New shoes for the "Old Shoe"

ugo.santalucia

Given the forecast for Winnats21, I decided not to use my new fancy Rapha shoes... so they'll be new for the next Hill Climb season.
I have started training, after a week of beer and pizza... more maintenance than anything... I'm doing some full on efforts over 200 mt of climbing (same as the "Old Shoe" National HC 22)... typically I set the grade at 7% and ride 3 km as hard as I can.
I switched from using the Stages power meter to taking the input directly from the Wahoo Kickr. Despite calibration ,it still reads about 7-8% higher than the Stages, which is very flattering and possibly even true?
So there you go, 4.5 W/kg for 10 minutes indoors

https://www.strava.com/activities/6237536961

N0bodyOfTheGoat

For some reason I opened this thread and expected you to be telling us that the Old Horshoe Pass was getting a fresh layer of tarmac, ahead of next year's hill climb nationals.

... Not that I have any idea what the state of the old pass tarmac is like!

Power meters can create even more confusion once you have multiple meters and their data varies wildly. When I first got my 4iiii a few months after buying my Direto turbo trainer, their data sets were as good as identical. But these days they vary massively, through this year I went from the Direto being approx +6% to both being pretty close to now the 4iiii is approx +9%.

In fairness though, the Direto "calibration" reference is appox 12 points under the sticker value, which is way more than the suggested ~5 points to get reliable power data, it needs a proper calibration as per https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf0xsbVd91I&t=32s (but loosen the regular bolt fully before you play with the tension bolt and make sure you use the turbo for at least 10mins before playing with the bolts).

i.bhamra

I also find that my stages (RHS only) reads ~5-7% lower than my Kickr, I do find that that values get closer after about half an our (maybe something to do with the Kickr warming up?) also at higher cadences the values get closer (related to pedaling technique and stages estimating power from one side?), if I can get a good enough deal on LH stages crank arm it'll be interesting how the stages reading change in comparison to the Kickr with real values from both sides.

ugo.santalucia

I did a "hot" calibration, so calibrated the unit after 20 minutes of warm up... it now seems to give rather realistic readings...
3.66 W/kg is more or less what I would expect, to get that 14.7 km/h for a 7% gradient

https://www.strava.com/activities/6329228287

ugo.santalucia

Well, the journey to the National had to start somewhere. First TT of the season this morning, a sporting 10 around Gilmorton, organised by Ratae RC... and what a fine organisation it was, with a huge display of marshals and an even more impressive display of cakes at the village hall in Walton. 43 riders signed in, which is pretty impressive too, for a club race. The course is undulated to say the least, with a few junctions, so it was never going to be a fast one, and adding 15-20mph of SSW wind didn't make it any faster, in fact a real drag towards the end. It was about power output and positioning in the standings.
The winter gains achieved on the turbo were confirmed, as I averaged 282W, which is well more than I used to do last year in a 10 (typically 250-260W). I wasn't even a million miles from the top, couple of minutes off the winner, who was on a TT bike, so like for like less than a minute off the mark. The time is almost immaterial given the course and the wind, but there you go 25:48, according to Strava 8th of 24, so most likely top half finish, maybe even top third.
Next stop my club hilly TT, a Roadmans event on the 26th, where I'd like to do well... then the following day an Open 20 miles Hardriders in the Chilterns, with 3 ascents of Whiteleaf... Ouch!

https://www.strava.com/activities/6811440125

ugo.santalucia

Update...
I've done a few club and Open TTs. Power is definitively up on last year, broadly speaking 0.3 W/kg higher and I have consistently raced at 4.2 W/kg over the 10 mile distance and a tad less over longer distances.
My 24:02 PB still stands, I haven't found the course and weather window to beat it just yet, but I have PBd on every course I have ridden and I have beat people that least year used to put almost a minute into me on a 10, so I think a short 23 is just a matter of time.
So all is well... on Sunday I signed up for the BMCR National TT championship... I was expecting a bigger turnout, but overall only 40 or so competitors over the different age groups. Luckily my category (C) is the most abundant with 10-11 riders, so if I ever was to win anything, I can at least say I had beat someone in order to achieve it. Not that I expect to win anything, seeing that some of the opposition seem to have PBs over the 10 distance of 19 minutes... but you never know, it might well be those PBs date back to the 1990s... and the course is quite lumpy, which suits me and my bike a bit better than the classic dual carriage job.

