Foix to Loudenvielle - Distance 196 km
Km 27 Col de Port Ascent of 11,4 km at a 5,3% gradient
Km 98 Col de Portet d’Aspet Ascent of 5,7 km at a 6,9% gradient
Km 114 Col de Menté Ascent of 7 km at a 8,1% gradient
Km 159 Port de Balès Ascent of 19,2 km at a 6,2% gradient
Km 184 Col de Peyresourde Ascent of 9,7 km at a 7,8% gradient
I've copied out the profile of the route with the 5 major ascents. It's very difficult to imagine just how bad these climbs are going to be. I wish I knew how steep the climbs are on the Island. We've got some pretty nasty roads within 5 miles of my house, so I might spend a few hours just going up and down. I've certainly spent a few years grinding up horribly muddly forest trails with the rear wheel spinning under load. But the mountain bike has 27 gears and a tiny granny ring.
Presumably a 6% gradient means you rise 6 metres for every 100 metres along the road? Can anyone out there confirm? But I bet the ascent isn't steady. For sure there will be flat sections interspersed with horrendous steep bits. I think the climb up Brading Down is 14% so that is way worse than any of these Cols. The trouble is, the climbs on the Island last for a couple of km at most, not for 10 to 20.
I've been footy training tonight and I've got a league match on Saturday so I don't think I'll get out on the bike until Sunday evening.
Clearly,there is no substitute for hours in the saddle, building stamina, improving technique and developing mental resilience. Easy.
2 comments:
Hi Pete,
It's great reading your blog! If it makes you feel better i have been given a stomach bug from those pesky children this week so not touched my bike or food!
The big question is - "When are you going to shave your legs?" AND are you going to let the Radiographers do it for Charity????
Cheers
Simon.
PS On the back issue, my back pain is related to lack of fitness early season and tight hamstrings (your footie will not help I gues!) I have started getting a Sport Therapist - not Physio -to do muscle stripping and hamstring work once a month for me and it's worked!!
On gradients a 10% means for every 10 forward you go one up.
So a 12% means for every 8.33 forward you go 1 up.
5% means for every 20 forward you go 1 up.
In the uk we express this usually as a 1:n on the older roadsigns and a %age on the newer ones.
If your roads don't have warning signage then they are unlikely to be greater than 8% or so.
Hope this helps?
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