Alpe d'Huez Beginner

bigmat

MrB123 wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

All of this 15%, 19%, the ramp goes up to 11 is academic. Alpe d'Huez isn't an HC climb because somewhere there is a 19% ramp. It's HC because it sustains over 8% for 13 km. Because only the best pros climb it in under 40m, and that's at threshold. At 3 W/kg, it's still roughly 1h 10m. If your FTP is less, be prepared to suffer for a very, very long time.

Have I climbed it or any of the tough climbs in Britain? No. Having said that, you'll have to be very persuasive to convince me there's a single paved climb in britain as tough as Alpe d'Huez.

The Alpe is fairly steep compared to some Alpine stuff, but with a 32 on the back you'll always be able to stay in the saddle and spin up. How much it hurts is really only dependant on how much you push on, assuming you're fairly fit to start with.

Hardknott on the other hand will always terrify me and repeated visits have done nothing to diminish that feeling of butterflies/nausea in the pit of my stomach as I ride up Eskdale knowing what is to come. There is no way to take that climb easy on a road bike and at some point you will feel like your heart and lungs are about to explode. The agony is relatively short lived I accept, but then even the descent is a deeply unpleasant experience.

I dread to think what something like the Angliru must be like - Lake District style gradients but going on for kilometre after kilometre.

Agreed, I found Hardknott a lot harder. Have struggled up Winnats as well (albeit due to a gale force headwind).

svetty

BigMat wrote:

I rode d'Huez on a 34/25 and found it pretty comfortable. That was at the end of the Marmotte and I came in under the hour mark (just)

BigMat wrote:

Not convinced a 30+ cog really necessary with a compact though.

If you're doing the Alp in under an hour at the end of the Marmotte you're a pretty decent cyclist and thus able to push a bigger gear than most on here. Most will find much bigger than 34-25 to be a bit of a grind and prefer a 28 or larger sprocket.

pblakeney

Svetty wrote:

BigMat wrote:

I rode d'Huez on a 34/25 and found it pretty comfortable. That was at the end of the Marmotte and I came in under the hour mark (just)

BigMat wrote:

Not convinced a 30+ cog really necessary with a compact though.

If you're doing the Alp in under an hour at the end of the Marmotte you're a pretty decent cyclist and thus able to push a bigger gear than most on here. Most will find much bigger than 34-25 to be a bit of a grind and prefer a 28 or larger sprocket.

I did a tour of the Pyrenees a couple of years ago. The 34x29 gear combination was well used. I could see the point in a 30. The guy I was cycling with had a hire bike with 34x32. He said the 32 was too low. Not proof, just opinion.

bigmat

Never any harm in having a lower gear, I just think that for a one off climb, 34/28 should be fine for most people, if not 34/25. I'm probably a bit of a grinder though.

fenix

Svetty wrote:

BigMat wrote:

I rode d'Huez on a 34/25 and found it pretty comfortable. That was at the end of the Marmotte and I came in under the hour mark (just)

BigMat wrote:

Not convinced a 30+ cog really necessary with a compact though.

If you're doing the Alp in under an hour at the end of the Marmotte you're a pretty decent cyclist and thus able to push a bigger gear than most on here. Most will find much bigger than 34-25 to be a bit of a grind and prefer a 28 or larger sprocket.

Jeez - I remember taking 70 mins when I rode the Alpe alone - and nobody passed me up the hill. That's an amazing time at the end of the Marmotte. Must be well above average ?

svetty

Especially as this is a thread in the 'Beginners' forum...

kingstongraham

The right answer is still to hire a bike when the op gets there.

mrb123

The hire bikes available in Bourg D'Oisans usually come with a compact and 11-32 cassette for a reason.

I don't dispute that strong riders can get up the Alpe with bigger gears but a 34/32 allows you to sit and spin relatively comfortably on the steeper ramps.

