Bike weight, extra gear carried, tyres used, pressures used, RR/Drag and probably most significantly pacing
Road Cycling
- Thread starter FrenchTart
- Start date
Bike weight, extra gear carried, tyres used, pressures used, RR/Drag and probably most significantly pacing
Really? I tend to think the opposite... A ramp you can carry momentum up, higher power vastly overcomes the extra weight. A much longer mountain climb the higher weight will have more of a negative impact as momentum is not really a factor. I'd equally expect lower weight to have less of an impact over a steep ramp...
I mean, I can hit a 9-10% ramp hard at 500W smashing up it with my 76kg bulk, but I'm no climber, check my HR spike. A rider around 10kg (or less) lighter only needs 400W for the same time. I'd consider him a much better rider than me and his HR barely climbed!
Take a more gradual longer 1.8 mile 2% average climb, I'm 2 minutes slower than him. I know it's almost impossible to compare the two or to even know the differing conditions of each ride but very rough comparisons...
He's the Triantlope who also climbs rocks.Think I've been confusing you with another userderp
Not sure, I'd always thought Mavik hubs where pretty good... But no direct experience?
Can I just put a special mention in for @Thomas. PLease., I hadn't checked his blog for a couple of weeks and just read the report of his RTTC National 25TT effort where he placed 39th. That's Nationals.
I'd spotted the ride on Strava but hadn't checked the results/placings. SUPREME effort Tom, well done! You must be chuffed with that! The pictures your position looks superb & new helmet suits you. How have you found it compared to your old (which I recall kept slipping down)?
I'd spotted the ride on Strava but hadn't checked the results/placings. SUPREME effort Tom, well done! You must be chuffed with that! The pictures your position looks superb & new helmet suits you. How have you found it compared to your old (which I recall kept slipping down)?
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Mavic freehubs run on a plastic bush, which imho, is horrible.
Appreciate that, very informative.
Soldato
Are you denying physics?
This graph illustrates how power requirements for a given speed increase with gradient and compares two riders of different weights. See how the difference increases with gradient. You can probably imagine what the line for a 60kg rider might look like. There'd be an even larger gap at higher gradients! QED
Source: http://theclimbingcyclist.com/gradients-and-cycling-how-much-harder-are-steeper-climbs/
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Soldato
Can I just put a special mention in for @Thomas. PLease., I hadn't checked his blog for a couple of weeks and just read the report of his RTTC National 10TT effort where he placed 39th. That's Nationals.
I'd spotted the ride on Strava but hadn't checked the results/placings. SUPREME effort Tom, well done! You must be chuffed with that! The pictures your position looks superb & new helmet suits you. How have you found it compared to your old (which I recall kept slipping down)?
That is a great effort indeed - though it was the National 25! I panicked for a second as I'm down to ride the national 10 and thought I'd missed it. I'd be delighted to be near the top half in the 10 so kudos for that effort Thomas. Position is looking good and you look a bit leaner than earlier in the season too? Must bode well for RRs.
Soldato
Cheers guys, yes was definitely the 25! Managed to peak nicely for it and did about 10w better than I'd done all season so far. Possibly because I was so much more focused and g'd up for it. Yeah new aerohead fits nicely and the magnetic visor is superb for both visibility, and whipping off post race effort. Yeah managed to lose quite a few kg for it and got down to 82kg from almost 89kg at the beginning of the year! Hopefully I can carry that through the year and lose a bit more weight for next year too.
Hopefully I can carry that through the year and lose a bit more weight for next year too.It occurred to me yesterday evening that my recent mini pump replacement, Lezyne pressure drive, isn't compatible with the Zipp valve extenders on my 404/808 so I just grabbed some more Co2 and prayed to the tarmac gods...
Most sensible option would be to switch the valve extenders so that they are threaded rather than domed. A quick search didn't return any results for different hoses for the pump capable of handling non-threaded valves?
Most sensible option would be to switch the valve extenders so that they are threaded rather than domed. A quick search didn't return any results for different hoses for the pump capable of handling non-threaded valves?
