The Annual Lunacy Climbing Challenge Chatzone

Dogtrousers · 25 Jun 2023

Feet per mile is unfamiliar to me. I generally think in terms of overall %. I live in S London and have to cross the N Downs to get to/from my main riding areas in Kent.

1% (~50 ft/mi) is what I get if I don't plan to avoid or seek out hills
1.5% (~80 ft/mi) if I deliberately throw in a few hills.
2% (~100 ft/mi) is just possible but hard to acheive without stupid route planning.
3.5% (~185 ft/mi) is what Ed Laverack managed in his 3,500m 100km ride ... here https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/t...hallenge-chatzone.269598/page-13#post-6959855 Hard to beat that in the UK. It's also roughly what you'd get riding up and down Mt Ventoux.

ft/mile	m/km	Overall %	mile/1000ft	km/1000m
13.2	2.50	0.25%	75.8	400.0
26.4	5.00	0.50%	37.9	200.0
39.6	7.50	0.75%	25.3	133.3
52.8	10.00	1.00%	18.9	100.0
66.0	12.50	1.25%	15.2	80.0
79.2	15.00	1.50%	12.6	66.7
92.4	17.50	1.75%	10.8	57.1
105.6	20.00	2.00%	9.5	50.0
118.8	22.50	2.25%	8.4	44.4
132.0	25.00	2.50%	7.6	40.0
145.2	27.50	2.75%	6.9	36.4
158.4	30.00	3.00%	6.3	33.3
171.6	32.50	3.25%	5.8	30.8
184.8	35.00	3.50%	5.4	28.6

UphillSlowly · 25 Jun 2023

Dogtrousers said:
Feet per mile is unfamiliar to me. I generally think in terms of overall %. I live in S London and have to cross the N Downs to get to/from my main riding areas in Kent.

1% (~50 ft/mi) is what I get if I don't plan to avoid or seek out hills
1.5% (~80 ft/mi) if I deliberately throw in a few hills.
2% (~100 ft/mi) is just possible but hard to acheive without stupid route planning.
3.5% (~185 ft/mi) is what Ed Laverack managed in his 3,500m 100km ride ... here https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/t...hallenge-chatzone.269598/page-13#post-6959855 Hard to beat that in the UK. It's also roughly what you'd get riding up and down Mt Ventoux.

ft/mile m/km Overall % mile/1000ft km/1000m
13.2
2.50
0.25%
75.8
400.0
26.4
5.00
0.50%
37.9
200.0
39.6
7.50
0.75%
25.3
133.3
52.8
10.00
1.00%
18.9
100.0
66.0
12.50
1.25%
15.2
80.0
79.2
15.00
1.50%
12.6
66.7
92.4
17.50
1.75%
10.8
57.1
105.6
20.00
2.00%
9.5
50.0
118.8
22.50
2.25%
8.4
44.4
132.0
25.00
2.50%
7.6
40.0
145.2
27.50
2.75%
6.9
36.4
158.4
30.00
3.00%
6.3
33.3
171.6
32.50
3.25%
5.8
30.8
184.8
35.00
3.50%
5.4
28.6

I really like this table. Thank you. I used to work in feet and miles and would think that 100ft/mile is possible and "a really hard ride". When I started using metric (due to indoor riding in lockdown) I never found a way of converting it easily in my mind

Alex321 · 25 Jun 2023

Willd said:
By contrast I did a test route on MapMyRide of 25 miles where we're going on holiday in the Brecon Beacons and that was 133 ft / mile, with 5 marked climbs, including a cat 3. Still I don't think I'd cope doing that with a lowest gear of 34/25

Yes. It is quite hilly round there :smile:

But the Brecon Beacons don't exist any more, they are now Bannau Brycheinog.

UphillSlowly · 26 Jun 2023

Alex321 said:
But the Brecon Beacons don't exist any more, they are now Bannau Brycheinog.

How does one pronounce this now, phonetically?

Dogtrousers · 26 Jun 2023

UphillSlowly said:
How does one pronounce this now, phonetically?

Take your pick

pronounced ban-aye bruch-ein-iog, with the ch making the same sound as in loch.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/how-pronounce-bannau-brycheiniog-eryri-26713083

pronounced ban-aye bruch-ay-nee-og, with the ch making the same sound as in loch.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65274952

pronounced: ban-eye bruck-ein-iog.
https://inews.co.uk/news/brecon-bea...-national-park-new-bannau-brycheiniog-2280928

Ridgeback Roller · 29 Jun 2023

My turn to lead a mid week social group ride, so needing another 'score on the door' I took us slightly further north than usual to make sure I hit the 1000m target. Only the odd slight whinge from my riding companions!
Like @Dougtrousers I tend to work on overall % when planning my rides. Living on the coastal plain I have a fair amount of flat country to cover before any lumpy stuff. Looking at this years rides my percentages are very similar
0.8-1.2% covers most rides from home , crossing the South Downs a couple of times
1.5% is only achievable locally by doing reps

My largest % gain according to Garmin, is still the 3.5% over 70km on a Pyrenean holiday in 2019 , including Luz Ardiden and the Cirque de Troumouse. Last years holiday in the Massif Central averaged 2% over the week and I really felt it, but its a superb cycling destination, lots of very light traffic roads.

