Road Cycling
- Thread starter FrenchTart
- Start date
Associate
- Joined
- 20 Apr 2004
- Posts
- 1,424
- Location
- Somerset
RJ The Bike Guy has done a bunch of videos on opening up freewheels you might find a good method there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_vRbBRPr3c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0hP_ewvV48
Soldato
- Joined
- 9 Nov 2005
- Posts
- 9,156
- Location
- Southampton, hopefully not too hot, or too cold
I seem to have got this crazy fascination of finding a true Strava cat4 hill or two to climb into my head, which by their rules means a minimum average gradient of 3% multiplied by climb distance in meters being 8000+.
I've known for ages that on of my very local segments is a fake cat4, thanks to dodgy elevation data, but yesterday after work I discovered first-hand that Bassett Green Road fails being a cat4 by tiny margins.
So now I've got this crazy idea of heading up Sailor's Lane to Beacon Hill and then on to Old Winchester Hill, before doubling back for home, ~32 miles with ~1660 feet of climbing including three cat4 ascents.
Having done the longest ride ever ride in my life on Sunday (50 miles), I'm marginally into Stravistix training "overload" territory, not helped by yesterday's extended workout commute ride. Not to mention, it's baking hot today, ~24C at home and ~26C up in Warnford. Wunderground thinks it's dead calm up there, but the predominat local winds are roughly south easterly, which if true is a ~10mph headwind up Old Winchester Hill!
My sensible head says either have a complete rest day, or do a gentle ride trying to stay in zone3. By organised for a change and head of to the hills tomorrow morning, before it gets too warm.
My silly head says get changed and head for the hills, having a decent effort at each of the cat4s (albeit the closest thing I've done before was ~16mins30secs ascending 1% ~4.7 miles on Sunday, so I could easily "blow up").
I've known for ages that on of my very local segments is a fake cat4, thanks to dodgy elevation data, but yesterday after work I discovered first-hand that Bassett Green Road fails being a cat4 by tiny margins.
So now I've got this crazy idea of heading up Sailor's Lane to Beacon Hill and then on to Old Winchester Hill, before doubling back for home, ~32 miles with ~1660 feet of climbing including three cat4 ascents.
Having done the longest ride ever ride in my life on Sunday (50 miles), I'm marginally into Stravistix training "overload" territory, not helped by yesterday's extended workout commute ride. Not to mention, it's baking hot today, ~24C at home and ~26C up in Warnford. Wunderground thinks it's dead calm up there, but the predominat local winds are roughly south easterly, which if true is a ~10mph headwind up Old Winchester Hill!
My sensible head says either have a complete rest day, or do a gentle ride trying to stay in zone3. By organised for a change and head of to the hills tomorrow morning, before it gets too warm.
My silly head says get changed and head for the hills, having a decent effort at each of the cat4s (albeit the closest thing I've done before was ~16mins30secs ascending 1% ~4.7 miles on Sunday, so I could easily "blow up").
Then blow up. How else are you going to know?!
Soldato
- Joined
- 9 Nov 2005
- Posts
- 9,156
- Location
- Southampton, hopefully not too hot, or too cold
@SoliD I'm in Bitterne, so not far from you in Pompey.
Came across this video earlier from the Hayden Lane approach to Old Winchester Hill, the route I'd take after tackling Beacon Hill.
It doesn't look too bad, but it's one thing getting up Chessel Avenue or Chalk Hill in less than 2mins10secs on a good day, going at a pace where I push myself without blowing up over maybe something like ~7mins or so is another matter!
I was kind of surprised I am the fastest up Ashton Lane and Salt Lane http://www.strava.com/segments/7817123 this month and 15th best this year from Sunday's ride, but if heading out towards the South Downs, I appreciate many would want to take that segment steady and leave their best efforts for the more challenging climbs further up.
Came across this video earlier from the Hayden Lane approach to Old Winchester Hill, the route I'd take after tackling Beacon Hill.
It doesn't look too bad, but it's one thing getting up Chessel Avenue or Chalk Hill in less than 2mins10secs on a good day, going at a pace where I push myself without blowing up over maybe something like ~7mins or so is another matter!
I was kind of surprised I am the fastest up Ashton Lane and Salt Lane http://www.strava.com/segments/7817123 this month and 15th best this year from Sunday's ride, but if heading out towards the South Downs, I appreciate many would want to take that segment steady and leave their best efforts for the more challenging climbs further up.
