Descending Col du Tourmalet

[briantrumpet]

Having said that, this handlebar set-up (on my steel-framed bike) is fairly shake-free (warning: very boring video):

 

[Salty seadog]

Having said that, this handlebar set-up (on my steel-framed bike) is fairly shake-free (warning: very boring video):

what a very boring video. And why were you not on that tax payer funded cycle path?

 

[briantrumpet]

what a very boring video. And why were you not on that tax payer funded cycle path?

...or, as I call it, a PWABPO. (A pavement with a bike painted on.)

Of course, the irony is that I'm more likely to get held up by cars than they are by me. Even on descents of my local favourite (in France) the col de Rousset, it's not uncommon for the cars to be slower than a bike

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Here's mine, nowhere near as extreme, though. I did record several descents down both sides of Col du Tourmalet last month (I rode up it on 4 different days), but haven't uploaded any of my videos.

 

[Rockn Robin]

Here's mine, nowhere near as extreme, though. I did record several descents down both sides of Col du Tourmalet last month (I rode up it on 4 different days), but haven't uploaded any of my videos.

That was awesome! I really enjoyed watching it. You were fortunate that the traffic going down wasn’t heavy, and for the most part you had no traffic in front of you until you got to the town. What speeds were you reaching? Not as fast as the video I posted, but fast enough, for sure. This, for me would be the ride of a lifetime. I would love to do that ride.

We have plenty of mountain roads here, but you don’t see much in the way of cyclists on them. We have a lot of rude and angry drivers here and if you, as cyclist got in their way, you might be the victim of road rage. Out where you are cycling is normal and tolerated.

You past a lot of riders on the way up, I couldn’t help but wonder how many actually made it all the way up.

Thanks for posting. Excellent. If only one day I could do a ride like that.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

That was awesome! I really enjoyed watching it. You were fortunate that the traffic going down wasn’t heavy, and for the most part you had no traffic in front of you until you got to the town. What speeds were you reaching?

I think I got up to 80km/h on the faster bits (especially that almost straight bit where the half-tunnel is).

Not as fast as the video I posted, but fast enough, for sure. This, for me would be the ride of a lifetime. I would love to do that ride.

We have plenty of mountain roads here, but you don’t see much in the way of cyclists on them. We have a lot of rude and angry drivers here and if you, as cyclist got in their way, you might be the victim of road rage. Out where you are cycling is normal and tolerated.

I don't live there, but I really wish I did. I live in Melbourne, Australia, where anti-cycling prejudice is every bit as bad (or worse) than in the UK or USA. Yes, I have a French phrase in my CycleChat signature line, but it's just wishful thinking.

You past a lot of riders on the way up, I couldn’t help but wonder how many actually made it all the way up.

Thanks for posting. Excellent. If only one day I could do a ride like that.

 

[briantrumpet]

Here's mine, nowhere near as extreme, though. I did record several descents down both sides of Col du Tourmalet last month (I rode up it on 4 different days), but haven't uploaded any of my videos.

Looking at that, you'd certainly have to be alert: plenty of traffic coming up, some of it straying over to your side (including a dozy wobbling cyclist), and enough blind corners to restrict your 'safe' speed for many stretches.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Looking at that, you'd certainly have to be alert: plenty of traffic coming up, some of it straying over to your side (including a dozy wobbling cyclist), and enough blind corners to restrict your 'safe' speed for many stretches.

Agreed. I always slow down where it matters, i.e. the sharp and/or blind corners, and the more populated parts. As for the cyclist: I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, because the east side of Col du Tourmalet is a tough climb.

 

[briantrumpet]

Agreed. I always slow down where it matters, i.e. the sharp and/or blind corners, and the more populated parts. As for the cyclist: I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, because the east side of Col du Tourmalet is a tough climb.

It's even tougher if you have a descending cyclist crash into you...

 

[Shut Up Legs]

It's even tougher if you have a descending cyclist crash into you...

What do you mean? Are you commenting on my descending style, or did you mean something else?

 

[briantrumpet]

What do you mean? Are you commenting on my descending style, or did you mean something else?

Haha, no, your descending is fine - you were ready to slow down (and did), but it needs the same respect for safety from those ascending too... wobbling across the road isn't a good move!

 

[ColinJ]

Here's mine, nowhere near as extreme, though. I did record several descents down both sides of Col du Tourmalet last month (I rode up it on 4 different days), but haven't uploaded any of my videos.

And then you realised that you had left your iPhone on a boulder at the summit ...

 

[briantrumpet]

And then you realised that you had left your iPhone on a boulder at the summit ...

I'm a paranoid back-pocket checker, especially after col photos or cafe stops.

 

[Rockn Robin]

Surprisingly, no. Very mild concussion (if that), the odd ache, but could have been a lot worse.

I'm glad you weren't. Just a little rest and back in the saddle again. Hmmm, wasn't that an old western tune.

 

[Rockn Robin]

And then you realised that you had left your iPhone on a boulder at the summit ...

Then facing that long agonizing climb back up to retrieve it.