hillclimb setup

smush
smush Posts: 89
edited September 2011 in Amateur race
Im looking to do some hill climbs this year using a standard cube road bike ,
Are there any items i should be adding to the bike ,kit i should be wearing or upgrades that dont cost the earth that can help me out ?

Comments

  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Minimise weight - remove anything that's not essential (bottle cages, saddle packs etc).

    Use the lightest wheels, tyres, inner tubes you can lay your hands on.

    Plenty of hill repeats for training should see you right.
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    A slightly different, but related question as I'm looking at doing some HCs...

    I currently ride with red Look cleats which give the biggest degree of float as I find this more comfortable for most of my training. Presumably I lose a bit of power with these so would be better switching to grey or black cleats for hillclimbs?
  • celbianchi
    celbianchi Posts: 854
    derbygrimpeur wrote:
    A slightly different, but related question as I'm looking at doing some HCs...

    I currently ride with red Look cleats which give the biggest degree of float as I find this more comfortable for most of my training. Presumably I lose a bit of power with these so would be better switching to grey or black cleats for hillclimbs?

    I use the shimano red cleat for most of my riding, (no float). I originally moved to this from the yellow cleat with float, specifically for hill climbs a couple of years back. I had read that a fixed cleat was more effective for climbs.
    As Brailsford would no doubt say "aggregation of marginal gains"
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    thanks. will get some black cleats (no float) then and give them a whirl.
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    derbygrimpeur wrote:
    A slightly different, but related question as I'm looking at doing some HCs...

    I currently ride with red Look cleats which give the biggest degree of float as I find this more comfortable for most of my training. Presumably I lose a bit of power with these so would be better switching to grey or black cleats for hillclimbs?

    I wouldnt worry about it TBH, and certainly wouldnt start changing cleats you are comfortable with. Not sure where power loss would be and I would guess it would be insignificant.

    Try riding a few hill climbs with a number on your back, I think you find you have more important things to think about :)
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    It's those marginal gains I'm after. The pwoer loss would come from the sideways movement of your foot. It will be small, but if it makes a second or two difference up, for example, Monsal Head, that could be a few places.
  • celbianchi
    celbianchi Posts: 854
    derbygrimpeur wrote:
    It's those marginal gains I'm after. The pwoer loss would come from the sideways movement of your foot. It will be small, but if it makes a second or two difference up, for example, Monsal Head, that could be a few places.


    Absolutely, in such short events every single second counts. I have won climbs by < 3 secs and actually been beaten for the win in one by 1 second so if you are going to be taking them seriously it all helps.

    I don't recall I have ever seen any scientific paper on the subject of power loss owing to float, but even if it's placebo it's worth it.

    Wear a skinsuit if you have one.
    If you ride with a cap instead of a helmet, turn it back to front.

    The nationals this year is a long draggy 11 minute type climb so these things may be more important than on the usual 4 minute type national climb.
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    It's the nationals I'm building up for (although the gradient is probably too shallow for me). Will be putting in some other hillclimbs around the Peak to hopefully get my entry accepted for the nationals. First season doing this so looking to get bike setup as right as I can given my limited resources (only one bike - a Ribble winter, so not ideal for HC)

    I was 4th in a hillclimb recently where I was 4 seconds behind the winner. 4s covering 4 places. Just thinking if there's anything I can tweak easily to give me small improvements (other than specific training, which I'm doing).
  • celbianchi
    celbianchi Posts: 854
    Derbygrimpeur,
    I posted a few tips from my own experiences in a thread a couple of years back:-
    Some might be useful, some not.

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... highlight=
  • Tom BB
    Tom BB Posts: 1,001
    I too am hoping to do some hill climbs this year......I'm in Stoke, but don't mind a bit of traveling to get to events-any recommendation for good events for a newbie?
  • celbianchi
    celbianchi Posts: 854
    Tom BB wrote:
    I too am hoping to do some hill climbs this year......I'm in Stoke, but don't mind a bit of traveling to get to events-any recommendation for good events for a newbie?

