Lakeland 200 starting point

[PeddarsWayJason]

Looking to do this soon, and just wondered if there's a best place to start it? I know I'm in for a tough time so was thinking of getting the worst bits out of the way early so I'm onto the less-worst bits when I'm on my last legs. Or is it going to be just as hard wherever I start I'll be leaving a van parked up so it would need to be near somewhere suitable. Thanks!

[Valerio]

Following with interest.

Also keen to understand if it's doable on a drop bar with no dropper.

[whitestone]

I started/finished at Coniston. The hardest section is Eskdale - Wasdale - Ennerdale - Honister so you get a bit of a warm up (including the 25% climb out of Coniston) before hitting that.

There's off-road parking at weekends and bank holidays at the rear of John Ruskin school (on Lake Road) that is handy - I kipped in the van the night before. I think it's £3/day via an honesty box.

Drop bar with no dropper? Hmm... beyond my skill level. There's some sections that unless you are really good on a FS, like comfortable on full-on DH course good, you'll be walking. Scarf Gap down to Gatescarth is one and is probably the single most technical section. Garburn would be "interesting" on a drop bar as would the descent to the Newfield Inn in Dunnerdale. Apart from that there are short bits that you'd be off the bike whatever bike. Grange to Martindale is prime gravel territory, there's one section by Lonscale Fell you should walk, from the bottom of Garburn to Coniston would mostly be doable on a drop bar - again short sections where you'll be walking.

[Hyppy]

Hard wherever you start!

I've only ever done it (both successfully and unsuccessfully) from Staveley. I'd suggest that Black Sail and Scarth Gap are the nastiest to do in the dark, and getting those out the way in daylight hours was the aim on my last attempt starting early doors. When you get to Garburn is worth considering too, but I know that better so wasn't so fussed. IMO, they're the techiest sections and the other challenges are more long slog like.

Following with interest.

Also keen to understand if it's doable on a drop bar with no dropper.

Doable, yes. Pleasant, no. YMMV.

[Lazarus]

Its dooable i the sense you could do anything on any bike . You could do it on a unicyxle if you wanted.
Its not the best tool for the job as you would walk all the best bits/ many downhills

[PeddarsWayJason]

Great replies thanks, and the point about avoiding Black Sail and Scarth Gap in the dark is a good one. I'll be on a full-suss with dropper and I'm fairly confident on techy stuff but still wouldn't want to do anything tricky in the dark.

[boxelder]

Depends, to an extent, on how long you think you'll take. If not sleeping en route, Coniston is a good call. I ended up riding Ullswater to Staveley in the wee hours, which was challenging,
even being familiar with it. If two days, then Staveley, with overnight in Buttermere or Borrowdale. If planning a longer tour, you'll not be riding in the dark.

[PeddarsWayJason]

Depends, to an extent, on how long you think you'll take. If not sleeping en route, Coniston is a good call. I ended up riding Ullswater to Staveley in the wee hours, which was challenging,
even being familiar with it. If two days, then Staveley, with overnight in Buttermere or Borrowdale. If planning a longer tour, you'll not be riding in the dark.

I'm hoping to get round inside the 40 hour "qualifying time" as I'm going to try to get onto the HT550 start list next year. I applied this year but my CV wasn't enough to get me in. It'll probably be a case of riding as long as I can then bivvi for a short sleep, so Coniston sounds like a good place to start. Just hoping for this weather to keep going the way it is

[Hyppy]

I'm still chuckling at this understatement …

…you get a bit of a warm up (including the 25% climb out of Coniston)

Walna Scar Road is a hideous start to any ride! I guess it all needs riding wherever you start and so in some ways is irrelevant, but I'd choose to give my legs a bit of a spin before hitting that.

