| Archive for justcycling.myfastforum.org Just Cycling |
| Ralphnorman |
Local Hill Climb Championship(Stirling)I'm thinking of entering this(no laughing now), any tips for killing myself in name of going up a hill quickly? Is being held from foot to top of the Wallace Monument climb.... |
||||
| kellyrocheearly |
hill repeats, hill repeats, hill repeats
just find a hill thats similar and do repeats up and down it with recovery in between. |
||||
| Bartali |
Good for you ralph. How long and how steep is it? Many hill climbs are so short they favour a strong man rather than a skinny climber. | ||||
| kellyrocheearly |
thats true, was always a probelm for me racing in Ireland. The climbs would be short and steep suited to power guys and not skinny blokes like me |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
how about doing reps up and down the actual climb? as i was planning to do....from what I can gather, it's about 20% and a km and a bit long..... | ||||
| kellyrocheearly |
yeah definitely go ride the climb itself if you can and try it on different gears to see what works best. | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
good good...current lowest is a 42/28, although my dad has a 39 I think somewhere if I need it....I imagine this'll be what I'm on   if I finish then I'll be happy..... 
|
||||
| berck |
You'll want a lower gearing if it 20%. You'll do some knee damage with that 42/28. I would suggest a minimum of the 39, probably even lower. Unless of course that you're nearly a pro rider at this point and can handle the 42/28. | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
my dad has a 40 which i can use if the sizings are right....but I don't have anything lower than that...I've still got to try it out though, to see how bad it really is.....so we'll see..... | ||||
| CapeRoadie |
This is what I'll be practicing endlessly next spring. |
||||
| CapeRoadie |
Ahh, refreshing bit of masochism. SO nice to be young! I absolutely bombed my race last Sunday. Didn't rest enough before it. Good luck Ralph! |
||||
| mayofan |
just as a matter of interest, what weight are you?? 1km is not short enough to favour a roeleur type | ||||
| kellyrocheearly |
What went wrong in Norwell Cape? What was the circuit like? |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
I don't think I'll be entering this anyway...I have 1 good reason and 1 bad one... Good reason) rusted ball bearing in my bottom bracket, and it's quite strange, so I don't know where/when I'm gonna get a replacement... Bad Reason) I went to have a look at the climb, only saw the first bit of it, but it scared me shitless.....must be about Zoncolan steepness...so about 23% from bottom to top..... |
||||
| mayofan |
man thats light...have confidence ralph, youll be lighter than most there..i say go for it | ||||
| Slapshot |
Ralph, go for it!!!!
Donīt be scared of the gradient or anything, at the end of the day, is you who is going to make it easier or harder. Iīll give you my adcive from previous experience, go and sign for it, or youīll regret not entering, cos the thought of "what if.." will be stuck in your head for a long time, go for it, and when you reach the top, no matter how fast, how long did it take you or anything, but the personal satisfaction of achieving a personal goal, there is not better reward than that!!! (IMO) |
||||
| MAILLOT JAUNE |
+1 | ||||
| Bartali |
+2
You are a feather weight my friend!
|
||||
| MAILLOT JAUNE |
Ralph,
I know the Wallace Monument as I drove up to the car park once, but can't really remember the steepness of it, but just think of how good you will feel after finishing it (absolutely knackered probably!). The sense of achievement, the experience you'll get from it. And you've also got the excuse that your bottom bracket is dodgey ! Gone on, do it, do it for Scottish pride (no pun intended), Braveheart, Freeeeeeeeeeeeeedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
|
||||
| sheeponabike |
Come on Ralph - just do it! You don't have to WIN the bloody thing.
