Climbing / Resting

Wishbone Ash

bkgator wrote: »

...I can do most of the major climbs in wicklow relatively easy , but am hoping to try mount ventoux later in year and am daunted at prospect...

It's the length rather than the gradient that is the main challenge in the big continental climbs so take it at a pace that is lower than you would in Wicklow. In my experience, the key is to not allow yourself to get out of breath. Stay in the lower gears and if you are with others, do it at your own pace and agree to meet at the top. Don't attempt to stay with those who may be stronger as you'll destroy yourself and be utterly miserable before reaching the summit.

If you do find yourself struggling but are keen not to stop, select a point in the near distance and commit to getting to that point, and then repeat with another point etc.

And stop if you have to - there's nothing wrong with it.

De Bhál

Get off for a break when ever you feel you need it.
Not conquering a climb only occurs when you have to get off and walk.

disco1

would put you off listening to some of this shoite....listen if you need a break take one.its meant to be fun and the moment its not then the yearn to go out on the bike is lost. you see lads at all levels especially competition with broken spirits because tbey take it all too seroiusly.
enjoy the climb coming up.

Deagol

bkgator wrote: »

All

Is it ok to take a rest say half way up and then tackle rest of the climb ? Can one day you have conquered a climb if have to rest for a bit ?

B

I'm 46, I did 2000mtrs to the big crater on Mount Teide last year and had to stop 3 times. If anyone tells me I didn't conquer it, expect to get punched on the end of your nose :P

OP, it doesn't matter if you stop 20 times, getting to the top is the challenge.

Best of luck!!

Buzwaldo

In fairness, I think (hope) that some of the early replies saying you hadn't conquered a climb (particularly one like Ventoux) if you stopped, were a bit tongue in cheek. At least that's the way I read them.
Would agree though that it's always better to stop, take a rest, and plough on again, rather than resort to walking up a hill.
Anyway, enjoy it, and do come back and give us a report when you have conquered it.

Kaisr Sose

The only failing is in not trying!

Galego

Daroxtar wrote: »

I stopped on the Angliru on the 23.5% ramp. I don't give a fck. That one deserves a pass.









I realy have to go back again to do it in one go though

Try and climb The Gamoneiteru (through Polar de Lena) next time you go there. Angliru's evil brother.

siochain

Ego is the enemy ....


Is you need a stop take it and the beauty about many of these climbs is the epic screnry it would be a shame not to take it all in

Wishbone Ash

disco1 wrote: »

....with broken spirits because tbey take it all too seroiusly....

Don't take it so seriously disco1. The irony in the comments above seem to have gone over your head!

Deagol wrote: »

I'm 46, I did 2000mtrs to the big crater on Mount Teide last year and had to stop 3 times. If anyone tells me I didn't conquer it, expect to get punched on the end of your nose :P....

Just to the crater? Oh dear, the climb ends at the cable car station at 2320m!

*runs for cover*

Hauki

colm18 wrote: »

I personally don't think you can say you've conquered a climb if you've stopped at any point!

I'd say that you have conquered the climb if you ride your bike from the bottom to the top

NeedMoreGears

Based on my own experience of doing some long European climbs may I suggest

1 - They are quite doable ; they're just long.

2 - 34/32 gearing is your only man

3 - Take it easy at the beginning and in the middle. If you've anything left you can push on a bit at the end (or not)

4 - Your climb is all that matters ; no-one else's.

5 - If you find yourself at the top of the mountain, then you've climbed it.

Daroxtar

Galego wrote: »

Try and climb The Gamoneiteru (through Polar de Lena) next time you go there. Angliru's evil brother.

Have it pencilled in I was thinking of going across via El Cordal and Cuchu Puercu or would you recommend via Corbertoria?

Deagol

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Just to the crater? Oh dear, the climb ends at the cable car station at 2320m!

*runs for cover*

Grrrrrrrrr........