I'm hoping to get round inside the 40 hour "qualifying time" as I'm going to try to get onto the HT550 start list next year. I applied this year but my CV wasn't enough to get me in. It'll probably be a case of riding as long as I can then bivvi for a short sleep, so Coniston sounds like a good place to start. Just hoping for this weather to keep going the way it is

I did a mechanical-strewn 39 hour 50 minutes with a long sleep at Black Sail. I'd like to think that was the slowest ever qualifying completion.

Good luck, and don't forget to report back.

[PeddarsWayJason]

I'm still chuckling at this understatement …

…you get a bit of a warm up (including the 25% climb out of Coniston)

Walna Scar Road is a hideous start to any ride! I guess it all needs riding wherever you start and so in some ways is irrelevant, but I'd choose to give my legs a bit of a spin before hitting that.

I'm hoping to get round inside the 40 hour "qualifying time" as I'm going to try to get onto the HT550 start list next year. I applied this year but my CV wasn't enough to get me in. It'll probably be a case of riding as long as I can then bivvi for a short sleep, so Coniston sounds like a good place to start. Just hoping for this weather to keep going the way it is

I did a mechanical-strewn 39 hour 50 minutes with a long sleep at Black Sail. I'd like to think that was the slowest ever qualifying completion.

Good luck, and don't forget to report back.

Haha, I think that will probably be a similar story for my attempt.! Well done on getting inside the time, how much time do you think you lost with mechanicals? I'm expecting a slow slog but is 40 hours reasonably do-able for a sensibly-paced ride/push with a few hours sleep?

[Hyppy]

Haha, I think that will probably be a similar story for my attempt.! Well done on getting inside the time, how much time do you think you lost with mechanicals? I'm expecting a slow slog but is 40 hours reasonably do-able for a sensibly-paced ride/push with a few hours sleep?

There will have been stops to eat and to faff beyond mechanicals and sleeping but the numbers say:
Moving Time: 25:35:08
Elapsed Time: 39:48:09

I rode a fair bit of the loop again the other week and was 10 hours quicker to Keswick (riding from Staveley), which had I continued ought to have had me finish perhaps 28ish hours. I'm not a quick rider by any means—too old, too heavy—but would say the 40 hours is very doable if you've the right mindset for the terrain and keep on moving.

[whitestone]

I took a couple of minutes over 38hrs on a very windy weekend. Bivvied for about seven hours but I’d need to check on the exact duration.
<edit> Looked up my Strava activity - https://www.strava.com/activities/7031478842, looks like about 9hrs total stopped time out of the 38hrs</edit>

I had a couple of mechanicals: an increasingly seized jockey wheel from Eskdale to Keswick where I managed to source a replacement and a burped rear tyre on High Street which meant a bit of nursing things until I got to the bike shop in Staveley.

It’s way tougher than any of the five BB200s I’ve done, probably tougher than the Cairngorms Loop as well. I was 63 when I did it so don’t use that as an excuse

[Hyppy]

I was either 62 or 63 when I did it so don’t use that as an excuse

I stand corrected. I'm just heavy.

[thenorthwind]

It took me just under 36 hours when I did it, and I don't consider myself a particularly fast rider. I stopped for a bivvy, maybe 8 hours inc. packing and unpacking, and two chip shop stops (Staveley and Coniston).

I started in Matterdale End, because I could stay at my mate's hosue and get an early start. Threlkeld might be a good place to start and leave a van?

No way I'd do it on a drop bar bike. Of course it's possible, but completely missing the point - it's a mountain bike route.

[PeddarsWayJason]

This is great info, thanks everyone. How bad are the rocks? I've got Ikon 2.35 XC tyres and just wondering if something a bit chunkier might be better/more durable as rolling speed probably isn't so much of an issue.

[whitestone]

This is great info, thanks everyone. How bad are the rocks? I've got Ikon 2.35 XC tyres and just wondering if something a bit chunkier might be better/more durable as rolling speed probably isn't so much of an issue.

