How to prepare for Mt Ventoux

vdu7x

We've got a family holiday in France in July and my brother in law suggested I should go with him and ride up Ventoux. Great idea, except I didn't have and had never ridden a road bike. I take my MTB out every week but road cycling was new to me.

To cut a long story short, about a month ago I bought a 2006 trek Madone 5.9SL on ebay and soon realised I wouldn't even make it to the Chalet on that gearing (highest gear 39/23) so I've converted it to a triple and changed the cassette to 12-27. (Highest gear now 30/27) I stuck to Dura-ace 78 series stuff to keep the bike looking right. Now I have no excuses left.

Nowcomes the hard bit. The training. It's so flat where I live. I mountain bike at Cannock every week but those are short steep hills. I go to the gym 3 times a week but I'm struggling to emulate 20Km of climbing .

Any tips on how to train for a climb like Ventoux?

The other problem is that the saddle on the Trek is so uncomfortable to me but I know I'll have to work that out on trial and error....

BTW, what an amazing bike........

Muddybill

I have the same issue. My wife and I went out to France last year to watch a bit of the Tour. Following this my wife suggested we set a climb of Ventoux as a future plan. We live in Sutton Coldfield and you're right - finding hills to train on in this part of the world is not easy!

I'm no expert on fitness - cycling or otherwise - but I'd say that if you're cycling the Chase most weekends and going to the gym you must be fairly fit. Therefore you need to start climbing some hills. The Peak District is fairly close, you can certainly go for the day easily enough, and has some big hills - not to Ventoux's standard of course.

Anyway, we are no closer to actually setting a date for our climb soyou're several steps ahead of us! Good luck with the training and the climb. Keep us informed of how it goes.

Velonutter

Where about in Staffs are you?

You have a choice or ride down to Ironbridge and sort some those hills out or up to Stoke and hit some of them or out to Buxton and then into the peak district.

I'm not brilliant at hills and know I have to build up to them, but little and often for me, will never be able to do Mt. Ventoux fro a good few years.

Paul E

I would get up to the peak district, there are some quite sustained climbs there which will really help with training. With the base level of fitness you have you should get some real benefit out of some of the climbs up there...

storck

Hi if your not used to climbing your triple will see you ok,Mt Ventoux is a bloody hard climb especially from Bedoin bit easier from Maulacence,even easier from Sault.go for Bedoin way up its the best take it easy and stop when and if need be,i have climbed it few times now each time with Craig from Veloventoux .com great set up as well as knowledge of routes and local area you really cant go wrong with him so good luck be sure let us know how you get on,p.s. look out for the Minstral wind on top.

pilot_pete

Yeah, them minstrals are full of wind ;-)

inseine

Jusr a detail, bu the gears you talk about are your lowest (ie easiest), not highest.
Ventoux is not that hard if you take your time. you'll see allsorts on the climb and they make it, just not that quickly.
It's an easy start from Bedoin but don't get carried away beacsue the middle section is the hardest. Go early before the heat and the flies get up or yu'll be swotting them away all through the forest.
You wont find hills that replicate it in the UK, better to try do so increasingly long rides at a level you could sustain on Ventoux without pausing. Try using a gear that is slightly bigger than you would normally on the flat.
You'll be fine!

guinea

I did it a couple of years ago. For the training I never left London.

I just did 20 minute warm up, very hard hour, 20 minute warm down a few times a week. I also did short hard intervals.

I did it from Sault first so I had an easy start but still did the famous finish from Chalet Reynard. I then went on to do it from Bedoin.

For me the jey in training was to keep systained high power for an hour or more every couple of days. As has been said there are no mountains like this in the UK. Hill repeats with their free wheeling will not help. You have no recovery time on Ventoux.

BTW, it's worth the effort. It's a special climb and you'll just want to do it again. Make sure if you start from Sault you go into the macaroon shop - they are amazing!

