Windermere to Windermere - A Cyclist's Tale.

So at long last the main 2012 cycling challenge has been completed. - Riding the Fred Whitton route.

Here's the report:

Firstly I can confidently say that the pleasure and pain principle is alive and well, and it would appear resides in Lakeland!

Pleasure - The weather, the views, the sense of achievement

Pain - Some of the hills, the legs for the last few miles, the sense of achievement





Unlike the official route, we started in Windermere, leaving there at 8.30ish, with clear blue skies and barely a breath of wind - conditions that were to remain for the whole day!

Within about 2 miles we were going up, and a few miles further on we were on to the first climb of the day proper - Kirkstone Pass, which also was the highpoint of the day (in terms of height above sea level!). A fairly long climb, but nothing to taxing, the road ramped up on occasion but then levelled before going up again.
Reaching Kirkstone Inn atop the pass, felt great especially looking down at the descent to come, although well aware that there were many climbs yet to come. If the hills are impressive then the descents are something else, twisty, rock lined, and fast - my nice white wheels were black come the close of the day with brake residue!
Riding down into Patterdale and around Ullswater was simply beautiful - how amazing is the world we live in - not a soul around, except 2 madmen on bikes hurtling around country lanes. A turn to the left and the road dutifully rose ahead of us up to Matterdale End, again another climb that was not too bad, coming over the top was great - wider less twisty roads, followed by a rolling route along the A66 into Keswick hitting 40mph + on the run in!
Keswick = Coffee and Cake Stop (this is a tradition as 3 years ago, whilst doing the C2C we stopped here
too). A definate calm before the storm moment, though knowing that 6 major climbs remained. As is the way on such rides, we departed for Braithwaite ( a little over 2 miles away), but went via 2 mountain passes, which actually meant we went the long way round, taking in Honister and Newlands Hause en route.
Honister - OUCH! the guide said that it ramped up immediately upon reaching Seatoller and boy was it right - straight into 15-20% gradients, there is some respite further up, but a steep climb non the less - a hairy descent, and then turning right up again to Newlands - not so severe but still asked questions.
Down from Newlands, and then it was left and up to Whinlatter with the promise of some lunch at the Visitor Centre. Nice leafy tree-lined climb, and probably the easiest climb of the day - never has a BLT tasted so good at the top!
A minor skirmish on the way down to Lorton as my partner in crime took a tumble, but with no more than a small cut, a few nettle stings and as it would appear later a slightly twisted saddle, we were off again albeit, maybe not so swiftly...
Cold Fell was a bit of a beast - don't be fooled by the fact that it's height is not as large it was one of those climbs where you never quite know where the top is. - I zipped up my jersey three times in readiness for the descent, only to find that yet again there was a bit more to climb!
The piece de resistance, potentially the whole reason of doing this route was looming - Hardknott + Wrynose. I started Hardknott with determination and confidence, and got through the first steep section, as the road levelled off, even gained some encouragement from a family parked up on the left. As the road kicked up again, so did my heart rate, and ragged breathing - I did spy my Garmin click to 27% and my body finally told me to do the sensible thing and stop - which I did, a few breaths later I went gain but could not clip back in so disgression over-ruled valour and I walked for a bit.
The car driver who was coming the other way and who upon passing me yelled at me to "Pedal" whilst I was walking in the verge was met with a suitable uncharitable response from me, as the road lessened, I jumped back on and crested the hill, a very steep twisty descent with massive potholes followed and Wrynose loomed - again I went for it in the bottom section ,but sheer fatigue had got me and again had to walk a little bit before surmounting the final pass of the day.
In the end we decided to cut the corner on the route back to Windermere and not go via Coniston, which means we shaved off around 5 miles off our final mileage.

In all, at times a brutal day in the saddle - but I loved it!

The stats:
103 miles
 7hrs 51mins 44 secs
Average 13.01mph
Max 40.2mph
Climbed 11309ft

Oh and by the way, I have tipped over 8000 miles for the year too!!!