Fred Whitton 2008 Reports
Mike Mills
Martin Porter and I left the start and had just started up Hawkshead Hill when I dropped a spare tube and had to turn round to collect it - you never know how many tubes you might need! Martin had slowly carried on and once I caught him up we upped the pace once we had finished our "warm up" hill! Down the lanes to Windermere and round to the next climb up Troutbeck where Martin had trouble last year with his chain falling off, but not this year. On through Troutbeck village and all too soon the first of the major climbs of the day appeared.
Grabbing a low gear we started up Kirkstone Pass with Martin the stronger and drawing away with a group of other riders. Over the summit and I decided that as the road was clear and that there were no riders close behind me I would use all of the road to try and catch Martin on the descent. Somewhere along the line I passed Martin as he was having a nature break and we rode together for a while until just before the turn on to the A66. I joined up with a group that seemed to want to up the pace on the fast downhill part, but then realised that only three of us were doing any work! As the road went up again the three workers pulled away and stayed together through Keswick, Borrowdale and along side of Derwent Water.
Then we found ourselves at the bottom of Honister and my two companions pulled away - they were younger and fitter. Through the pain and sweat I heard a familiar voice as Ian and Harry went past and dissappeared into the distance and left me with my struggle against gradient and gravity! All this time I had been wondering why I seemed to be going slower than last year and having over dressed for the weather I thought I would just have to suffer in silence. Martin and I arrived at Buttermere, the first feed stop, together having met up again along the road and we rode together until we reached Cold Fell.
I got into a better rhythm and left Martin behind for a short while, but we soon got back together and rode into the second feed stop at Calder Bridge. As the pain subsided we met up with John, Tim and Paul and swapped tales of suffering! With the heat and the thought of the two monster climbs to come we spent longer than we should have downing water and food. John had a paramedic spray pain killing spray on a cramping thigh and then Paul found that he had a second puncture just as he was ready to leave.
As Martin and I left the feed stop we started down the lane to the bottom of Hardknott Pass and had fun with Sunday drivers and struggled up and down the small climbs to rob us of any energy we might have gained from the food stop! As the phone box that marks the start of the climb appeard in front of us we grabbed bottom gear and prepared to suffer Big Time!! As I rode over the cattle grid and tried to go further than last year I noticed a car being reversed down the hill towards me and gratefully used this as an excuse to stop! After a walk up the first really steep section I met John and was passed by Martin who was twiddling away up the climb in a very determined manner! With the air reeking of burning cluthches John and I trudged on until the flatter section in the middle where I got back on and rode to the next really steep section and more walking. As the gradient lessened I managed to remount and ride the last section and start the very steep and frightening descent past the ambulance and helicopter waitnig to carry away the wounded!
For a few brief minutes I managed to take advantage of a flatter section to pick up speed safely until I got to the bottom of Wrynose. Although very tired I rode more of the climb until gravity and the increasing gradient forced me to a halt - not to mention a lack of will power! I remounted further up the climb and rode over the top having managed more than I had before. After the bumpy descent and meeting an ambulance with it's blue lights flashing I got to the last climb up to the right turn for Coniston. At this point I summoned what was left of my energy reserves and cresting the last rise got into top gear for the last couple of miles back to the finish. I remembered Ian or Mike Inder saying that there was no point having any energy left after the finish!
At this point I spotted Graham Giggs on the road just ahead of me and as I passed him I shouted for him to get on the back of the duo behind me. I didn't know how many were behind at that point because neither of the two would come past and share the work or maybe I was going too fast! Rounding the last bend I was greeted by the welcoming crowd and "dibbed" in before riding into the car park.
I had tried to work out my overall time from the 7.31am start as I rode along, but it wasn't until I had time to think properly that I had not just beaten last year's time, but had beaten my target of 8.5hrs as well! On reaching the timing tent I found that I had knocked 40.5mins. off last year's time and recorded a time of 8hr.19mins.29secs! If only I could have ridden Hardknott and Wrynose I might have gone under 8hrs. - maybe next year and a lot more hill training!
