Drops or not
SYLVIANRUNNING
Posts: 52
I've got a couple of local hill climbs coming up. They are approx 0.6 of a mile long but fairly steep. I've been training on them over the last few weeks but still can't decide whether to race them on the drops when I'm out of the saddle. Anyone have any personal opinions / experience on this one?
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personal opinions don't matter fella - it's entirely up to you whatever you're happier with...0
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Agree with above - I do the full hill climb season up to the nationals. Just ride the hills like you ride them in normal races. If you use the drops use them.
The advice I would offer is - even through they are short events - for hills that are 3.5 mins or more - DO NOT start too hard. Avoid the temptation to hammer it from the off. You will go slower.0 -
As others have said it's personal choice but my one comment would be that it may make it harder to breathe being tucked up and there will be little aerodynamic gain using the drops out of the saddle.0
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I had big ideas of how I would climb in my first HC last weekend, seeing as I also race a lot with hills and prefer them. However, coming into a hill in a race where you're marking others or attacking yourself is QUITE a bit different from a full-on HC time trial!
Suffice it to say, after the first minute I was in agony just trying to breathe and I ended up both a) sitting rather than standing for most of it (despite all my good intentions to stand up and "hammer" over the steeper bits
) and b) with my hands on the tops rather than the hoods or drops.
You should literally need to collapse at the finish, otherwise you haven't gone hard enough. Full-on vo2max capacity bordering on anaerobic is VERY painful, and with no opponents to distract you or wheels ahead of you to focus on you've got nothing but your own misery for company. I have to hope it gets better with experience... maybe not easier but and more mentally tolerable.0 -
Have you timed yourself to see if you're quicker in the drops or on the hoods/top of the bars?SYLVIANRUNNING wrote:I've got a couple of local hill climbs coming up. They are approx 0.6 of a mile long but fairly steep. I've been training on them over the last few weeks but still can't decide whether to race them on the drops when I'm out of the saddle. Anyone have any personal opinions / experience on this one?0 -
maryka wrote:I had big ideas of how I would climb in my first HC last weekend, seeing as I also race a lot with hills and prefer them. However, coming into a hill in a race where you're marking others or attacking yourself is QUITE a bit different from a full-on HC time trial!
Suffice it to say, after the first minute I was in agony just trying to breathe and I ended up both a) sitting rather than standing for most of it (despite all my good intentions to stand up and "hammer" over the steeper bits) and b) with my hands on the tops rather than the hoods or drops.
You should literally need to collapse at the finish, otherwise you haven't gone hard enough. Full-on vo2max capacity bordering on anaerobic is VERY painful, and with no opponents to distract you or wheels ahead of you to focus on you've got nothing but your own misery for company. I have to hope it gets better with experience... maybe not easier but and more mentally tolerable.
Maryka - it does not get better with experience. You just know what will happen to you.
I've been doing them for 5 seasons now and found last season the where with all to go a little deeper than I think I had previously (won a couple of opens last season).
I always throw up at the finish now - maybe about 5 mins after finishing. I always wonder why I am doing it when I can barely breathe and there are still 2 mins to go.
The one I did yesterday up Carlton Bank is the hardest HC race (in my opinion) in the North East. Rain was hammering down all day - it is a 1.2 mile climb with pitches of 22% in it but averages about 13% for the climb. It's a 7 1/2 minute climb to finish in the top 5 normally.
After 4 mins yesterday I was all for pulling in to the left hand side and getting off. iIt was that horrible.
When I finished I kind of collapsed off my bike and sat/slouched in a puddle whilst I tried to breathe, Despite nearly quitting just managed a top 5.
It gets no easier, or better I'm afraid.
Terrible scenes.
