Cycling Alpe D'Huez

bahzob

ilovebigwig wrote:

please see my post, near the bottom.

viewtopic.php?f=40011&t=12858660&start=20

Good suggestion. Climbs like the Alpe are very similar to non stop hard hour+ turbo sessions (or for that matter 25-50 mile TTs). As you say if you can manage these then the climbs themselves may seem easy by comparison, as the scenery and the reward at the end are a lot more inspiring.

That's why I keep banging on about getting the gearing right. The gear you use should allow you to maintain the same cadence as you would on the turbo or for a TT, it's that simple. Even if this means using a triple with a 29 on the back.

Training at 80rpm then struggling to turn 50rpm on the climb itself just because you want to boast you used "39x26" is both stupid and painful. Yet this is what the vast majority of amateur riders do, especially from countries that have no easy access to real mountains.

Chrissylaa

1 Hour endurance/tempo rides on the turbo is decent training for the Alpe.

The hairpins are about the only place to get a "rest" and the rest is relentless so if you can get used to tapping out a fairly hard tempo on the turbo you'll be ok.

I used 39 x 23 at 11 1/2 stone and this was about the limit for gearing for me.

cougie

bahzob wrote:

Training at 80rpm then struggling to turn 50rpm on the climb itself just because you want to boast you used "39x26" is both stupid and painful. Yet this is what the vast majority of amateur riders do, especially from countries that have no easy access to real mountains.

If you did that - then you'd be doing less than 6 miles per hour. That would be struggling. The Alpe isnt that steep.

wallace_and_gromit

I'd heartily recommend getting a nice low bottom gear fitted. Something like a 34*28 is easily come by. If this is too low, then you can always change up to dish it out on the upper slopes! Spinning up is much more fun than grinding.

60-90 minute sessions on the turbo, with a cadence around 70 is my suggestion for training in the UK for a one-off assault of ADH. This will also provide the grounding for a trip up the Glandon as well, which is stunningly beautiful climb, and shallow enough most of the way for you to enjoy the scenery. This worked for me, and I have the natural endurance capabilities, though none of the speed of Usain Bolt.

davidof

bahzob wrote:

An option to make this a bit more pleasant is to turn right in Huez which takes you along a balcony road with superb views of the valley.

That's the Col de Sarenne road. Note the small house built behind a rock as you come into Clavans - the rock protects it from avalanches.

I cycled up to ADH last week - I live nearby though.

I use a 34x28 and will probably go 34x30 when I can get the cassette. I've slowly moved from 39x25 over the years. For ADH I could ride up with a 34x25 but did use the 28 cog somewhere "en-route" last week. A triple should get you up anything - I saw a fat aged woman cycling up on a hybrid triple.

If the OP is in Yorks he should be able to find some long hills. Try climbing in a low gear, high cadence (say 80-90 rpm) then high gear, low cadence (40-50 rpm) for training do a few circuits. Less weight is also good, barring cutting off a leg, Vivien Stanshall style

If you don't like the heat cycle in the morning before 10am, it is south-west facing and gets very hot.

Don't go too hard on the first 3 hairpins, they are amongst the steepest part of the course and you risk blowing up. There follows a section of rolling terrain before things ramp up again through Huez. You don't really need food and only a small bottle of water unless you cycle out of season when nearly everything is closed on the mountain.

You can sometimes see pro riders and celebs on the climb. I saw Sheryl Crow one May.

ut_och_cykla

davidof wrote:

SNIP
I use a 34x28 and will probably go 34x30 when I can get the cassette. I've slowly moved from 39x25 over the years. For ADH I could ride up with a 34x25 but did use the 28 cog somewhere "en-route" last week. A triple should get you up anything - I saw a fat aged woman cycling up on a hybrid triple.

Ha ha that might have been me. :oops: 30*32 combo took me up ADH in 1:53. Pleased as punch for a tubby lady 50+ years. get the gears right, get head right for keeping going one hour plus, avoid worst heat of afternoon.

rdt

bahzob wrote:

Compare with this footage of folks who measure ability by size of gear they can push (3mins in or so)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdDbBcLWdh4&feature=related

They are struggling and could all have ridden better if they just used the proper gearing.

