Cycling tour panic - any advice?

msmancunia

I'm off cycling through the Atlas Mountains for a week on Easter Sunday. I normally commute to work (25 mile round trip) so I've knocked a day out during the week and do a longer run out 30 - 40 miles at the weekend, so I thought I'd be fit enough. I live in Oldham so my commute is "undulating" - there isn't much flat until I get into Manchester.

But, I've just read this line in the trip notes:

"A good level of fitness is required for this trip as there are some
climbs, with 21km as the longest"

and I've just had a major panic. I've done some hill training, but not to that extent! So, the question is - do you think I'll be ok or should I WTFU and crawl up Blackstone Edge at the weekend and then taper after that so that I'm not completely shellshocked by it? Or should I just stick with the commuting, add some longer rides home and try to make sure my stamina is ok?

rick_chasey

A 21km climb is just a 21km ride that goes very slowly.

As long as your gearing is fine you'll be fine.

(it is a bloody long way to go uphill though).

styxd

I wouldnt worry, 21km is a long climb, but it'll just be a very gradual ascent rather than anything hugely steep.

Kieran_Burns

Wibble. Look at day 2.

TommyEss

The longer climbs are nearly impossible to find in the UK - our hills tend to be much shorter and much steeper - physiologically you tend to climb those using more power rather than endurance. For the longer hills, get yourself into a comfortable gear (more spinny than grunty will probably help) and just keep turning the pedals - yes it's a slog, and no you probably won't break any records, but you will get up it. You just have to get into a different mindset - you may find yourself amongst guys who go off too hard, and you may well catch them back up - it's a bit tortoise and the hare - of course they might just be awesome, but if they are, so what?

Above all have fun - sounds like a preetty cool tour!

rolf_f

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Wibble. Look at day 2.

Pfft - 6000 feet. Half the Fred

notsoblue

TommyEss wrote:

For the longer hills, get yourself into a comfortable gear (more spinny than grunty will probably help) and just keep turning the pedals - yes it's a slog, and no you probably won't break any records, but you will get up it. You just have to get into a different mindset.

+1, take it at your own pace. Given the amount of riding you do now on your commute you'll probably be fine. You'll get used to it after the first couple of days, and climbing will be second nature. Anyway, I'd take a 21km climb over the same distance along the cornish coast any day :P

The tour sounds awesome, which company are you doing it with?

CiB

I love Blackstone Edge. You could do worse than try a few reps of going up it & down into Mytholmroyd and then turning round to go back up & down again. Not quite 21km but it is > 5 miles from Mytholmroyd up to BE summit so will give you a sense of what's to come. Treat yourself to half a shandy in the pub on top.

Hills don't tend to get harder just because they're longer IME. Once you find your cadence and can pace yourself you should be ok; just keep grinding away at it until it stops being a hill.

msmancunia

Thanks for all the reassurance - I didn't really think about a gradual climb; I just saw the distance and realised it was roughly the same as my commute into work every morning! Good idea about the BE reps - I live about 15 miles from the bottom (uphill!) so I might get the train to Littleborough and go up and down a few times before cycling home.

@ notsoblue - it's with Exodus; the trip code is MMI I think. Start off in Marrakesh, through the high and anti Atlas, across to Essaouira on the coast and then back to Marrakesh. Next one's in September due to the heat in the summer.

FoldingJoe

notsoblue wrote:

Anyway, I'd take a 21km climb over the same distance along the cornish coast any day :P

Yep, I can vouch for that, and it doesn't get much flatter inland.

Flyingbogey

Make it a segment on strava, proper KOM, some of the regulars would probably change their holiday plans and have a crack at it though.

msmancunia

Ok, so I've done a bit of googling, and apparently it's this - the Tizi n Test pass. So, long, but not necessarily steep, and apparently an amazing descent. I'd post a pic (but no idea how!) but here's a linky.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vtveen/2170953221/

jzed

You'll be fine. You have all day to do it so just find a comfortable gear and enjoy the scenery as you go. Assume you'll find people of a similar pace which makes it a little bit easier.

The climb up from Mytholmroyd to Blackstone Edge is perfect training. Its a constant uphill so you can get a rhythmn easily. Noticed its now on Strava. Will have to upload my times and see how I fair.

CiB

Supposed to be the longest continuous climb in England at 5 miles+, Mytholmroyd to the top of BE. Certainly feels like it. It would certainly do you good as a training route.

