I did the fred for the first time this year. I was the 2nd youngest rider at the age of 16 and took a time of 9 hour 3 minutes. It is an incredible day with many highs and lows. I am going to have to beat my time next year

From Malaysia. Been there and done it. Half way freezing rainy storm. Wrapped in aluminium in a community centre with warm tea and shivering. However, finished the whole route and without walking uphill strong. Would highly recommend cyclists to attempt Fred Whitton.

'Are you wearing a skinsuit?' HAHA! Good to see you bud!

Utter RESPECT, Ollie. 5:58 on Fred is an insane time ! Good luck at GCN !

What a legend! These videos are made even better by how honest and relatable you are!

first time i did "the fred" i rode it on a £750 aluminium bike, horrendous weather(2013) managed 7.5 hours, i was crying towards the finish from being overwhelmed from what i had done (i had been cycling for 2 years and never done more than 70 miles at the start of the year). 2017 (perfect weather conditions) did 6:48 on a £3000 carbon fibre bike, similar training both times, im most proud of my first time doing it, i never thought i could do it but i did it, it taught me alot, definitely agree about the repect for people that take 9-10-12 hours to do it, i would not like to be on a bike for that long! brilliant event

Awesome content yet again, definitely the best cycling yt channel! Well done Ollie and all finishers :)

Awesome video!! Looks like a great event - will have to give it a go one day!! Content excellent as always - really enjoy the longer videos!!

love your enthusiasm Ollie :) and a big well done on completing one of the hardest rides in the UK , not sure if I could do it

Great Insight into one of the toughest Sportives around. I did it in 2017 and can concur its brutal. But 100% worth doing. Put the training in and you`ll love every mile.

Great video and even greater achievement. Well done and thanks for sharing.

Well done son.....keep it up, always give real stuff to watch and listen to

Ollie ...very very good vid. You tell it like it is and in a very natural way that most folks can relate to. Really enjoyed content

now on my bucket list. thx for the inspiring video

Wow！awesome job Oliver!! Congrats!!

Having completed this year in just under 8hrs, this is a great motivator that I can get quicker! Thanks.

Setting off later is always a good boost to the morale to pass those starting off earlier.

An excellent and compelling video. Thank you.

Thanks for another informative and honest video! Nice sharing exactly what you will be eating and the preparation for the event. Really good heads up for anyone considering nearly killing themselves on this event. All the best, thanks and well done. Andy

Fantastic video. Thank you.

Chapeau. You guys were storming up Kirkstone (that's me in the blue jersey you were passing). Thought there was something happening when I saw the moto!

That 56! What a baller.

Type 2 fun! Thanks for this, and well done.

Ollie, this is a lovely video - your passion and enthusiasm for the event is the best possible advert (with the footage of the Lakes being the second best). I did the event this year - considerably slower than you - and this video reminds me of how special it feels to be a participant, and how proud I was that I’d finished it. Even if I did have to walk Hardknott.

Yahoo☺️, I'm in for this year😎, it will be fun!! Awesome video.

Badass bike, and beautiful country on that ride!!!!

I'm not sure if I'm lucky or unlucky to have Hardknott less than 10 miles from my front door!, It NEVER gets easier.

I've driven over Hardknott and that was hard. granted it was in a 50 horse power 80s Golf :D

Some good content. Well done on the FW effort! Smashed it. You guys need to pay more attention on the sound on your vids. Drives me mental 😖 levels everywhere, too high. This is the case with most of the channels on KZfaq though.

Hope to do this ride, I'm just back from well organised ride in Scotland. 3 pistes 102m 8nhalf 000ft climbing including 3 ski stations. Pitlochry to Cairngorm. Fantastic ride worth doing amazing scenery. It's part of a 3 day tour of the Highlands ride. Do all 3 or just 1. Couldn't recommend more highly

For those wondering about hardknott it's that steep and nearly always wet due to rain that the hardest part is maintaining traction on the back wheel while you're licking the front

This has inspired me to go and do the challenge, if not just for Hardknott Pass. Phwoar.

Great effort that looked amazing 😎

I really want to cycle in the Lakes. If I got round to planning it, the main barrier would be the six hour train journey, negotiating two or three changes with the bike.

