Lakes Off Road, another toughie!

The Lakes are a great place for mountain biking! As a team it's one of our favourite events of the year and the only one we stay around after for some personal riding time.

So what have we go in store for you this year? Well, after leaving Coniston the first thing you have to do is a big climb (well this is a level 4 ride in the Lakes). The Medium splits at the top of this and goes on to ridge overlooking Coniston. If you have a camera, now is the time to get some moody pictures of the awesome scenery and the Old Man of Coniston (It's a hill, not Mike). From here there is a fast exhilarating descent through Low Parkamoor and down to the road at High Nibthwaite. A road climb brings you to Bethecar Moor and another down to the drink station. (manned by Paul, our Kendal shop manager with some homemade cake) Now's your choice, medium or tackle the long? The long route consists of 4 climbs and descents, steep and techincal both ways. If you enjoy a bit of punishment, give it a go (please do not attempt to ride anything that is out of your skill range!! Walk around). Back to the Drink station and rejoin the Medium loop. Up again for a fast, fun decent into Hawkshead, a loop around Holm fell and a blatt along the new cycle trail will bring you back for some well deserved food and drink.

See you there
Dean

Lakes GPX Routes

Are all ok!
There's a small change in the last mile of the Off Road routes, but just follow the arrows along the new cycle trail and it'll bring you home.

Dean

Lake District GPX Route Files

The GPX files for the Lake District routes are now available to download.

Road routes are finalised and won't be changing but the offroad routes are provisional and may change after we mark the route on Friday so check back tomorrow evening for any alterations.

Lakes Road Ride, it's a toughie

We've been out on the bikes finalising the road route for Sunday's sportive ride, for those that aren't local to these parts be warned it's a little bit hilly, they don't seem to do flat roads in the Lakes.

We've made a couple of changes to the route and route options, we're unofficially renaming the long route the hard route as it's not actually much longer than the medium but it adds in over a thousand feet of extra climbing.

All the routes start from Coniston then head through Torver where the fun route riders leave the main route and head round Coniston Water but for everyone else it's the first main challenge of the day, a long steep climb heading off the main road over to Broughton Mills and on towards Dunnerdale.

From Dunnerdale you need to make the decision if you're going to tackle the hard route, if you are it's up and over Hardknott Pass (ascends 1000 ft in 1 mile!) to rejoin the other riders at the bottom of Wrynose Pass, if you're not it's an easier ride along the valley to Wrynose Pass and some more steep climbing. The Short, Medium and Hard routes all go over Wrynose Pass before heading back to the main road towards Coniston. From here the Short route heads straight back to the finish but the Medium and Hard route heads out for a second loop past Coniston Water and through Grizedale Forest Park.

Slight Change to the above route description. Everyone does the loop around Grizedale and Coniston as this is the Short ride. After coming back to the event centre the Medium and Long rides head out to Hall Dunnerdale where the next drink station denotes the split. Medium goes on to do Wrynose with the Long going onto Birker Fell and HardKnott Pass. Gpx routes show this route.
Ta
Dean

Route Distances & Start Times -

Fun - 14 miles - Start Time - Between 08:30-10:30
Short - 28 miles - Start Time - Between 08:30-10:30
Medium - 53 miles (6390 ft of climbing)- Start Time - Between 08:30-10:30
Hard - 62 miles (7690 ft of climbing)- Start Time - Between 08:30-09:45

Liphook photo shoot

Check out how good you look on a bike here :-

Sportive Photo

Ta
Dean

Liphook Rider Times

Off Road Rider Times

Road Sportive Rider Times

Liphook Off Road

Just back from putting out some of the route. It's dry and hard out there! There's loads of singletrack throught the woods, so if that's your thing, you're going to have a fun day.

IMPORTANT - The GPX routes have changed. Only download the Off road routes with v2 after them. (Mark will put them up after he's had a bath)

Thanks
Dean

17:30 - I've just uploaded the new GPX files - Mark.