# How to train for the Alps?



## Dunc (5 Feb 2012)

I am planning to cycle in the Alps later in the year and am particularly aiming to tackle the Alpe D'Huez. I am relativley fit but not used to climbing (I live in the East of England .... not exactlyl ideal training terrain!!).

Can anyone give any advice on the best places in the UK where I can go riding to train for a climb like the Alpe D'Huez. I appreciate there won't be anywhere quite on that scale but just wondering if there are particularly good training routes that could be good?


----------



## GrumpyGregry (5 Feb 2012)

Hill intervals. Spin classes. Turbo trainer.


----------



## oldfatfool (5 Feb 2012)

OT,when are you planning on going? I should be there on 3rd July.

For training I am currently using the Turbo,alternating between intervals and 80k VR rides, probably putting in about 200~250km a week. Not forgetting the odd ColinJ forum ride for some actual hill torture


----------



## MontyVeda (5 Feb 2012)

purlock hill?


----------



## Red Light (5 Feb 2012)

oldfatfool said:


> OT,when are you planning on going? I should be there on 3rd July.
> 
> For training I am currently using the Turbo,alternating between intervals and 80k VR rides, probably putting in about 200~250km a week. Not forgetting the odd ColinJ forum ride for some actual hill torture


 
10hrs a week on a turbo? You must be comatose!. And a turbo cannot get close to simulating the long steady gradient of an alpine climb.


----------



## oldfatfool (5 Feb 2012)

Red Light said:


> 10hrs a week on a turbo? You must be comatose!. And a turbo cannot get close to simulating the long steady gradient of an alpine climb.


 
Tacx Fortius,quite capable of simulating 10%+ all day long complete with accurate wheel speed to video speed correlation. So long as you have a bloody big fan a 80k ride taking in per se Ventoux is a very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, especially when there is snow outside.


----------



## Dunc (5 Feb 2012)

I'm not planning to go until late August, early September.

Not sure I could take 200-250km a week on a turbo trainer!! Have done some turbo sessions but prefer the big outdoors (apart from today of course!).

Have tried a few hills in Kent, found some very steep ones but very short. Looking for something closter to the gradient of the Alpe D'Huez .... even if nowhere near the height.


----------



## psmiffy (5 Feb 2012)

There are no hills in the UK that properly simulate an Alp - need to keep it long and steady with occasional effort at steeper pitches/hairpins - so endurance is the key.

I normally do my training by cycling there - and Im not particulaly bothered if I stop a few times on the way up (in fact I find it preferable)


----------



## gilespargiter (5 Feb 2012)

Not wishing to be facetious here. I thought the whole thing about a bicycle is that you can go at,if not your own chosen speed, then at least one you are comfortable at. So; in order to train for cycling in the alps -
1. Learn how to balance your bicycle (most important).
2. Go to the alps and ride your bicycle (essential for riding in the Alps).
Useful tips:
Ride on the wrong side of the road . . !
If it has gears, it is quite useful to know how to operate them.
If you can pump up tyres, this may come in handy.

Sorry - just couldn't resist  (My home ground is N Wales, where the hills are steeper if not longer).


----------



## steveindenmark (5 Feb 2012)

Just a little warning. Be careful in the alps in September.

Here I am at St Moritz in September 2011 on my "Other" bike.

I had this for about 120km going down the mountains.












Steve


----------



## doog (5 Feb 2012)

Dunc said:


> I am planning to cycle in the Alps later in the year and am particularly aiming to tackle the Alpe D'Huez. I am relativley fit but not used to climbing (I live in the East of England .... not exactlyl ideal training terrain!!).
> 
> Can anyone give any advice on the best places in the UK where I can go riding to train for a climb like the Alpe D'Huez. I appreciate there won't be anywhere quite on that scale but just wondering if there are particularly good training routes that could be good?


 

Luckily you are on the touring forum 

So presuming you have either 2 or 4 panniers and are not a ninja! my advice would be to spin away and stop as often as you like (being a tourer you will get away with this)

My training for some bloody big mountains is an 8 mile commute and a 300 foot Dorset Hill when I can fit it in on a weekend. 

Indeed psmiffy sums it up perfectly with his post...(although personally i wouldnt take my kids with me )


----------



## jjb (5 Feb 2012)

Those motorbike photos are great.

I've done some repetitions of big hills near where I live but it gets boring - just going for a full day on the bike is the main thing. And easing up on the cakes to get to fighting weight in the preceding months. Then if you set a nice gentle pace, you'll float up the Alp, snow not withstanding.


----------



## psmiffy (5 Feb 2012)

doog said:


> Luckily you are on the touring forum
> 
> 
> Indeed psmiffy sums it up perfectly with his post...(although personally i wouldnt take my kids with me )


 
A good friend of mine did Isere from the south - avec his kids - both in one of them kiddie trailers


----------



## Dunc (5 Feb 2012)

Thanks for the advice.

Steve ... i like the photo's but you got me worried now  ... I might have to reconsider the date!! I spoke to a couple of people in Grenoble and they said the snow didn't usually arrive til October.

Are there such things as snow tyres for a touring bike??