Yea, I know the highest tarmac is there, but I'd ran out of water completely. Anyway, after 2020mts, another few metres would've been easy :P

wanderer 22

Hauki wrote: »

I'd say that you have conquered the climb if you ride your bike from the bottom to the top

Nah, foot down = a fail

You can stop but only if you trackstand :pac:

nordicb

Perhaps some of these sound silly, but if I'm struggling there in the wind, hill or just from fatigue, few things that work for me:
- Taking corners at their widest, they are usually steepest in the apex or zig-zagging side to side if the road is safe and wide enough
- Find the manageable sustainable rhythm - pace, cadence...
- Stay on the saddle as much as possible
- Alternating muscle groups, up to pulling up more than pushing down at times
- Think of the stroke efficiency, there should be no pushing only, but also pulling up and pushing through TDC and BDC while trying to keep the core stable.
- Break the challenge into segments, say, make a next visible corner a target, then another one, etc
- Keep mind somewhere else, for example how great it will be to finally reach the top, it will come eventually
- You are not the only one suffering, in fact many of us here have never cycled anything that steep and long, what you will be doing is a feat.
- Hills is a quick way to make you stronger and faster, love them basteds.
- Or how they say, pain is temporary and quitting lasts forever, think of it when you want to come off...
- Stopping is nothing to be ashamed of (to check shoe laces, ha).

Regards

dragratchet

if you watch the col collective videos on you tube, the chap climbing them nearly episode suggests stopping at this point to take on water, a breather, admire the scenery, the message id take from that is climbing a mountain means just getting to the top.

CramCycle

You don't see mountain climbers claiming they didn't conquer a certain mountain because they stopped for food. So long as you make it and you don't walk any of the distance, you done it.

Lumen

CramCycle wrote: »

You don't see mountain climbers claiming they didn't conquer a certain mountain because they stopped for food. So long as you make it and you don't walk any of the distance, you done it.

Your reasonableness is endearing but walking isn't cycling.

We should at least aspire to completing climbs in one go. Pacing is an important part of cycling. There's really no physiological reason to stop, if you're going at the right pace.

dragratchet

Lumen wrote: »

Your reasonableness is endearing but walking isn't cycling.

We should at least aspire to completing climbs in one go. Pacing is an important part of cycling. There's really no physiological reason to stop, if you're going at the right pace.

maybe no physiological reason but there are many others. take in the scenery, refill your bottles, take on nutrition, remove/put on clothing, wait on a friend...some of these are fairly essential maneuvers that people mightn't be too adept at one hand on the bars halfway up the tourmalet. i agree, walking isn't cycling but stopping for a rest or whatever else whilst climbing a monster mountain idoesn't make it any less an achievement than doing it in one go.

Galego

Daroxtar wrote: »

Have it pencilled in I was thinking of going across via El Cordal and Cuchu Puercu or would you recommend via Corbertoria?

I'd rather do it via Cobertoria and then take the turn on your right to the Gamoneiteru. You can now climb it all the way to the antenna with a road bike.

My favourite one in Asturias is Casielles. Very short, but also very hard, and absolutely stunning views from the top. If climbed in mountain bike it goes on all the way to the top (another 4 km approx.)

Lumen

dragratchet wrote: »

maybe no physiological reason but there are many others.

dragratchet wrote: »

take in the scenery

Do it while cycling.

dragratchet wrote: »

remove/put on clothing

Do it while cycling.

dragratchet wrote: »

take on nutrition

You mean "eat?". Do it while cycling.

dragratchet wrote: »

wait on a friend

Do it while cycling.

dragratchet wrote: »

refill your bottles

OK, I'll give you that one.

dragratchet wrote: »

stopping for a rest or whatever else whilst climbing a monster mountain idoesn't make it any less an achievement than doing it in one go.

Yes it does! The corollary of your statement is "climbing a monster mountain without stopping doesn't make it more of an achievement", which is clearly not true.

Daroxtar

Galego wrote: »

I'd rather do it via Cobertoria and then take the turn on your right to the Gamoneiteru. You can now climb it all the way to the antenna with a road bike.

My favourite one in Asturias is Casielles. Very short, but also very hard, and absolutely stunning views from the top. If climbed in mountain bike it goes on all the way to the top (another 4 km approx.)

Corbertoria way is utterly brutal. 15.5km@9.7%.....
Has it been completely tarred? I thought there was about 1km if very poor surface near the top.
Don't suppose you've done Cucayo or Salto La Cabra? Two more on my Bucket list

CramCycle

Lumen wrote: »

Yes it does! The corollary of your statement is "climbing a monster mountain without stopping doesn't make it more of an achievement", which is clearly not true.

