Help - Tourmalet Training

[Btn Jane]

Can anyone help? I'm really new to road-biking and in July I'm off to watch the Tour but as a part of that trip I'll need to be able to climb the Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin and other surrounding Cols.

I'm told that it's not too bad as it's only 8-9% with a 10% kick at the top but it does appear to go on for 17km

Does anyone know of any good hills around the Croydon, Brighton area that I could go and ride in order to test out how difficult it's going to be. I've done a few climbs in the Lakes (stopping a bit on the steep ones) and I've done some in Derbyshire but it would be great to know of any round here that I could try.... only got a couple of weeks to go!

Really grateful for any tips,
Jane

[Snoop Doug]

try going up and down ditchling beacon a few times....?

I've done three reps in the past - not nice

What about Huw's hilly ride in routes section - ToSH also might be a good legbreaker

[Amy]

Or Andrew G's or the Hilly 50 route?

[Andrew G]

Went to Alps for the first time last year and what struck me was that the gradients aren't as steep as your normal English leg-breaker, the climbs just goes on for ages.

Great fun though, I found I'd just stick my brain in "settle down you're going to be here a while" mode and span a small gear. If you get your head used to the idea that you're going to be climbing for 1-2hrs then you can sit and spin and enjoy the scenery.

Ditchling a few times spinning at an easy pace sounds a good plan just to get used to sitting there and climbing for a prolonged period.

[Btn Jane]

Thanks Guys,

Will have a look at some of those routes in the route section and give some a go.

What sort of % do you think Ditchling is? Just so I know if it's going to be about the same, harder or easier when I actually get there!

Have just fitted a compact chainset and a casette with loads more teeth... that should help a bit!

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Btn Jane"]Thanks Guys,

What sort of % do you think Ditchling is? Just so I know if it's going to be about the same, harder or easier when I actually get there!

[Elliot M]

Box Hill seems the obvious candidate - with its switchbacks it even resembles an Alpine road, which must have psychological advantages. Obviously you'd need to do a few reps though.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

The first time I went to the Alps (in the days before compact rings and triples), what hit me was that the 39 * 28 sprocket I had put on, which got my up all the local hills was far too high because the climbs are relentless and go on for such a long time, nothing of which we have here. Even when the climb seems to level out, it is still a hard grind. I reckon that a road with similar gradient is the main road up Titsey Hill although only a tiny fraction of the length of an alpine climb.
Be prepared to use lower gears and a higher cadence, and above all, don't rush them.

BTW I'm sooooooo jealous....
Guru P

[Dombo]

Titsey is 16% so a little steep. There is a climb from Dorking towards Leith Hill via Coldharbour which is about 3 miles at around 6-7%. Box Hill is about 5% and as people have said, is like a mountain road with its hairpins, but it's not that long. Sanderstead Hill is pretty good at 2 miles of 6% or so. Then there are all the roads leading up to Kenley, Caterham, even the drag from the Saab garage in Chipstead Valley Road/Outwood Lane to Banstead. Loads of choice.
I am doing Tourmalet Sunday week as part of the Etape and have spent most of the year training on our local, shorter hills. I think as Andrew said it's a question of resigning yourself to a 2 hr climb, tapping out a comfortable cadence, and enjoy the view.

[Andrew G]

I wouldn't say resignation Dombo . I acually found it quite easy (switching my brain in gear, not the climbing needless to say ). Everything around you is so huge you automatically settle in quickly. In the UK you can normally see the top of the hill so pace yourself to that point, more a case of pacing yourself to a timeframe than a distance I found on the big lumps.

[Dombo]

[quote="marco"]do the south downs way on your mountain bike or parts thereof.

[Btn Jane]

Thanks, loads of really useful stuff.

Marco, thanks for the SDW suggestion, which I've done as a 2 day event, never a 1 day... 10 hours is an impressive time. As you probably know, I'd happily ride the mtb all day everyday!! What I'm trying to do at the moment is specifically get used to what it feels like to climb on a road bike as the gears are so different.

Dorking to Leith via Cold Harbour is a good thought and just by my office at J8 of M25 so a little afterwork jaunt tomorrow sounds like a plan!

Dombo, respect for the Etape... makes my little outing sounds suitably pathetic! Good luck, hope it goes well and will think of you when we see the pros come through

Thanks all, very grateful.

[djembi]

I think the trick is to not to hammer it too quickly but to start steady and relax into a steady beat

[Scott]

Hi,

[size=150]AWESOME!!!!!!!!!![/size]
5 weeks ago I rode from Biarritz to Barcelona via the Pyraneese with 22 others. Due to Snow our route to the top of the Tourmalet was altered slightly and we climbed the side the tour is taking this year. Check out our site for details [url]http://www.biarritz2barcelona.com/gallery/[/url]. Our site also has a blog with stuff that may help. Get a compact, get a 12/27 get your head down and play whatever mind games you have to get get up that b****rd of a hill. I found it a shaded, damp and not so pretty and La Mongie is an ugly ski resort. One good thing about the french climbs is the km markers that also indicate the gradient each step of the way. When you climb these hills you are riding in the tracks of greatness and the proof is daubed all over the roads.I watched an interview with Eddy Merkx and he said that the Tourmalet is the one every rider wants to win because of its history.

Massive big up for taking it on!!
PS22 and Gel bars all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards
Scott

[Scott]

You wanted to know where to train in preparation for your ride, sorry! I did every hill I could get my wheels on and when I got to the top I went back down and did it again and again. Just off Higher Drive in Purley are two very big hills: Bencombe Road and Burcott Road. Try doing multiple laps of these. They are much much steeper than the Tourmalet and Aspin and they dont switchback either. I can sit in the saddle the majorirty of the time but always find myself standing towards the end. Which ever one you choose to climb the desent of the adjacent one provides enough time to recover. Andrews Grimpeurs Challange also takes in most of the Hills I used in Training including the Kent Alps. I work in Purley and if you want to do a session one evening on the Bencombe/ Burcott circuit let me know and I will join you.

Regards
Scott