No hill climbs just yet... the first will be in late June in the Peak District

ugo.santalucia

So...
The BMCR National was predictably a bit of a disaster... even the favourable course couldn't make up for being outpowered and outbiked by incredibly strong opposition. It doesn't help that my age group was the most competitive (first and third best times on the day)... had I been 41 I would have brought home a medal LOL, instead I finished 10th out of 11 in the group.
I don't think I will go back next year, it was alright, but didn't have a "National Championship" atmosphere.

On the plus side, last Tuesday I finally managed to go under 24 minutes on a ten... first time that we have decent testing conditions, with a light breeze. 23:44 is my new PB, I think it's still improvable and possibly on a faster course I might even take a sizeable chunk out of it.

I have a couple of good Open Hill climbs at the end of June in the Peak District and then I have signed up for a 100 mile TT on July 3rd... it's a low risk venture, being 4 laps of a 25 mile course, I shouldn't bonk and find myself unable to get back to the car. I also have no idea what to expect... I guess for a first 100 miler TT, anything under 5 hours will do... I have seen people going under 3:20, mindboggling

N0bodyOfTheGoat

How far down the permitted aero gains rabbit hole have you gone so far? Not all of them cost a fortune like bling deep rim wheels.

I'm currently enjoying a relatively rich vein of form by my own standards, but despite a few theoretical aero gains, the speed I'm getting on the flats is diabolical for the power I'm putting down... Shock as bar tops being just ~3cm lower than saddle with -6 degree stem in lowest position and the frame having 610mm stack makes me an aero brick!

ugo.santalucia

Got an Abus Gamechanger helmet and a pair of Prime Primavera handlebars... recently got a pair of Rule 28 Overshoes... so not very much really, I'd be surprised if there's 10 Watts of savings at 25mph there.
I think with time trials is a case of doing many of them... 2 years ago I was regularly clocking 26 with the odd long 25, now I regularly do a short 24. There is a bit more power, around 20-30 Watts more and I guess I have improved my position naturally. I haven't really worked much on it, I think it came organically. When I looked at the photos, I always look so not-aero... ha ha

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Shaving the arms and legs for ~10W?
Removing the bottles and bottle cages for short TTs?
Front tyre sidewall nicely blending into wheel wall?
If not a skinsuit (which are getting pricey these days), pretty tight bibs/jersey?
Wrap around glasses?
Etc.

Got a Gamechanger myself at Xmas and it's very light and comfortable, as are my 38cm Primavera carbon bars, but three of my cables (hydraulic brake lines and front mech) aren't routed internally so far. I have a Deda adjustable stem to fit and see if my weak lower back is happy to lower the bars by another ~4.5cm at most extreme setup.

ugo.santalucia

Shaving the arms and legs for ~10W? I'm always using long sleeves and there is very little skin on show, but yes, good idea
Removing the bottles and bottle cages for short TTs?check
Front tyre sidewall nicely blending into wheel wall?bit OTT
If not a skinsuit (which are getting pricey these days), pretty tight bibs/jersey?check
Wrap around glasses?need a new pair soon, any suggestion?
Etc.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I'm using a pair of Lidl's finest three lens in daytime, but been using my standard specs on my many evening rides of late, being able to see potholes etc. trump's aero.

ugo.santalucia

There was a nice westerly, so I headed out in search of PR… it the process I managed to record 3 minutes at 400W, which is my new best… if I could do 4 that would be a significant step up, looking at the hill climb season…

MattFalle

.

ugo.santalucia said:

There was a nice westerly, so I headed out in search of PR… it the process I managed to record 3 minutes at 400W, which is my new best… if I could do 4 that would be a significant step up, looking at the hill climb season…

Is that with or without new socks?

ugo.santalucia

MattFalle said:

.

ugo.santalucia said:

There was a nice westerly, so I headed out in search of PR… it the process I managed to record 3 minutes at 400W, which is my new best… if I could do 4 that would be a significant step up, looking at the hill climb season…

Is that with or without new socks?

