Catagory question.

[Angelfishsolo]

I have just noticed something whilst watching the Tour of Britain highlights. Two hills, the Brecon and final climb are called Cat 1's but when I put the route into Mapmyride the hills are classed as Cat 2. Can anyone recommend any software that accuratly calculates hill catagories?

 

[Will1985]

Categorising hills is subjective - the race organisers decide how the climbs will be rated, so there is no official method of calculating them. There are all sorts of anecdotes such as the gear that cars used to be able to go up them, but these days it is more complicated. If the KoM points were on the TdF they would probably be unclassified or Cat 4. With the lack of proper hills/mountains in the UK the organisers have to relax the rules a lot to give some variance in the point values.

Sometimes the same climb can be categorised differently in different years/races depending on where it lies in the stage.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Categorising hills is subjective - the race organisers decide how the climbs will be rated, so there is no official method of calculating them. There are all sorts of anecdotes such as the gear that cars used to be able to go up them, but these days it is more complicated. If the KoM points were on the TdF they would probably be unclassified or Cat 4. With the lack of proper hills/mountains in the UK the organisers have to relax the rules a lot to give some variance in the point values.

Sometimes the same climb can be categorised differently in different years/races depending on where it lies in the stage.

Thank you very much indeed for that. I am now a more educated person

 

[beastie]

Categorising hills is subjective - the race organisers decide how the climbs will be rated, so there is no official method of calculating them. There are all sorts of anecdotes such as the gear that cars used to be able to go up them, but these days it is more complicated. If the KoM points were on the TdF they would probably be unclassified or Cat 4. With the lack of proper hills/mountains in the UK the organisers have to relax the rules a lot to give some variance in the point values.

Sometimes the same climb can be categorised differently in different years/races depending on where it lies in the stage.

 

[beastie]

Categorising hills is subjective - the race organisers decide how the climbs will be rated, so there is no official method of calculating them. There are all sorts of anecdotes such as the gear that cars used to be able to go up them, but these days it is more complicated. If the KoM points were on the TdF they would probably be unclassified or Cat 4. With the lack of proper hills/mountains in the UK the organisers have to relax the rules a lot to give some variance in the point values.

Sometimes the same climb can be categorised differently in different years/races depending on where it lies in the stage.

There some fairly big climbs in the UK, just that they are in the middle of nowhere. Put Great Dun fell ay the end of a stage, it's long enough to be a proper category 2, borderline 1. Or the Struggle from Ambleside, that would be nearly cat 2 in the tour.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

There some fairly big climbs in the UK, just that they are in the middle of nowhere. Put Great Dun fell ay the end of a stage, it's long enough to be a proper category 2, borderline 1. Or the Struggle from Ambleside, that would be nearly cat 2 in the tour.

So based on what I have read thus far "The Tour of Britain" organisers over categorise hills. I was very puzzled when they stated there were two Cat 1 climbs in the last 14 miles as I have ridden the 105 Km of that route and was only aware of the Caerphilly Mtn climb as being a contender for a Cat 1 (though Mapmyride classed it as a Cat 2).

 

[beastie]

The TOB categorys are very soft. A cat 1 here is probably only a 3 in a grand tour. There was a thread a while back about tbd lack of any good climbs in the TOB, lack of money means all the stages must finish in a town which is prepared to pay. I would love to see a stage come over Kirkstone pass then finish at the top of Great Dun Fell.

 

[HLaB]

Going by the ToB standards I think most of my climbs are HC