My 20 minute Cragg Vale hill climb challenge

[ColinJ]

Can you provide information about the route?
How long is the route?
How much elv gain?
What is the average slope?

View attachment 760859

The full length of the hill is about 8.5 km from the Oliver Collinge sign in Mytholmroyd to Blackstone Edge reservoir at the top but I am using about 7.7-7.8 km of that, starting a few hundred metres further on and finishing a few hundred metres earlier. That is the hill climb time trial course used in an annual event.

The elevation gain is around 290 metres, so the average gradient is only around 3.6-3.8%. It is fairly unchallenging apart from a few hundred metres at around 8%
midway, above Cragg Vale, and leading up onto the moor.

The biggest difficulty is often the wind on that moor. It is typically a blustery cross-headwind coming from the SW (ahead right).

This is what the reservoir surface typically looks like when you have battled your way up to it...

This is what you would prefer, but you have to pick your day carefully!

Today's wind is forecast to be 10 km/h with gusts of upto 22 km/h and further to the south than usual so even harder. I will leave my first attempt this year until another day!

There used to be painted lines on the road indicating the start and finish of the tt course but I think they have gone now. I linked to a map a few pages back showing the course.

The start is just before a driveway to the left here...

And the finish is here...

Note the gate and footpath to the right.

 

[Jameshow]

If I attempt it tomorrow - lunch dependant I'll msg at bottom and at top! 🤣

 

[DCLane]

It's a climb you do in certain weather conditions; my 2014 time was set when we had a massive tailwind in dry weather on a CTT event. I was also MUCH fitter than I am currently. Almost every other ride up, of which there have been many due to participating in CTT hillclimbs up Cragg Vale, have been ridden in rain and/or head/crosswinds.

It's one of those climbs that can be ridden on a TT bike and/or with a rear disc wheel as it's long but not that steep. But, from experience, this approach is NOT advisable when it's windy.

 

[Jameshow]

So I did it - Excuses first......!

Legs tired having done col de oxenhope first!

Headwind was blowing perhaps 10-20mph

Traffic lights slowed me a little half way up....

Was in full winter gear but shorts rather than tights...
Winter carbon bike which needs work!
Recovering from a cold haven't gone sub 20mins on parkrun for a while.
Carrying appox 5kg too much I reckon due to not doing enough recently!

Time 29mins😢🤣🤣🤣

Cream tea as a reward or commiseration

 

[ColinJ]

I thought about going up there today but I hadn't slept well and the wind forecast didn't look great so I have had a lazy day in.

Time 29mins😢🤣🤣🤣

Right, well that is the first time to beat then, given that 20 minutes is a distant fantasy!

Once I've got back down below 29 minutes I will start working down to my PB of 24 m 30 s. (I think I probably beat that PB at least a couple of times when I was younger, but didn't log those times.)

Once below that time, I suspect that every subsequent improvement will be hard work!

It is still looking windy tomorrow, but sunny, so I may have a go and see if I can do it in less than half an hour. I will do the first section at 200 W, do 250-300 W on the steep bit, then do what I can up on the moor.

Initial timed rides will be on my DIY 6-speed bike which weighs around 10 kg and will be carrying a wind-catching pannier weighing, er (heads for kitchen scales)... 2 kg!

Once/if I get close to my PB I will switch to my best bike and a small backpack, which will save me around 2 kg. That bike doesn't (yet!) have a power meter though so pacing on that will have to be based on perceived exertion and my heart rate.

 

[Jameshow]

I thought about going up there today but I hadn't slept well and the wind forecast didn't look great so I have had a lazy day in.


Right, well that is the first time to beat then, given that 20 minutes is a distant fantasy!

Once I've got back down below 29 minutes I will start working down to my PB of 24 m 30 s. (I think I probably beat that PB at least a couple of times when I was younger, but didn't log those times.)

Once below that time, I suspect that every subsequent improvement will be hard work!

It is still looking windy tomorrow, but sunny, so I may have a go and see if I can do it in less than half an hour. I will do the first section at 200 W, do 250-300 W on the steep bit, then do what I can up on the moor.

Initial timed rides will be on my DIY 6-speed bike which weighs around 10 kg and will be carrying a wind-catching pannier weighing, er (heads for kitchen scales)... 2 kg!

Once/if I get close to my PB I will switch to my best bike and a small backpack, which will save me around 2 kg. That bike doesn't (yet!) have a power meter though so pacing on that will have to be based on perceived exertion and my heart rate.

Fighting talk!

I'll have to get my best carbon bike back up here with aero wheels on it!!
I think aero trumps weight on that climb compared to oxenhope moor climbs.

My legs are knackered the wind dropped on way back over so had to push hard back over the moor!

 

[ColinJ]

It is still looking windy tomorrow, but sunny, so I may have a go and see if I can do it in less than half an hour. I will do the first section at 200 W, do 250-300 W on the steep bit, then do what I can up on the moor.

Well, the forecast was right!

I managed about 210 W up to the bus layby at the bottom of the steepish section, and then stood up and made a harder effort for another couple of minutes.

I know from experience that if I am pacing myself properly and wind isn't a big factor, then I get to the layby in about half the overall time. No such luck today though... 14 m 30 s looked good for me to challenge James's time, but the wind was getting stronger as I grovelled up onto the moor!

I started to regret having had a huge breakfast earlier. I thought that 2.5 hours would be enough time for it to go down properly but it had other ideas and tried to come back up instead... Next time, I will do the ride before a meal!

