Hell of the North - How tough?

[billy70]

I'm keen to do the Hell of The North next month. Just wondering how hard it is and how much training is required over a normal casual riders level of fitness (normally ride 150 k's a week, including a solid hit on Sundays)? I'm thinking of the long version which is about 140 k's ... and am mindful that rolling hills and changing winds could make it rather punishing.

http://hotn.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thoughts?

[Pravda]

The weather dictates how hard hell of the north is. If the wind comes up its absolutely brutal. That said, as long as you're doing the gran fondo ride and not the race you can take your time and go at your own pace.

[billy70]

Thanks Pravda - the wind has definitely got me worried - could be something I really regret!

[alh9a5]

I have done HOTN twice, first time I popped a spoke around 67km in and had to call it a day.

Last year did the 140km gran fondo and found it harder than 3 dams. A few things worth noting:

1. the roads are rough and I found the gravel section a bit sketchy, so I would recommend some 25mm tires
2. as noted previously the wind can be a killer, it picked up last year and I was hanging on the back of the group I was in for grim death, for fear of being jettisoned and having to struggle in solo.
3. the rolling hills start to take their toll towards the back end, so some training in the hills certainly wouldn't hurt your preparation.

All the best

[roller]

Thoughts?

I haven't done it, but I've done a couple of events which were probably beyond my abilities at the time of signing up (but not by the time they arrived thanks to training i did using the event as an incentive)

they were tough but rewarding.

So my thoughts on this are:

-It wouldn't be fun if it wasn't at least a little bit punishing
-No matter how hard it is It won't* kill you
-The harder it is the more rewarding that feeling will be when you cross the finish line
-Just do it
-Sign up now
-It's good to have goals that will stretch you




*acts of supreme being and natural disasters notwithstanding.

[Tornado]

I did it last year. I did the version that's around 100km (minus the dirt section).

For me I found the roads rather rough and taxing, the wind was not severe but had it's effect, it was rather warm and the rolling hills combined with rough surface were challenging. A few of those hills are fairly steep.

If you are comfortable riding 100km+ rides you should be ok. Pace yourself early and come home strong if you have something left. I would happily have a crack at the longer version.

[Troy C]

I did it back in 2013, 2nd Fastest time
it can be tough, done a few sportif from there as well over the years.
It depends if it is a hot day and wind comes into play. We had a tail home in 2013
The hills in the last quarter are taxing.

[billy70]

Thanks for all the advice and sharing of your experiences. I've signed up for the 140 k's and will get in as much training as I can ... So we'll see what the wind does on the day

Hope to see some of you out there!

[roller]

best of luck billy!

[jonhanson]

Be wary of other riders as well Billy. Always a crash or two on the day. Just watch those wheels in front of you - they are riders you haven't ridden with before. Sometimes they are not used to riding in a group.

[billy70]

Great day in Lancelin yesterday with near perfect conditions! Happy enough with my time, really pleased with the quality of rider and how well people worked together. Only saw one guy who was intent on crossing wheels and tried to keep away from him (rider 196 I seem to recall), everyone else was great!

BWA put on a well organised show and the traffic control was first class. It was also a really professional set up with the drink stations and rider support.

Lancelin P&C did an awesome job with facilities and meals - really good to see a small community benefiting from their hard work.

Happy days!

[Rex]

Yes it was a great day, very well organised and good support by the organisers.
The wind coming home was nice but didn't feel that helpful once the fatigue kicked in after the gravel section, but happy with my result.

I thought the roads were great, very few potholes and next to no loose stones when on the straights.
The rain made the gravel very barable also... sucked the strength out of my legs but I felt very confident on it otherwise.

[stormina]

Great that you guys did it. But it seems to be quite a tough one!