Failed first attempt at lakes 200 but learning

[Single Speed George]

Well I.post this sat in a Caffè in Coniston having ridden back there after basically running out of omph, and thus time to be able to get far enough round for tomorrows bad weatger, because of my poor planning so here are the lessons learned :
1) the main reason I bonked out sleep deprived, to try and beet the weather I set off last night, but after a long day at work and many miles in the saddle I.just couldn't sleep, not for one minute.. Not shure why as bivi spot was Ok any ideas? I was so tired I fell asleep sat on a rock whilst eating a flapjack on wallinar scar but couldn't sleep last night weird

2) packed to much as 2 nights out Ment extra food and better sleeping stuff, so ye I should have started this morning with less kit!

3) I'm never just using a bar harness again, to much weight on front for hike a bike

4) just man up, I probably could have keeped going and got a slower time but hay I'd rather do it in a few weeks with my new knowledge

[whitestone]

Fair play for having a go. Just think of it as delayed success

It's rare to get everything right every time - live and learn - my "success" ratio is 3 out of 5 this year.

I'm wondering if using a rucksack might be better on this one with maybe a small saddle bag for bivy gear - leaves the frame open for HaB and you don't have the weight on the front bars.

[Single Speed George]

Yea that's what I'm thinking, my normal small camel back, and seat pack with minimal bivi kit as that worked really well on the.jenride, so will try and stick with that for harder.stuff in the future

[fatbikephil]

I generally struggle to sleep after day 1 of a long ride despite being knackered and yawning my head off in the last hour or so of riding. Its like all the faff getting into the tent or bivi wakes me up. Some people use herbal sleeping tablets, I just try to thinking of something relaxing which has nothing to do with riding a bike.

Well done anyway trying these things is the only way to learn. I'd agree that bar bag only would be less than ideal - I'd always go seat pack only if I had such a small amount of kit. When I have all bags on I try to bias the weight to the back of the bike to assist with hopping the front wheel up stuff.

[Wotsits]

Well done for having a go George, it's certainly a tough route..

For me the main crux of this route is all the hike-a-bike & i'd set my kit up accordingly, i.e as light as possible & ideally in such a way that the bike can be carried!

Why did you take so much food when there's so many places to stop along the route?

[Single Speed George]

Duno just over packed and wasn't shure weather I would time going through places to eat sensibly as big gap between like comision and Keswick, but guess there is pubs to factor in as well as shops , as I say will try again in a couple of weeks, with a different approach,

[Wotsits]

There's a few places to eat in Eskdale.
They do a breckie in Wasdale Inn till 10am (worth ringing to check though) & there's also a tap round the back that's accessible 24hrs..
If there's anyone at Blacksail they may even knock some food up for you, or there's a few places in Buttermere.
Also cafes at Honister, Grange & Portinscale to name but a few..

[Single Speed George]

will bare that in mind , think im gonna try again with a much lighter aproach in 2 weeks

[stucowp]

The biggest thing is learning how light kit wise you can go and still feel comfortable you've got everything to survive if the weather goes miserable! Small rucksack and saddle pack as you mention is the best combo to go for.

My suggestion to unable to sleep from personal experience is a possible combination of dehydrated and more importantly hunger it's really important to always have something to eat at night, on day 2 of HT this year i couldn't eat at night due to midges viscously assaulting me which made for a poor sleep and then made morning of day 3 a bit of a battle to get back on top of my fueling I ended up eating every 20 mins for about an hour and half, not that it mattered in the bloody end any ways due to a stupid achilles tendon giving up on me!

[Richpips]

My 2p.

Don't set off if the weather is not going to play nice.

Think about starting somewhere else other than Staveley.

[slarge]

Remember you dont have to bivvy - theres a few youth hostels and bunkhouses if you want to travel really light.

Its all good learning experience though ( and knowledge weighs nothing)

[whitestone]

My 2p.

Don't set off if the weather is not going to play nice.

Think about starting somewhere else other than Staveley.

Rich, given where George lives (and the fact that he probably rode there) Staveley is probably his best starting point. Having said that I know what you mean and given the option I wouldn't start there myself.

[pkht]

Planning an assault on this myself at the end of August. Aiming for 2 days with a bivvy around Black Sail.

Interested to hear why peeps wouldn't start at Stavely, and where would be a good alternative and why?

[whitestone]

Planning an assault on this myself at the end of August. Aiming for 2 days with a bivvy around Black Sail.

Interested to hear why peeps wouldn't start at Stavely, and where would be a good alternative and why?

I've seen Coniston recommended as the Coniston - Buttermere section is the hardest/has most hike-a-bike so gets it out of the way early on and the Staveley - Coniston section is not too hard so more suited to being at the end. Ultimately you've got to do it all so start wherever plays to your strengths.