It is definitely more of an achievement to do it all in one, non stop, I just meant that it is fair to say you conquered it if you got over it without walking. If your being a d1ck and stopping every 100m, then you are just lying to yourself, it will eat you alive at night. If you stop once or twice (even thrice) because you pushed like a lunatic, I would be happy to say I got there. I f you feel like you conquered it, then from your own perspective, who cares about others, most of them will never do it.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't but I wouldn't hold it against anyone. This said I found the Total Perspective Vortex quite relaxing and not at all surprising.

Galego

Daroxtar wrote: »

Corbertoria way is utterly brutal. 15.5km@9.7%.....
Has it been completely tarred? I thought there was about 1km if very poor surface near the top.
Don't suppose you've done Cucayo or Salto La Cabra? Two more on my Bucket list

Cobertoria alone is brutal never mind climbing to the bloody antenna. They resurfaced it back in 2011 and the last is doable IMO.

Actually I have not climbed any in Cantabria. I have child memories of passing San Glorio on bus / car. It is also a brutal climb, very underated by La Vuelta.

Back home some brutal climbs (if you want to make your list longer):

1- Fonte da Cova
2- Ancares (pan do zarco)
3- Llano de las ovejas
4- Redondal
5- El Peñón

Those 5 are between a 50km ratio from each other in case one is not enough. 😀

Daroxtar

San Glorio is a monster climb. Definitely underrated, such a beautiful climb too. The descent is fantastic
It's more long than vicious though, only a short section around Dobres around the 10% mark. It's very like an Alpine climb in that respect. I think a few more on here have done it, Wishbone Ash definitely.

The long even graded climbs like San Glorio or Ventoux are a completely different proposition to the brutal steep ones like Angliru or Zoncolan.
You can set a steady pace below threshold and keep plugging away on 6-8% and ease up a bit when needed. You can't ease up on 15-20% or you topple over. You can't recover either. You can't spin, even the pro's are struggling to get above 60rpm. You have no option but to grind even with 34x32 gearing which puts a different strain on your body. It's more like leg presses in the gym than cycling and it goes on and on for around an hour. It's a battle to focus on breathing and turning the pedals while your legs are on fire with lactic acid.

Lumen

Daroxtar wrote: »

The long even graded climbs like San Glorio or Ventoux are a completely different proposition to the brutal steep ones like Angliru or Zoncolan.
You can set a steady pace below threshold and keep plugging away on 6-8% and ease up a bit when needed. You can't ease up on 15-20% or you topple over. You can't recover either. You can't spin, even the pro's are struggling to get above 60rpm. You have no option but to grind even with 34x32 gearing which puts a different strain on your body.

A triple chainset with 30t granny ring and 32 rear sprocket will go up 20% grade at about 270W, 50rpm, 6kph.

Galego

Daroxtar wrote: »

San Glorio is a monster climb. Definitely underrated, such a beautiful climb too. The descent is fantastic
It's more long than vicious though, only a short section around Dobres around the 10% mark. It's very like an Alpine climb in that respect. I think a few more on here have done it, Wishbone Ash definitely.

The long even graded climbs like San Glorio or Ventoux are a completely different proposition to the brutal steep ones like Angliru or Zoncolan.
You can set a steady pace below threshold and keep plugging away on 6-8% and ease up a bit when needed. You can't ease up on 15-20% or you topple over. You can't recover either. You can't spin, even the pro's are struggling to get above 60rpm. You have no option but to grind even with 34x32 gearing which puts a different strain on your body. It's more like leg presses in the gym than cycling and it goes on and on for around an hour. It's a battle to focus on breathing and turning the pedals while your legs are on fire with lactic acid.

Many people climb Redondal (just off Bembibre) as a preparation to L'Angliru. I have not been there in few years so you may need now a mtb to climb due to deteoration of the road. Local experts claim if you climb Rendondal you should be capable of climbing L'angliru.

NeedMoreGears

Lumen wrote: »

A triple chainset with 30t granny ring and 32 rear sprocket will go up 20% grade at about 270W, 50rpm, 6kph.

Or more importantly in my case .... 150W, 30rpm, 3.6kph

(any slower and I'm falling off)