Just over 1 k long? Even if it's really steep you'll be able to just "kick" yourself over it. |
||||
| Dr.Wierd |
Dee it ye daft loon! | ||||
| kellyrocheearly |
come on Ralph, do it!!
its just a few minutes of pain and a whole lot of satisfaction afterwards |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
Well, bottom bracket update.....no-one has even seen my type of ball bearing.....so if this place i'm going to tomorrow doesnt have it, then I'll have to buy a whole new bottom bracket, and I don't know how quickly it'll get here.....featherweight?  I'm 10st and a bit....and I don't have low enough gears...If i could get up it own my own, without any tourists, then I might give it a go, but theres too masny damn tourists...might try it tomorrow, temporary solution for my bearing is to pack it with grease...it'll work as long as I don't put too much force on it....anyone got a spare washing machine handy?
|
||||
| mayofan |
10st is nothing ralph, honestly...what height are you??
im 11st 6lbs and 6 foot..and id still consider myself light |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
near as damn it 6 feet myself...... | ||||
| mayofan |
youre an out and out climber type so..beanpole.. | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
hell no, I got mates you are as tall as me but weigh 9 stone.....all the weight is on my legs.....I aint a climber.....i just sit there and pedal......i usually get blown out the back.... | ||||
| mayofan |
9 stone...and 6 foot..ribs showing, no muscle..not a good look id prefer to keep my muscles thank you very much..
have confidence ralph..if youre struggling on climbs it may not be your weight..practice climbing |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
hey, my ribs show practise climbing.....how do you suggest? interval? or long drag climbs?
|
||||
| berck |
Man, you guys are light weights! Just over 6ft and 15 stones | ||||
| mayofan |
ya but im 17 and hes 15, almost 16..
plus im strong for my weight..6 days a week in the gym will do that..and 6% body fat.. ralph, depends how much work youve done i spose |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
that's about optimum weight (so the docs say) for that height.........i just can't climb | ||||
| Slapshot |
ralph I am 5ft 7 and weight 10 stone. Youīll be perfectly fine, honest!!!
Everybody can climb, the difference is that some people do it faster than others. Before doing any climb training, you need to put some milage and hours in your legs, get to know your body, find the gears that you are more confortable with, find your pace etc... |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
bottom bracket has been fixed...just bought a whole new 1(it's a shimano).....I'm good on the flats but when I get to a climb I just explode(kind of)...I don't have a red zone.....as soon as I go over my limit, I blow up and get shelled..... | ||||
| Bartali |
Aint that the truth! You are a wise man my friend. For the record, I'm almost 5'9'' and weigh about 10.5 stone (when in shape) ... and consider myself quite light. |
||||
| Bartali |
Practice Ralph practice. Learn what works for you by doing the same hill in different gears, seated, dancing etc. Keep a log of how long it took, how you felt, how you climbed, weather etc. Sounds to me that either you are unfit which is unlikely because you are cycling regularly) or perhaps you go off to hard at the bottom of the climb. Try to time your max effort at different parts of the climb and log that too. |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
unfit, yes probably I can't do any other style of climbing other than going at a constant pace/rhythm...If i start to dance I tire out and explode, I can't jump around and do sudden accelerations.....I'm ok at leaving everything on the climb, and I'm dead by the top.....I can do that, and recover quite well on the descent, lower gears might help, and also finding out if I'm better standing or sitting(I believe that I go faster when standing, but after being in the saddle for a while, my knees hurt a bit if I stand up for too long)....
|
||||
| Dr.Wierd |
That's ok Ralph, Ullrich didn't dance, well atleast not on pedals, either.
When's this thing anyways? |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
this thing is on the 4th of september.....doubt I'll be entering....being plagued by some trolls that are messing around with my bike...first my bottom bracket, now my front ring changer, next it'll be my stem..... | ||||
| Bartali |
Small ring Ralph - you won't need your front changer!
Come on ... you know you want to! |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
I know I don't haven't had a chance to go up it yet...damn tourists.....so I don't know if I'll be able to cope
|
||||
| MAILLOT JAUNE |
Of course you'll be able to get up it - just grit your teeth and dig in!
There'll be a lot more people worse than you! |
||||
| Slapshot |
JUST DO IT!!!!! | ||||
| crash48 |
ralph
Just attack the baby... It will be over before you know it. |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
too many damn tourists to get a good chance at trying it....so I dunno...I'll see if I can get up it before the actual race..... | ||||
| Slapshot |
I donīt know where this hill is but are the tourist lying on the road, have they setted up barricades so noone can pass, is there a massive pilgrimage like if it was the Meca?????
