Now I'm confused

ut_och_cykla

BeaconRuth wrote:

popette wrote:

What about Alpe D'huez - going up those hairpins in the inside of the road? Is it a nightmare?

I don't remember Alp d'Huez being anything particularly special TBH. The hairpins are no different from those on other alpine climbs, it's no steeper, and certainly not as scenic as many others. It's not a nightmare at all. Have some nice low gears, take it steady, pace yourself and you'll get to the top, no problem.

Ruth

Seconded. the Alpe is a nice broadish road, good surface and FLAT (well almost) on the hairpins. It's also shortish (cf Glandon etc), with the right gears its no great problem but expect it to take longer than pantanis (?) 37 minutes - I took 1:53. That's the key to Alpine passes - keeping going at quite a hard effort for quite a while...

The very worthwhile loop round to the reservoir goes to the Col du Sarenne (I think). Less good road and rather tight steep descent... but well worth the effort!

You can always cycle Glandon/Croix de Fer & just turn back as we did- made for a lovely ride neverthe less.

BeaconRuth

popette wrote:

Thanks Ruth. It sounds like you've got lots of experience of cycling abroad - where's your favourite place to go?

I've not been abroad on my bike since 2002, and there are others on here with more experience than me. (The roads, places and cols don't stick in my mind like some people's (Andyp to mention one) - I can't even remember which col is which except for the biggies :oops:) But all the mountains I've ridden in - Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites - are spectacular and well worth visiting.

Ruth

BeaconRuth

ut_och_cykla wrote:

The very worthwhile loop round to the reservoir goes to the Col du Sarenne (I think). Less good road and rather tight steep descent... but well worth the effort!

That's the one! Thanks ut_och!

Ruth

andyp

BeaconRuth wrote:

ut_och_cykla wrote:

The very worthwhile loop round to the reservoir goes to the Col du Sarenne (I think). Less good road and rather tight steep descent... but well worth the effort!

That's the one! Thanks ut_och!

Ruth

It is. To find it you follow the road out of Alpe d'Huez signposted for the airstrip. It steepens a bit towards the top but the main challenge are the drains in the road to allow snow meltwater to run off.

The descent down to the barrage below Les Deux Alpes is not for the fainthearted though - when Ruth and I did it back in 2000 it was twisty, bumpy and very steep in places.

BeaconRuth

andyp wrote:

It is. To find it you follow the road out of Alpe d'Huez signposted for the airstrip. It steepens a bit towards the top but the main challenge are the drains in the road to allow snow meltwater to run off.

The descent down to the barrage below Les Deux Alpes is not for the fainthearted though - when Ruth and I did it back in 2000 it was twisty, bumpy and very steep in places.

See what I mean? I'd forgotten all those things that Andy remembers. :oops: I remember the drains now, but the descent I'd completely forgotten, though I seem to remember stopping for lunch in a cafe half-way down and eating ham and olives!

Strangely enough I remember the ham sandwich at the cafe at the top of the road to La Berade too............. I can remember the food, just not the roads! :oops:

Ruth

andyp

BeaconRuth wrote:

See what I mean? I'd forgotten all those things that Andy remembers. :oops: I remember the drains now, but the descent I'd completely forgotten, though I seem to remember stopping for lunch in a cafe half-way down and eating ham and olives!

Strangely enough I remember the ham sandwich at the cafe at the top of the road to La Berade too............. I can remember the food, just not the roads! :oops:

Ruth

I don't remember the food but I do remember the waitress. She was lovely. :oops:

Ric_Stern/RST

i remember everywhere i've been by the food i eat :oops: :shock:

ric

BeaconRuth

andyp wrote:

I don't remember the food but I do remember the waitress. She was lovely. :oops:

The mountains of Europe are littered with beautiful girls serving in cafes.......... at least all the mountains I've visited with Andy. :roll:

I thought it was a girl in the Pyrenees you really fell for, Andy? I seem to remember being served at a table outside the cafe on a very wide pavement, under some large trees........... you kept going inside, allegedly to ask for more water.

Ruth

andyp

BeaconRuth wrote:

The mountains of Europe are littered with beautiful girls serving in cafes.......... at least all the mountains I've visited with Andy. :roll:

Lol. :oops:

BeaconRuth wrote:

I thought it was a girl in the Pyrenees you really fell for, Andy? I seem to remember being served at a table outside the cafe on a very wide pavement, under some large trees........... you kept going inside, allegedly to ask for more water.

Ruth

Now she was gorgeous. I think I was prepared to ride back over two passes that night if she'd agreed to meet me for dinner.

Sadly she was working.

DaveyL

I can confirm the Sarenne descent is still as hairy as it was in 2000! And that there is a particularly lovely waitress in the L'Origan pizzeria in the centre of Alpe d'Huez....

SteveR_100Milers

There's a lovely girl that works in Abergaveny.....

Ric_Stern/RST

SteveR_100Milers wrote:

There's a lovely girl that works in Abergaveny.....

well ask her out then!

SteveR_100Milers

I did 17 yrs ago...

Ric_Stern/RST

and? the end result was?

SteveR_100Milers

I gave up cycling for 15 years....