Just signed up for the 200k slog-fest.

A nice day out in the countryside....

I'm new to bikepacking scene so forgive the question. I like the look of the route and I'm keen on the 100 miler . Looking at previous posts, it seems you can follow as much or as little of the route as you see fit. If I'm right, my 9 year old will be keen to come along. Can anyone confirm if I'm right? Thanks

Alan63 wrote:I'm new to bikepacking scene so forgive the question. I like the look of the route and I'm keen on the 100 miler . Looking at previous posts, it seems you can follow as much or as little of the route as you see fit. If I'm right, my 9 year old will be keen to come along. Can anyone confirm if I'm right? Thanks

It's all about going for a ride and enjoying it, no pressure to follow the route. It does take in pretty much all of the good mountain biking in the south lakes, I'm not sure how familiar you are with that part of the world, quite a bit of it would be challenging for most 9 year olds.

ianfitz wrote:

Alan63 wrote:I'm new to bikepacking scene so forgive the question. I like the look of the route and I'm keen on the 100 miler . Looking at previous posts, it seems you can follow as much or as little of the route as you see fit. If I'm right, my 9 year old will be keen to come along. Can anyone confirm if I'm right? Thanks

It's all about going for a ride and enjoying it, no pressure to follow the route. It does take in pretty much all of the good mountain biking in the south lakes, I'm not sure how familiar you are with that part of the world, quite a bit of it would be challenging for most 9 year olds.

I don't know the area at all. All the articles I read suggested low level bridleways in the main. Happy to be corrected or advised.

AlanG wrote:"200 km is totally hard core hab"
To be fair, there is quite a lot of quality riding on the route too! The record is under 17 hours so it cant be that bad.
After a very lean 2015, this year we've had two completions, both of them very swift, one getting within half an hour of the record.
http://www.selfsupporteduk.net/routes/Lakeland200.html

You can't say "The record is under 17 hours so it cant be that bad"! Chris Hope is super human (and local), and Ben Bardsley is no slouch. Sub 24 hours would be a massive achievement in my view (and I note you've gone sub 22, Alan). It's the hardest 200 km ride you can do in the UK. Period.

Even Elias Van Hoeydonck took 27 hours, and he's hard as nails...

I didn't think I'd underestimated the difficulty when I tried it, but it totally kicked my ass. I'm not done with it yet though!

Alan63 wrote:

ianfitz wrote:

Alan63 wrote:I'm new to bikepacking scene so forgive the question. I like the look of the route and I'm keen on the 100 miler . Looking at previous posts, it seems you can follow as much or as little of the route as you see fit. If I'm right, my 9 year old will be keen to come along. Can anyone confirm if I'm right? Thanks

It's all about going for a ride and enjoying it, no pressure to follow the route. It does take in pretty much all of the good mountain biking in the south lakes, I'm not sure how familiar you are with that part of the world, quite a bit of it would be challenging for most 9 year olds.

I don't know the area at all. All the articles I read suggested low level bridleways in the main. Happy to be corrected or advised.

It's mostly low level but this year's route did go over Garburn Pass, not sure if Rich is keeping to the same route for next year, I've read/heard that he may change the direction that you go over Garburn Pass. There's some quite technical trails like Jenkin's Crag and the BW to get to the ODG but equally there's lots of really good old-skool MTB tracks. As noted above there's no pressure to follow the route in its entirety and there are short loops that you could omit without compromising the ideal of the route which depending on how your kid is doing might be worth considering.

Ian: Don't say that! It's on my to-do list Actually although I've not ridden most of the Lakeland200, I am from the Lakes originally and have walked or run most if not all of it so have a reasonably vague idea of what the terrain is like.

Even Elias Van Hoeydonck took 27 hours, and he's hard as nails...

Alan kindly sent me some more info on this. Apparently, Elias rode Mabie and Dalbeattie 7stanes trails on the Saturday, drove down and started the Lakes 200 before midnight same day He finished early hours of Monday morning. It rained for 2/3's of the time he was out on the route. Like I said; Nails

Anyhow, for clarification, I'm not saying the Lakes 200 isn't any good, nor doesn't contain any good riding (I liked Highstreet and the Stephens Ground bits especially), but some bits are so sustained and difficult (more so in the dark) that they require particular strength of mind and character to do the whole route in one hit.