Anyway, donīt take this in the wrong way, but either you do it or you donīt, but donīt put excuses to convince yourself for not doing it if you donīt want to do it, at the end of the day is like liying to yourself |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
tourists are everywhere.....can't get a good run up it without having to stop because your blocked.......don't need to convince myself not to do it....the hill itself will do that when i eventually get up it if I crash and burn then no, if i get up it ok(relativly speaking) then i'll give it a bash.....
|
||||
| Slapshot |
sometimes is better not knowing what to expect | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
true, but it would be nice to see what i can expect and what kind of training to do...plus theres only 2 climbs of that steepness(i think) so i'd have to go up it anyway.....have just found out how high it is...about 300ft up in 1 and a bit km's.....that'll be fun
|
||||
| mayofan |
nice short wall..go up it a few times nice and handy in a low gear, just turning nicely, to see what its like...then give it welly | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
thats the plan also looking to see any other steep climbs round here....
|
||||
| mr shifter |
Ralph stop making excuses and ride sherrifmuir every day on your way home from school, you will then be a hill climber. |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
i live in alva, i go to school in alva, i am only 1 mile away from school in my house
|
||||
| cardinal guzman |
C'mon Ralph,
this is a good test of your mental fortitude. You know it's going to hurt, you know you won't win and you can't get your head in the right place. Get up that hill and stretch the elastic till you fall over the finish line in tears. We'll be well proud. Do it for the team. |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
don't worry, it's tomorrow, and I plan to enter......will post up time and result(maybe)for reference it's 700m long and 90m of climbing, so gradient of about 12.8%.....wish me luck
|
||||
| cardinal guzman |
No dairy products tonight or tomorrow. You need all the iron you can get for oxygen transport. No tannins either. All the best justcyclist! 
|
||||
| Ralphnorman |
so i can't have my cornflakes for brekkie tomorrow? that's it! i'm not entering any prefferable foods for tomorrow?
|
||||
| cardinal guzman |
If it was me, I'd be eating pasta with lots of fresh tomato sauce for vit C. And an espresso before the start, maybe two. But don't experiment on match day. Eat something that you know makes you feel good and sits well and save food trials for training. | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
don't drink coffee but I'm having pasta tonight...so that's lucky
|
||||
| mayofan |
jaffa cakes bout 15 minutes before ..and drink a nice bit of water from hours before..prehydrate
|
||||
| Bartali |
A drop of cough medicine just before the start should work wonders 
|
||||
| berck |
Is that an advocation of PED usage?
|
||||
| kellyrocheearly |
fucking love jaffa cakes Jelly babies are great too for an instant hit of energy before a short effort |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
I HATE JAFFA CAKES! just thought I'd get that in I've got a cold and bit of a cough so I'd be allowed to have a bit of medicine....should i just go all out from the start or steady until the last 100m?
|
||||
| cardinal guzman |
Hi Ralph.
Explode from the start to get the adrenalin flowing then ease down slightly and assess yourself. It's too hard to get going if you start slow. Get a friend to slap you before the start! |
||||
| kellyrocheearly |
if its a steep short climb, huge warm up and blast it from the start | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
700m long, 90m up, 12.8% gradient......so warm up and blast it
|
||||
| kellyrocheearly |
definitely!! |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
I'll be in my 42/28 no doubt......tempted to figure how how many revs I'll need to do it..I wanna get up there in under 3mins.....cheesy pasta for tea tonight
|
||||
| Ralphnorman |
well, I'm off. Gonna get changed, ride there, do it and then ride back.....hope I can remember your advice when I'm in severe agony......so off to power up it
|
||||
| kellyrocheearly |
good luck Ralph | ||||
| grrr |
good luck
I'll be in stirling tomorrow, shame I missed the chance to cheer you on (or at least slap you before the start!) |
||||
| Bartali |
Good luck Ralph - ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK! | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
lol really proud of this...2mins 41 secs.....top 10 if I'm lucky up against proper roadies and scottishs champ etc.....4 in the junior as well thanks for all your advice people!
|
||||
| mayofan |
i told you you could climb..damn skinnies | ||||
| forza_petacchi |
Great job, mate! | ||||
| sheeponabike |
Well done Ralph - we're all proud of ye lad. | ||||
| MAILLOT JAUNE |
Congratulations Ralph!