The effort started to get too much so I backed off and relaxed for the last couple of km. It ended up taking me 35 m 55 s (NOT 34 m 30 s - idiot on gps error!). I looked over at the reservoir and saw significant waves coming towards me.

So... A disappointing time today, but the wind would have cost me at least 4 or 5 minutes. The heavier bike didn't help either, and the big breakfast almost brought the test to a sudden stop!

I reckon that I can do nearer 30 minutes next time if I don't make the same mistakes.

Initial timed rides will be on my DIY 6-speed bike which weighs around 10 kg and will be carrying a wind-catching pannier weighing, er (heads for kitchen scales)... 2 kg!

That pannier was one mistake that I did not make today! It would have really grabbed the wind so I opted for a small backpack instead (and saved about 0.5kg too).

One thing that I was satisfied with today was a 20 minute average power of 204 W. All I need to do now is to find another 80 W and lose another 4-5 kg of blubber...

 

[Jameshow]

Well, the forecast was right!

I managed about 210 W up to the bus layby at the bottom of the steepish section, and then stood up and made a harder effort for another couple of minutes.

I know from experience that if I am pacing myself properly and wind isn't a big factor, then I get to the layby in about half the overall time. No such luck today though... 14 m 30 s looked good for me to challenge James's time, but the wind was getting stronger as I grovelled up onto the moor!

I started to regret having had a huge breakfast earlier. I thought that 2.5 hours would be enough time for it to go down properly but it had other ideas and tried to come back up instead... Next time, I will do the ride before a meal!

The effort started to get too much so I backed off and relaxed for the last couple of km. It ended up taking me 34 m 30 s. I looked over at the reservoir and saw significant waves coming towards me.

So... A disappointing time today, but the wind would have cost me at least 4 or 5 minutes. The heavier bike didn't help either, and the big breakfast almost brought the test to a sudden stop!

I reckon that I can do nearer 30 minutes next time if I don't make the same mistakes.


That pannier was one mistake that I did not make today! It would have really grabbed the wind so I opted for a small backpack instead (and saved about 0.5kg too).

One thing that I was satisfied with today was a 20 minute average power of 204 W. All I need to do now is to find another 80 W and lose another 4-5 kg of blubber...

Good effort it deceptively hard tbh.

That's good to know! I feel more human.

 

[ColinJ]

I forgot to mention...

There is still a faint blue painted line on the road at the start, which confirmed that I had identified the correct place.

My back brake was rubbing! As I was getting home I noticed that both brake levers were rattling. I discovered that salty gritty winter crap thrown up by the wheels had got onto my unprotected brake callipers and cables. That introduced friction which was stopping the rim brake callipers opening properly when the levers were released, and that stopped the cables pulling the levers fully back.

That dragging back brake must have wasted few of my precious watts. (And had worn the brake blocks down quite a bit too.)

The same had happened at the front but the callipers did at least spring open far enough not to drag the blocks.

I will sort the brakes out before I ride the bike again.

 

[nickyboy]

This is a climb you only do with a tailwind. Once you get out of the houses onto the moors it's really exposed. I'm sure my best time was done with a handy tailwind

 

[Jameshow]

I forgot to mention...

There is still a faint blue painted line on the road at the start, which confirmed that I had identified the correct place.

My back brake was rubbing! As I was getting home I noticed that both brake levers were rattling. I discovered that salty gritty winter crap thrown up by the wheels had got onto my unprotected brake callipers and cables. That introduced friction which was stopping the rim brake callipers opening properly when the levers were released, and that stopped the cables pulling the levers fully back.

That dragging back brake must have wasted few of my precious watts. (And had worn the brake blocks down quite a bit too.)

The same had happened at the front but the callipers did at least spring open far enough not to drag the blocks.

I will sort the brakes out before I ride the bike again.

Next time your up can you paint the finish line back on? 👍🤣
I stopped at the dip as the reservoir starts?

I'm thinking my poor time was really down to a worn out BB and a dirty drive train just saying!🤣

 

[roubaixtuesday]

My back brake was rubbing!

Sure it was. No other explanation possible.

 

[DCLane]

Next time your up can you paint the finish line back on? 👍🤣

It'll all get painted before the next competitive hillclimb. You could enter that and have a go. Currently there's one scheduled for 14th September, but there may also be a June one as well - https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/events/30455-cragg-vale-hill-climb

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'll load it into my turbo and have a go some time.

 

[ColinJ]

This is a climb you only do with a tailwind. Once you get out of the houses onto the moors it's really exposed. I'm sure my best time was done with a handy tailwind

Sunday conditions looks like they may be favourable, though COLD!

Next time your up can you paint the finish line back on? 👍🤣
I stopped at the dip as the reservoir starts?

Just look out for the gate and footpath on the right, 350 m before the reservoir!

Oops... My time was significantly worse than I thought. I just discovered how to review lap data on the Wahoo app. 34 m 30 s was what I remembered it being but that must have been when I looked down at the Wahoo as I 'sprinted' (grovelled more quickly) in the last km. I actually took...


... 35 m 55 s!!

I blame the wind, and the big breakfast, and relaxing in the later part of the climb, and the brakes rubbing, and getting old, and those pesky blood clots, but most of all I blame...

... Donald Trump. It's all his fault - how is a cyclist supposed to concentrate when WWIII could break out at any minute?!!