TommyEss

msmancunia wrote:

Ok, so I've done a bit of googling, and apparently it's this - the Tizi n Test pass. So, long, but not necessarily steep, and apparently an amazing descent. I'd post a pic (but no idea how!) but here's a linky.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vtveen/2170953221/

rolf_f

CiB wrote:

Supposed to be the longest continuous climb in England at 5 miles+, Mytholmroyd to the top of BE. Certainly feels like it. It would certainly do you good as a training route.

Cragg Vale - not actually steep anywhere and really a pleasant climb. Unless you get a headwind once you get out of the sheltered part. I took a mate who isn't that bike fit up there (I'd promised no steep climbs so I gave him the longest climb in England instead ) - once on the upper section we had a hard headwind. When you are there, you assume you have nearly completed the climb but really you are only about half way. It just goes on and on! My friend nearly mutinied and took the train back from Littleborough. Luckily I pursuaded him that the run back along the Calder Valley was easy so by Hebden Bridge I was able to con him into the climb over to Oxenhope

msmancunia

Ooh thanks for posting my photo - looks a little less steep than I was imagining.

Ok - looks like I'm off up Blackstone Edge next week. If you see a blonde pushing a bike up a big hill, please stop and say Hi :oops:

CiB

msmancunia wrote:

Ok - looks like I'm off up Blackstone Edge next week. If you see a blonde pushing a bike up a big hill, please stop and say Hi :oops:

<starts plotting weak excuse to visit the in-laws up that way and sneak the bike up with us...>

msmancunia

CiB wrote:

msmancunia wrote:

Ok - looks like I'm off up Blackstone Edge next week. If you see a blonde pushing a bike up a big hill, please stop and say Hi :oops:

<starts plotting weak excuse to visit the in-laws up that way and sneak the bike up with us...>

Just so long as you're offering to give me a tow, unlike the bloke on a Boardman that drafted me for 6 miles up Oldham Rd and Broadway last night :evil:

CiB

I'm still trying to beat 42 going down the damn thing. There's always a strong headwind heading back towards Littleborough, usually with rain, hail & snow mixed in. In the winter it's even worse.

msmancunia

Must remember to check the weather then! It's in a similar part of the world to that weird bit on top of the M62 that has twilight zone-style weather i.e rain/hail/snow/monsoon where everwhere else in the north west is basking in sunshine.

jzed

Had family in Rochdale up until a year ago with a reserve bike stored just for Blackstone Edge. Still - am planning on going up in May to do "Over the Edge", been meaning to do it for the last few years as an ex-Transpennine CC rider.

http://www.bhf.org.uk/get-involved/events/view-event.aspx?ps=1001443

CiB

Yay. We got ourselves a Blackstone Edge fan club. Neat.

msmancunia

Hang on a second - I don't know if I'm going to like it yet. It might just be a very small fan club of two....

CiB

You'll love it. Mind the sheep.

Hoopdriver

FoldingJoe wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Anyway, I'd take a 21km climb over the same distance along the cornish coast any day :P

Yep, I can vouch for that, and it doesn't get much flatter inland.

Totally agree!

madtam

Not to worry you, but the traffic is much worse than the terrain. It's not that there is a lot of it, but the quality of the driving is appalling and the state of the vehicles leaves a lot to be desired.
Watch out for the trucks which do not give way or leave room for anything.

Apart from that, the scenery is jaw dropping, the people (berbers at least - avoid the coastal arabs) are tremendous and if you can unwind and slow right down to the relaxed pace, you are going to love essaouira. I had a few days there some years ago and wished I could have stayed a few more weeks.

msmancunia

madtam wrote:

Not to worry you, but the traffic is much worse than the terrain. It's not that there is a lot of it, but the quality of the driving is appalling and the state of the vehicles leaves a lot to be desired.
Watch out for the trucks which do not give way or leave room for anything.

Apart from that, the scenery is jaw dropping, the people (berbers at least - avoid the coastal arabs) are tremendous and if you can unwind and slow right down to the relaxed pace, you are going to love essaouira. I had a few days there some years ago and wished I could have stayed a few more weeks.

Thanks loads for the tips - think you're spot on with the "slow right down" advice! No Silly Holiday Racing for me (unless I'm going downhill!). Really looking forward to it though, especially a dip in the sea at Essaouira towards the end :-)