Excellent video. Looks a great challenge. How was the comfort on the aero bike for that sort of hilly epic ride? I know you're probably used to the Scott now, but wondering how it compares to a climbing/endurance bike?

That looks amazing... Challenge for next year I think..

Another great video and now the fred is on my bucket list,be a few years before I'm ready 😅

Thought I recognised Dr Bartlett, he did my bike fit at Bespoke back in the day. Awesome ride, gents!

Great stuff that Fred Whitton! You should come up to the Northern Irish coast in autumn and ride our Giant Causewey Coast Soprtive! ;)

Great effort Ollie, I'm doing my 1st 100 mile sportive in a few weeks and you've given me some inspiration! Would love to borrow your Scott foil to see if aero bikes are really faster? 😜

That moment when your mate and his cheesy grin turns up in a CW video (5:13). Three of us rode it that day - that was at the first feed stop if I'm not mistaken. The free protein flapjack bars were awesome. I took about 6. :D

Thank you, Ollie, that ride is beautiful and a beautiful labor of love. And please tell us about those flame-resistant tires you were using--how did they not smoke and burst into flames, considering how fast you and your mates were rolling through the countryside. And why o why were so many participants not using either triples up front or pie plates in back? There is no shame in walking, and I'm not tossing pebbles, but nobody needs to hike if they have smaller gears on their bike?

There are not better guys than other just guys with different level/training. We can all be proud of ourself and enjoy experiences and performances.

Looks like an epic ride

inspired me to ride the route, but not the event. I would rather do it as a solo/with a few friends on a different day.

HYPE!! Best sportive in the country!

Do the Yorkshire Beast next year Ollie and a similar video please. Would like to see you really suffer, ahem, I mean “see how you get on” ☺️ Great content, thanks.

Great video, wonderful scenery, keep them coming.

Well done pal .🇬🇧🇬🇧

Brilliant 👍🏼

I got up hardknott.. so proud to have made it 🤗

My two buddies and myself will be making the trip next year from Ireland cause of the video.

I'm curious about the haircut/styling at the beginning of your montage. Was that to match your shiny new skin suit? Great vid, keep them coming.

Great video!👍👍

Been following your review of the SCOTT FOIL, I am interested in the SCOTT FOIL10 DI2...What are your thoughts of this bikes overall comfort?

Awesome stuff Ollie! Where do I sign up!!!?

3rd overall. Great effort. Simon Yates take the same advice perhaps.

Wonder how much time difference there would be for people doing it on there own?? Any thoughts?

Did the Etape du Dales last weekend as a stepping stone to the Fred. Guys who have done both said there wasn’t much in it, but Hardknott is the difference.

Great Vid and made me want to do the Fred again! ... nerdy question what oversocks were you wearing? Cheers

The Adam Buxton impression worked.

At 57, I doubt I will try the Fred, but for reference, driving over Hard Knot is difficult enough, Chapeau to you who do it on sinew and strength of mind.

Such a great event 👍

Love the clog. Well done Ollie

Hi Ollie I’m a keen cyclist from Ireland and I’ve only been watching your blogs lately BUT watching this video was Very enjoyable not just because it makes want to do this challenging cycle but It wants me to bring club mates too. I also like the fact that you point out the effort it takes to organize it and that anyone can do it one way or another!😁 I just have 2 questions what is accommodation like around there.... like is there plenty And what about their weather🤔 is it usually good for this time of the year or just unpredictable like all weather🤣

Very cool video!

Awesome 😁 I'm asking for some advice..after riding a MTB for the past 2 year I'm looking to buy my first road bike my budget is about £900...what do you at the channel suggest? There's one bike that keeps coming up on my budget and it's the Trivandrum 540.thank you

Hah! Little bit of "Chris Hall Rides" at 6:41. Nice! Should've interviewed said chap!

Hey Oli, great video, very inspiring! Would you recommend the D2Z Roadsuit? Is the chamois comparable to Assos/Rapha ones? (Not sure whether to get the roadsuit or the Standalone jersey...) ✌🏻

Ollie, great ride and beautiful video. I think you said you were using 36/32 gears. Looking at your average cadence of 67 and 60 for the hardest climbs would you consider going shorter next time?

