Un-official South Wales climb thread

oldwelshman

Pity the hill climb was not on wwekend as I would have come home to have a go on a fixed to do it

Steve do you have any contact details for Martin Bush from Bush Health Care?

MartinL

oldwelshman wrote:

Pity the hill climb was not on wwekend as I would have come home to have a go on a fixed to do it

Fixed would've been a good choice for that climb, constant gradient around 7%. The road signs say 10% but they're wrong. Were holding another HC on the Aberbeeg climb on Thursday Sept 13th.

oldwelshman wrote:

Steve do you have any contact details for Martin Bush from Bush Health Care?

I think Martin spends most of his time in their Aberdare office (01685) 884226

chrisw12

BeaconRuth wrote:

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

Well ceri won our club 50 this morning in an obscene 01:48 ish IIRC. I was first off and the breeze was just picking up, it wasn't quite a floater, and certainly not by the time he was on the road.

I thought long and hard about riding the 50 as well but decided against it in the end. How did you get on today Steve? Got any other times for any of the fast guys?

What time did you do Ruth?

I did 22.41 and secured my invite to the WCA dinner.

So you've done 10 miles and worked for 22 mins 41 seconds to get your invite where as I would have raced 240+2x100+3x50=590miles to get my invite. I've done something wrong somewhere.

BeaconRuth

chrisw12 wrote:

So you've done 10 miles and worked for 22 mins 41 seconds to get your invite where as I would have raced 240+2x100+3x50=590miles to get my invite. I've done something wrong somewhere.

Yes, you're certainly working hard for a £12 dinner ticket!

Congrats on your ride in the 10milers 50 on Sunday - looks like a good one to me. What's your 50 PB?

Mark Alexander

a quick question. posting here as you guys know the area.

Does anyone here find it hard to train using HR zones? with all these hills I find it hard to stay in a target zone any range I use seems to go from about 120-174 ish that's one hell of a range 65%-95%. no mater how light I take it I seem to shoot up to the top end on the hills (no matter what the gradient but drop like a stone on the decents. is HR the wrong measurement to be using as a target?

Ric_Stern/RST

hi mark,

i think i know the area... :-)

Firstly, don't worry about being above or below a zone, when climbing/descending etc. it's normal to go out of your zones.

secondly, in the training i prescribe i'd always tell people to go harder up hill (how hard would depend on many factors) and to ease off on the descents (if for no other reason that you'd do serious damage to yourself if you tried to ride downhill here at zone 5!)

thirdly, power is a far better metric of defining training (or racing) compared to HR as it is the variable that moves you through the air. HR can vary (at a given power) for many reasons (e.g., heat, cadence, fatigue, etc). and, yes, i do sell power meters (but i'd say the same whether i sold them or not; in fact i used to before i did sell them)

Ric

SteveR_100Milers

Mark, perceived exertion (PE) is a much better guide once you have "calibrated" yourself. You know what a 10 TT at max effort is, so thats your top end steady state (Joe Friel calls this the lactate threshold). Anything you do that requires a harder effort for a shorter period of time would constitute an "interval effort" - sprinting up short hills for up to 30 secs flat out is a good guide. The other marker in PE is the transition into your "aerobic" zone again according to Friel. This is the point where you go from a very easy hardly noticeable effort so an marked but not deep breathing rate; from being able to easily hokld a conversation to being able to utter 3-4 words per breath. Its a lot more fun that trying to stick inside a 10 bpm zone, and thats assumning you can ever accurately measure your zones in the first place!

Mark Alexander

firstly, Ric, welcome to the thread
Thanks for the advice both. I do remembr our conversations. i have actualy started using the 'target' feature as a loose indication of my climbing, general and decending time.


I rmembr talking on the TT forum and with Ric about powermeters It's all a little out of my price range. I'll make the best of what I have. I think that 'feel' may be the best way to go.
Use the force

Ric_Stern/RST

you can use HR for training... just don't expect to stay in one zone

cheers
ric

SteveR_100Milers

Ric_Stern/RST wrote:

you can use HR for training... just don't expect to stay in one zone

cheers
ric

I find them (HRM) as a useful tool to analyse what you have done, and monitor whether you actually spent enough time in a target zone. Its all part (but not all by any means) of the "calibration" process

Mark Alexander

Well done for the 100 Steve

SteveR_100Milers

Mark Alexander wrote:

Well done for the 100 Steve

Thanks Mark. I really wasn't looking forward to it, but although it was very hard, its was immensely satisfying to complete, and having done it I can now understand fully the attraction of ther BAR competition. I would seriously urge you to set that as a target for yourself for next year: to complete the BAR which is the 25, 50, 100, 12hr and the HC. the long distance events are so much more satisfying than a short 10, and to be honest they are not much harder, just a different type of pain. Given the choice now I would rather ride a 50 than a 10, which I never would have anticipated at the start of the season.
I can now begin to understand why Chris gets so excited about it (the BAR comp), and why the Ross guys I work with prefer to ride the west Wales 100 rather than the Dragon. Right now for me its become my number one goal for next season!