That's some good footage - folks grinding away at 40-50 rpm, pushing bikes, or lying at the roadside clutching cramped legs, humbled by the Galibier, while a few others with perhaps more appropriate gears spin past...

Tom Butcher

I think someone race fit doing it as a one off could probably get up OK on 39*26 - as has been said as part of a longer ride then something a little lower would be more suitable for that area unless you really are close to elite level.

Having done the Marmotte a couple of times I reckon the majority have a compact and maybe something like a 26 to 29 tooth bottom sprocket - think I had 36*27 which was fine - possibly a 34 on the front would have worked better on the steeper slopes of the Alpe last year.

Alex_Simmons/RST

Rule74Please wrote:

for those power heads out there 300 watts has you doing it under 55 mins

http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com.au/2011/ ... rtals.html

rdt

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com.au/2011/ ... rtals.html

The chart appears bang on with my own modest experience of the Alpe.

Alex_Simmons/RST

rdt wrote:

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

http://alex-cycle.blogspot.com.au/2011/ ... rtals.html

The chart appears bang on with my own modest experience of the Alpe.

term1te

I've cycled up the Alpe twice last summer, once with my 14 year old son. We took it slow and steady taking nearly 2 hours to the TdF finish. My heart rate monitor didn't measure me going over 70%. I'd guess almost any cyclist could do it like that without too much training. A couple of days later I busted a gut and got to the top in just under an hour, that was hard work. Decide if you want the view or the time, and train accordingly.

davidof

Term1te wrote:

I've cycled up the Alpe twice last summer, once with my 14 year old son. We took it slow and steady taking nearly 2 hours to the TdF finish. My heart rate monitor didn't measure me going over 70%. I'd guess almost any cyclist could do it like that without too much training. A couple of days later I busted a gut and got to the top in just under an hour, that was hard work. Decide if you want the view or the time, and train accordingly.

When I cycled up a couple of weeks ago there were a lot of Dutch kids on the climb, some must have been 12 years old. Good on them.

Under an hour is a very good time. Check out Timtoo.com for some of the times posted.

BeauMaximus

From that Chart, my time in the Grimpee after this years Marmotte of 55.33 gives me about 4.1w/kg, I wasn't aware of any wind.

I dont have a power meter and am not very clued up on it, but to find my average power for the climb is it as simple as x my weight in kg by 4.1?

My weight seemed to shoot up from 76.9kg on the wednesday before to 81.2 on the tuesday after, not sure why.
Say I was 80kg on the Sunday gives me 328 watts, does that seem right?

Seems high to me for almost an hour as when I was on strava, which I assume uses the same calculation, my 10 min power was only given as about 420 odd.

cheers

sampras38

As people have said already, try and get used to a hard effort for about 60-90 minutes. As an alpine climb, Alp Duez isn't really that hard compared to others in the area so if you're just doing that one climb, it'll be easier than you're expecting. The first few bends are the hardest (around 11 or 12%) but after that it hovvers around 4-8%.

I've done it against the clock on a compact with 12-28 and managed 1hr 3 mins (to the water tap) and did it this year on the Marmotte (it's the last climb of the day after about 100 miles).

It was the first Alpine climb I ever did about 6 years ago and nowhere near as hard as I thought it would be.

Pigeons in flight

Like others have said...it depends HOW you want to do it. If you're a reasonably fit recreational cyclist you should be able to cycle up it without stopping for a breather. Gearing will be important - I think a standard double would be tiring unless you are very fit. Compact/triple would be fine.

It's not that bad at all...the gradient at the bottom is quite steep and the first time you're doing it, you'll wonder how you can keep it up. It does ease off a bit though (kicks up a bit as well!) and the switchbacks give some respite.

If you want a good time, then you need to train hard - like others have described. If (like me) you want to cycle up it at a reasonable pace (erm....1hr 15mins from Bourg) and enjoy the views, but without stopping, then just keep a reasonable level of fitness ticking over and you'll be fine. I found that my back started to hurt as I'm only used to short British climbs and had to get out of the saddle and stretch. But there was no way I was putting my foot on the ground until the 'finish line' up in the ski resort!