Haha, just seen myself in the video too. Background at 6:45 as he rolls out of the start, taking a photo of him. \o/

Bravo to you for that epic ride. I did a 100 miles ride on Friday in flat London so I have no experience of those 30/25 percentages. Must be brutal.

A good effort

Monster ride that!!!

No mention of advantage and faster times because of group or team mates providing pace line benefits. Great job, but a solo would have much harder time of it resulting in longer event time.

How do you train for those inclines? There’s an incline near me that’s only 20% and can’t climb up without stopping, it’s getting mental now

I will be doing man to Blackpool and Cheshire 100 miles. But when i get older I might do this challenge too.

Love me the nakd Cocoa Orange bars.

Suffering for me was after open heart surgery I went from 165 pounds to 199 Due to all the blood products pushed in my body and then trying to walk and my legs touching each other because I’m so bloated and a week later getting on my bicycle just to see if I could do it. Wasn’t the smartest thing because it hurt I was suffering but after only 3 miles I had to get off my bike and let my body heal. Oh and yes I lost all the water weight.

I've just got back from Struggle event in tbe Yorkshire Dale's. 108 miles and 10500 ft of climbing. Have you tried it, or are you considering it? Would be interesting to see how the two compare? Great video as always, thanks for the food for thought.

Was that Chris Hall taking a shot at your skinsuit?

@cycling weekly, What shoe covers do you wear they look awesome

That was a cracking day

5.58 Chapeau Oliver 👍 for the Record Rob Jebb did 5.30 (ish) from the old Coniston start with a guy called Paul Dobin arguably a tougher route as it started with Hawkshead hill straight out of Coniston. Rob did 5.47 from the newer Grassmere Start In 2016

I'm still not sold on the weight Vs aero thing, yes your aero bike worked well but it's a 7.2kg bike, you've almost gone weight and aero with that setup?

One thing was dead on the money.... about doing something that makes you feel good about your self and having accomplished something you will always remember. i can tell you a short story: Lance Armstrong did a demonstration race with his Tour d'France team in a military base and I had to take part of it, those guys had state of the art bikes some of the military brothers and sisters had nice bikes but nothing that would compare, the champion team took first as expected. One thing I remember was seeing the world champ climbing a hill that made him stand up on his bike to climb it, to us in the military the hill was nothing because we ran the hill every day for physical fitness but it took the champion team by surprise that was when all the military fellows took advantage to catch up then on the downhill they again left us way behind all over again perhaps they all had the 60+ chainrings but one thing can never be forgotten..... We all were in a bike race with Lance Armstrong. Back to the good point you made, is all about having fun and feeling good about yourself.

Hopefully someone sees this comment 😂, until tips on how to train for hardknott? I live on the south coast and just got accepted into the Fred and it’s pretty flat around here ! Are low gear efforts good or high gear? I’m fairly light weighing in at the moment at 10 stone 6 hoping to lose the 6 by the Fred! Any tips are super useful thanks guys

Bro that helmet is absolutely woeful !! 😆

I have finished this ride with such low blood sugar that I couldn't talk and gave a woman my bank card to hold as a deposit for a mars bar and a coke, before collapsing on the grass unable to move. and that was in lovely weather!

I Fin. Country of 1000 lakes. ☝🏻Your Lake district have 1000 hills. So it shall now on be Hill district🙂🤴🏼

Ollie I challenge you to the North Wales challenge. I'll set the route and North Wales has got a harder climb than the hardknott pass!!

How did Joe do on the Hardknott?

the slower you go uphill the faster you go downhill, guy with 56 actually well prepared ;)

Do you have 4-cylinder engines as well??

Do the Fred!

Ollie, what gearing were you using?

Probably wrong video to ask this on, but do you guys have any suggestions on gravel bikes between 900-1200 USD im looking at specialized diverge E5 right now, dont want to settle on anything just yet you know..

Looks like you had an absolutely beautiful day.

That gradient

Is that a mistake @9:21 for the averages of honister pass? 7km at 10% avg is a 700m climb but it says 240m?