Marmotte 2012
Comments
-
Thanks for the advice.
I guess there is no need to decide just yet what I should go for.
If in mid-June training has gone v. well I might plump for the 12-27.
But a 29 might be much appreciated if either training hasnt gone as well as hoped or if conditions are bad. Doing the alpe into a headwind could be hell...0 -
I was going okay last year and finishing well in many of the hillier Sportives (The Fred' and Etape du Dales) and was having the same dilema. Do I take the 12-26t or take the bail out gear 13-29t.
I can confirm that, had I not had the 29t I would have had a very different day of it. The option to give your legs a bit of a breather on the 29t when you're climbing the Galibier (after Plan l'achat) is a god send.0 -
I rode last year with a 13-26. This year I'll be taking a 13-29 - I was longing for a lower gear up the second half of the Galibier and the second half of the Alpe.0
-
I think you'll be much more likely to miss the 29 than the 11 or 12
I switched to a 30 last year and got round in a lot better shape than I was the year before when I had a 27 and missed the cutoff at the bottom of the Alpe. What I found was that it gives you a higher cadence on a steeper gradient, the low cadence is what kills me over 2:30 climbs. If you need some justification, Contador was riding a 32 in the Tour. Of course you could just have a steak instead 0 -
Like the posters above say, sometimes its not about just getting up the hill but doing so in the most efficient manner.
I rode the Marmotte last year with a 28. My legs never felt like they couldn't manage it but at times I was pedalling at a cadence much lower than optimum. This year I'm going to fit an SRAM Apex cassette to let me pedal at a faster cadence0 -
Lowest I can go on my Ultegra 6700 is a 28T, presumably I could fit a new Tiagra rear derailleur and 12-30 cassette as the cheapest 'get out of jail' option?0
-
Have you tried a 30? I run Ultegra and all I had to do was increase the chain length by a couple of links and screw the b limit screw right in.0
-
That's interesting, might give that a go! Cheers0
-
Using a compact and SRAM Apex 11-32. Weight coming down and going alcohol free from April 1st (my arse) 0
-
^^^^^ I was planning on going alcohol free from 2nd Jan, which became 1st Feb, which is now 1st March
Oh and BTW I did last years Etape on a compact with 28 tooth cog which seemed about right, I didnt really need the crawler gear but it felt good to have in reserve when I got to Alpe d'Huez. Id have concerns that a 32T set up wont actually provide any forward speed
0 -
On the Alpe last year there were so many people over geared with standard set ups and some struggling with 36 compacts. Gears are a personal choice and if you do 100mile plus runs and sportives back home in blighty whatever gear you hold in reserve for hard climbs towards the end is the same gear you need on the alpe. Even though its a relatively easy climb compared to some abroad and you can argue its not too steep but by the time you reach it you'll be tired and hopefully cooked(if you get the weather) and you'll need/want that low gear. A 27/28/29/30 or even a 32 wont make any difference to most in regards to forward momentum as you can spin to make the difference.Brian B.0
-
Undergeared on a sportive?Tom Butcher wrote:II suppose it depends on how good you are at climbing. A strong climber should be OK with 36*27 - a guy I know always does it on 39*25 but he's a first cat road racer and climbing is his strength - getting round the Marmotte just about in the top 100. I used a 36*28 and it was OK but would have used a lower gear at the top of the Galibier and on the Alpe if I had had it.
Then again a strong rider coming off the Galibier might find themselves undergeared trying to stay with a group - and being in a group off the Galibier could make a fair bit of difference. If you are caning it round UK sportives always getting gold standards or are in the points in hilly road races maybe take the 27 - otherwise probably play safe with the 29 would be my call.
After the Galibier it is not that far to base of Alpe but quite quick, but not over 30mph av speed so should not be undergeared.
The bigegst problem I see is when people try to use to big a spread of gears such as a 11/30 rear which gives big steps. This causes break up of rhythym as you always end up looking for gears on the flat.
My personal preferance is to sacrifice high gear to give closer spread, I do this for racing also.
For sportives if I do them I use a 12/25 compact and racing use compact 12 straight through.
I have never had the need for an eleven sprocket yet for sportives or racing
As for people being over geared on the Alpe, I think most cases are they are overcooked I saw this with many, I saw plenty going well up the galibier and struggle up the Alpe after overcooking the ride. If they can get up the Galibier then the Alpe should be much easier so the more important thing IMO is to judge pace and feeding better and save a bit for the Alpe.
I saw some struggling on tripples because they were knackered.0 -
Safe to say when you're F*cked there's no gear that's going to propel you up the final climb any easier.
Just suffer in silence!0 -
Glasgowbhoy wrote:Safe to say when you're F*cked there's no gear that's going to propel you up the final climb any easier.
Totally agree, but it will hurt less with the lower gearoldwelshman wrote:The bigegst problem I see is when people try to use to big a spread of gears such as a 11/30 rear which gives big steps. This causes break up of rhythym as you always end up looking for gears on the flat.
Flat bits on the Marmotte? You shouldn't be looking for gears. You should be looking for the largest backside in whatever group you're in and tuck yourself in behind it. Freewheel or spin in an easy gear to keep your legs from seizing up.
My four times up the Alpe at the end of the Marmotte have been 1:07, 1:13, 1:08 and 1:06. Three times with a compact, once with a standard. It's not hard to spot the one with the standard.0 -
-1Safe to say when you're F*cked there's no gear that's going to propel you up the final climb any easier.
