Is that uphill or down?
What's the longest you can maintain...
- Thread starter Markymark
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Is that uphill or down?
KneesUp
Guru
When I was young I used to get to my summer job along lovely flat roads, and according to my then cutting-edge Cateye Velo (calibrated by marking the tyre with a biro and rolling it down my parent's kitchen and marking the lino) I was doing 26/27 on the flat. I'll tell you how long ago it was - I rode past a friend once and he shouted "Go on Lance!" - which to be fair doesn't make me sound quite as old as being called 'Alain Prost' when I passed my driving test.
Anyway - in those days I could manage - ooh - perhaps 2 miles at that speed on the very, very slight uphill in to work, and a bit more on the the same very very slight downhill on the way back. Especially so if I was catching up with the very attractive girl I used to chat with at the traffic lights. When I got home I was often unable to get off the bike for a few minutes and had to lean against the side of my parent's house until I had the energy. I would not be at all surprised to find out that the Cateye was wrong though!
Now I don't even have a computer - but judging by my speed relative to traffic I reckon I can do half a mile down a slope noticeably more significant than the one I rode on to work as a kid. On the flat - well, er, I don't want to think about that, thanks.
Going that speed for 100km or more is just mind boggling.
Anyway - in those days I could manage - ooh - perhaps 2 miles at that speed on the very, very slight uphill in to work, and a bit more on the the same very very slight downhill on the way back. Especially so if I was catching up with the very attractive girl I used to chat with at the traffic lights. When I got home I was often unable to get off the bike for a few minutes and had to lean against the side of my parent's house until I had the energy. I would not be at all surprised to find out that the Cateye was wrong though!
Now I don't even have a computer - but judging by my speed relative to traffic I reckon I can do half a mile down a slope noticeably more significant than the one I rode on to work as a kid. On the flat - well, er, I don't want to think about that, thanks.
Going that speed for 100km or more is just mind boggling.
coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
I felt a bit sick yesterday when P&P said that you could tell Simon Geschke was going up a steep climb as he was only doing 18kph.
nickyboy
Norven Mankey
- Location
- You want hills? We got hills
Even without the effect of riding in a bunch the speeds of top professionals are hard to comprehend. I'll give you an example.
A couple of days ago I did a long ride to the seaside. Early in the ride (when I was fresh) I rode over the Woodhead Pass. This is a long climb that averages about 3%. I had a good tailwind, tried reasonably hard but didn't kill myself as I had a lot more miles to do. I found that my average speed up there was 21km/hr. I was pleased with that.
The TdF also did this route last year. Now bear in mind they had already done about 80 miles by the time they got to the Woodhead Pass. All the top times up there are TdF riders and they all did about 36km/hr. Now I could maybe have killed myself and done 23-24km/hr. A really good local guy, completely fresh could do maybe 30km/hr.
So that's the sort of performance gap. So to answer the OP's question; how long could I maintain their 36km/hr up that hill? A minute, maybe two. Then I'd blow up spectacularly
A couple of days ago I did a long ride to the seaside. Early in the ride (when I was fresh) I rode over the Woodhead Pass. This is a long climb that averages about 3%. I had a good tailwind, tried reasonably hard but didn't kill myself as I had a lot more miles to do. I found that my average speed up there was 21km/hr. I was pleased with that.
The TdF also did this route last year. Now bear in mind they had already done about 80 miles by the time they got to the Woodhead Pass. All the top times up there are TdF riders and they all did about 36km/hr. Now I could maybe have killed myself and done 23-24km/hr. A really good local guy, completely fresh could do maybe 30km/hr.
So that's the sort of performance gap. So to answer the OP's question; how long could I maintain their 36km/hr up that hill? A minute, maybe two. Then I'd blow up spectacularly
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Gasman
Old enough to know better, too old to care!
- Location
- Third Rock From The Sun
I once managed my 8 miles to work in about the same time as the winner of a TdF time trial over a similar distance the previous day. Mind you, the TT was up Alp d'Huez!
Houthakker
A Happy Wanderer
- Location
- Lancashire coast
I reckon I stay with them for a good while, probably right up until that bloke in the car started waving his flag.
Or,given the international event, a pint of Juan Schmidt
ayceejay
Guru
- Location
- Rural Quebec
It is very difficult to defend a position you are not making but are forced into due to a misunderstanding:-
For instance at no point have I taken issue with 28 mph nor have I suggested the banning of anything, so how do you deal with it if not sarcasm?
My position is that maintaining the average speed of a pro rides in the TdF is more difficult for most of us (super fitness and talent notwithstanding) because of the conditions we ride under by comparison.
For instance at no point have I taken issue with 28 mph nor have I suggested the banning of anything, so how do you deal with it if not sarcasm?
My position is that maintaining the average speed of a pro rides in the TdF is more difficult for most of us (super fitness and talent notwithstanding) because of the conditions we ride under by comparison.
bikeman66
Senior Member
- Location
- Isle of Wight
They're just in another league aren't they! Equally impressive was Iban Mayo's ascent of Mont Ventoux (which I believe is still a TDF record) of around 55 minutes, giving an average speed for the whole ride of nearly 23kp/h.
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
Up of course!
iamRayRay
Quads of Steel
- Location
- Hertfordshire
For days, I just turn around and see Froomey behind me to ask him how long I can maintain TDF pace.
Joking aside... I would say a couple of miles tops before I faint or plough into the hedges at the side of the road.
Joking aside... I would say a couple of miles tops before I faint or plough into the hedges at the side of the road.
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