LittleB0b

there seemed to be mountain bike trails there too... (well we certainly saw people going down them)

bobtbuilder

inseine wrote:

Jusr a detail, bu the gears you talk about are your lowest (ie easiest), not highest.
Ventoux is not that hard if you take your time. you'll see allsorts on the climb and they make it, just not that quickly.It's an easy start from Bedoin but don't get carried away beacsue the middle section is the hardest. Go early before the heat and the flies get up or yu'll be swotting them away all through the forest.
You wont find hills that replicate it in the UK, better to try do so increasingly long rides at a level you could sustain on Ventoux without pausing. Try using a gear that is slightly bigger than you would normally on the flat.
You'll be fine!

+1. Ventoux (and other mountains) is as hard as you make it. With a triple you should spin up it fairly easily. If you are still worried, try adding some longer threshold power intervals into your usual rides.

vdu7x

All great stuff. Thanks.

I live near Lichfield so the Peaks are not too far away. I'll get myself an OS map of the area and see what I can find.

Thanks again for all the pointers.

Spender45

I did it because we were on holiday near it and my father in law goaded me into it. i had hardly been on a bike for five years. I took three hours but got to the top, I swear there were old ladies with baskets of french bread on their bikes and even older guys with berets on their heads and onions round there necks passing me. When I got home I got my old bike out and started cycling again. That wee hill and I have a rematch to plan.

le_grimpeur

If getting out to hills is a time constraint for you, you could always spend time developing the cycling muscles that you'll need.

1. On any incline - doesn't have to be a big hill, select a gear at least three times higher than comfortable and go for as long as possible. I read a recent article on an Italian who coaches pro-cyclists, and this is a method he uses. If possible, repeat a couple of times, or find a route that includes a couple of inclines, on subsequent rides, select a higher gear.

2. Off bike exercises.
i) Stand on a step, facing into the left hand corner, slightly raise your left leg, and lower yourself till your toes touch the floor (NOT the same step, but the lower step or floor), then raise yourself up, do 20 repetitions and then turn to the other corner and repeat but with your left leg stable, (raising your right leg and lower yourself till the toes touch the lower step or floor). You can increase the difficulty, by raising the 'downward' leg.

ii). Sitting in a chair, feet on the floor, place a slightly deflated football between your knees, squeezing your knees together lift one foot up, whilst still squeezing the ball. repeat 20 times and do the same with the other leg. If this does not create any sensation of muscles working, try this one.

iii) With your back against a wall, lower yourself till the angle at your knees is about 90 degrees - you may have to 'walk' your feet out a bit. Using the deflated ball once more between your knees, push yourself up against the wall. For added difficulty, hold yourself in the down position for 20 seconds, before pushing up. Repeat as many times as you like.

ratsbeyfus

Re:

iii) With your back against a wall, lower yourself till the angle at your knees is about 90 degrees - you may have to 'walk' your feet out a bit. Using the deflated ball once more between your knees, push yourself up against the wall. For added difficulty, hold yourself in the down position for 20 seconds, before pushing up. Repeat as many times as you like.

That sounds a bit Guantanamo for my liking. How about this:

iv) Whilst lying on your back with a blindfold on and towel wrapped round your nose/mouth get a friend to pour buckets of water over you whilst simultaneously whipping the soles of your feet with a frayed electrical flex.

After that Ventoux will be a piece of pi$$.

themightyw

ratsbeyfus wrote:

Re:

iii) With your back against a wall, lower yourself till the angle at your knees is about 90 degrees - you may have to 'walk' your feet out a bit. Using the deflated ball once more between your knees, push yourself up against the wall. For added difficulty, hold yourself in the down position for 20 seconds, before pushing up. Repeat as many times as you like.

That sounds a bit Guantanamo for my liking. How about this:

iv) Whilst lying on your back with a blindfold on and towel wrapped round your nose/mouth get a friend to pour buckets of water over you whilst simultaneously whipping the soles of your feet with a frayed electrical flex.

After that Ventoux will be a piece of pi$$.

Max Mosely??? Is that you??