    Ramsbottom Rake - closed hill, tannoy with commentary, great experience
    Nick O Pendle, great climb, very exposed upper section, another previous national HC
    Otley 2 stage - two hard climbs
    Carlton Bank - cleveland - possibly the hardest one that I have done
    Pea Royd Lane, stocksbridge - another national champs hill
    Hedley on the hill, Northumberland (i'm putting this one on :wink: )
    The national champs, Long Hill Derbyshire - a must
    Cragg Vale - longest continual climb used in England
    Hartside Pass - another long one and good prep for the national climb.
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    celbianchi > thanks, will take a look

    Tom...

    Monsal Head (Sheffrec)
    Riber & Bank Road, Matlock (Matlock CC)
    Beeley (Chesterfield Coureurs)
  • Tom BB
    Tom BB Posts: 1,001
    Cheers guys!
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    celbianchi wrote:
    Tom BB wrote:
    I too am hoping to do some hill climbs this year......I'm in Stoke, but don't mind a bit of traveling to get to events-any recommendation for good events for a newbie?

    Ramsbottom Rake - closed hill, tannoy with commentary, great experience
    Nick O Pendle, great climb, very exposed upper section, another previous national HC
    Otley 2 stage - two hard climbs
    Carlton Bank - cleveland - possibly the hardest one that I have done
    Pea Royd Lane, stocksbridge - another national champs hill
    Hedley on the hill, Northumberland (i'm putting this one on :wink: )
    The national champs, Long Hill Derbyshire - a must
    Cragg Vale - longest continual climb used in England
    Hartside Pass - another long one and good prep for the national climb.

    Whens your event at Hedley? My in-laws live on the west side of Newcastle, so I could time a visit with a race.
  • celbianchi
    celbianchi Posts: 854
    SheffSimon wrote:
    celbianchi wrote:
    Tom BB wrote:
    I too am hoping to do some hill climbs this year......I'm in Stoke, but don't mind a bit of traveling to get to events-any recommendation for good events for a newbie?

    Ramsbottom Rake - closed hill, tannoy with commentary, great experience
    Nick O Pendle, great climb, very exposed upper section, another previous national HC
    Otley 2 stage - two hard climbs
    Carlton Bank - cleveland - possibly the hardest one that I have done
    Pea Royd Lane, stocksbridge - another national champs hill
    Hedley on the hill, Northumberland (i'm putting this one on :wink: )
    The national champs, Long Hill Derbyshire - a must
    Cragg Vale - longest continual climb used in England
    Hartside Pass - another long one and good prep for the national climb.

    Whens your event at Hedley? My in-laws live on the west side of Newcastle, so I could time a visit with a race.

    18th September, 11:00 kick off. Road has been re-surfaced since the last open held there in 2009.
  • sheffsimon
    sheffsimon Posts: 1,282
    celbianchi wrote:
    SheffSimon wrote:
    celbianchi wrote:
    Tom BB wrote:
    I too am hoping to do some hill climbs this year......I'm in Stoke, but don't mind a bit of traveling to get to events-any recommendation for good events for a newbie?

    Ramsbottom Rake - closed hill, tannoy with commentary, great experience
    Nick O Pendle, great climb, very exposed upper section, another previous national HC
    Otley 2 stage - two hard climbs
    Carlton Bank - cleveland - possibly the hardest one that I have done
    Pea Royd Lane, stocksbridge - another national champs hill
    Hedley on the hill, Northumberland (i'm putting this one on :wink: )
    The national champs, Long Hill Derbyshire - a must
    Cragg Vale - longest continual climb used in England
    Hartside Pass - another long one and good prep for the national climb.

    Whens your event at Hedley? My in-laws live on the west side of Newcastle, so I could time a visit with a race.

    18th September, 11:00 kick off. Road has been re-surfaced since the last open held there in 2009.

