Club run - Hill - Wind , how did this happen ?

Raffles

I was out on the usual 55 mile club run yesterday, there was a prevailing 11 mph Westernly wind for the entire duration. The pace was brisk enough and the group average speed was 20.7 mph at the 30 miles mark where the cafe stop takes place. Before the stop , the road sweeps round and there is a climb section which is pretty steep. The club rides in the usual formation of 2 abreast with riders taking their turn at the front, just my luck that I found myself out front on my own directly before the climb bit and riding straight into the wind. Before the start of the rise I set my gears to where I thought they should be and I went for it, and I was promptly shat out the back of the pack by every single rider who was behind me :oops: :oops: :oops:

I went from front of the pack to back of the pack in an instant.

The rest of the riders comprised guys who were 50s plus, girls, triathletes and blokes in their early 40s like me. I was perfectly at home with every one of them on every ride section before that climb and every section after it and I was kicking my own butt in my own mind for the rest of the trip as to how un-cerimoniously I was obliterated on that hill Advise me please, it sits really badly in my gut as to how that happened.

nweststeyn

1) You were on your own
2) They were in a bigger/more appropriate gear and probably were putting in a fair emount of effort
3) They're stronger riders than you

Keep riding and climbing and you'll be flying past people in no time.

Raffles

nweststeyn wrote:

1) You were on your own
2) They were in a bigger/more appropriate gear and probably were putting in a fair emount of effort
3) They're stronger riders than you

Keep riding and climbing and you'll be flying past people in no time.

Was the fact that I was outfront on my own and facing the wind of significance then , I wonder were the riders to my rear playing it cute and using me as a wind buffer ?

snoopsmydogg

Wouldn't have thought so. More likely wrong gear choice and inexperience

ShutUpLegs

The old unwritten rule : Last one to the cafe gets the cakes in

sungod

how about this, you'd already fatigued your legs a bit leading up to the hill in the wind, enticed by the prospect of imminent cake, you were going just a bit too hard for their liking, so they all drafted you and, sniggering, dropped you at the start of the climb

alternatively, does your bike have any squeaky bits? i was doing training laps today, usually i don't mind someone sitting on, but for ages there was a guy drafting me with a squeaky drivetrain, and the constant nureek nureek nureek from behind was getting annoying, so i just waited for the next rise and dropped him hard

peanut

sounds like you had already done your turn on the front into the wind at a high pace and should have slipped back for some shelter before the turn.?

Already a bit tired psychologically you didn't have the right mental attitude at the start of the climb and without other riders in front and to the side of you to take your pace from you didn't select the right pace.?

then as you slipped back you panicked and lost composure and rhythm completly.

The only way you can recover from this loss of face is to sit on at every opportunity next ride then towards the end of the ride when legs are tired you pick a steep hill and ride through the lot of them as though they were going backwards. They'll probably curse and think that you are a bit of a dickwort but your reputation will be restored ....simples

Raffles

Is this of any relevance, Ive always avoided triple chainsets like the plague. A standard double is too much for me on climbs and I use a compact double 34/50 105. Im aware that good hill climbing technique is about getting a good cadence speed and sustaining it...........could some of those girls and guys be whizzing up the steep bits on triples that allow them to get faster incline cadences ? Then again, some of the really fast triathlete guys were using standard doubles.

ShutUpLegs

Raffles wrote:

Is this of any relevance, Ive always avoided triple chainsets like the plague. A standard double is too much for me on climbs and I use a compact double 34/50 105. Im aware that good hill climbing technique is about getting a good cadence speed and sustaining it...........could some of those girls and guys be whizzing up the steep bits on triples that allow them to get faster incline cadences ? Then again, some of the really fast triathlete guys were using standard doubles.

No

thescouselander

Could have been a nutrition thing. You'd already done quite a long way and probably depleted your reserves enough to cause your legs to work slightly less than normal. If I know there's a big climb coming up I have found it helps to down an energy gel/flapjack about 10 or 15 mins before hand - this normally gives me a bit of a boost.

When was the last time you had eaten anything before the hill in question?

nickel

Like others have said you were probably just tired by being at the front before you hit the hill, I wouldn't worry about it too much anyway. Some days I absolutely hand it to my club mates and others I'm desperately wheel sucking. Just the way it goes.

ddraver

sungod wrote:

alternatively, does your bike have any squeaky bits? i was doing training laps today, usually i don't mind someone sitting on, but for ages there was a guy drafting me with a squeaky drivetrain, and the constant nureek nureek nureek from behind was getting annoying, so i just waited until the next rise and dropped him hard

You were nt riding around The Hague today were you..? :oops:

slowondefy2

You gave your buddies a lead in to the hill giving them the momentum to attack the climb hard. Judging from your description I doubt you took it easy at the front before the hill, so I think it's unlikely you'd have been able to lead all the way up the climb. It sounds like a good team effort.

ShutUpLegs

Never leave a man beh

peanut

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Never leave a man behind

except on a typical club run

sungod

ddraver wrote:

<...>
You were nt riding around The Hague today were you..? :oops:

no, but is that a squeak i hear blowing across the north sea? :-)

sandyballs

Were you wearing a World champion jersey?

Remarkable

Sandyballs wrote:

Were you wearing a World champion jersey?

or a polka dot jersey?

MountainMonster

I hope this doesnt sound harsh, but rather than worrying about people having a different set up, and all the other stuff, realise this was a "fault" of yours, train harder and dont worry too much. There will always be faster people than you, especially when they have been drafting you before a climb.

rick_chasey

Rather like you see in the Tour, on the flat, with the advantages of drafting, it's difficult to see who is stronger and who isn't.

When the road points uphill the drafting effect gets reduced so it's more about how well you're going or not, relative to everyone else.

So basically they're faster/fitter than you. Which is a bummer. But then again, the best way to get fit I've found is to hang on to faster riders on club runs for dear life.

slowondefy2

Rick Chasey wrote:

Rather like you see in the Tour, on the flat, with the advantages of drafting, it's difficult to see who is stronger and who isn't.

When the road points uphill the drafting effect gets reduced so it's more about how well you're going or not, relative to everyone else.

So basically they're faster/fitter than you. Which is a bummer. But then again, the best way to get fit I've found is to hang on to faster riders on club runs for dear life.

Except OP says he was taking the lead into a headwind before the hill, so he was probably hitting the red zone well before everyone else. Sounds like a good team player, giving the other riders the momentum to attack the hill hard.