You did us proud. |
||||
| grrr |
good work! | ||||
| crash48 |
Good work mate! | ||||
| Bartali |
Well done Ralph - good ride!! | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
official results: 10th road bike class. 4th junior class. 12th overall class. winner was my mate Dougie who is 17 and got up it in 1.45  that's just crazy i have pictures of it as well....
http://www.bebo.com/PhotoAlbum.js...Nbr=1&PhotoAlbumId=5300501508 1 is of me just after the line and the other is of me recuperating lol 
|
||||
| cardinal guzman |
Chapeu!
How did it feel Ralph? Give us a bit of journo, describe the event and your performance for us!? Great result, we're proud of you!
(can't see the pics without joining bebo tho - any chance you could save them to your desktop then host via the 'attach file' button?) |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
ok....have tried it.....it felt like a firey pain...wanted to throw up after 3/4 er's of the way...had some guys cheering me on near the final turn and last 50m....nasty steep bit there but gave it everything i had left(which wasn't much) event was good, was off at 7.13....got counted down and clipped in and pulled up on the bars....did a massive wheelie off the line unintentional though first bit was alright...same gradient, just had to watch for the potholes..got round the first bend and it was hurting quite a lot...had a guy coming back down shouting, telling me to keep going(all this out the saddle)...rounded the next corner and sat down for 2 secs then went up again trying to get up and even steeper bit....came up to the guys cheering and turned the bend and right up this buggerish 30m steep bit....tried to sprint and threw my bike at the line, then stopped...that's when 1 of the pics was taken....
[img] [url=http://gallery.myff.org/gallery/134430/Wallace+Monumnet+finish.JPG][img] |
||||
| sheeponabike |
Well done Ralph - great pic!
Did you feel you could have done it on a smaller sprocket? Or were you on your limit? |
||||
| kellyrocheearly |
Well done Ralph!
nice look of pain crossing that line |
||||
| crash48 |
Ralph
You look like you want to just fall off the bike. Great work! |
||||
| berck |
Congrats Ralph. Excellent placement! | ||||
| CapeRoadie |
WELL DONE LAD!!!!
We are proud of you! Thanks for sharing a pic and that was the face of pain and success all in one. Keep riding! |
||||
| headwind |
chapeau ralph! | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
i was on my lowest gear at the time.....next race is the scottish crit champs on the 15th.....here we go again
|
||||
| crash48 |
Bloody hell ralph, your a racing machine.
What sort of racing do you like the most? |
||||
| kellyrocheearly |
youre dead right Ralph, more racing you do now to gain experience of riding in the bunch and tactics the better you'll be when you move up into the Senior ranks | ||||
| Ralphnorman |
I prefer tt's....cos I'm the only person I can rely on, it's easier to stay upright plus my sprint ain't the best....I'm a bit like Petacchi need it to be really fast then just keep going...support cat for me a week on saturday, so I doubt I'll get a medal but finishing would be nice
|
||||
| kellyrocheearly |
TT's are good for building strength but they are boring(at least i think so) Get out and do some road racing, you cant beat the buzz you get from moving along in the bunch at 25-30mph grovelling to hold the wheel in front of you. |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
i'm lucky if i can do that speed with a tailwind lol
|
||||
| kellyrocheearly |
you'd be surprised how fast you can go on a flat road being sucked along in a bunch |
||||
| Ralphnorman |
usually about 22-23mph ive found
|
||||
| CapeRoadie |
KRE is a stud. He's fast. |
||||
| headwind |
at 25-30, Id say KRE is getting paid for his services! Shit thats fast. | ||||