[Single Speed George]

doing it again this weekend if weather holds , but have slimmed the kit right down , thinking of starting early on sat a pooly bridge , get high street out the way then get a rest from stavely to coniston then a good feed at coniston followed by lots of pushing in to the night, fingers crossed

[Wotsits]

doing it again this weekend if weather holds , but have slimmed the kit right down , thinking of starting early on sat a pooly bridge , get high street out the way then get a rest from stavely to coniston then a good feed at coniston followed by lots of pushing in to the night, fingers crossed

George have you checked the regular & mountain forecasts for wind from Sat eve onward? Looks pretty blustery Sat aftn to Sunday Aftrn

Good luck if you go ahead!

[Single Speed George]

doing it again this weekend if weather holds , but have slimmed the kit right down , thinking of starting early on sat a pooly bridge , get high street out the way then get a rest from stavely to coniston then a good feed at coniston followed by lots of pushing in to the night, fingers crossed

George have you checked the regular & mountain forecasts for wind from Sat eve onward? Looks pretty blustery Sat aftn to Sunday Aftrn

Good luck if you go ahead!

yea keeping an eye out , looks like it might mainly be blustery overnight so might be ok but will see

[atk]

What time are you expecting to reach the bottom of Blacksail/Scarth Gap?

[Single Speed George]

What time are you expecting to reach the bottom of Blacksail/Scarth Gap?

well if all goes happily i should get ther about midnight -1 am for blacksail hut area , not a bad bivi in the edge of the woods there either , then if i cazn get there to bivi only have to suffer black sail pass the next morning , but thats just trudgeing then over honister but thats road so not as bad, and easy after the top of honister if i have started at pooly bridge so ye if i can get to around ennerdaile by 1 am ish i have cracked it

[atk]

What time are you expecting to reach the bottom of Blacksail/Scarth Gap?

well if all goes happily i should get ther about midnight -1 am for blacksail hut area , not a bad bivi in the edge of the woods there either , then if i cazn get there to bivi only have to suffer black sail pass the next morning , but thats just trudgeing then over honister but thats road so not as bad, and easy after the top of honister if i have started at pooly bridge so ye if i can get to around ennerdaile by 1 am ish i have cracked it

Interesting... You have to get over Blacksail Pass before the hut, it's hard work up and down, I imagine more-so in the dark... Scarth Gap comes after that - possibly the slightly easier of the two to push up/down...

I think a lot of the trees around the hut had been felled when I was there a couple of years ago, may be mis-remembering though, but there's nothing other than the hut at that end of the valley so you can pretty much sleep at the side of the track after dark without being disturbed.

Good luck anyway!

[Single Speed George]

Interesting... You have to get over Blacksail Pass before the hut, it's hard work up and down, I imagine more-so in the dark... Scarth Gap comes after that - possibly the slightly easier of the two to push up/down...

I think a lot of the trees around the hut had been felled when I was there a couple of years ago, may be mis-remembering though, but there's nothing other than the hut at that end of the valley so you can pretty much sleep at the side of the track after dark without being disturbed.

Good luck anyway!

yea it will be a trudge but the weather forcast is much improved from a wind point of vew , and as sugested to me by someone at the bearstock i have loaded my phone with comedy pod casts to get me through some of the worst nighttime pushing ! haha anyway im use to pushing my bike up un ridable hills its the cycling part i struggle with

[Single Speed George]

reawsonably light weight this time just bivi bag sleeping bag and primaloft incase i get cold , then a few cerial bars and some other bits to get me between places to buy more food . plus the usual tool kit baterys etc so ye much neater set up

[Wotsits]

Good Luck George, if you can keep us updated on your progress

[Single Speed George]

OK so managed 55 miles this time before basically falling to bits . and coming to the conclusion that I'm not fit enough to do this single speed this year ! :( ,
Took much longer than I had wanted and much more effort to get over high street hab section which put me behind schedule, then managed to go over the bars and get my knee and thumb down garbern , whitcg slowed the speed of peddling down yet more ., but got to stavely and had a reasonable feed and re stocked so as I started the boring but very peddly and pushy (on single speed ) part from stavely to coniston was well fed but much slower and more knakerd than I had wanted to be. Got over to ambleside OK but again much much slower than usual , but then just started to feel more and more I'll , ubtill eventually in the rain somewhere near coniston I packed it in having despite eating lots bonked out for around 30 min and was now feeling ill, so took the road back to ambleside and got collected. Which seeing as I have been sick and other things all night was the right plan .

Basically I'm not fit enough or good enough at it's this year to single speed the lakes 200. Tbh it was about the least fun I have had thus year yesterday haha, some nice ridding but some route choice's I wouldn't take on my bike usually haga . everytin hurts today so basically shire I tryed my best , better either train more or get a bike with gears and suspension for next time !

[AlanG]

"Boring part from Staveley to Coniston"? That's meant to be the easy, fun section.
You're not going to like the part from Boot to Honister!