Soldato
I really wish someone would just make an inner tube with 100mm valve!
I have 808s and use conti tubes with conti extenders. These work with my Lezyne Road drive as it's been tested in the field due to a puncture recently.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-valve-extensions/
EDIT: 20KB signature rule is archaic.
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Thanks, ordered.
I thought I was smug buying an 80mm tube a while back
had to use it on my roadie with a 50mm rear and now I have plenty of valve on show 
Soldato
Make sure you carry one of the valve spanners in your toolkit.
Will do, think I managed to use my chain breaker tool in Germany to re-tighten a core when the pressure drive removed it.
Also, slight change to the UI on Wiggle today and seems to have the next-day delivery option listed as free currently...
Also, slight change to the UI on Wiggle today and seems to have the next-day delivery option listed as free currently...
I noticed the number of clicks required to place an order the other day have significantly reduced. Dangerous.
Soldato
I honestly have no idea what you're talking about!
Whether the climb is 0.1mi or 2 miles the fact is, all other things being equal, a lighter rider requires less power to go up it than a heavier one and this difference in power increases with gradient.
When you're talking about "less likely to hit it as hard" and "usually use their additional power" you're no longer being objective.
Whether the climb is 0.1mi or 2 miles the fact is, all other things being equal, a lighter rider requires less power to go up it than a heavier one and this difference in power increases with gradient.
When you're talking about "less likely to hit it as hard" and "usually use their additional power" you're no longer being objective.
an older article, but quite interesting, the same rider at different weights up alpe d'huez
http://www.training4cyclists.com/how-much-time-does-extra-weight-cost-on-alpe-dhuez/
http://www.training4cyclists.com/how-much-time-does-extra-weight-cost-on-alpe-dhuez/
I honestly have no idea what you're talking about!
I was trying to say that your comment saying weight having 'less' impact on a 6-8% climb is subjective if you're comparing the difference to a 20-25% ramp.
The two things - 'a climb' (implying an extended quantity of minutes) of measured/paced effort against a steep 'ramp' (implying it's a short period you'll find most riders will not pace themselves up it) are totally different things and can't really be compared as an example of 'heavier riders are impacted more on steeper gradients'. Ideally you need to compare 6-8% longer climbs against 10-12% longer climbs and not steep ramps. I'm not arguing that a 90kg rider will be slower up a 10mile 25% climb, than a 65kg rider. What I'm saying is they're going to be still significantly compromised/affected by a 6-8% 10 mile climb. Weight is still the biggest deal on longer climbs. Yes I've used extremes of weight and gradient here to try and explain what I was (badly) trying to say!
Wtf is even the point of a non-threaded valve? Doesn't it just make things hard for attaching anything, even a compatible pump!? Easier for air to escape from a slightly misaligned pump head!
Soldato
Maybe I shouldn't have said "ramp".
I'm saying if Sa Calobra was the same length it is now but the average grade was steeper (say 12%), my weight would be more of an advantage than it is at an average of 7%. That's all.
The fact still remains though for the short, steep ramps. Your own example shows you needed 100W more to get the same time as your lighter friend. If he output 500W to match you, he'd have been quicker.
This is independent of things like fitness and who is "stronger" or how hard you hit the climb. Being heavier costs you more Watts uphill and the cost is higher as the gradient increases.
I'm saying if Sa Calobra was the same length it is now but the average grade was steeper (say 12%), my weight would be more of an advantage than it is at an average of 7%. That's all.
The fact still remains though for the short, steep ramps. Your own example shows you needed 100W more to get the same time as your lighter friend. If he output 500W to match you, he'd have been quicker.
This is independent of things like fitness and who is "stronger" or how hard you hit the climb. Being heavier costs you more Watts uphill and the cost is higher as the gradient increases.
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Wtf is even the point of a non-threaded valve? Doesn't it just make things hard for attaching anything, even a compatible pump!? Easier for air to escape from a slightly misaligned pump head!
My current track pump & previous mini pump are non-threaded. Much quicker & easier imo and no risk of removing a valve core when the pump secures by a lever/cam system.