Mark Alexander

I agree, whilst descussing it with John-Paul (who conviced me to race and was 4th!!) We (Oggies) are definitely a long distance club agree with you I'd rather do a 50 now also I've started going longer each time

I'm considering my targets for next year. I have decided on the 100's but am still on the fence about the 12hr. I'm expecting to come round to Jon-Paul's way of thinking. especially with my improvement and enjoyment of the longer distances. I want to push myself.

What does the BAR stand for exactly? :?

SteveR_100Milers

Best All Rounder. Says it all really I'll let you know about the 12 hour, but think of this: 100 miles at 21+ mph non stop or 200 miles at 18 mph which will permit you over 50 minutes of stop time (guinness is well known for its recuperative powers). OK agree it sounds easy on paper, and I've yet to prove the theory, but pacing yourself in this way worked reasonably well for me in the 100 (100 miles at 20 mph vs a 50TT at 22+). And if you don't do it this year, then for next year you're welcome to join me and one of the Merthyr on our winter training rides which will make a huge difference - I'm aiming to do a 100 miler at least every other week. Most of them will be down towards your neck of the woods aswell.

oldwelshman

Back to climbing
I am in USA in Boston for two weeks so brought my bike.
I trawled net and found a sportive to do and also a hill climb.
Tha yanks reckon it is the hardest climb in the world !! Typical.
It clims to over 6000 feet in 7 miles.
Aparently the fastes ever rocorded wind speed was recorded on it at over 200 mph so maybe it is the wind not the grade makes it hard
The climb is Mt Washington in New Hampshire.
I am also doing a 100 mile sportive in same area the day after but as I only have a 39/23 lowest gear will be doing it steady and taking pics
This may get me fit to race in Abergavenny in September, my first welsh race

Mark Alexander

old welshman, good luck

I'd welcome the company, especially on those cold winter rides.

SteveR_100Milers

oldwelshman wrote:

Back to climbing
I am in USA in Boston for two weeks so brought my bike.
I trawled net and found a sportive to do and also a hill climb.
Tha yanks reckon it is the hardest climb in the world !! Typical.
It clims to over 6000 feet in 7 miles.
Aparently the fastes ever rocorded wind speed was recorded on it at over 200 mph so maybe it is the wind not the grade makes it hard
The climb is Mt Washington in New Hampshire.
I am also doing a 100 mile sportive in same area the day after but as I only have a 39/23 lowest gear will be doing it steady and taking pics
This may get me fit to race in Abergavenny in September, my first welsh race

Then you'd better be placed then...

Mark Alexander

has anyone checked out the routes and riding section of this forum?
I've had a look but am trying to find a long route other than the Dragon Ride as it starts in Bridgend. I'm looking for 10+ as I need to get my legs used to long rides.

Somehow i've put myself in for the 10 on Saturday and the MD8 on Sunday this weekend :shock: :shock:

Mark Alexander

Steve, I didn't se you at MD8. It was horrible. weather wasn't great, I barely made my start time, managed a 58.36 but blew in the middle. there were 39 DNS's :shock:
the concensus was that it's a record

It has to be most horrible course i've ridden to date. the hills and inclines were nigh on relentless!

chrisw12

So Steve, what's your traget going to be for the 12hr then? 200+ miles should be extremely do able, no pressure of course.

A few things, the bar is Best all rounder and is the BEST average speed over 50, 100 and 12hr.
The points competition is for all the Welsh champ events only, hillclimb,25,50,100,12hr.

Top 6 from the points and top 12 from the bar get a free ticket to the luxurious Hawtorn leisure centre and a chance this year to meet Ruth Eyles whos qualifies by winning a little 10 miler.

Steve I note you are currently in 16th place going in, I guarantee that not all of those above you will finish the 12, so who knows...

SteveR_100Milers

Target for Sunday is to finish....I have done no exercise other than eat for 2 weeks, have had upset stomach for last 4 days, and feel like death after the trip home from hell last night! 220 would be nice though...
I am thinking of riding Julia's 50 to get a better BAR time, but I cant see me jumping that many places. I have figured out the differences between the BAR and welsh points comps. My ambition is simply to beat one of the Ross riders, he knows who he is....

Mark Alexander

Good luck all

chrisw12

Wow, I have a chance to bring this thread back on topic!!! I wonder how long before it degenerates :roll:

Anyway during the acme hill climb two weeks ago a certain Lee Williams did the Bwlch climb in 10:34 (no 3 on the list) If any of you are in the area, have a go because trust me, you aint going to get close. He set a course record and in doing so, he caught the previous record holder for one minute. The previous record holder being no slouch on the hills.

SteveR_100Milers

hmmm looking back my PB in April was a 16-46, mozwyn a 16. Both pretty shite really I'll bet the Dragon was about 15 judgeing by the pain I was feeling, but a 10 is ridiculous.

More to the point Chris, what did you do??

Jonathan15

which side of the bwlch is that from?
I did from the cattlegrid to the layby at the top from the Afan valley side in 8.02 earlier in the year.

chrisw12

Jonathan go back to the first post on the first page of this thread for details, it's number 3. Have a go and post your time. I bet you don't get within a minute of it.

Steve, I didn't ride. I would say, I don't do hill climbs but I've entered the Welsh champs h/c to get the points. Mind you, I sent the entry late accidently on purpose so who knows.

SteveR_100Milers

I've eneterd the HC, but cant ride it as will be away that weekend now. Phew.