Alp D'huez

Crazy Hamster

Hi there,

I'm one member of the crazy hamster crew and we're a team who like to push ourselves by entering rediculous events (well, for us!) as it drives us to get out and train lots. We did a London Paris ride last year and this year are stepping up to the 520 Mile Amiens to Alp D'huez three day event for Epilepsy Action. We'll be pairing off and doing half the distance each but will all do the Alp. Any advice on preperation and the ride itself gratefully accepted.

Keep an eye on our progress and comment away at http://crazyhamstercrew.blogspot.com

crazyhamstercrew.blogspot.com

TOTOISHEAVIERTHANME

The first 6 bends are the worst, go full on up those and the rest of the Alpe is a piece of the proverbial [}:)] [;)]

Take the long way home

Crazy Hamster

Cheers, head down and keep pedalling i guess. I've heard they number the bends in reverse just to keep you going?

crazyhamstercrew.blogspot.com

Hugh A

If it looks like it is going to be hot, try do do the Alpe as early as possible in the day. Meanwhile any practice you can get riding up hills, and/or continuous hard efforts on the flat would be a good idea.

I'm sure I had one of those here somewhere

cswebbo

39 x 25 as a bail out gear.

DaveyL

Hmmm, at a rather low cadence of 60 rpm, 39x25 will push you along at 7.5 mph. Almost enough to get you up Alpe d'Huez in an hour. You would have to be pretty fit and quick up the hills to call that a bail-out gear.

Hugh A

Some of the above advice to be taken with a large pinch of salt. If you haven't cycled in the high mountains before, I would suggest fitting the lowest gear you can get on your bike because you will more than likely be using it, even if it is the only major climb you do on that day.

I'm sure I had one of those here somewhere

smigos

I went there in 2003 and did Les Deux Alpes first with 39x23 and spent a good proportion of the 9km out of the saddle just so I could turn the pedals! The next day I used my dads bike and did Alpe d'Huez with a triple. After the first hairpin I thought there's no way i'm going to be able to do this! But after a while I settled into a rhythm and was even able to change to a bigger gear at some points and I overtook a lot of people along the way. There is another steep bit in the middle and I found the heat as bad as the gradient as it was rediculiously hot that year. I found I could use every other hairpin to have a short rest as if you take the long way round it is fairly flat. I'm only a recreational cyclist and I was 31 at the time and was averaging about 100 miles a week. It felt like it was a great achievement and I hope to go again sometime (if I can get back into shape!). I managed it in 1hr 15mins.

cswebbo

The one and only time i went up was in 1993. Totally unprepared for what was to come and had a 42 x 23 bottom gear (old 6 speed steel bike too). It was just over an hour of hell. Very hot! Make sure you have 2 bottles at the bottom of climb, you will need them. Like other posters have said, the first 5-6 hairpins are beyond belief knowing it is well over 10 km long. Thats why i suggest a 39 x 25 as a bail out gear. Obviously, if you are over 12 stone, or have done a long ride already, then i would suggest one lower again.

Aint Skeered

Hi CH, I did the epilepsy action ride last year, and will be doing the ride again this September.
It's a brilliantly run event. the daily mileages are greater this year.
On last years event we rode a section each, and took turns with the navigating and driving, so we averaged around 50 miles each per day.
The main thing you will have to train up for is the evenings, I cannot remember having consumed so much alcohol in such a short space of time.
Look forward to meeting up with you
Andy. Team, Legs Like Jelly

Blonde

Just to agree with what others have said - Small gear, lots of water. I used a smaller gear than I usually would because I was effected by altitude and found myself out of breath despite my legs feeling fine. In the UK because I push a bigger gear up hills my legs hurt though I am not out of breath. It was the other way round in the Alps. I couldn't use as big a gear as normal 'cos I was breathless! I used a triple chain set and an 13-25 cassette and used all my gears in the Alps.

Jaguar.

39x25? That'll be nice ;-)

Possible, I did Ventoux on that gear (but only because I'd not been warned by anybody and having started, I wasn;t quitting) not particularly pleasant and tricky if you're hitting the climb after a long ride.

Given my previous experience, I used a 34x27 for the alp and I'd have had a 29 on there given half a chance! I did 55 minutes last year and I'm hoping to go quicker this year.