Dogtrousers said:
Feet per mile is unfamiliar to me. I generally think in terms of overall %. I live in S London and have to cross the N Downs to get to/from my main riding areas in Kent.

1% (~50 ft/mi) is what I get if I don't plan to avoid or seek out hills
1.5% (~80 ft/mi) if I deliberately throw in a few hills.
2% (~100 ft/mi) is just possible but hard to acheive without stupid route planning.
3.5% (~185 ft/mi) is what Ed Laverack managed in his 3,500m 100km ride ... here https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/t...hallenge-chatzone.269598/page-13#post-6959855 Hard to beat that in the UK. It's also roughly what you'd get riding up and down Mt Ventoux.

ft/mile m/km Overall % mile/1000ft km/1000m
13.2
2.50
0.25%
75.8
400.0
26.4
5.00
0.50%
37.9
200.0
39.6
7.50
0.75%
25.3
133.3
52.8
10.00
1.00%
18.9
100.0
66.0
12.50
1.25%
15.2
80.0
79.2
15.00
1.50%
12.6
66.7
92.4
17.50
1.75%
10.8
57.1
105.6
20.00
2.00%
9.5
50.0
118.8
22.50
2.25%
8.4
44.4
132.0
25.00
2.50%
7.6
40.0
145.2
27.50
2.75%
6.9
36.4
158.4
30.00
3.00%
6.3
33.3
171.6
32.50
3.25%
5.8
30.8
184.8
35.00
3.50%
5.4
28.6

Dogtrousers · 3 Jul 2023

Here's a little cautionary tale about getting elevations (and distances) from GPS tracks and using different websites.

I recorded my last ride in two parts. I didn't move my bike between stopping one part and starting the next.

Garmin connect tells me they are 82.6 km/1081m and 35.8km/533 m. That makes a total of 118.4km / 1614m

I use RideWithGPS as my main system of reference, and when transferred and added together (I don't have the individual rides any more) they totalled 118.4km / 1586m

So RWGPS had stolen a few (33) metres from me. No surprise there, it does that. I always add a contingency when riding to avoid being caught out.

But then I used the RWGPS edit feature to join the two together. And my new totals are 119.7 km / 1505m.

So it's stolen even more altitude from me (but thankfully still just over my target of 1500m) and it's added 1.5 km to the ride. WTF? Where on earth did it find the extra 1.5 km? If I examine the route I can't see anything.

I'll dig deeper into this maybe. I don't have time at the moment.

Dogtrousers · 22 Jul 2023

Another hilly ride done. The North downs are a typical chalk escarpment: One steep side (facing south) and one gentle side that is cut through with deep river valleys. There are four well knowm steep hills that run parallel to each other up the steep side: Hogtrough, Brasted, Sundridge and Starhill. I rode out to the ridge bagged all four of them this morning. Tough but everything went well and legs held up well. Got a bit rained on near home.

Willd · 23 Jul 2023

Actually found one that's on Strava ^_^

No idea how many watts I was generating though :rolleyes:

Willd · 30 Jul 2023

Back to the Cotswolds today ^_^

Managed 43.1 mph @ 47 miles down Sunrising Hill, could have gone faster, but had to keep braking so I didn't run into the back of a Transit van :rolleyes:

FrothNinja · 11 Aug 2023

Last biggish climb I did yesterday also felt easiest - think it might have been the double expresso I had at Bankshead on Hadrian's Wall. I then dropped to the bottom of the hill through Banks then came back up again (on a slightly different line to my descent). I was jiggered climbing up from King Water & up Allieshaw Rigg not that long before the coffee kick. That said my top speed up to Bankshead was lower than the free version of Strava's top 10's averages. I console myself by assuming they are all club riders half my age (bet they aren't).

Sea of vapours · 27 Aug 2023

Nicely done @Dogtrousers . Just three to go now, so pop this on and get pedalling.

https://www.cilice.co.uk/product/st-francis-of-assisi-hairshirt/

Willd · 27 Aug 2023

Just over a km of ascent across Northamptonshire today :smile:

Ridgeback Roller · 10 Sep 2023

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 · 13 Sep 2023

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.

The Annual Lunacy Climbing Challenge Chatzone

Dogtrousers

Lefty tighty. Get it righty.

UphillSlowly

Making my way slowly uphill

Alex321

Guru

UphillSlowly

Making my way slowly uphill

Dogtrousers

Lefty tighty. Get it righty.

Ridgeback Roller

Über Member

Dogtrousers

Lefty tighty. Get it righty.

Dogtrousers

Lefty tighty. Get it righty.

Willd

Guru

Willd

Guru

FrothNinja

Guru

Sea of vapours

Guru

Willd

Guru

Ridgeback Roller

Über Member

FrothNinja

Guru

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