You did a much better time than John and I managed on last years Fred Whitton, in fact you were nearly 3 hours faster than us. The Cumberland Challenge looks tough, we have ridden most of that area over the past few years if we are fit enough we’d be quite keen. Thanks for a great article on your ride.
Hi Ruth
Glad you liked the article. I’m not getting too excited about the time - not when I found out a tandem did it in 2004 (think that’s when it was) in 6hrs 47mins!!
Looking forward to the Cumberland Challenge - it’d be great to see you up there. I don’t know the area ‘too’ well, but I don’t think it’ll be anywhere near as tough as the Fred Whitton (let’s hope that’s not famous last words Now if we had a Santana Beyond ....
I’m also doing the Bealach-na-ba ride at the end of July (info here - http://bealach-na-ba.co.uk/bealach-na-ba/index.htm )
Unfortunately Konrad’s away so we can’t do that on the tandem, I’ll be doing it on my road bike. Looks a fantastic ride, but I must admit I hadn’t realised how far north it is!
Be great to see you at the Cumberland Challenge if you can make it.
Allan.
Big respect for the Fred Whitton, a really impressive ride! I remember seeing Konrad near the top of Hardknott last year when he was just spectating but commenting on how he would like to do it on the tandem this year. I thought he was mad, especially knowing how much John and Ruth ‘enjoyed’ it last year. One thing for sure is that i don’t think we can now class you as ‘a couple of “over-50’s” who potter about the Lakes on a tandem most weekends’.
Well done and good luck for any of the other challenges you decide to take on!
The weather for a good 30 of the 105 miles was horrible. Driving rain and strong winds (in your face of course).
We caught up with a couple on a tandem who live in the area, but just after we did, we hit the first steepish climb of the day and basically - never saw them again! They were going very well. I didn’t catch their names, but I know they mentioned seeing Konrad ‘in the shop in Ilkley’, so must be one of JD Cycles customers.
I’m afraid we didn’t have a good day at all. Just never really got going. Let’s hope it was ‘one of those days’. I think we lacked a few long rides on the tandem. Either that or we’re getting too old for this game
I can honestly say I felt better after the Fred Whitton than I did after that ride.
Even going down Hartside we only managed 40mph and I never touched the brakes. What a great descent that is on a tandem. No sharp bends to catch you out.
Event organisation was first class. Well signed and marshalled, good food stops and 90% of the ride was on very quiet roads. Saw hardly any traffic all day. Mind you - I wouldn’t have gone out in that weather either!
John was riding the Mary Townley Loop this last Sunday, an off road mtb ride, and to be quite honest I was glad I was working, miserable day. I have ridden in the North Pennines several times, 3 times having completed the C2C.
In fact it was because of a ride round the C2C and Rievers Route with John on solos that we started tandeming, and since then, apart from one small deviation, we only tandem together. We took 6 days to do the circular ride, and I was absolutley knackered, whereas John never even broke a sweat, despite carrying all our kit in a BOB.
Anyway repect for going out in such horrible weather.
I’ve finally written up our take on the Cumberland Challenge Ride, prompted when the pictures came through. There’s actually some of us smiling! Anyhow, if you wish, you can read the report here…
Now if we had a Santana Beyond .... 