    Thanks, sounds like I could make that work.
  • celbianchi
    celbianchi Posts: 854
    Sheffsimon - splendid, it's a pain trying to drum up a decent sized field for a hill climb, too many people run scared of a bit of pain.
    There's a few of the classics that get full fields but most of the others it's lucky to get 30....
  • Jim Will Fixie It
    Jim Will Fixie It Posts: 72
    Like Tom BB, I'm new to hillclimbing. I'm based in Dorset until the end of September and then in Leicester (not the hilliest place on Earth!) until Christmas whilst I'm at uni.

    Are there any websites where i can find details of events local to these places? I've tried BC and CTT but haven't had any joy. Cheers in advance.
  • celbianchi
    celbianchi Posts: 854
    Jim Will Fixie It wrote:
    Like Tom BB, I'm new to hillclimbing. I'm based in Dorset until the end of September and then in Leicester (not the hilliest place on Earth!) until Christmas whilst I'm at uni.

    Are there any websites where i can find details of events local to these places? I've tried BC and CTT but haven't had any joy. Cheers in advance.

    Hi there.
    Try this then filter the districts, event type should be pre-set to HC, but change it if not.

    http://www.ctt.org.uk/Default.aspx?&gv5 ... 4__gvfl0=1
  • Jim Will Fixie It
    Jim Will Fixie It Posts: 72
    celbianchi wrote:
    Jim Will Fixie It wrote:
    Like Tom BB, I'm new to hillclimbing. I'm based in Dorset until the end of September and then in Leicester (not the hilliest place on Earth!) until Christmas whilst I'm at uni.

    Are there any websites where i can find details of events local to these places? I've tried BC and CTT but haven't had any joy. Cheers in advance.

    Hi there.
    Try this then filter the districts, event type should be pre-set to HC, but change it if not.

    http://www.ctt.org.uk/Default.aspx?&gv5 ... 4__gvfl0=1

    Cheers for that Bianchi, will try and have a go at some in Peak District in October (Bakewell & Matlock etc)
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    Here's another question for you all.

    I only have one bike, Ribble Winter, with stock Pro-Lite Como wheels fitted with Continental Gator Skins. Obviously not the ideal hill climb machine but it does well for the majority of my riding.

    Do you think it would be worthwhile swapping the tyres for something lighter for the hill climbs? I'm sure it would make some difference, and it's a relatively simple / inexpensive change I can make.
  • Tom Dean
    Tom Dean Posts: 1,723
    derbygrimpeur wrote:
    Here's another question for you all.

    I only have one bike, Ribble Winter, with stock Pro-Lite Como wheels fitted with Continental Gator Skins. Obviously not the ideal hill climb machine but it does well for the majority of my riding.

    Do you think it would be worthwhile swapping the tyres for something lighter for the hill climbs? I'm sure it would make some difference, and it's a relatively simple / inexpensive change I can make.

    Yes some nice light tyres will feel much better than your gatorskins

    Edit: (as per the first response in the thread)
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    of course, stupid me. :oops:
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    get the bike as light as possible. simple. lighter wheels and tyres are the best saving on account of rotating mass. however, super slick tyres give you no grip on mulchy autumnal leaves.

    get yourself as light as possible without compromising power. don't eat sweets, cake, or drink beer. be strict about it. when it comes to the crunch, fatties don't win hillclimbs. the longer the climb, the bigger the penalty. power to weight is everything.

    train by doing hill repeats. a lot. it's the only way you can replicate, or attempt to replicate, the level of exertion.

    pace yourself, but also be prepared for the fact that you're going to massively redline, over and above what you've done before. training the body to cope with this sort of effort is the key to success.

    ben's advice from the previous thread is sound.

    example of redline efforts: http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/201 ... illclimbs/

    reasons for intervals:
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/201 ... l-repeats/

    maybe read this week's comic, there's a good piece about the benefits of 'micro-intervals'.
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    6109423457_bbd4dc7d1f_o.jpg
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • derbygrimpeur
    derbygrimpeur Posts: 822
    cheers, I like your blogs on the hill climbs. As a Dursley RC rider in my youth I know Stouts Hill, so quite interesting to see your stats.
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    ta. stouts is a bit of a beast. they should hold an open event on there.
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/

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