The Cycling Thread

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by maviczap

So are mine, but only due to lack of cycling

Thats not good. How come you are not getting out, not an injury I hope.

The chap I went out with yesterday is off to the Pyranees in 6 weeks so is ramping up the hills. I'll be tagging along to improve my climbing as there is a lot of debate as to whether I should change to a 28-11 cassette for our trip in September - currently on a 25-11 which is hard work once you get gradients over 18%

For interest here is a link to my mate's Garmin plot of yesterday.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/88508536

[maviczap]

No just a very busy work schedule, training event all last week, overseas trip the whole week before.

Apart from a holiday in July and kids summer holidays in August I've not got much on. Plus I've got a week booked off at the end of this month, so I hope the weathers going to warm up a bit.

David Millar was using a 36 rear sprocket for the Giro, although I don't know if he had a compact front?

I'll have to read CW again to make sure it wasn't a 36 front!

[Luckypants]

Blimey! I hope that it was a 36 chain ring, otherwise I'm screwed! Did you see yesterday's climb? That road looks amazing and bally hard work. 9% overall gradient for 18km. I fancy both cycling and motorbike that baby.

I'm already on a 50-34 compact chainset, so the 25 is still pretty low. I've decided to see what Craig says he needed when he goes. He has a 28-11 on the back but tries not to use the top two (he! he! He did yesterday, I win! ) 26 and 28 on climbs. If he comes back saying he used his 28 I'll be buying a new cassette.

[fizzwheel]

Mike - you on Shimano or SRAM I cant remember. If on Shimano watch your rear cassette some of the short cage mechs dont cope well with a 28 tooth rear. I have a 12-27 and I used a 50 - 34 for the Tour of Wessex last year I got a 25% climb on that. OK it wasnt easy but I did get up it...

Just something to think about...

[Luckypants]

Thanks fizz, I'll look out for that. I'm on the latest Shimano Ultegra and I think the cage is OK for the 28-11 as it is a standard cassette. I'll check it all out before spending out though.

It's not so much getting up the steep bits (I have managed a fair few 25% climbs this year) but maintaining the effort needed for the length of time needed to get up these big mountain climbs. The Tourmalet will be over 4 hours of climbing for instance and I may not be able to sustain the effort for that length of time on a 25. I'll see how my mates get on in July.

I may be doing the hard side of Bwlch-y-Groes tomorrow, if I don't walk up there then I think maybe I can do it on the 25.....

[maviczap]

Aren't the UK climbs meant to be steeper in gradient than most continental climbs, because of the way we build our roads? I know the foreign ones are longer, but not as steep?

I can't remember, as the last time I was in the Alps was in 1997.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

The Tourmalet will be over 4 hours of climbing for instance and I may not be able to sustain the effort for that length of time on a 25. I'll see how my mates get on in July.

Are you sure I didnt think it was that long or steep a climb in terms of average gradient... looking at wikipedia it says... looking at the below text it says only a maximum of 10%.

"The western side, from Luz-Saint-Sauveur, is 19 km long, climbing 1,404m at an average of 7.4 percent with a maximum of 10.2 near the summit. Starting from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, the climb is 17.2 km, gaining 1,268m, an average 7.4 with a maximum of 10. Each kilometre is marked by the distance to the summit and the average gradient of the next kilometre."

taken from :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_du_Tourmalet

[Luckypants]

I reckon 5 kph may well be my average for that day 7% average gradient is pretty tough. That mad climb (Colle delle Finestre) yesterday on the Giro was an average 9% for 18km but looked fecking hard - leaving aside the gravel road. The Tour riders take 2 hours to climb the Tourmalet, so 4 for a fat old man seems fair.

The Finestre on Climbybike... http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp...delle-Finestre

The Tourmalet on Climbybike... http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp...yMountainID=26

Anyone doing The Dragon Ride next Sunday?

Really unprepared for it, so the aim will be to "get round"

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

The Tour riders take 2 hours to climb the Tourmalet, so 4 for a fat old man seems fair.

well when you put it that way

I dunno I never thought it was the gradient that made those climbs hard, it was the length of the climb.

I went from a 25 to a 27 on the back and I never really noticed much difference TBH, I wander if you'll find the same with the jump to a 28.

I guess it wouldt hurt though, bear in mind you have a whole summer of climb training to get in, I bet you could do it on the 25 by the time you have your ride planned.

@Jabba - good luck for the dragon next weekend.