Annual Simplified Climbing Lunacy Challenge chatzone

[Ridgeback Roller]

Just back from a very enjoyable week's cycling with friends in the Vosges mountains of eastern France. Warm to hot all week, mostly light traffic, smooth roads and almost a total lack of pot holes. Day 1 was the big one, starting with the Ballon D'Alsace, the climbing starting directly in St Maurice sur Moselle where we were staying. From there it was a loop back and up to the Planche des Belles Filles and the lunacy of the very steep gravel road to the summit of Super Belle Filles. Final col of the day was supposed to be easier, the Ballon de Servance but with nearly 2000m elevation already in my legs and 29C, was very tough going. A couple of photos, summit of Ballon d'Alsace and summit of the Planche des Belles Filles, before moving onto the cycle only gravel section.

 

[FrothNinja]

Went out intending to do 40 km today ended up hitting 50 soon after I hit 1030 metres. My rides are ending with riding up & down the hill near the house just to get the height in - can spoil the ride vibe a bit when it gets contrived like that. I think the measured height varies on the road as opposed to what route planners say.

 

[Willd]

One left Although I suspect I'll up my target a bit

It's a bit hillier around Charnwood Forest

 

[Dogtrousers]

Today's ride was a proper loop route. No crossing, no out-and-back, no re-using any road at all in any direction.

Starting at Otford station near Sevenoaks I took in a whole load of "named" hills that crop up in cycling circles: Rowdow, Carters, Toys, Yorks (😱) Hogtrough, Sundridge. I managed to plot a route that was over the magic 2% (1571m in 74.7 km) which is about the highest that can be done on this terrain.

Yorks hill is just a bit too hard for me, there's about 3-400m where all I can do is stand on the pedals, keep grinding slowly and keep a close eye on the (terrible) road surface ahead because a patch of mud, gravel or debris or a pothole (all of which are plentiful) could force me to lose traction and stop and probably be unable to re-start.

Apart from that they were all old friends. A lot of trundly grinding interspersed by slow careful descents on grotty lanes.

 

[Sea of vapours]

@Dogtrousers A Metric Century and a Lunacy Climbing, and within fifteen hours of the month start: impressive alacrity.

Just one Lunacy Climbing to go then .... ;-)

 

[Dogtrousers]

Nice ride over some choice Kentish hills today to bag my September metric ton (and climbing lunacy) Lovely cycling weather, but as it turned out a long sleeved winter jersey was a bit of a mistake. After 11am I was overheating big time on some of the climbs.

There were lots of riders out on the roads. Partly I think this was because it was Sunday - which I think is more popular than Saturday when I normally do my weekend rides. Also there obviously some kind of event going on. Sometimes I'd find myself riding the other way, against the traffic as it were. Sometimes I'd find myself being overtaken by groups of riders. I later found out from someone that the event was the Ride of the Falling Leaves sportive run by Dulwich Paragon.

 

[Ridgeback Roller]

Managed to fit in an end of season trip to Provence, southern France for 8 days cycling with friends. Although it was just planned to be a leisurely few days cycling through the vineyards and (now harvested) lavender fields, it was always on the cards that ascents of Mont Ventoux and Mont Lure would take place, weather permitting. As it was we enjoyed wall to wall sunshine, temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s and very light winds, perfect weather for the high mountains.
We stayed in a delightful village, Methamis, in a very well equipped gite (booked direct with the owners) with views up to Mont Ventoux. We'd chosen this place due to it's proximity to the glorious Gorges de la Nesque, only a 7km ride away and the very quiet lanes all around. One bonus that we hadn't realised was that it was possible to enjoy a 15kms descent back into the village if returning via Saint Hubert. Ideal for the days when the legs were tired!
I used my steel SPA Audax, I still prefer it to my Roubaix for day after day rides but I did lower the gearing to 26/34T for the holiday and Mont Ventoux in particular. It worked perfectly, granny gear was only required very briefly in the last 2kms to the summit of Ventoux , when the high elevation headwind hit.
Apart from the weekends, the area was very quiet. As usual the roads were in far better condition than back home and the relative lack of traffic all adds up to a great cycling destination.
The summit of Ventoux, we didn't start the ascent until early afternoon ( in 30C) so benefitted from far fewer others on the mountain. It was still around 22C when we summitted.

