Quote from AustinSkater on Mar 23rd, 2009, 8:21pm:Quote from goatstick on Mar 23rd, 2009, 5:13pm:
But seriously, I wonder if I shouldn't hold a little speed-climbing seminar for high-racers... Maybe use a couple of you as guinea pigs to try to see if it's worth trying to put what I've learned into words and techniques. Let me know when you are ready!
If you do that, I will gladly head down that way, and I'm willing to suggest a target to train for: Tour das Hugel in Austin. 100+ miles with 14,000+ feet of climbing (give or take on both). The last time I did it I hit 30% on my Garmin (bad line on a curving climb), with lots of 20 - 25 % grades. It's held in November, and as far as I know (I've been at the last three of them) there has never been a 'bent to start it, let alone finish.
Bryan
*speed-climbing* :^) Starting out with 20% climbs likely isn't a good way to work on that. I hit 18% on the switchbacks up the road to my house and though I've become more stable in the year I've had the Corsa, I haven't gotten much faster (stable, as in keeping the front wheel mostly on the ground and not swerving off the road in the sharp turn when it does). On my carbon road bike the front wheel levitates slightly on almost every pedal stroke and I haven't gotten a whole lot faster in the 4 years of riding it up the hill either. OTOH, I've been lifting the front wheel on ~4%-6% short climbs at over 30mph the last month on the Corsa. And that's the strange part - I can often hit about 35-38mph on flat ground without a wind for short bursts but under the right circumstances I can go almost that fast (30-32mph) up moderate grades. It feels to me like the grade places a more usable load on my quads than flat ground so I can crank a *lot* more power through it. That's the power output/technique that makes the short, steep rollers around here really fast and really fun. You just run off and leave the roadies (me included if I'm on my road bike).
I think the best way to get better at long, steep grades is mainly just get the base miles in. Like headwinds, you just get used to it and gain a couple mph without undue stress. Changing up pull/push muscle groups often so you don't tire one set out and working on pedal technique. That's what saved me on the steeper 337 climbs during the race when I had no power. I was only a few mph slower than normal on the steepest climbs. I lost *far* more ground not being able to crank the lighter grades and rollers.
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Hill Country 600K Race? (Read 3196 times)
