Pleased with myself!
Pross
Posts: 43,463
After putting it off for a while yesterday I decided to tackle one of the toughest climbs in my area, the Tumble. It's been 15 years since I last rode up it and I'd struggled the week before on the easier Llangynidr Mountain (although in a gale). On the negative side I'm 15 years older, 20kg heavier and a lot less fit than the last time I rode up it but on the plus side I now have a lowest gear of 39 x 25 against 42 x 21 and my bike is a kg or so lighter.
As I approached the climb I was getting more worried but I got up the first section with a gear to spare and still in the saddle. As I went around the 'Fiddler's Elbow' I dropped into my lowest gear but was still comfortable in the saddle going up what I remembered to be the steepest point. After the cattle grid my memory told me it flattened off but that wasn't the case :oops: but in the end I managed to ride the whole climb sat down other than a stretch of about 50m where I got out of the saddle to stretch my legs so felt quite pleased with myself. The only thing I regret is being too lazy to take some pictures at the top as the view last night was fantastic with the peaks of Pen y Fan, the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains in one direction and a clear view across the Bristol Channel in the other.
Next challenge is to get 2 decent climbs in the same ride
As I approached the climb I was getting more worried but I got up the first section with a gear to spare and still in the saddle. As I went around the 'Fiddler's Elbow' I dropped into my lowest gear but was still comfortable in the saddle going up what I remembered to be the steepest point. After the cattle grid my memory told me it flattened off but that wasn't the case :oops: but in the end I managed to ride the whole climb sat down other than a stretch of about 50m where I got out of the saddle to stretch my legs so felt quite pleased with myself. The only thing I regret is being too lazy to take some pictures at the top as the view last night was fantastic with the peaks of Pen y Fan, the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains in one direction and a clear view across the Bristol Channel in the other.
Next challenge is to get 2 decent climbs in the same ride
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Comments
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Well done on your achievement.
Love the bit, my bike is a kg lighter, I'm 20kg heavier. Now that to me says you're dragging an extra 19kg up the climb and you're 15years older, double well done.
Tail end Charlie
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.0 -
Thanks Frank. Profile of the ride is here http://ridewithgps.com/trips/68599 . Depending on where you class the start as it is around 3 miles at an average of 8% but the main section is 2 miles at 9.5%. Some of the peak gradients on that data are a lot steeper than I realised (28.4% at its steepest although I'm a bit dubious about that!). Speed is poor as I was saving energy for the climb :oops:
Club hill climb up there in September so need to get a few more rides on it by then.0 -
Nice one Pross.0
