Ventoux in Three Weeks

dyrlac

A spot has opened up on a Mt. Ventoux and environs cycling weekend with some reasonably keen colleagues in three weeks' time (total of 210km and 3500m over two days). Trying to decide whether to take it up. It would be my first alpine trip, and while I've not done any training for it, I do have nearly 4,000 km in my legs in 2016, mostly commuting with the occasional longer ride. Is this a sufficient base to cope with an alpine climb or two without embarrassing* myself--obviously no time for any specific training to have a measurable impact? These things are purely a function of FTP right?

* on past form, I'm middle of the pack with these guys on the flat, a touch quicker going up the Surrey hills, and a sh*te descender.

markhewitt1978

Go. If you're shit, it doesn't matter, you'll still have a good time.

Whatever happens you'll look back being glad you went. You won't look back in 10 years time and remember being at home.

iPete

Go, you'll be all good, just don't take the fixie.

If you've got the right gearing and a power meter (assume you have one, if you have one on the fixie) it's just a case of pacing.

cazhadfield

As above...never pass up an opportunity to ride Ventoux

hypster

Mont Ventoux is my favourite Alpine climb and a real TdF icon. You don't say anything about your age or weight but I just looked up your Dolan link (if you are taking that) and you have 34-25 as your lowest gear. If you are young and/or light then you might well get away with that gearing.

Mont Ventoux has a 9km section in the middle of the Bedoin ascent of between 9-10% which can get a bit tough if you don't have low enough gears. After the Chalet Reynard it drops down to around 8% average but can be very windy up there. I would imagine it can get very cold in May as well so be prepared.

dyrlac

Thanks all. Would not take the fixie*, and I now have a PM on the Dolan, so that's sorted. May consider getting an 11-28 cassette as a concession to my lack of preparation, I know for a fact one of my companions will be riding a triple :shock: (craziest set-up I've ever seen, £4k bike, Dura Ace everything except for a homebrew frankenstein chainset/FD/left brifter; he's a strong rider but just really loves to spin).

An excuse to get new wheels as well I reckon....

* though i did recently do 165km/1200m solo fixed on 79", it just took 6 hours. :?

hypster

Dyrlac wrote:

Thanks all. Would not take the fixie*, and I now have a PM on the Dolan, so that's sorted. May consider getting an 11-28 cassette as a concession to my lack of preparation, I know for a fact one of my companions will be riding a triple :shock: (craziest set-up I've ever seen, £4k bike, Dura Ace everything except for a homebrew frankenstein chainset/FD/left brifter; he's a strong rider but just really loves to spin).

An excuse to get new wheels as well I reckon....

* though i did recently do 165km/1200m solo fixed on 79", it just took 6 hours. :?

I would say get an 11-28 cassette as insurance. Better to have it and not need it that need it and not have it.

colinsmith123

If it is going to take you three weeks to ride up Ventoux, maybe you are participating in the wrong pastime.

webboo

hypster wrote:

Mont Ventoux is my favourite Alpine climb.

Has it moved a few hundred miles north.

dyrlac

Webboo wrote:

hypster wrote:

Mont Ventoux is my favourite Alpine climb.

Has it moved a few hundred miles north.

Geologically it is part of the alps as per wikipedia, even though it stands apart; anyway "alpine" allows some wiggle room. :P

colinsmith123 wrote:

If it is going to take you three weeks to ride up Ventoux, maybe you are participating in the wrong pastime.

I did struggle with the thread title... on a unicycle maybe.

hypster

Webboo wrote:

hypster wrote:

Mont Ventoux is my favourite Alpine climb.

Has it moved a few hundred miles north.

Every time I make that claim someone pops up to dispute it. :roll:

My advice is to go and ride it and decide if it is Alpine or not.

webboo

The Diamond in Colorado is an Alpine climb but it's not in the Alps.

sancho_panza

absolutely no problem whatsoever - you'll love it. And I guarantee you'll be back for more! What a wonderful place.

davidof

Dyrlac wrote:

Thanks all. Would not take the fixie*, and I now have a PM on the Dolan, so that's sorted. May consider getting an 11-28 cassette as a concession to my lack of preparation,

With 4000km this year you'll be fine with a 34x25. Last time I rode it was on a 39x28 and I'm old and heavy.
If you have a 27 or x28 no harm in having it handy.
The biggest barriers in May will be cold and wind. It has been a very windy year and if the mistral is blowing it may not be possible to climb beyond Chalet Reynard.

briantrumpet

davidof wrote:

The biggest barriers in May will be cold and wind. It has been a very windy year and if the mistral is blowing it may not be possible to climb beyond Chalet Reynard.

It was very windy at Easter in the SE, and curiously it was all strong southerlies, something I'd not experienced in such force and for such a prolonged period. And I see it's still not really warming up much. Curious times.

Spartacus1981

* on past form, I'm middle of the pack with these guys on the flat, a touch quicker going up the Surrey hills, and a sh*te descender.[/quote]

Sound like a pretty reasonable cyclist to me fella !! Bit like me from the above description too except the location of the hills. With 4000k in the legs this year (me too haha) why wouldn't you go !! Enjoy it !!

dyrlac

Bought tickets, heading out in 15 days. Just to be clear, no amount of time on the wattbike between now and then will have any appreciable (positive) impact, right? I expect to get around 400-500km during that period on the commute (typically ridden at an intensity which will leave my CTL essentially flat between now and then (mid 90s for what it's worth)).

whoof

If you didn't know there are three ways up he Ventoux.
The 'classic' is from Bedoin. If your not so keen on descending you might want to descend to Sault as it's longer and therefore less steep. You could also do a loop and take in the Gorges de la Nesque.

http://www.veloventoux.com/?c=montVentoux

http://www.steephill.tv/2007/mont-ventoux/


As others have said take a look at the weather forecast it can be very windy near the top.

drlodge

Do it, and take the 28T cassette. I'm booked near there for 11 days next summer for my 50th.

dyrlac

Just got back. Very pleased to report that quantity (of miles in the saddle) has a quality all its own. Managed the full climb from Bedoin to the summit comfortably under two hours, which was my aim. Since my PM was on the fritz, I kept an eye on HR, trying to hold it to ~85% of LTHR. The forest was just a never-ending tunnel of pain, but kept the 28T in reserve for the final push once I cleared the tree line (at which point it got plenty of use). Windy as all get out by the summit, but the direction helpfully provided a bit of a shove on the left hander hairpins that let me recover some speed. Cold up there too, about 3 deg C. Genuflected at the Tommy Simpson shrine on the way down. Back at Reynaud a group of us took the command decision to head (as suggested above) down to Sault, where we had long stretches of 60+ kph, followed up with a ride through the Gorges de la Nesque, absolutely stunning countryside (Ventoux by contrast is just a hellscape). Highly, highly recommended.

aberdeenal

Great effort.............I'm due there in a couple of weeks and bricking myself!!

kawaspresso

The forest after the St Esteve corner to Chalet Reynard is the most difficult part, as a beginner I did it with a 34 chain-ring and 30t cassette last year, my cadence was still really low 60/70rpm in the forest.