If you want to get technical, go check out http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm, work back from what power you can generate, continually, for an hour or so, then figure what speed that'll give you, if you know the lowest cadence you can suffer (for a hour!) you can work out the higest gear you can get away with...

ut_o_cykla

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Jaguar.</i>

39x25? That'll be nice ;-)

Given my previous experience, I used a 34x27 for the alp and I'd have had a 29 on there given half a chance! I did 55 minutes last year and I'm hoping to go quicker this year.

If you want to get technical, go check out http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm, work back from what power you can generate, continually, for an hour or so, then figure what speed that'll give you, if you know the lowest cadence you can suffer (for a hour!) you can work out the higest gear you can get away with...

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Will try the Alpe this summer. Yesterday I picked up a 32 to go with my 30 chain ring! (not ashamed tho' - got up ventoux 3 years ago and WILL get up Alpe too - however I think Sheryl Crowe's record will stand firm!)Will also start early; descending from a balmy 20+ at teh top of ventoux into almost 40C near Sault was like entering a Finnish sauna and the little lump up to Sault was almost too much!

pousse moi s'il vous plait

Iansuth

Fit a triple, sounds like you will already be tired from the ride there so fit a triple and spin your way up it. The bottom 1/3 is the hardest section of the climb. There are other hard bits but the bottom 1/3 is consistently hard. Take plenty of water and just take your time.

wastelander

Is there anywhere in the UK that can even begin to prepare you for Alp D'Huez? Holme Moss in the Pennines or The Rhigos in South Wales perhaps? It's a challenge I fancy tackling next year and would like to begin preparation/training this year and given Holme Moss is (almost) on my doorstep it seems the ideal training ground for me.

chill888

Alpe d'Huez is a great climb and hard - but there are harder

the mistake many make is starting too fast (adreniline) or not warming up - as the roads at the bottom are trafficky.

My advice: get a few flat miles in before starting and study the elevation map so you understand the first two kilometres are a bitch.

then ENJOY - what a fun ride.

Shavedlegs

I did Alp D'Huez last year. As mentioned earlier take the first 6 hairpins easy as they are the worst. You can flatten the hairpins by going wide (if the road is closed) too.

I trained a bit in Yokshire but in reality I don't think we have anything quite like it. I couldn't find a hill that came close to taking me a hour to get up.

Just remember your making your bit of cycling history.

ut_och_cykla

Did the Alpe about a month ago. The first 6 ramps are the worst; my suggestion would be start slow, find a rhythm you can keep for your estimated time and just keep going - it's great when you stop - at the top!

I used a 30/32 combi on my Trek 1000. took 1.53. (not too bad for a chubby mid forties girly)

The ride up thru' the ski station and round the back to Col de Serenne(?) is great - just carry on down the hairraising descent and back to the main road at the dam. turn right and roll all the way back to Bourg. FAnatstic!

e999sam

Jaguar. wrote:

39x25? That'll be nice ;-)

Possible, I did Ventoux on that gear (but only because I'd not been warned by anybody and having started, I wasn;t quitting) not particularly pleasant and tricky if you're hitting the climb after a long ride.

Given my previous experience, I used a 34x27 for the alp and I'd have had a 29 on there given half a chance! I did 55 minutes last year and I'm hoping to go quicker this year.

If you want to get technical, go check out http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm, work back from what power you can generate, continually, for an hour or so, then figure what speed that'll give you, if you know the lowest cadence you can suffer (for a hour!) you can work out the higest gear you can get away with...

Thats a great site. What sort of power output would you expect from someone who is reasonably fit. ie doing around the hour mark for a 25m TT

jgille11

My cycling mate said "let's do L'Alpe before we reach 60" so the trip is planned for this October. I need some new tackle as i've tried some 11% climbs and run out of steam after 500 metres. Presently I have 52-42 and 13-27. Would a 32 chain ring make it too easy? Also, how cold will it be in October? How many layers do you suggest?

ymh

jgille11 wrote:

My cycling mate said "let's do L'Alpe before we reach 60" so the trip is planned for this October. I need some new tackle as i've tried some 11% climbs and run out of steam after 500 metres. Presently I have 52-42 and 13-27. Would a 32 chain ring make it too easy? Also, how cold will it be in October? How many layers do you suggest?

http://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/France/Alpe_d_Huez_snow.html


dont forget to take your ski,s


http://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/Fran ... _snow.html

ut_och_cykla

You can NEVER have a gear that is too easy
After an hour even your 'granny' might feel too big!