Annual Simplified Climbing Lunacy Challenge chatzone

[Biker BoB]

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.

I certainly will not be using any BS tracker on a phone or computer for that matter so I will use my paper maps.
It will be intriguing to see as it's up or down here nothing in-between 😂

 

[Dogtrousers]

I certainly will not be using any BS tracker on a phone or computer for that matter so I will use my paper maps.
It will be intriguing to see as it's up or down here nothing in-between 😂

Without using a computer of any kind your options are somewhat limited.

Contour counting would seem to be the only way. I've done it myself and it's quite time consuming but a strangely relaxing way to spend an evening. Not sure my eyesight would be up to it these days.

You could also take an analogue barometer with you, and periodically stop and write down your elevation. That would be a bit laborious but it might work.

 

[Biker BoB]

Without using a computer of any kind your options are somewhat limited.

Contour counting would seem to be the only way. I've done it myself and it's quite time consuming but a strangely relaxing way to spend an evening. Not sure my eyesight would be up to it these days.

You could also take an analogue barometer with you, and periodically stop and write down your elevation. That would be a bit laborious but it might work.

I fairly able to know my height from sea most of the time. It's a small place.
I think I'll get the table room opened up in the west wing next week and dust off the maps.
Like you say not a bad task....

 

[Willd]

I certainly will not be using any BS tracker on a phone or computer for that matter so I will use my paper maps.
It will be intriguing to see as it's up or down here nothing in-between 😂

I don't have a smart phone so use mapmyride, comparing it to an OS map, it was only a couple of feet different, so probably more accurate than an OS map e.g. up here:

 

[Biker BoB]

I don't have a smart phone so use mapmyride, comparing it to an OS map, it was only a couple of feet different, so probably more accurate than an OS map e.g. up here:

View attachment 714633

Do you enter your ride details to the internet?

 

[Willd]

I use mapmyride.com to plan routes and check elevations. I use an old Cateye cycle computer on the bike and distances are usually only a few hundredths of a mile different, even over 60+ mile routes

 

[Biker BoB]

I use mapmyride.com to plan routes and check elevations. I use an old Cateye cycle computer on the bike and distances are usually only a few hundredths of a mile different, even over 60+ mile routes

Like I said I will not be using any technology.
It is just plainly stalking everyone on this planet now.
I'll stick to my paper maps,bit of string, magnifying glass and a ruler thanks.

Internet will be the death of skill

 

[Willd]

Like I said I will not be using any technology.
It is just plainly stalking everyone on this planet now.
I'll stick to my paper maps,bit of string, magnifying glass and a ruler thanks.

Internet will be the death of skill

Paper maps are OK, but very soon become out of date. I went around the South of Northampton at the weekend and if I hadn't looked at a new version of the OS map on the Internet first I would have been completely lost relying on my old map, which was missing tons of new roads and housing estates

 

[Willd]

Challenge done @ 757m

Back to the Cotswolds for Whichford Hill (from Whichford, 02 below) which was a bit of a slog

 

[Willd]

Anyone else doing this in 2024?

I'll have a go at 800m, as only 4 of last year's qualifying rides were under this. As long as I don't have to end up going round in circles, over familiar territory and hundreds of miles to find hilly(ish) routes.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Anyone else doing this in 2024?

I'll have a go at 800m, as only 4 of last year's qualifying rides were under this. As long as I don't have to end up going round in circles, over familiar territory and hundreds of miles to find hilly(ish) routes.

I'm not sure. I think I'll leave it a bit later in the year to decide. I did my first metric century over relatively easy terrain and I rather enjoyed finishing a ride not in a state of total collapse.

 

[FrothNinja]

Anyone else doing this in 2024?

I'll have a go at 800m, as only 4 of last year's qualifying rides were under this. As long as I don't have to end up going round in circles, over familiar territory and hundreds of miles to find hilly(ish) routes.

I will but not doing such a big increase in height - only just hit my target last year

 

[FrothNinja]

Off the mark for 2024 - took advantage of the good weather though it's left me knackered today, pesky C19...

 

[ColinJ]

Halifax Road...

Oops... wrong thread!

 

[ColinJ]

It was a deliberate mistake! (I recognised the view immediately.)