What is VAM

[JasonHolder]

Hi guys and girls.
Can someone please explain this to me? Never heard of it before. Did a Cat 3 yesterday and had a VAM of 1083.
Rode tempo first half of it and basically just survived for the 28%+ bits. Painful hill no matter what speed though lol recovery ride today! Mr super duper legs has met his match

 

[Hacienda71]

It is some rating of effort on a hill calculated by Strava. It is explained somewhere on the site.

 

[JasonHolder]

Ah I see! Cheers mate. Now does anyone know, if having a vam on one cat3 can be converted to seewhat could be done on a different cat4 climb? Or is the vam of boh hills able to be directly compared regardless of hill?

 

[Rob3rt]

VAM is vertical speed given in metres per hour.

 

[Asa Post]

Ah I see! Cheers mate. Now does anyone know, if having a vam on one cat3 can be converted to seewhat could be done on a different cat4 climb? Or is the vam of boh hills able to be directly compared regardless of hill?

For the basics of VAM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VAM_(bicycling)
For playing about with it:http://www.cyclingpowerlab.com/VAM.aspx

 

[JasonHolder]

For the basics of VAM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VAM_(bicycling)
For playing about with it:http://www.cyclingpowerlab.com/VAM.aspx

Awesome link thanks! Job done.

@Rob3rt what's the highest jump in vam you have seen in 4 weeks? What would you class as a big jump in any time frame-200 400 Vam, I don't know.

And what's an average vam and a good one? Or watts:kilo. That link posted converts to that. Using the same model to convert with I could have a stable idea. 3.52 watt:kilo for 11 minutes

 

[Rob3rt]

That is like asking what a good average speed is really. It depends on loads of things. I never pay any attention to it tbh.

 

[montage]

All in all, it means nothing


On a similar note, power estimated / guessed means nothing as well

 

[JasonHolder]

That is like asking what a good average speed is really. It depends on loads of things. I never pay any attention to it tbh.

You track improvement with time up climb?

 

[Hacienda71]

Conditions could have a huge effect on VAM calculated by Strava, same applies to their wattage calculations . The best way to accurately calculate your improvements is via a power meter. Unfortunately they cost quite a bit.

 

[JasonHolder]

Conditions could have a huge effect on VAM calculated by Strava, same applies to their wattage calculations . The best way to accurately calculate your improvements is via a power meter. Unfortunately they cost quite a bit.

What are your recommendations? Time works. However conditions could have a huge effect on time too... Lol vam looks good because its a huge number.

And the minute I go up a hill and don't feel pain (ie improvement) faster. The world turns to a shoot storm with 10pages of hate. Lol

 

[Rob3rt]

You track improvement with time up climb?

I track progress using power over various durations or relative race positions.

But afaik VAM is no better than tracking time up a climb.

 

[400bhp]

I can't be arsed to look, but given the description by Rob, I suspect the formula is a quadratic with gradient being squared. Hence the steeper gradients have a greater impact on VAM than your speed.

 

[Hacienda71]

I know you didn't like Jowwys suggestion, but a 10 mile tt is good at showing progression. No where to hide, and you get to look at the improvement relative to others as well as times. So if conditions vary you still have another result to consider. You get to ride the same course every week. The closest tt course to me has races on it twice a week. I ride it on my road bike.
We are quite lucky with hill climbs in the North West with a couple of climbs that are used by a number of clubs so you get multiple chances to ride the same hc course in the same season in a competitive scenario.
The best way of tracking progress is power though.

 

[JasonHolder]

I can't be arsed to look, but given the description by Rob, I suspect the formula is a quadratic with gradient being squareed.

Yeah probably not worth being arsed checking. Are you using power as well? If not, then what?
@Rob3rt cheers.