Mont Lure, personally, although its probably sacrilege, I much prefer this mountain to Ventoux. It's nearly as high but much quieter and I think has better views. And it's a lot easier, only a few kms above 8%! View from near the summit, where final 2kms false flat starts

Mont Lure has a similar summit weather station to Ventoux. There's a cafe about 3kms before the summit but nothing at the top.

 

[Willd]

Original target of 700m now done (707m) I've upped it to 750m

I don't like hills where I have to fight to keep my front wheel on the tarmac

 

[Dogtrousers]

Now I've competed my 13 x 1,500m rides (on road, not counting my big turbo sessions from early in the year). I'd need five (I think) 1,600 rides to up the target to 1,600. Not sure if I'll manage that but I'll have a go.

Today's ride was interesting weather. Drizzle, heavy rain, no rain, sunshine, it had it all. For a while I'd decided to cut it short due to the heavy rain early on, but when I got to the point where I would turn off it was sunny, so I stuck to my guns and finished my 1,600m 80km ride. Lots of toiling up steep windy Kentish lanes, and descending carefully down similar lanes.

 

[Willd]

Spot the Cotswolds

01 is Sunrising Hill. I'm going to need more gears than 34/25 if I find anything steeper Did manage 43.6 mph down Edge Hill though

 

[FrothNinja]

13th ride done at long last.
Glorious sunny day - great for pics - but bleedin' cold and a bugger of a headwind at times.
Enjoyed it though 🌞

 

[Willd]

Yes, it was flipping cold and windy in parts

I'm really struggling finding new routes with enough ascent, without going stupid distances and covering the same ground. 782m today in a bit over 68 miles, circumnavigating Northampton I'd looked at routes to the SW and NNW but it's too flat; only one left though

 

[Dogtrousers]

Yes, it was flipping cold and windy in parts

I'm really struggling finding new routes with enough ascent, without going stupid distances and covering the same ground. 782m today in a bit over 68 miles, circumnavigating Northampton I'd looked at routes to the SW and NNW but it's too flat; only one left though

I got up early this morning, made some coffee, stuck my head outside into the cold and drizzle... and went back to bed for another hour.

But later on I did manage another 1,500m ride on the turbo, up the Sierra da Estrada in Portugal.

Regarding routes, those of us not blessed with local mountain ranges do end up doing a lot of covering the same ground. Just remember every loop can be done clockwise and anticlockwise and every hill can be up as well as down.

 

[Biker BoB]

I'm not entirely sure how many vertical meters I climb on rides but I go from 0 -190m twice on a cliff run plus around 5 or 6 climbs at around 130m so I'm thinking my standard ride must be a few thousand feet a day.
I don't really go out of my way to hillclimb as there's just no need.
I do have a 5 hill route for training which must be on near 1200m plus little extras.
How can I record this other than mapping on my os paper maps without using technology like a phone app?

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm not entirely sure how many vertical meters I climb on rides but I go from 0 -190m twice on a cliff run plus around 5 or 6 climbs at around 130m so I'm thinking my standard ride must be a few thousand feet a day.
I don't really go out of my way to hillclimb as there's just no need.
I do have a 5 hill route for training which must be on near 1200m plus little extras.
How can I record this other than mapping on my os paper maps without using technology like a phone app?

You could enter your route into a route plannig tool, such as RideWithGPS or Cycle.travel or Stava Route planner (or one of many others). It will tell you how many vertical metres it thinks the route entails.

If using a route planning website falls into your definition of "using technology like a phone app" then I'm afraid you are stuck with contour counting on an OS map.

Different route planners will give you different figures, and these figures will differ from the figure you'd get from using a GPS or a phone app (which, in turn, will differ from each other). So you need to choose one that is your standard and stick with it.