The rocky descents are mostly rubble rather than sharp edged. As I mentioned earlier, Scarth Gap is probably the most technical - I walked pretty much all of it - think the hardest bits of Garburn but a *lot* of it and then some harder stuff. The descent by Castle Crag to Grange is probably the most likely place to ding a rim as it's all pitched stone.

I run Bonty XRs, I probably had XR2 on the back and XR3 on the front and didn't have any problems other than the burp which was the tyre being grabbed by a grassy rut on High Street.

Ian Barrington started at Keswick and from his account he didn't think it was the best option so Threlkeld might not be ideal. A lot depends on where you are in relation to the Lakes. Pooley Bridge would be the next option I suppose and does leave the "easier" stuff to the end.

[Leerowe76]

I'm also looking to ride this soon I find space in the calendar in the coming months, some interesting points to take on board.

Valerio, rather you then me doing it on a dropped bar bike with no dropper post. I'm sure its doable though, but doubt it would be pretty

[Hyppy]

I was out riding a loop which included the last, if going from Staveley, ~75km of LL200 today, wanting to get a bit of hike-a-bike training in, so some recce for you: dry, so dry! So fast, but pretty unforgiving and I’m feeling a bit beaten up.

I’d forgotten just how horrible the climb to Hayeswater is since they dumped scalpings a couple of years back.

And I totally sh@t myself up on the High St descent. Last time I rode that it was claggy and I don’t think I realised how steep it was. I wussed out of riding Garburn: too close to HT500 and I’ve not had my seemingly annual big crash yet so didn’t want to tempt fate.

[boxelder]

When I did it, as an option on Jennride years ago, I did the Ullswater to High St section through the dark hours and it was approaching the Garburn climb that we realised sub 24hr wasn't happening. Stu was convinced it finished down the road once in Kentmere, rather than climbing back up to 3 rivers . And we missed the last little BW through Scroggs Farm, so had to double back . Time to try again I reckon, without carrying bivi kit and starting elsewhere. It will be fast just now, but harsh without suspension.

[whitestone]

I’d forgotten just how horrible the climb to Hayeswater is since they dumped scalpings a couple of years back.

That track climb caught me out as well. I was getting psyched for the big push up to The Knott and ended up pushing much of that track - the lower bit anyway. The climb up from Hayeswater didn't seem too bad in comparison.

Current long range forecast is for another couple of weeks of this dry weather, not that the route is particularly boggy, but it will start to reduce available water sources.

[PeddarsWayJason]

Sounds like anytime in the next few weeks could be a good window to have a go. If the local water gets low, are the food stops very few and far between? I usually carry 3-4 bottles on big rides so can go a fair distance between topping up but wouldn't want to get caught out if there's a long stretch with nothing available either from shops or dried up water sources.

[Hyppy]

. If the local water gets low, are the food stops very few and far between?

With water levels being low, I'd not trust any 'local water' without a full filter set up—they're a bit manky. You should be ok if you top up everywhere you can water-wise though, and depending on time of day you're never more than a few hours along the route from a shop/pub if you need food.

[In Reverse]

I've been thinking the takeaway in Keswick is a good target to aim for before it shuts at 1am. Big old pizza to power you through the night

Makes judging the start point tricky though. Maybe park in Hawkshead and ride the flat-ish 3km down to Near Sawrey to start.

[PeddarsWayJason]

. If the local water gets low, are the food stops very few and far between?

With water levels being low, I'd not trust any 'local water' without a full filter set up—they're a bit manky. You should be ok if you top up everywhere you can water-wise though, and depending on time of day you're never more than a few hours along the route from a shop/pub if you need food.

I've got a filter but only use it as a very last resort, so if stops are only a few hours apart I should be okay

[PeddarsWayJason]

I've been thinking the takeaway in Keswick is a good target to aim for before it shuts at 1am. Big old pizza to power you through the night

Makes judging the start point tricky though. Maybe park in Hawkshead and ride the flat-ish 3km down to Near Sawrey to start.

Well if that's not an incentive to keep turning the pedals into the night, I don't know what is