipless pedals.

Contrary to what Lance Armstrong once said; it's not about the bike. Ride what you have.

Yeah the nutrition point is important - I learnt that riding with a friend and no support from London to Paris over three days. When we set off all we had by way of navigation from London to Dover was a sheet of a road atlas that I had pilfered from my folk's car. We then completely ballsed up the nutrition thing by eating complex carbs during the ride .

The clips thing is a bit concerning because, although I can see the argument for them on the exceptionally tough climbs in particular, I'm not sure that I have the time to get used to them beforehands.

 

[Diamond]

The Audax UK web site lists long rides every weekend of the year. I only posted those because they were near where I assumed to be. I think there are still places on at least some of the 300, 400 and 600km rides.

If you want exceptionally tough then I recommend this one - http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/15-312/

That's ridiculous!

Think I'll see how I fare on the Fred Whitton first thanks!

 

[Maurice Picarda]

Don't be afraid to use stabilisers. If you are concerned that this may seem uncool, attach a playing card near the spokes so your bike sounds like a motorcycle.

 

[a_chap]

That's ridiculous!

Yes, I know

My next ride is in two weekends is this - http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/15-249/

For which my steel-framed bike will be this - http://www.pashley.co.uk/images/pro...-product-lifestyle-image-header-12980x490.jpg

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Contrary to what Lance Armstrong once said; it's not about the bike. Ride what you have.

This...

Obree's rule is 'never change anything the day before a competition' equally applies...but I would be looking to lower the gearing you have for FWC as you'll need your bail out gears at the end of the course. If you go super low you will be wheelying the bike if seated on the climbs....what does you bike have currently? If its an old steely with a 42 bottom ring you may need to swap that out.

Steel is perfect for this ride (and any other ride for that matter) - nothing to be gained by stiffening up with alu or carbon - what you gain in efficiency you will lose in comfort...and style.

 

[Diamond]

This...

Obree's rule is 'never change anything the day before a competition' equally applies...but I would be looking to lower the gearing you have for FWC as you'll need your bail out gears at the end of the course. If you go super low you will be wheelying the bike if seated on the climbs....what does you bike have currently? If its an old steely with a 42 bottom ring you may need to swap that out.

Steel is perfect for this ride (and any other ride for that matter) - nothing to be gained by stiffening up with alu or carbon - what you gain in efficiency you will lose in comfort...and style.

This is what I have:

http://www.konabikeworld.com/09_honkytonk_u.cfm

Might need a bit of tidying up around the edges but the main question for me is do I need to change the fundamentals around the drivetrain (no idea if that's the right word) to get it shipshape for the Fred Whitton?

 

[Diamond]

why not try highgate west hill, and going up instead of down. oh - and i see you can tackle shepherd's hill but what about wolseley road?

Just to clarify, I ride them together after Muswell Hill - Wolseley Road used to be a proper bastard to come on to after you've just whizzed down Cranley Gardens following the Muswell Hill climb, which is so demanding that I try and convince myself it's three hills separated out and when you achieve one, you can get on to the next, if you see what I mean, but the subsequent climb has become much, much easier since Wolseley Road was resurfaced.

The really tough bit, bizarrely IMO, is when you get over the pedestrian crossing on Wolseley Road and you think everything starts to flatten out, and it does in comparison to what you've just gone up (and I suspect there is optical illusion stuff going on here) but instead of finding it easier it just continues and continues and continues...

 

[Diamond]

Swain's Lane is a lot easier - you can blast up the toughest part in under a minute, knowing full well that there's a nice destination at the top that is a known quantity and not too far away.

 

[Pickman's model]

Swain's Lane is a lot easier - you can blast up the toughest part in under a minute, knowing full well that there's a nice destination at the top that is a known quantity and not too far away.

the red lion and sun

 

[fen_boy]

This is what I have:

http://www.konabikeworld.com/09_honkytonk_u.cfm

Might need a bit of tidying up around the edges but the main question for me is do I need to change the fundamentals around the drivetrain (no idea if that's the right word) to get it shipshape for the Fred Whitton?

I'd need to replace the 11-25 with a 12-28 or 12-30 at the back to get up anything steep on that, but then I weigh over 120kg.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I'd need to replace the 11-25 with a 12-28 or 12-30 at the back to get up anything steep on that, but then I weigh over 120kg.

Yep, I think going up to a 28 in the cassette might be a good idea - that is probably the mod I would make too. That 105 rear mech will just take it. Of course you'll need a new chain at the same time. Diamond - do you weight less than 70kg, if you do I'd say you might be alright on a 25 max sprocket. You have a 34 small ring up front so no problem there.

 

[fen_boy]

Looks like you can get suitable 9 speed 11-28 cassettes still. Loads on ebay for about £16, but obviously try LBS first.

 

[Diamond]

Yep, I think going up to a 28 in the cassette might be a good idea - that is probably the mod I would make too. That 105 rear mech will just take it. Of course you'll need a new chain at the same time. Diamond - do you weight less than 70kg, if you do I'd say you might be alright on a 25 max sprocket. You have a 34 small ring up front so no problem there.

I'm currently around 79kg and aiming to drop a bit of weight before the ride but realistically won't be able get rid of much more than a kilo I think.

 

[Diamond]

More importantly, can anyone point me in the direction of a good site for training rides around London - no worries if it involves a short ride on a locomotive to the start point.

I calculate that I have four days (two weekends) to get in two proper training rides in this weekend and the next. I'm thinking 40, 50, 60 then 70 miles - or would that approach be counterproductive?