Without…

DeVlaeminck

What's your weight Ugo? I seem to remember you are fairly light in which case 400 watts sounds impressive.

ugo.santalucia

67kg today…

DeVlaeminck

Decent numbers

MattFalle

ugo.santalucia said:

67kg today…

How tall dude?

ugo.santalucia

MattFalle said:

ugo.santalucia said:

67kg today…

How tall dude?

5’9”

ugo.santalucia

DeVlaeminck said:

Decent numbers

It’s only 3 minutes… if I could do it for 10, that would be quite good indeed

N0bodyOfTheGoat

~24mins would be ok.

https://road.cc/content/news/ed-laverack-smashes-sa-calobra-strava-kom-292307

ugo.santalucia

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

~24mins would be ok.

https://road.cc/content/news/ed-laverack-smashes-sa-calobra-strava-kom-292307

Yeah, he is the best in the game on the long Hill Climbs, less so on the 3 minute things. It’s interesting the Old Shoe is about six minutes for these guys, so it might just be long enough for Ed Laverack to prevail, or not… I obviously support the local lad, David Fellows from Solihull CC, 6th last year and quite possibly first among the not affiliated to some kind of Semicorporate Racing Team

skyblueamateur

Has Matt Clinton stopped racing hill climbs? Good Kenilworth lad!

ugo.santalucia

skyblueamateur said:

Has Matt Clinton stopped racing hill climbs? Good Kenilworth lad!

Yes, a long time ago and he’s not even a Vet yet! It’s only me representing Kenilworth now… tough times…
Occasionally I have a go at his KOMs in the area, typically 10 years old or more… no chance

skyblueamateur

That makes me feel very old as he was national champion when I started cycling.

I'd always go racing after Mike Vaughan jerseys up hill in the vain hope that I was catching the national hill climb champ but invariably it would always be an old geezer tootling along

ugo.santalucia

skyblueamateur said:

That makes me feel very old as he was national champion when I started cycling.

I'd always go racing after Mike Vaughan jerseys up hill in the vain hope that I was catching the national hill climb champ but invariably it would always be an old geezer tootling along

Actually he has raced the 2020 National, it was free for all, so he got in without qualifiers… did 2:45, so didn’t trouble the timekeepers, but still 36 seconds quicker than me…
Last year the organisers didn’t give him a spot as he did not have any qualifying race and his top ten results were too old… I think it was fair enough
He might get a spot this year, it seems it might end up being free for all again, unless there is a sudden influx of kids and women in the sport

skyblueamateur

Ace. Might look at trying to get a spot myself if it's one in, all in.

MattFalle

ugo.santalucia said:

MattFalle said:

ugo.santalucia said:

67kg today…

How tall dude?

5’9”

So 5'7 in socks, yah? 😀😀

ugo.santalucia

skyblueamateur said:

Ace. Might look at trying to get a spot myself if it's one in, all in.

All I know is that they are planning for 480 riders over the 4 races, so 120 each. They’ll be lucky to get 30 junior/juv girls, so that’s another 90 places for the men… I also don’t think they’ll get more than 60 senior women, so that’s another potential 60 places. So, it should be straightforward to get a spot. They might ask for one Open result, like they did in 2020, but then they waived it. Ultimately, they want as many entries as possible to pay for the running of the show

DeVlaeminck

Our local hill climbers were Adam Kenway and Joe Clarke - not sure if Joe is still competing or not. Used to make the fast group on the chain gang rather challenging especially the hill in the middle.