DeVlaeminck

I did 1.09 last time I did the Marmotte, well according to Strava on the Viel Alpe segment assuming that is the full thing. I finished just around the top 10% mark overall - it was the changed route year so tougher course and very hot so that includes a few stops for water. I was still racing at the time though only lvrc and the odd 2nd or 3rd cat race. Think I had 36*27 or something like that - I would probably have used a few teeth lower if I'd had them.

diplodicus

Far too many fast buggers posting their times on this thread :shock:

My best was 1:24, again at the end of the Marmotte last year. Very glad of my 34 x 30

aberdeen_lune

Think for me it will be more survival than smashing a time out. If I get my fuelling correct and it’s not too hot I should be ok on my 36 x 28 lowest gear. At least I know it’s around an hour so can watch my power readings to ensure I don’t stray above threshold much.

lcoh

Just found out that loads have posted. My bike has slightly morphed: a compact on the front; new long cage derailleur on the rear; new 32/11 cassette; new bearings and brakes. It almost feels like a new bike and in all fairness, for the £105 I paid for it, I’ve only spent about another £40 so mechanically it’s great value. Still refuse to hire one there as we’re only passing through. That said, I am treating it to a new Wahoo Element Bolt. Stroll on the 27th May!

kingstongraham

39x32 is the equivalent of 34x28 so will be fine. All set, now you've just got to ride it!

g00se

Hi there. Good luck with the ride, I did Alpe d'Huez last year on one of the local hire bikes. I've cycled a fair bit in other parts of the alps but AdH was a bit of a surprise in it's relentlessness - definitely take the first couple of km as easy as you think you can get away with as getting in the red there will mean suffering the rest of the way up.

A couple of tips:

1. Make sure you get to the TdF finish line - not the tourist one they installed next to the cafes and gift shops. You'll have a great feeling of smugness as you pass the others who have stopped too early to get their photos on the fake podium and inflatable flappy man (you'll know what I mean when you see it). The couple of km after that to the actual finish line isn't steep and there are a couple of short descents - so it's an easy finish. Keep your eyes open for the route pointers as it's easy to take a wrong turn and end up in a turnaround outside some hotel. Oh, and the actual finish line looks like a bus stop...!



Right: https://www.strava.com/segments/683473

Wrong: https://www.strava.com/segments/652851



Also, the descent back down isn't great, traffic, hairpin after hairpin, etc. There is another route down called the "Pas de la Confession" that is a lot quieter. It's almost a balcony road at some points and the views are absolutely spectacular. The actual descent after that is much more sweeping and is much more 'alpine'. It means a flat few km back into Bourg d'Osians at the end, but that main road has a cycle path for most of it and the traffic is very bike-friendly around there.

The route down is:

https://www.strava.com/segments/17117570



then take the coupe of hairpins down the face of the dam and follow the D526 and the D1091 back to Bourg d'Osian.

daniel_b

LCoH wrote:

Just found out that loads have posted. My bike has slightly morphed: a compact on the front; new long cage derailleur on the rear; new 32/11 cassette; new bearings and brakes. It almost feels like a new bike and in all fairness, for the £105 I paid for it, I’ve only spent about another £40 so mechanically it’s great value. Still refuse to hire one there as we’re only passing through. That said, I am treating it to a new Wahoo Element Bolt. Stroll on the 27th May!

Great to see you back, and brilliant news that all the kit is fitted, and presumably training is going full bore!

Would LOVE to hear about the day in question, either on here, and or in person as I know you are local to me, as this, amongst other things, is something I have on my list of things to do.

@g00se - great helpful post, not sure why the pics are not showing up, or perhaps it is just for me?

wotnoshoeseh

KingstonGraham wrote:

39x32 is the equivalent of 34x28 so will be fine. All set, now you've just got to ride it!

It's a compact on the front - so 34 x 32 I think, unless I missed something??

g00se

Daniel B wrote:

@g00se - great helpful post, not sure why the pics are not showing up, or perhaps it is just for me?

Hopefully should be sorted now.

fenix

There's also the back way down over the Col de la Sarenne ?

The tour went over it a couple of years ago. The last time I did it we passed Phil Anderson climbing it. Much quieter than the Alpe with some unguarded drops. Was an amazing descent.

kingstongraham

wotnoshoeseh wrote:

KingstonGraham wrote:

39x32 is the equivalent of 34x28 so will be fine. All set, now you've just got to ride it!

It's a compact on the front - so 34 x 32 I think, unless I missed something??

Oh yeah. Missed that change. Weather permitting, will be an enjoyable ride then!

daniel_b

g00se wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

@g00se - great helpful post, not sure why the pics are not showing up, or perhaps it is just for me?