----------



## psmiffy (5 Feb 2012)

Dunc said:


> Thanks for the advice.
> 
> Steve ... i like the photo's but you got me worried now  ... I might have to reconsider the date!! I spoke to a couple of people in Grenoble and they said the snow didn't usually arrive til October.
> 
> Are there such things as snow tyres for a touring bike??


 
The photo in my post above was taken in July - from Val to about 300m from the top it was 40° and I was stripped down to as little as was decent - at about 2470m it started to snow quite nicely  - you cannot guarantee the weather in the mountains


----------



## dragon72 (5 Feb 2012)

Dunc said:


> Are there such things as snow tyres for a touring bike??


 
wrap cable ties around the tyre and rim at intervals. Hey presto! Snow tyres.


----------



## TheDoctor (5 Feb 2012)

You may find that has a negative impact on the braking, unless you have disc or hub brakes...


----------



## Red Light (5 Feb 2012)

TheDoctor said:


> You may find that has a negative impact on the braking, unless you have disc or hub brakes...


 
Yep, first time you brake you'll hit a snag.


----------



## Red Light (5 Feb 2012)

doog said:


> stop as often as you like (being a tourer you will get away with this)


 
Its better not to stop too often. After about 20 minutes you will get your second wind which makes life much easier. If you keep stopping you never get to that point. So push through and keep going.


----------



## psmiffy (6 Feb 2012)

Red Light said:


> Its better not to stop too often. After about 20 minutes you will get your second wind which makes life much easier. If you keep stopping you never get to that point. So push through and keep going.


 
This is probably sound advice if you are one of those people who have got a taxi to the bottom and are riding some carbon fibre thingy - however if you are a touring cyclist and have your home with you a little break to take in the view, have lunch etc is very welcome and works well


----------



## Ajay (6 Feb 2012)

You've posted this in the Touring section, so I'm guessing you're aim is to get to the top in your own time rather than racing all the Dutch and Belgian club riders who'll be on the hill with you!
If this is the case I wouldnt worry about "training", you say you're relatively fit, so just get the miles in between now and then. The big Alpine climbs are long (obviously) but not particularly steep by our standards - rarely above 10%, so there is no need to ride in the "red zone", just find your groove and you'll be fine.


----------



## steveindenmark (6 Feb 2012)

You really do have to keep a careful check on the weather. I did not expect snow in September but we had about 40cm overnight.
There was almost no traffic on the road, there was certainly no cycles and it was as cold as hell. I doubt if a bike would have got down, even with winter tyres on. The snow and rain was almost horizontal and everything was freezing up.

I would suggest July and August to be safe. The previous 2 weeks riding in the alps and dolomites had been in the high 20s. That is how quick it can change.

Steve


----------



## theloafer (6 Feb 2012)

Ajay said:


> I wouldnt worry about "training", you say you're relatively fit, so just get the miles in between now and then. The big Alpine climbs are long (obviously) but not particularly steep by our standards - rarely above 10%, so there is no need to ride in the "red zone", just find your groove and you'll be fine.


 
we did the alps in 2009.. some of them are longgggggggg get your gearing right and the miles in the legs and you should be ok as others have said from the bottom to the top the weather can be so diffrent...we did
1 col de la madeleine
2 col du glandon... was ment to do alpe d`huez next but 1 of our group came off down the glandon so some of us missed it out
3 col du noyer
4 col de vars
5 col d`izoard
6 col du lautaret
7 coldu galibier
8 col du telegraph
9 col de l`lseran
10 cormet de roselend
11 col des saises 
12 col des aravis
13 col de la columbiere .......


 had to put on every bit of clothing i had with me.. wind was about 50mph and bloody frozen.. other pics in albums


----------



## doog (6 Feb 2012)

Red Light said:


> Its better not to stop too often. After about 20 minutes you will get your second wind which makes life much easier. If you keep stopping you never get to that point. So push through and keep going.


 
20 minutes  ? If only it was so easy. Some of these peaks are all day jobs when fully loaded with tent and panniers.



psmiffy said:


> This is probably sound advice if you are one of those people who have got a taxi to the bottom and are riding some carbon fibre thingy - however if you are a touring cyclist and have your home with you a little break to take in the view, have lunch etc is very welcome and works well


 
Agree. It took me the best part of a day to do my biggest peak and trust me stopping was a joy, not only to drink /eat but also take in the surroundings.


----------



## TheDoctor (6 Feb 2012)

Red Light said:


> Its better not to stop too often. After about 20 minutes you will get your second wind which makes life much easier. If you keep stopping you never get to that point. So push through and keep going.


Stop and look at the view. Isn't that why you're going up there?


----------



## Bodhbh (6 Feb 2012)

Dunc said:


> I am planning to cycle in the Alps later in the year and am particularly aiming to tackle the Alpe D'Huez. I am relativley fit but not used to climbing (I live in the East of England .... not exactlyl ideal training terrain!!).
> 
> Can anyone give any advice on the best places in the UK where I can go riding to train for a climb like the Alpe D'Huez. I appreciate there won't be anywhere quite on that scale but just wondering if there are particularly good training routes that could be good?


 
Mind, saying you're from the East...a strong headwind in the fens for a few dozen miles can't be bad training for a long climb.


----------

