Winnats Pass got me

[gemarc]

Just come back from a steady 30 mile ride in the peak district.

Great ride but the state of the cycle lanes between Hathersage and Castleton is really poor badly in need of re-surfacing.

Anyway got to Castleton and decided to give winnats a go,I suspect some of yoy may be familiar with it its not very long but Very steep

http://www.castleton-rocks.com/winnats.html

I had been up a few weeks earlier on my mountain bike no problem so I thought I would be ok on my (twin chainring) road bike.

Got past Speedwell Cavern where there was a suprisingly long que to go down (its the one with the boats)

Got abot half way and really startred to strugle but thought come on its only pain I can do it.

2 thirds up I looked as the seemingly endless climb in front of me and gave up.

Basically I was sweating,out of breath and every muscle hurt and I just could not go on.

Are well I guess I am not as fit as I thought.

It won this time but it ain't over yet and I will be back

 

[Simon Mason]

"gemarc" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just come back from a steady 30 mile ride in the peak
> district.
>
> Great ride but the state of the cycle lanes between
> Hathersage and Castleton is really poor badly in need of
> re-surfacing.
>
> Anyway got to Castleton and decided to give winnats a go,I
> suspect some of yoy may be familiar with it its not very
> long but Very steep
>
> http://www.castleton-rocks.com/winnats.html

I had trouble *driving* up it after visiting the cavern, so
I know what you mean.

Simon M.

 

[Niv]

> Got past Speedwell Cavern where there was a suprisingly
> long que to go down (its the one with the boats)
>
> Got abot half way and really startred to strugle but
> thought come on its only pain I can do it.
>
> 2 thirds up I looked as the seemingly endless climb in
> front of me and gave up.
>
> Basically I was sweating,out of breath and every muscle
> hurt and I just could not go on.
>
> Are well I guess I am not as fit as I thought.
>
> It won this time but it ain't over yet and I will be back
>
>
Have you tried going up from Edale to Mam Tor, not as steep
at a mere 1 in 6 (as opposed to 1 in 5 IIRC), but it's a LOT
longer. Did it a few years ago & came down Winnats.

Still bl***y hard work though!

Niv.

 

[gemarc]

Yes have done that many times nice ride from Hope aswell and it is not as "mean" as winnats but I would soooo much like to be able to do winnats without the incredible pain it currently causes

 

[Iain Jones]

gemarc <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Great ride but the state of the cycle lanes between
> Hathersage and Castleton is really poor badly in need of
> re-surfacing.

Agreed. Not nice on saddle sores.

>
> Got abot half way and really startred to strugle but
> thought come on its only pain I can do it.
>
> 2 thirds up I looked as the seemingly endless climb in
> front of me and gave up.
>
> Basically I was sweating,out of breath and every muscle
> hurt and I just could not go on.

The same happened to me last summer on Bwlch Penbarras,
climbing out of Ruthin. To start with it's an evil name.
Just about got up the steep hairpin, with a few breather
stops, then that was it - two turns of the pedals, stop for
a few seconds, two turns, stop ... it would have been
quicker to get off and walk!

>
> Are well I guess I am not as fit as I thought.
>
> It won this time but it ain't over yet and I will be back
>
>

I cheated. I went up the old Mam Tor hairpin road as far as
I could, then carried my bike over the landslips. Great fun.

 

[James Annan]

gemarc wrote:

>
> It won this time but it ain't over yet and I will be back
>
>

Winnats pass defeated us the time we tried it, I have always
meant to go back but never got round to it. We even had a
triple chainring, but this was on a loaded tandem with a
howling headwind, we were winching ourselves up it slowly
but got knocked off by a gust and were unable to restart
until we'd walked past the steepest bit. We've done steeper
since but never with such a gale funnelling down the hill!

James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is by treading on the
toes of giants. http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/

 

[Peter B]

"Niv" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:UQTdc.101$872.26@newsfe1-win...
>> Have you tried going up from Edale to Mam Tor, not as
>> steep at
> a mere 1 in 6 (as opposed to 1 in 5 IIRC), but it's a LOT
> longer. Did it a few years ago & came down Winnats.

It's alright on an mtb (26 x 30 or latterly 22 x 32) , just
a long grind

If I can get fit enough I want to do the 150km version of
the "Phil & Friends" ride this year which takes in Winnats
but I shall be using a 39x
32. It's nearer the end of the ride so it should be
interesting!
--
Regards, Pete

 

[Zog The Undenia]

gemarc wrote:
> Just come back from a steady 30 mile ride in the peak
> district.
>
> Great ride but the state of the cycle lanes between
> Hathersage and Castleton is really poor badly in need of
> re-surfacing.
>
> Anyway got to Castleton and decided to give winnats a go,I
> suspect some of yoy may be familiar with it its not very
> long but Very steep
>
> http://www.castleton-rocks.com/winnats.html
>
> I had been up a few weeks earlier on my mountain bike no
> problem so I thought I would be ok on my (twin chainring)
> road bike.
>
> Got past Speedwell Cavern where there was a suprisingly
> long que to go down (its the one with the boats)
>
> Got abot half way and really startred to strugle but
> thought come on its only pain I can do it.
>
> 2 thirds up I looked as the seemingly endless climb in
> front of me and gave up.

I rode from Cow Green Reservoir in Teesdale to St John's
Chapel in Weardale on Thursday (my 35th birthday). Only 11
miles but half of that was in 24 x 30. The whole object was
to crack 60mph down the other side, but there was a stiff
headwind (and it was freezing cold) so I only got up to
48mph. I can do over 50mph within half a mile of home here
in Wiltshire :-(

 

[gemarc]

Cracked it this weekend on the road bike, just.

Used the how slow can you go without falling off technique

I did have the help of a VERY strong tail wind so cheating a bit I guess

Will try again in neutral/head wind conditions to finally say I have beaten it.