Help!!

teagar

Hi guys.

I agreed to go on a bike ride with a group of men who go cycling in some ridiculous extreme places every year.

This year they're riding in the Pyranees. I've booked my flights and everything, though I only just got the full itinery.

To be honest, I'm bricking it somewhat. It's in late August and it's basically a tour of all the biggest mountain climbs there.

The first day planned has, (no joke!) 13,000m of vertical climbing, the day after has 7,300m, day after has 7,000m, the day after that has 9,700m, and the final day has 5,000 of vertical climbing.

Any ideas on how to train for this?!?!??!!

I'm in Sheffield untill the end of June, and then I'm in flat old Cambridge, untill I go.


Please! Any advice (apart from the obvious get out on your bike a hell of a lot) would be greatly appreciated!

cougie

13,000m of vertical climbing ?

Are you QUITE sure of that ? I did the Aqueduct sportif on Sunday and that had 3000m of climbing in over 107 miles. It was very hilly ! I cant imagine something with over 4 times the amount of climbing.

That would be carnage !

Anonymous

Feet, surely!

13000m is about 8 HC climbs!

If it is metres then be worried, very very worried because that is about double the hardest stage of this years Giro! (That was around 6890)

nasahapley

13000m in a day? Shurely shome mishtake - haven't got metres mixed up with feet have you? I mean - it's the equivalent of going up Mt Ventoux eight times!

Assuming the measurements should be in feet - two hour constant efforts at the cadence you'd normally climb at and loads of long rides should see you right. Living somewhere flat may actually help with the former. If is really is 13000 metres, then either stuff yourself to the gills on EPO and amphetamines, or hire a motorbike.

Rev\'d Gatlin

Or up Everest 1.5 times (approx).

ugo.santalucia

I think you have confused imperial with metric... you are surely talking feet.

It is not humanly possible to do 13,000 metres in one day... unless you are doing 500 Km of course...

fnb1

I would hazzard that the first day does not include 13000m of climbing, (or the other days for that matter) big portion of the Walter Mitty's from them I am afraid

Perhaps if you add the total of peaks togetehr they may have found a combination that adds up to the 13000 but given that there are only a handful of paved pass in the Pyrenees that exceed 2000m that would mean stringing at least 6 of the together, I have not done the full geography on it but I think linking 6 2000m plus climbs would involve a ride of over 200miles, 13kms vertical at an Pyrenees type average eof say 8 % would mean 100 miles up hill plus the equiv downhill bits not forgetting finding some valley miles to link it all togther. Then you have the small problem of then finding new peaks to fill the 9000 7000 and 5000m days, even 5000m of vertical climb is near 40 miles of climbing at an 8% average (Look up Etape du Tour 07, as a good example of a day ride in the Pyrenees of that sort of size, 200kms and 5 peaks and one tough ride.

Given that in the high pass areas of the Pyrenees you seldom get below the 300 to 500m range it is ulikley that they will be achieving daily vertical climbs of more than 4000m .

As for training, unless you are a strong seasoned cyclistor superfit form other sports activity, it is too late to contemplate a 5 day ride like that this year unless you are driving the support vehicle.

Perhaps it it worth getting some route data and putting some realistic climb figures against it? Then you know what the true challenge is.

cougie

Definitely do as much riding as you can. Lose any blubber you have and probably get a triple fitted. Then buy maps and a GPS and see if you can plan alternative routes around in case it all gets a bit much. But if you can get through that first day - everything else will be a piece of cake !

Assuming it was feet you were getting confused with.

First day 4000m. VERY HARD day
Second day 2225m
Third day 2133m
Fourth day 2743m
Fifth 1524m

I'm sure you could find a few sportif courses online that you could ride just so you get a feel for climbing lots - you have a good base for it at the moment.

agnello

two and a half Marmottes :?:

in one day :shock:

and I remember the marmotte being quite hilly :roll:

teagar

COLS
1 - Haltza - 782m
2 - Burdincuruchetta - 1135m
3 - Bagargui - 1327m
4 - Larrau - 1573m
5 - Lazar - 1129m
6 - Eraice - 1578m
7 - Pierre St Martin - 1760m
8 - Soudet - 1540m
9 - Labays - 1351m
10 - Bouezou - 1009m
11 - Lescun - 700m
END - LESCUN

That was what I was given in the e-mail for day one!

I just added all the metres up.

I don't work in feet.... :roll:


Anyway, I'm reasonably fit, i don't have much excess fat (weigh around 58kg at 171cm) and i'm quite small.

It's more a case of what kind of training? Is it just lots and lots and lots of low level riding for as long as possible?

Or can I substitute some hours for increased intensity?

The point is - it's very very long and there's a lot of going uphill!

nasahapley

Those must be the altitudes of the passes then; unless you're going down to sea level inbetween each one (rather unlikely), you won't be doing anything like 13k metres of climbing! Still a challenging itinerary though; I'd be doing lots of longer rides and also some 1-2 hour higher intensity efforts to mimic the climbs. If you can do a 15 or 20 mile ride into work/uni/whatever a few days a week then that'll be the shorter efforts taken care of, then just bang out the miles at the weekend. That approach has seen me right for lots of long hilly days in the saddle.

Kléber

nasahapley wrote:

Those must be the altitudes of the passes then; unless you're going down to sea level inbetween each one (rather unlikely), you won't be doing anything like 13k metres of climbing! Still a challenging itinerary though

Exactly. Still a monster day in the saddle.

Teagar, get riding. Aim to include at least one 80 miler a week and use spare moments for shorter more intense riders at an hour long, the sort of effort you will need to climb these passes. Just speak to those you are planning to ride with, you want to be on their level.

teagar

Fair enough...

Cheers.

It's pretty eyewatering though.

So far I've been able to get out most days in the peaks doing around 2hrs or so, off to a club ride this afternoon.

Any idea on how to keep fed on those 80miles training rides? I imagine just bananas and golden syrup cake isn't quite going to cut it for the really long rides?

I've got 12 weeks so I should be ok....!

nasahapley

If you can do a couple of hours a day most days for 12 weeks, with a long 'un once a week as well, you'll be in top nick for your trip. Food for long rides is largely down to personal preference IMO; I used to go for gels and fancy energy bars but now go for an unholy combination of bananas, midget gems and sausage rolls! Some people seem to be able to do mega-distances on virtually nothing, whereas unless I eat something fairly substantial every hour or so I'm done in. You've got time to experiment, just take a bit more than you think you'll need with you the first few times just in case.

cougie

Gels have around 100 calories in them. Energy bars around 300 or so.

Bars are teh better value, but can be hard to chew on - especially if you're climbing or working hard.

Flapjack is probably the cheapest idea - get a bento box - fits on your top tube - I can get three or four energy bars in there and have easy access to them all through the ride.

Bronzie

teagar wrote:

COLS
2 - Burdincuruchetta - 1135m
3 - Bagargui - 1327m
4 - Larrau - 1573m
8 - Soudet - 1540m

These formed the climbs of the Etape 2003 - c. 4000m ascent in 205km. Seem to remember some pretty steep pitches (3km > 10%) so fit some tiny weeny gearing.