Road Cycling Essentials

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platypus said:
60 miles sounds easy. The hills however..
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To be honest out of the 3 main hills, only The Rake could potentially blow someone's legs in one shot. Anglezarke Southbound is tough, but long and steady enough that it can be spun up with gears low enough (coming up the same hill from the south is shorter and steeper). Belmont is kind of similar.

To tackle The Rake you need to be able to fight that urge to get off and push, because you're guaranteed to have that thought pop in to your head. Expect to redline your HRM on the 25% section.

Here's that video I took of me climbing it the very first time.
 
syke said:
I've been looking to get a bike for a while and now actually able to - I had a look at a couple of Giant's and Cube's today but the Specialized Allez's are also an option. Which bike would you guys get from the list below? Any specific reasons why? Will be used for general fitness type riding than commuting for work.

Giant Defy 3
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/giant-defy-3-2013/road-bikes/bikes-components-bikewear/fcp-product/46465

Specialized Allez Sport
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/special...s/bikes-components-bikewear/fcp-product/45365

Cube Peloton Compact
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/cube-pe...s/bikes-components-bikewear/fcp-product/46860

For a cheaper option - Specialized Allez
http://www.cyclesurgery.com/special...s/bikes-components-bikewear/fcp-product/45367

No particular reason for CycleSurgery, just had the window open for them all after having a look at them today.

Cheers!
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Personally I'd go for the Cube out of those but that's just because I like the colour scheme. I was looking at a Cube Agree before I decided to get my Canyon Ultimate AL
 
Yup, certainly killed me. About 9500ft of climbing according to the website.

I know thats nothing to you but its about 25% of all the climbing I've done this year
 
[Damien];24539824 said:
To be honest out of the 3 main hills, only The Rake could potentially blow someone's legs in one shot. Anglezarke Southbound is tough, but long and steady enough that it can be spun up with gears low enough (coming up the same hill from the south is shorter and steeper). Belmont is kind of similar.

To tackle The Rake you need to be able to fight that urge to get off and push, because you're guaranteed to have that thought pop in to your head. Expect to redline your HRM on the 25% section.

Here's that video I took of me climbing it the very first time.
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Sounds about right.

The Rake and Angelzarke South are both cat 4s on Strava. The Rake is the worse of the two because it is brutally steep - 25% and more at its worst - so if you get into a pickle you're going to struggle to slow down and catch your breath or change down a gear. Angelzarke South is hard work, but it's shallower and longer, so you can grind it out a bit more. The full Belmont climb is on that route, and that's a cat 3. It's less steep again than Angelzarke but much longer. I probably like Belmont the best out of the 3, because I'm better on a longer, steady climb. I see the short route takes in Roman Road Northbound - I've not done it going North, but Southbound is a good long climb.

I quite like the look of the bit around Burnley, that gets up to about 1200ft. The highest I've been is going over Belmont, at around 1000. I'll have to get up that way one day.
 
daveski said:
Yup, certainly killed me. About 9500ft of climbing according to the website.

I know thats nothing to you but its about 25% of all the climbing I've done this year
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I doubt nearly 10k ft in 100 miles is anything other than tough for anyone! My only ever century left me aching for days and that was a fairly flat one.

Seriously, respect well deserved for that one.


Vonhelmet said:
I quite like the look of the bit around Burnley, that gets up to about 1200ft. The highest I've been is going over Belmont, at around 1000. I'll have to get up that way one day.
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You have to do this sportive Pete, seriously. I'll come round your house and pull faces at you through the window while you're trying to eat your tea if you don't.
 
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Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice I've had on here. A week into my cycling adventures, and I'm loving it as a way to get some fresh air, exercise, and a bit of speed :). Just been doing some light rides, 8 miles or so, to build up technique and some fitness.

Going to start keeping an eye out for a small hybrid for the other half I think, she's complaining it's not fair as she struggles along on my old steel MTB!

Thanks again.
 
Thomas. PLease. said:
anyone got a link to a profile of this rake climb? curious to have a look
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This is the most accurate segment I've seen (there's a few that overlap).

The bad thing about this segment is there's no run up for the 25%+ bit. You make a 90 deg right turn (after climbing up some twists and turns already) and immediately hit the incline.
 
[Damien];24539824 said:
To be honest out of the 3 main hills, only The Rake could potentially blow someone's legs in one shot. Anglezarke Southbound is tough, but long and steady enough that it can be spun up with gears low enough (coming up the same hill from the south is shorter and steeper). Belmont is kind of similar.

To tackle The Rake you need to be able to fight that urge to get off and push, because you're guaranteed to have that thought pop in to your head. Expect to redline your HRM on the 25% section.

Here's that video I took of me climbing it the very first time.
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Holy crap. Genuinely not sure if I could make that.
 
People were pushing up on some of the hills I did today. I made it up all of them, in the granny ring and barely quicker than walking.

You'll be fine :)
 
Oh and....

IMG-20130630-WA0000_zpsf92fcbce.jpg
 
[Damien];24540325 said:
This is the most accurate segment I've seen (there's a few that overlap).

The bad thing about this segment is there's no run up for the 25%+ bit. You make a 90 deg right turn (after climbing up some twists and turns already) and immediately hit the incline.
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That looks pretty savage, I've got this local to me which seems similar, 20%+ in places. Did a sportive that took it in a couple of weeks ago and people where walking up it.
 
Makhaira said:
Just wanted to say thanks for all the advice I've had on here. A week into my cycling adventures, and I'm loving it as a way to get some fresh air, exercise, and a bit of speed :). Just been doing some light rides, 8 miles or so, to build up technique and some fitness.

Going to start keeping an eye out for a small hybrid for the other half I think, she's complaining it's not fair as she struggles along on my old steel MTB!

Thanks again.
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just a thought, but maybe a cyclocross or a roadie would be better suited for her?
 
daveski said:
Oh and....

IMG-20130630-WA0000_zpsf92fcbce.jpg
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Nice.

I'm planning on doing Coast to Coast sometime soon, maybe next year, and I could tailor my route to take in one of the highest A-roads in the country, the A689, which gets up to something over 2,000 feet. Could make for some interest climbing... That particular 2,000 foot high point is the end of a cat 3 climb, and there's a cat 2 on the approach to it :eek:
 
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daveski said:
People were pushing up on some of the hills I did today. I made it up all of them, in the granny ring and barely quicker than walking.

You'll be fine :)
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The funny thing is, even on the slowest hills I've done, I'm usually doing 6mph average at a minimum, and I imagine most people on here are the same or better. Most people walk 3-4mph on the flat, so you're still going considerably faster than if you were walking.
 
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