Hopefully should be sorted now.

Thankyou g00se, that looks epic - I need to make some notes!

narbs

g00se wrote:

The route down is:

https://www.strava.com/segments/17117570

then take the coupe of hairpins down the face of the dam and follow the D526 and the D1091 back to Bourg d'Osian.

Definitely a beautiful route, although the ramp up through Villard-Reculas is a bit of a shock! You can just make out Dutch Corner in the first one.

lcoh

gOOse, thanks for your suggestions; however I have to be back down to Bourg d'Oisans, showered and in the car by 10 am ready to drive on to Tuscany, so I'll look at that route next time I'm that way!

Daniel, I'm getting there bit by bit and seeing the improvements, not just in the gearing and ride quality but in my overall fitness. I'll pm you after I get back in June but will pop some stuff on here anyway. Have to say, I remain really eager to give it a go whilst maintaining a level of mindless optimism!!

Max

surfercyclist

g00se wrote:

Hi there. Good luck with the ride, I did Alpe d'Huez last year on one of the local hire bikes. I've cycled a fair bit in other parts of the alps but AdH was a bit of a surprise in it's relentlessness - definitely take the first couple of km as easy as you think you can get away with as getting in the red there will mean suffering the rest of the way up.

A couple of tips:

1. Make sure you get to the TdF finish line - not the tourist one they installed next to the cafes and gift shops. You'll have a great feeling of smugness as you pass the others who have stopped too early to get their photos on the fake podium and inflatable flappy man (you'll know what I mean when you see it). The couple of km after that to the actual finish line isn't steep and there are a couple of short descents - so it's an easy finish. Keep your eyes open for the route pointers as it's easy to take a wrong turn and end up in a turnaround outside some hotel. Oh, and the actual finish line looks like a bus stop...!



Right: https://www.strava.com/segments/683473

Wrong: https://www.strava.com/segments/652851



Also, the descent back down isn't great, traffic, hairpin after hairpin, etc. There is another route down called the "Pas de la Confession" that is a lot quieter. It's almost a balcony road at some points and the views are absolutely spectacular. The actual descent after that is much more sweeping and is much more 'alpine'. It means a flat few km back into Bourg d'Osians at the end, but that main road has a cycle path for most of it and the traffic is very bike-friendly around there.

The route down is:

https://www.strava.com/segments/17117570



then take the coupe of hairpins down the face of the dam and follow the D526 and the D1091 back to Bourg d'Osian.

I see Emma Pooley of GCN fame(just joined as a presenter), has the QOM of the "wrong" route. Get anywhere near her time and you'll be doing fine....

drhaggis

But just "fine", dont let it get to your head.

robert88

AdH is a target for this year. A couple of years ago we did a circuit of the Ecrins national park - it is lovely - and were going to climb AdH on the last day as it hadn't been on our route. UNfortunately the weather turned nasty on us and we didn't bother.

As others rightly say, it's endurance that is the key on these climbs, nothing in the UK is as long. It's also good to be proficient out of the saddle just for those short steeper bits and to give the muscles a bit of variety.

lcoh

Thanks Haggis and Robert88.

Another quick question, whilst training is going well, are there any good hill routes around South Wales I can have at pop at over Easter?

kingstongraham

LCoH wrote:

Thanks Haggis and Robert88.

Another quick question, whilst training is going well, are there any good hill routes around South Wales I can have at pop at over Easter?

Where in South Wales you going to be starting from? There's some lovely climbs there.

Longer classic climbs would be the Bwlch, the Tumble, Caerphilly Mtn, Llangynidr, Rhigos, Black Mountain. Lots of nice short sharp climbs all around as well, up the valleys or out on the Gower.

I hadn't seen this list before, but done quite a few of these, and the descriptions are pretty good:

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/ ... y-11217298

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Someone will be along shortly to write it is cycling fraud, but...
https://zwiftinsider.com/alp-dhuez-teaser/

cld531c

NitrousOxide wrote:

Someone will be along shortly to write it is cycling fraud, but...
https://zwiftinsider.com/alp-dhuez-teaser/

Its already on Bkool!

kingdav

LCoH wrote:

Afternoon, I'm planning to ride AdH at the end of May

:!:
So soon then!