IMHO I'd far rather have a 30 at the bottom of Ad'H than a 25
There's only one flattish bit from St Jean de Maurienne to the bottom of the Telegraphe, find a big group and stick with it, don't be tempted to do a pull at the front, they don't know you and you'll never see them again 0 -
Agree that it's not always lack of gears up the Alpe it's just lack of energy. When you absolutely ****ed I think sometimes it's easier just to turn a slightly bigger gear at a lower cadence than keep reaching for easier and easier gears. It's relative isn't it - for me a 36*28 or 29 was about right - I would have struggled massively on 39*25 but at the same time I think a triple with a mountain bike cassette would have been slower even with an easier gear.
Re. running out of gears - 50*13 - I don't know I think there will be people doing it who would find that isn't a big enough gear at times - maybe not many - certainly I think the guy I know who gets round very quick reckoned he wanted a big gear to avoid spinning out. I've was racing on a 50*36 last year anyway so admit it's not something I'd be bothered about but then I'm not aiming to finish in the first few hundred!
My advice based on doing it just the once is don't hang about at the top of the Glandon just because they say it's neutralised - get down into the valley with the fastest riders you can without totally blowing and you'll benefit getting a tow to the Telegraphe. And if you get in a decent group off the Galibier make sure you stay in it because there's a lot of pedaling once you get past the bit where it joins the Lautaret.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
When I moved to using a compact chainset (in 2003ish?) The first thing I needed to do was put a cassette on with an 11 sprocket. I now use an 11-25 for mountainous sportives and and 11-23 or 11-21 for road races.
With a 50-13 I think you'll be spinning out on the long descents. If my maths is right At 55kmph you'll be doing a cadence of somewhere close to 120 - could cause your arse to bounce around a bit - not good.
(I've ridden Sportives and races in this region with a 12 sprocket and I sometimes struggle to hold a wheel on the descents) 70 - 80 kmh isn't unheard of.
At 55kmph with a 50-11 your cadence should be in the 90's - much more comfortable.
Even 50-12 will be better than a 13 but like other's have said, cassettes with big ranges lose out in the middle gears.0 -
On a descent circa +30mph would the average sportive rider need to pedal? Unlikely0
-
spokegeezer wrote:On a descent circa +30mph would the average sportive rider need to pedal? Unlikely
Defintely for the descent to Bourg.
Over the years I've found it pretty much crucial to do the majority of the 40km from the lautaret in a bunch.
A decent bunch usually forms here and I'd want to try to stick with them (on the back of them ) for the next 40km.
I once had to do quite alot of this section to Bourg alone into a headwind - not good prep for The Alpe.0 -
I agree that getting into a group for the Maurienne valley and from the Lautaret is a must but stay alert that you don't get caught taking too much time at the front of a bunch. In the Marmotte even very good riders will shamelessly stay on your wheel taking a rest until you slow down enough that they get the hint then instead of taking a turn at the front they power off into the distance to find another sucker.
For cassette selection in the Marmotte you'll be spending 90% of your time either in the top 2-3 gears descending or the bottom 2-3 gears climbing so I reckon 11-32 Apex will be quite good as it gives a great top and bottom range and the gaps in the middle won't matter.0 -
Trying to work out a target time but not certain where the Glandon neutralised section ends - any ideas?
Also, presumably the published medal times of 8:39 for a gold and 10.18 (40-49) for silver exclude the descent?
Cheers0 -
Not sure - I think they might include the descent, that seems quite a generous time for gold without the descent - certainly the certificate you get at the end has your total time on it from gun to finish line.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
I never worked out the neutralised times either...
My certificate said I was bronze.
I reckon that removing the time for the neutralised zone, I should have been silver.
But they gave me a gold medal.
So I think you pays your money and takes your choices.... :PTop Ten finisher - PTP Tour of Britain 20160 -
Trying to work out a target time but not certain where the Glandon neutralised section ends - any ideas?
Can't remember but then I didn't ride it like it was neutralised :twisted:0 -
Basically give yourself 30mins I had a neutralised time last year of 7.28 and on the certificate it was 7.59 door to door0
-
mikey_748 wrote:Trying to work out a target time but not certain where the Glandon neutralised section ends - any ideas?
Also, presumably the published medal times of 8:39 for a gold and 10.18 (40-49) for silver exclude the descent?
Cheers
The published medal times definitely exclude the descent. A couple of years ago the times were all about 30mins longer.
The neutralised section ends a few yards round the corner from the junction of the D927 and the D74. This is very much the bottom of the descent, and the northernmost part of the course on the map. Mile 35.35 on my Garmin.
I've got the spits here wih distances http://connect.garmin.com/activity/981495020 -
Cheers Genki - that's great.
Nice ride by the way.....0 -
zerostar wrote:I am running compact campag 10 speed and am trying to decide between fitting a 13-29 (veloce) or a 12-27 (miche primato) cassette. I currently have 13-26 and rarely use the 13t in the UK, certainly less than the 26.
Although I have never ridden in the alps I am a reasonable climber (70-75kg) albeit not much of a grinder.
I am leaning towards the 13-29 but wondering whether a top gear of 50/13 is going to leave me seriously short on descending speed.
Is a 12t advised for the marmotte?
I rode the Galibier last year on an 12-27 but for Marmotte I'll probably go for 11-28.
I'm number 33510 -
Dare I ask... how's the training going ?0
-
Alain Quay wrote:Dare I ask... how's the training going ?
Ok, getting the miles in at the moment and on the bike around 5 days a week, whether that be rides or turbo sessions. Also doing a couple of UK Sportives beforehand including the Wales Dragon and should be ready..hopefully..:)0