Tell me about it, utterly melted! But it was the only way I could get an miles in yesterday (today rest day & BBQ, then out with a friend tomorrow). With the other half 'helpfully' arranging the dog to have his haircut at 10:30 saturday morning (while she's at work) has written off most of the club/group rides for me... FFS!Riding indoors in this weather should be a crime!
Do it! Do it! Do it!
Judging by your Strava avg estimated power and other efforts you won't blow up on a gradual CAT3 or 4. You paced Bassett Green pretty well! A steep kicker of a CAT4 you might (but steep kickers are generally a measure of how hard you can hit them & not blow - for everyone)!
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 9 Nov 2005
- Posts
- 9,156
- Location
- Southampton, hopefully not too hot, or too cold
Do it! Do it! Do it!
Judging by your Strava avg estimated power and other efforts you won't blow up on a gradual CAT3 or 4. You paced Bassett Green pretty well! A steep kicker of a CAT4 you might (but steep kickers are generally a measure of how hard you can hit them & not blow - for everyone)!
Must admit I was surprised how decently Bassett Green climb went, considering I was in work gear on the Wazoo (~2Kg heavier than the Attain GTC Pro Disc) and I was pretty much cycling blind (years since I'd driven on it). I might be getting a little better at judging my preferred fast cadence and changing up/down when I get out of the ~100rpm zone.
I think I might be more nervous (if that's the right word) about doing these cat4s because I've really neglected hill training in the last ~6 weeks compared to Feb-Apr, instead focusing on fairly flat routes, trying to push my average speed towards 20mph and increase mileage from ~20+ mile rides to 50 last weekend (which also over-doubled my biggest amount of climbing in a ride to ~3000 feet). My legs have felt heavy since Sunday, but not sore, like they were back in Feb/Mar (which Stavistix says I was way into "overload") when linking up local hills.
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T. S. Eliot
Road up some mountain called Mount Ventoux yesterday: https://www.strava.com/activities/1036442692
Left our gite at 7am, got to Bedoin just after 8am and met up with family in the team car. Few photos and then started our steady spin up. Strava says 2 hours 5 minutes moving for the climb, plus ~10 minutes stop at Chalet Reynard to refill bottles from the car. Best thing I did was freeze a bottle of High5 Zero overnight - it was so, so good to have an ice cold drink for the last 6km to the summit. Very happy with the effort, perhaps could have gone faster but kept a steady HR of 150 to 160 BPM. Somebody overtook us early on sounding like Ivor the Engine - we caught & passed him a couple of KM later when he'd blown up.
The climb back to our gite has been a total killer all week. About 200 of climb over a few KM but when it's busting 40/41 degrees, it's just murder. Best recovery is to jump straight into the swimming pool, lunch and the fall asleep on a sun lounger
Left our gite at 7am, got to Bedoin just after 8am and met up with family in the team car. Few photos and then started our steady spin up. Strava says 2 hours 5 minutes moving for the climb, plus ~10 minutes stop at Chalet Reynard to refill bottles from the car. Best thing I did was freeze a bottle of High5 Zero overnight - it was so, so good to have an ice cold drink for the last 6km to the summit. Very happy with the effort, perhaps could have gone faster but kept a steady HR of 150 to 160 BPM. Somebody overtook us early on sounding like Ivor the Engine - we caught & passed him a couple of KM later when he'd blown up.
The climb back to our gite has been a total killer all week. About 200 of climb over a few KM but when it's busting 40/41 degrees, it's just murder. Best recovery is to jump straight into the swimming pool, lunch and the fall asleep on a sun lounger
You won't have suddenly 'lost' all of the technique so things won't be as bad as you expect!
Ouch! From cycling? Shoe rub?
"If you're not on the edge, you're taking up too much space!" - still not sure where that quote comes from...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7ea5tpiM7IGot my replacement gear cable from wiggle. Now to figure out how it goes together
So as it heats up
Congrats!
Soldato
- Joined
- 29 Dec 2004
- Posts
- 17,072
- Location
- Shepley
Decided to treat myself to an eTap gear set from CRC (i.e. shifters/derailleurs only). Ordered on Saturday with next day delivery. It turned up a day late yesterday and there are no derailleurs in the box and it's touch and go whether I will get a replacement any time soon as they're currently out of stock in the warehouse. 
First time I've ever bought a new groupset, you get better service buying on the BikeRadar classifieds.
First time I've ever bought a new groupset, you get better service buying on the BikeRadar classifieds.
fixed that for you......
superb - well done - on the bucket list for sure!
Never really had issues with them before - although admittedly I've only ordered a few things from them. Always had stock, always reasonably priced.
Now I won't go near them.