Jennride 26: 101 Miles, 16,427ft and a Proper Lake District MTB Test for Gorilla Brakes

Some rides are just rides.

Others turn into proper tests of bike, body, kit and brakes.

Jennride 26 was definitely the second one.

This weekend I took on a huge Lake District mountain bike route with Gavin Maudsley, riding the Gorilla Brakes Transition Smuggler across some of the toughest terrain in the National Park.

By the end, the ride came in at 101.49 miles with 16,427ft of elevation gain a proper two-day Lake District MTB epic taking in huge climbs, wet trails, big descents, loaded riding, camping, food stops, one crash, and a very real brake pad test.

The route looped around the heart of the Lakes, passing through areas around Newby Bridge, Grizedale, Coniston, Torver, Dunnerdale, Old Dungeon Ghyll, Baysbrown, Skelwith Bridge, Grasmere, Kirkstone Pass, Wansfell, Troutbeck, Garburn Pass, Kentmere, Sadgill and Green Quarter before finishing back where it started.

It was a massive weekend.

A 5am Start in the Lake District

We were rolling before most people had even woken up.

The ride officially shows as starting at 5:00am, although the alarm and early faff made it feel more like a 4am mission. It was dark, wet and properly greasy to begin with, which made the first part of the route a real test of grip and confidence.

The early miles took us towards Newby Bridge, with the rain still hanging around and the trails feeling slick under the tyres.

That kind of start is exactly where you find out whether your setup is working. On a mountain bike, especially over a route this long, brakes are not just about stopping power. They are about control, confidence and being able to manage speed when the ground underneath you is constantly changing.

Grizedale, Torver and the Weather Turning

As we made our way through Grizedale, the weather slowly started to improve.

The trails were still damp and greasy in places, but things began to dry out as we pushed on. By the time we reached Torver, near Coniston, the conditions were much better and the ride started to feel like it was properly opening up.

This is where the Lake District really delivers. Long climbs, rocky tracks, steep descents, valley roads, and views that make all the suffering worth it.

But with over 100 miles and more than 16,000ft of climbing on the cards, there was still a long way to go.

Running Gorilla Brakes Sintered Pads on SRAM Motive Brakes

For this ride I was running Gorilla Brakes sintered brake pads in SRAM Motive brakes.

For most of the ride, they were absolutely spot on.

The braking power was strong, the feel was predictable, and in the wet early conditions they gave loads of confidence. On long mixed-terrain rides like this, sintered pads make a lot of sense because they are durable, dependable and work well in wet conditions.

But then came one of the big descents.

After a hard descent down Walna Scar, I managed to properly cook the pads.

They were still working, and the brake power was still there, but the heat had glazed the pad surface. Once that happens, the pad can start to make more noise because the surface becomes hardened and polished rather than having a clean, fresh braking face.

That was exactly what happened.

The brakes still stopped me, but they became noisy after the glazing. It was a useful reminder that there is a difference between a pad surviving a ride and being the perfect pad for the ride.

Why Enduro Pro Ultimate Would Have Been the Better Choice

Looking back, I really should have fitted Gorilla Brakes Enduro Pro Ultimate pads before setting off.

This was exactly the kind of ride they are built for.

A loaded mountain bike, long Lake District descents, repeated braking, wet-to-dry conditions, steep terrain, heavy heat build-up and over 16,000ft of elevation gain is a huge workload for any brake pad.

The sintered pads did the job, but the Enduro Pro Ultimate compound is better suited to this level of heat and abuse. It is designed for riders who are pushing hard on long descents where brake temperature can climb quickly. and stay quiet even when they get to hot in fact they become quieter with heat.

For normal trail riding, wet winter riding and general MTB use, sintered pads are a strong option. But for big mountain rides, enduro, downhill, alpine-style descents, e-MTBs and loaded bikepacking-style riding, Enduro Pro Ultimate is the compound I should have used.

This ride proved that very clearly.

Day One: Big Miles, Big Climbing and Old Dungeon Ghyll

Day one turned into a monster.

After the early wet start, Grizedale, Torver and the bigger Lake District sections, we decided to add more riding by heading around Harter Fell from the Dunnerdale Valley.

By the time we rolled into Old Dungeon Ghyll, we had already done around 65 miles and roughly 11,000ft of climbing.

That is a massive day on a mountain bike.

We stopped at Old Dungeon Ghyll for food, which was very much needed, before heading over to Baysbrown Campsite for the night.

After that much riding, I was pretty much in bed by 9:30pm.

Day Two: Baysbrown, Grasmere to kirkstone Pass

Sunday started at around 7:00am.

We grabbed breakfast at Baysbrown — a sausage and egg butty — packed up and got moving again.

From there, we headed through Skelwith Bridge and made our way towards Grasmere, before climbing onto Kirkstone.

The legs were heavy by this point, but the route still had plenty left to throw at us.

From Grasmere, we made our way towards Kirkstone Pass, where we stopped for a meat pie, mushy peas and gravy. which was blooming awesome.

That might have been one of the best decisions of the weekend.

Kirkstone, Wansfell and a Crash Over the Bars

After Kirkstone, the route headed up and over Wansfell.

The descent should have been one of the highlights of the ride, but I ended up having a crash and going over the bars.

I landed hard enough that I could not really put proper pressure through the my hand  afterwards, which made the rest of the ride a bit more complicated.

At that point, the sensible option would probably have been to head straight back.

But this was Jennride.

So instead, when we got down into Troutbeck, we decided to add another detour and go up and over Garburn Pass.

Garburn Pass, Kentmere, Sadgill and Green Quarter

From Troutbeck, we climbed up and over Garburn Pass before dropping into the Kentmere Valley.

From there, the route continued over Sadgill, across Green Quarter, and eventually back towards the finish.

By the time we got back, the ride had clocked 101.49 miles and 16,427ft of elevation gain.

It was a proper achievement.

Gavin also picked up a strong result on the ride, becoming 9th on the High Kingate Climb, which shows just how hard we were still pushing even deep into a massive route.

Real-World Testing Matters

At Gorilla Brakes, this is why we test products in real conditions.

Not just in clean workshop conditions.

Not just on short rides.

But on proper mountain bike routes where pads are exposed to wet starts, long descents, heat build-up, loaded bikes, tired riders, steep terrain and real consequences.

Jennride 26 was a serious test for the Transition Smuggler, the SRAM Motive brakes and the Gorilla Brakes pads.

The sintered pads performed well for most of the route, but the ride also showed where the limit is when heat gets extreme. Once the pads glazed, they still worked, but the noise increased and the feel was no longer as clean as it had been earlier in the ride.

That is exactly the kind of feedback we want from real riding.

Useful Links

• Shop all Gorilla Brakes brake pads
• Compare Gorilla Brakes compounds
• Brake pad installation and maintenance guide

Final Thoughts

Jennride 26 was brutal, wet, greasy, beautiful, painful and absolutely brilliant.

A 101.49-mile Lake District MTB ride with 16,427ft of climbing is not easy on the rider, the bike or the brakes. It takes you through every kind of condition and forces the equipment to prove itself.

The Gorilla Brakes Transition Smuggler handled the route brilliantly. The SRAM Motive brakes had the power. The sintered pads did the job, but for this level of terrain and heat, the clear lesson is that Enduro Pro Ultimate would have been the better compound choice.

For big mountain days, heavy riders, e-MTBs, loaded bikes, downhill tracks, alpine-style descents and long Lake District adventures, that extra heat control matters.

This was one of the best weekends of riding I have done in a long time.

And next time, I will definitely be fitting the Enduro Pro Ultimates.