CiB

If you want a hil to practise on, drive to Chapel En Le Frith and ride from there to Glossop, then turn round and go back to collect your car. Or start at Buxton to get yourself warmed up first.

Or better still start at Ashbourne, stop off for a cuppa in that nice little cafe in Moneyash, then carry on to Buxton & Glossop + return. That'll get your legs going a bit. It's not Ventoux, but it'll give you an idea, and you'll come out with some new phrases that you didn't realise you knew.

Enjoy.

inseine

I seriously don't think you need to ride hills to prepare for this. Ventoux is one of the longest climbs in Europe and the effort required is more like riding a 50TT than climbing some British hill where it's all over in a few minutes. What's hard is that you can't ease up for maybe a couple of hours even though any one stretch of it is not very steep. In the UK you can find a lung busting hill, but at least you get a breather after a few minutes.
Go search the hills if you like, it'll do you good i'm sure, but get in some longer sessions that are just beyond what is comfortable, in terms of gears and effort.

Like I said, you be fine

nmcgann

inseine wrote:

I seriously don't think you need to ride hills to prepare for this. Ventoux is one of the longest climbs in Europe and the effort required is more like riding a 50TT than climbing some British hill where it's all over in a few minutes. What's hard is that you can't ease up for maybe a couple of hours even though any one stretch of it is not very steep. In the UK you can find a lung busting hill, but at least you get a breather after a few minutes.
Go search the hills if you like, it'll do you good i'm sure, but get in some longer sessions that are just beyond what is comfortable, in terms of gears and effort.

Like I said, you be fine

That's exactly right, it's continuous grind with no rest. The TT-style training is great preparation as it gets you used to pacing yourself with hard efforts over 1-2h durations.

I had my first trip to the Pyrenees last year and I was quite apprehensive, but I actually found it very do-able based on a season of 25mile TTs and TT-specific training.

IMO climbing the high mountains is actually easier than british hills, 7/8/9% that goes on for 1h+ allows you to get into a decent gear and find a rhythm, but 15-25% here at home is just weight-training on a bike really.

vdu7x

That's interesting.So sustained flat training with a faster gear and lower cadence than is comfortable might be a better way to approach it? That I can do from my doorstep which means I'll do it more often too.

Great stuff guys. Thanks.

Anonymous

vdu7x wrote:

That's interesting.So sustained flat training with a faster gear and lower cadence than is comfortable might be a better way to approach it? That I can do from my doorstep which means I'll do it more often too.

Great stuff guys. Thanks.

Definitely my opinion too.

Good luck and don't forget the camera!

inseine

faster gear

Your gunna have to get your gear terminology right first!
39-23 is a LOW gear. 53-12 is a HIGH gear. Just like in a car!

If you write like a pro you'll soon be riding like one too

vdu7x

If you saw me riding, you'd realise that my incorrect gear terminology is not the first thing that shows me up as a newbie!

:oops:

blorg

vdu7x wrote:

That's interesting.So sustained flat training with a faster gear and lower cadence than is comfortable might be a better way to approach it? That I can do from my doorstep which means I'll do it more often too.

I'd agree with this. If you don't have one get a heart rate monitor and make sure you keep it up to a high but sustainable pace. With Ventoux or any high mountain climb it is all about pacing and doing it steady; with the hills we have here you can power over them and recover so quite a different approach is required. FWIW on my first trip to the Pyrenees and the the following month the Alps I found them surprisingly manageable having never done that sort of thing before. Pacing is really essential, take it easy up at least the first third and gently increase effort if you are feeling good.

Mossrider

nmcgann wrote:

inseine wrote:

I seriously don't think you need to ride hills to prepare for this. Ventoux is one of the longest climbs in Europe and the effort required is more like riding a 50TT than climbing some British hill where it's all over in a few minutes. What's hard is that you can't ease up for maybe a couple of hours even though any one stretch of it is not very steep. In the UK you can find a lung busting hill, but at least you get a breather after a few minutes.
Go search the hills if you like, it'll do you good i'm sure, but get in some longer sessions that are just beyond what is comfortable, in terms of gears and effort.

