How much climbing?

[toby123]

A sportive I might be doing* has 825m of ascent according to the details on the UK Cyclosportive calender but when I plotted the exact same route on http://www.bikehike.co.uk it came up as 1362m of ascent, which is obviously much greater. Can anyone shed some light on why the two figures are so different? Which, if either is correct?

*Wilier South Downs Sportive, 18th Oct (Standard route)

 

[jimboalee]

Was the bikehike figure the TOTAL climbing for the route?

The 825m of ascent quoted on the ride details might only be the 'interesting' climbs rounded down to the nearest 25m.

Gently undulating terrain and slopes of less than 10% that are not difficult will be seen as 'flat' by organisers.

This might be why bikehike results are much greater than what the organisers say.

 

[Garz]

It could be worse, you could have big jim as the ride organiser accepting only 15% ascents as a 'climb'

 

[meic]

The 825m is for the 117k sportif
and 1209m for the 163k (100 mile) sportif.
Which is nearer to the value you got on bikehike.

Computer mapping will often show higher figures where you go along the contours of a steep slope as the computer doesnt realise you will be following a pretty level road, rather than zig zagging up and down the hillside.

I wish I got to do some rides with only 1209m per 100 miles

 

[ASC1951]

Computer mapping will often show higher figures where you go along the contours of a steep slope as the computer doesnt realise you will be following a pretty level road, rather than zig zagging up and down the hillside.(

Really? My Tracklogs copes perfectly well.

 

[toby123]

Was the bikehike figure the TOTAL climbing for the route?

The 825m of ascent quoted on the ride details might only be the 'interesting' climbs rounded down to the nearest 25m.

Gently undulating terrain and slopes of less than 10% that are not difficult will be seen as 'flat' by organisers.

This might be why bikehike results are much greater than what the organisers say.

That's probably what it is. I counted 8 or 9 climbs of note.

 

[HLaB]

The link is not working for me; a stab in the dark, does the route bridge many rivers? mapping programs would assume you go down to water level and climb again up the opposite bank where in reality you go over a bridge and stay at the same level so there's little or no climbing.

 

[jimboalee]

Did a DIY 100 yesterday.

On the return, the main A51 south of Rugely, Staffs goes round a hill. Brereton Hill. The minor road, which is shorter by distance goes up the steep bit and has one chevron – the only hill on my route with a chevron. My calcs have it as 16%. I had my Dawes Giro on 30 x 23 ( 35" ) and wound the pedals round at 60 rpm for just over 6 mph.

Damned pleased I was.

When I got to the top where the two roads rejoin, I felt I had done something better than taking the lazy way up.

The rest of the ride was flat.