Team BKool CycleChat

[Whorty]

Anyone know how long the steep climbs are on the DD? Thinking about my training plan, it kind of makes sense to train to these extremes?

 

[Whorty]

One option for me is getting up at the crack of dawn but it's not very appealing at the moment.

I do already - i leave the house by 6.15 in the morning and get back at 8.15 in the evening when I travel to the office. When Wfh I get a chance to ride but that is only once or twice at most per week. Oh well, I'm sure someone will wait for me

 

[Add]

Anyone know how long the steep climbs are on the DD? Thinking about my training plan, it kind of makes sense to train to these extremes?

The steepest is the Staircase, but you only have about 15 - 20 miles on your legs then, and it is only about 600m long, so short and sharp. The two biggest testers are the Devil's Elbow, and a nasty 200m, 18%er about 4 miles from home. However if you are doing the shorter route, I think you miss the Elbow out. If you just get your distance runs in, you'll manage the hills. And remember you finish where you start from, so as much as you go up, you also get to come down!

 

[Bored Man]

Anyone know how long the steep climbs are on the DD? Thinking about my training plan, it kind of makes sense to train to these extremes?

If I may add my two pennoth worth?

Whilst I struggle with climbing I do do them when Sportive cycling, and as you've seen, I do climb them ugly. If you can't get out much, I think you should plan for endurance training and a 6 hour stint in the saddle. Prepare your arse, your arms and your neck. You need to know what your body will feel like with 6 hours on the bike. It can and should include short breaks.

You may be able to get the .gpx file for the DD. If so, upload it to Bkool and give it a go.

Go Whorty...

 

[Add]

If I may add my two pennoth worth?

Whilst I struggle with climbing I do do them when Sportive cycling, and as you've seen, I do climb them ugly. If you can't get out much, I think you should plan for endurance training and a 6 hour stint in the saddle. Prepare your arse, your arms and your neck. You need to know what your body will feel like with 6 hours on the bike. It can and should include short breaks.

You may be able to get the .gpx file for the DD. If so, upload it to Bkool and give it a go.

Go Whorty...

The biggest discomfort on the DD was the sore bum....it was crushing...ask Bill. The hills you could knuckle down to and eventually you would crest them....the bum thing was constant after about 75 - 80 miles. There was a lot of standing up involved. The best thing I did was the Wales Velethon the weekend before. That 90 miles, taken reasonably steadily set me in good stead I'm sure. I am hopelessly underprepared this time around, and am in the process of convincing myself to dso more training....its going well...

 

[<Tommy>]

The biggest discomfort on the DD was the sore bum....it was crushing...ask Bill. The hills you could knuckle down to and eventually you would crest them....the bum thing was constant after about 75 - 80 miles. There was a lot of standing up involved. The best thing I did was the Wales Velethon the weekend before. That 90 miles, taken reasonably steadily set me in good stead I'm sure. I am hopelessly underprepared this time around, and am in the process of convincing myself to dso more training....its going well...

How did you find the saddle add? How do you find it generally? Im thinking about getting a more forgiving one.

 

[kipster]

I do already - i leave the house by 6.15 in the morning and get back at 8.15 in the evening when I travel to the office. When Wfh I get a chance to ride but that is only once or twice at most per week. Oh well, I'm sure someone will wait for me

According to Strava the staircase is https://www.strava.com/segments/668987?hl=en-GB

The elbow is https://www.strava.com/segments/4138820?hl=en-GB

Personally they don't look that bad in isolation, it'll be the unrelenting up and downs for the rest of the ride that will hurt. I would find a local steep hill and just do repeats of it, preferably when there is a brutal head wind and a drop or two of rain. It shouldn't be too much worse than that on the day.

 

[bobinski]

I have not really suffered with a sore bum on long rides after I got a bike fit that stretched me out a little more than I was expecting.The problem for me is always my neck and shoulders something that has got a little worse as I have got older. So in addition to lot s of miles and short sharp goat rides in bkool/Zwift I hope to find a way to keep neck discomfort at bay.
I know saddles are personal and what suits one bum won't suit another but the Planet X and Giant copies of the Fizik arione work for me.

 

[Daddy Pig]

Interesting article for the older cyclists on here.... not sure what you are supposed to wear instead!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/01/23/avoid-tight-lycra-ageing-cyclists-warned/

 

[CXRAndy]

I prefer hills with little breather flat spots as opposed to endless grinding up like Ventoux

 

[AAAC 76C]

Interesting article for the older cyclists on here.... not sure what you are supposed to wear instead!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/01/23/avoid-tight-lycra-ageing-cyclists-warned/

They have forgotten that cycling and 'tight' clothing is all about aero and also to stop chaffing.
Wear a sail and you will find yourself using a lot more effort and thus getting hot under the collar.
We could all go back to merino wool but I'm sure that can get pretty warm as well, not to mention heavy a wet in the rain which adds to wind chill and again hypothermia.
That said not all cycle clothing is 'compression clothing' the two can be quite different.
I have a few compression tops and they do just that, most of my cycle jerseys are far more giving.

 

[bobinski]

Quick look at Road Grand tours. Looks promising. No issues connecting to Neo etc.

I prefer hills with little breather flat spots as opposed to endless grinding up like Ventoux

Andy, I will do that at least once this July , just possibly 3 times

 

[Add]

How did you find the saddle add? How do you find it generally? Im thinking about getting a more forgiving one.

I don't get saddle sore generally for the first couple of hours, and then it starts creeping in. DD took Bill and I, 8.5 hours last year. So my @rse only hurt for the last 6.5 hours really. The last couple of hours were ungodly. I don't know how you prepare yourself for that sort of time in the saddle, short of doing the Tour de France. I did liberally apply Bum Butter, not sure if it helped, or if the slimy feeling in my pants was just a pain distraction. From what Bill said last year, I am half expecting him to turn up with a motorbike seat with a pillow gaffer taped to the top!

 

[Add]

I have not really suffered with a sore bum on long rides after I got a bike fit that stretched me out a little more than I was expecting.The problem for me is always my neck and shoulders something that has got a little worse as I have got older. So in addition to lot s of miles and short sharp goat rides in bkool/Zwift I hope to find a way to keep neck discomfort at bay.
I know saddles are personal and what suits one bum won't suit another but the Planet X and Giant copies of the Fizik arione work for me.

What is the longest ride you have done in a day Bobski? I have certainly never done anything longer than DD, not continuously in the saddle anyway.

 

[Add]

I do already - i leave the house by 6.15 in the morning and get back at 8.15 in the evening when I travel to the office. When Wfh I get a chance to ride but that is only once or twice at most per week. Oh well, I'm sure someone will wait for me

You'll be pleased to hear there is a Pub stop at about 35 - 40 miles into the DD. If its raining, or worse like the first year and sleeting, I'll be sat in there by the fire waiting for you Whorty. Just let me know what your drinking.....