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can someone please tell me where and when the national Hill Climb Championships are being held this year ? I don't know why it has to be such a big secret :twisted: try googling for it and you'll see what I mean
I've spent 10 minutes trawling through infathomable pages on the CTT website without success. I suppose if you are 'in-the know ' you don't need to look up the event and everybody else is screwed basically.grrrr0 -
peanut wrote:can someone please tell me where and when the national Hill Climb Championships are being held this year ? I don't know why it has to be such a big secret :twisted: try googling for it and you'll see what I mean
I've spent 10 minutes trawling through infathomable pages on the CTT website without success. I suppose if you are 'in-the know ' you don't need to look up the event and everybody else is screwed basically.grrrr
When
http://cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Default.aspx?&ge514__geka=MoeMaZhZdmGPSYuQ8onYwr5VtT1MpzEe2fhLDMJ2raIcqkycJrweT-tOSegOH8lwEB63Z4jLgVoj_3jukNhphzO1O4taeXsYZ01N_QxmumdEt9mYGRNWYDtw0rdnvFbXkxh3amfBZHFX3DCKuXGyO4gsQDpMBKtuEPOPDXzIeZY&ge514__gevi=Izfmr6G01GnGDLiOEGKJEg&gv850__gvac=2&gv850__gvff0=22288&gv850__gvfl0=0&tabid=361
Where
http://www.midlanddc.org.uk/index.php?q=courses&area=KH&course=KH270 -
I'd ride on the hoods. But that's me.0
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JackPozzi wrote:[
When
http://cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Default.aspx?&ge514__geka=MoeMaZhZdmGPSYuQ8onYwr5VtT1MpzEe2fhLDMJ2raIcqkycJrweT-tOSegOH8lwEB63Z4jLgVoj_3jukNhphzO1O4taeXsYZ01N_QxmumdEt9mYGRNWYDtw0rdnvFbXkxh3amfBZHFX3DCKuXGyO4gsQDpMBKtuEPOPDXzIeZY&ge514__gevi=Izfmr6G01GnGDLiOEGKJEg&gv850__gvac=2&gv850__gvff0=22288&gv850__gvfl0=0&tabid=361
Where
http://www.midlanddc.org.uk/index.php?q=courses&area=KH&course=KH27
thank you
call me Mr picky but the only mention of 'Hill Climb' is the HC under 'distance' :roll:
Easy enough to know where to look I guess ...if you already know where to look 0 -
If you're planning to enter, better make it quick as entries close on Oct. 12. Get it in the mail tomorrow 1st class and it should get there.peanut wrote:can someone please tell me where and when the national Hill Climb Championships are being held this year ? I don't know why it has to be such a big secret :twisted: try googling for it and you'll see what I mean
I've spent 10 minutes trawling through infathomable pages on the CTT website without success. I suppose if you are 'in-the know ' you don't need to look up the event and everybody else is screwed basically.grrrr0 -
peanut wrote:
thank you
call me Mr picky but the only mention of 'Hill Climb' is the HC under 'distance' :roll:
Easy enough to know where to look I guess ...if you already know where to look
You're welcome.
CTT aren't renowned for making things easy to find, especially for those new to the sport. It seems to be a throwback to the days when racing was illegal and so was carried out using secret course codes in the early hours of the morning wearing all black, and no-one's seen much point in modernising it, despite the fact that everyone's always complaining that rider number's are dropping.... :roll: 0 -
JackPozzi wrote:You're welcome. CTT aren't renowned for making things easy to find, especially for those new to the sport. It seems to be a throwback to the days when racing was illegal and so was carried out using secret course codes in the early hours of the morning wearing all black, and no-one's seen much point in modernising it, despite the fact that everyone's always complaining that rider number's are dropping.... :roll:
Hell yes!0 -
+1 for lack of visibility and a general feeling of "if you don't know, you don't need to know" when you're new to the sport. Thank goodness for friendly forums like this! To be fair, there's now a big pop up for the National HC on the CTT website home page which takes you through to the sponsoring club's page. And generally people are very helpful when you get hold of them individually.
Big contrast to (gulp) triathlon whcih is all very internet friendly and easy to access. But then again tri all feels a bit commercial - and also leads to crazy things like the Windsor Triathlon next June being sold out already in October!0