Hi guys and gals I can confirm you will be doing Garburn at the end on the 100 so down the bit you walked up! As for a nine year old doing the route
The route is basically the same apart from the Garburn bit and you will not be riding back up Jenkins Cragg you will follow the route out of Ambleside then hang a left up a very rideable BW!
Looks like a good lineup for the Lakes 200 Looking at a Group start at 8am but people can go before ITT Rules apply not so much on the South Lakes 100

Looking forward to this again rich as I thought the last one was excellent. Thanks for organising it again.
Mark

donated but missed the message bit do they contact you, or is it possible to contact them for distance/ride you wish to do, also it went on as anonymous

i think you can do either , and decide on the day

postierich wrote:Hi guys and gals I can confirm you will be doing Garburn at the end on the 100 so down the bit you walked up! As for a nine year old doing the route
The route is basically the same apart from the Garburn bit and you will not be riding back up Jenkins Cragg you will follow the route out of Ambleside then hang a left up a very rideable BW!
Looks like a good lineup for the Lakes 200 Looking at a Group start at 8am but people can go before ITT Rules apply not so much on the South Lakes 100

Thanks for your advice re my son riding Jennride. Happy to follow your advice. I was putting feelers out first as I don't know the area well.

I've signed up, too. And thinking of doing one after the other?

Ben Bardsley is no slouch

Ben was 6th on this year's Three Peaks CX and is/was an elite fell runner. He knows those trails and will have breezed the HaB sections. For the vast majority, part of the challenge of the L200 is managing it without the need to stop and sleep. Chris Hope carried very little, knowing he wasn't going to stop, as did Ben (both very experienced adventure racers).
Starting from Staveley, you'll reach Eskdale after a few hours hard riding and two big climbs. From there, it's three big climbs - Burnmoor Tarn, Black Sail Pass and Scarth Gap. From there, it's the small matter of Honister Pass to get to Keswick. The only resupply from the pubs of Eskdale, to Keswick are the Wasdale Head Inn and the shop next door (if open). There's a cafe at Honister slate mine. That's 5/6 hours at least. It's only a load of miles and High Street from there I guess.
Can't wait.

And thinking of doing one after the other?

Do the L200 first, as the 100 has very limited walking and lot's more shopping available.

I didn't think I'd underestimated the difficulty when I tried it, but it totally kicked my ass. I'm not done with it yet though![/quote]


I know this feeling Ian! Completed it a few years ago with Paul H but we shared a tent, cooker etc Then we read the rules! So I'm not done with it yet either! Fantastic route with loads of brill trails and mesmirisng views.

Ahah... I may have persuaded my friend to join me up there on his first bikepacking trip. Will mean I have to carry a ton of gear so that he's properly comfortable, but I'm cool with that.

Will mean I have to carry a ton of gear so that he's properly comfortable, but I'm cool with that.

You're all heart you are

Will make a change from the bearbones, "drag myself into a hedge in a bivi" standard I've been used to of late.

boxelder wrote: The only resupply from the pubs of Eskdale, to Keswick are the Wasdale Head Inn and the shop next door (if open). There's a cafe at Honister slate mine. That's 5/6 hours at least. It's only a load of miles and High Street from there I guess.
Can't wait.

There's also Blacksail Yha, hot food is pre-ordered by people staying there but there's an honesty tin for tea & coffee in the self catering kitchen in the back.. If at any time you're there when the staff are in they also sell things like flap jack, Mars bars, crisps, etc... This was literally a life saver for me during a recci ride the other month..

The pies in Honister Slate Mine cafe are surprising excellent!

Places in Buttermere if you don't mind a detour.

There's also at least one cafe after Castle Crag in Grange.

Places in Portinscale..

There's a wee cafe in borrowdale which does fantastic lamb stew. A small detour but worth it

Granted, there's stuff in Borrowdale, but I think of that as Keswick, as it's only a few Kms. I guess what I meant was 'fill yer tank' in Eskdale and don't rely on much else till Keswick (thinking of the time most would be covering this section).

fantastic lamb stew

Prince Charles' favourite - http://borrowdaleyewtreefarm.co.uk/flock-in/, The Flock Inn, Rosthwaite

Hi Guys

LL200 is a beast of a ride. I've only managed half of it. Ambleside to Keswick and that involved some vaguely exciting BW, massive hike-a-bike and serious rocks. We barely made it to Buttermere. Honister is brutally steep but on tarmac and the section to Keswick is vaguely exciting technical stuff. Aiming to do the Keswick to Stavely section v soon and then hit the full thing next june.

There's a video of Elias Van Hoeydonck and his mate's attempt. Started Keswick in the dark. Looks tough for them, the weather was horrendous, we did it in full sunshine and dry. Yes they rode another bike park first. Skip to 6min to catch them starting the LL200.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWftKpUedDI

cheers

That video shows why you don't want to be going up Black Sail at 3am......

Just entered, 100k most likely for this princess. Long way off, but very excited. Fancy a few more of this sort of thing....

Sarah

Persuaded my buddy, looking forward to it.

Funnily enough, Lake District was the first time we rode together too.