Afew minutes - come up to West Yorkshire and I'll show you some real hills (and they will help).
I did it a few years ago. I also originally come from Sutton Coldfield so i can understand your training predicament. It is a hard 1.5 - 2 hr grind, although I didn't think it anything like as bad as it's reputation.

In the Peak district there is a well known loop - Snake Pass, Strines Road (a c road over towards Penistone, Holmfirth, Holme Moss. It's about 60 miles and you'll do plenty of long steady climbs (for Strines read short and brutal).

Otherwise for nice long climbs, South Wales - you can do the Rhigos and Bwlch back to back and they are quite Alpine (albeit a bit shorter!).

There's nothing to be afraid of in hills - just find an easy rhythm and switch off....Contrary to the opinions of some here, practice does help. I'm in the Pennines and when I cycle in Surrey (which I do occasionally), you notice that not many pass on the hills (not so noticable up here!)

inseine

come up to West Yorkshire and I'll show you some real hills (and they will help).

I'm from west yorkshire, so I know what you mean. I just think that if the guy hasn't got hills on his doorstep there's no need to drive to find them + the trouble with UK hills is that even the long ones usually have a long downhill afterwards so you don't get the sustained effort like in the alps. Yorkshire or even the Peaks are hilly but not mounatinous.

vdu7x

Well I did go to Ventoux and I did crawl up the mountain. What an experience!!!! I did a half marathon a month before this but Ventoux was harder, even with my uber-bike (which really is wasted on me but it was an e-bay bargain) and relatively kind weather conditions. I did stop about 6 times on the way up but never resorted to walking.

The triple conversion was a good idea but despite that, to be honest, I was out of gears by the time I was 1/3 of the way up and started looking enviously at those with MTB's and their lower gearing. A good reason to do alot more training!

It was a fabulous experience. Not as steep as I thought but absolutely relentless. Not a single bit of flat to recover on. The landscape once you're out of the forest is like nowhere else I've ever been.

This was the culmination of a years effort to lose weight and get fit. As you can see from my pics, I'm still a fat knacker but 12 months ago, I was a 3 stone more fat knacker who couldn't run for more than 10 minutes so it's progress of sorts!

See here for pics

Garmin log here

The bag of biscuits and cold coke I had sitting at the summit were the best biscuits and drink I've ever had.

If anybody feels even remotely inclined to go there, do it. There can't be many places more iconic to ride a bicycle. I left a bottle for Mr Tom and that was a moving experience, having recently seen the BBC programme on him.

carl_p

Well done, fabulous effort! How did you scope with the descent, hang on for dear life? Etape next then

Evil Laugh

Congrats

rc856

Good stuff, well done.
Went on a 4 day trip with VeloVentoux about 4yrs
ago and had a great time with Mont Ventoux, from Bedoin, being the culmination of the trip.
I didn't have many miles in my legs at all but thought I'd be ok with my 39/29. Still suffered like I couldn't believe. The sign telling me there was an average gradient of 10% for 9kms (or is it the other way round?) didn't do much for my morale!!
Great sense of achievement in getting to the top with an amazing view. The descent made it even more worthwhile!!!

vdu7x

Thanks

We went down the Malaucene side. It was very windy for the first 1/3 and the drop off the mountain to your right is pretty intimidating. I think I was a bit of a wuss and dragged on the brakes for alot of the way down but it felt pretty fast.

L'Étape..... Think I'd need to train like mad or preferably have a body transplant to do that!

Getting to the top of Tourmalet and Alpe d'Huez some in time in the future to complete the big three would be nice.

I think I'm hooked.....

rc856

Hooked.....yes indeed.
I think I'd be in the Alps/Pyrenees/Dolomites every year but work/family life won't allow it.
Can't believe it's been 5 yrs since I went up Alpe d'Huez etc but hopefully, no definitely, going to the Pyrenees with Pyractif next year.