I sort of surprised myself in AZ last month on the long miles of climbing: I didn't cramp and I didn't stop. (I am not certain of this conclusion but I think it is more difficult to climb significant elevations on a recumbent bike than on an upright bike. You can only recruit muscle power and don't have access to gravity-assist by hopping from one leg to the other when out of the saddle).
On a Sunday I climbed up and down one mountain (Mingus) and climbed from a relative valley to the top of a geological plateau (from Sedona to Flagstaff, i.e., Oak Creek Canyon to the top of the Mogollan Rim). Though the trip constituted 8100 feet of climbing in 91 miles there were still about 50 miles of flats or downhills. When you remove the flats and downhills the actual climbing looked like this:
From Sedona to highest elevation (a few rolling miles with minimal climbs) before Flagstaff:
- 22.29 miles
- 2,709 feet of climbing
- 121.53 feet of climbing per mile
- avg grade + 2.3%
From the bottom of Mingus Mountain (going toward Flagstaff) to the top of Mingus Mountain (Mingus Recreation Area):
- 11.15 miles
- 2,044 feet of climbing
- 183.32 feet of climbing per mile
- avg grade + 3.5%
From Cottonwood to the top of Mingus Mountain (Mingus Recreation Area) on return trip from Flag to Prescott:
- 17.66 miles
- 3,731 feet of climbing
- 211.26 feet of climbing per mile.
- avg grade + 4%
Clearly, both the numbers and my experience confirm that the most difficult section of climb was on the way back from Flagstaff to Prescott (the next day) from Cottonwood to Mingus Mountain, i.e., 18 miles of avg 4% grade.
Now, 2.5% to 4% grades aren't leg busters. But when you push that grade for 12 to 22 miles, non-stop, with a few 6-8%ers thrown in at the switchbacks, it can put a big hurt on your legs. A perfect set up for cramps due to heat, poor hydration, poor intake of electrolytes, etc....
So here I am in Chicago and the prairie flatlands of the midwest. The longest and steepest `hill' is less than .5 miles and MAYBE 4% (max).
How does one prepare outside and train for dozens of miles, nonstop, of 4-6% climbing?
I'm sure there are ways to do it, e.g., cranking a 56x11 into a 30 mile wind for 30 miles. I've never been able to do that with any sense of predictability. I mean, I can't `plan' a 30 mile wind for, say, Wednesday morning.
So, since I think the indoor training on the CompuTrainer did a good job of preparing me for the long climbs in the `real' world I'm back doing indoor training in wonderful 60 degree weather today.
I'll be programming a course of 3-6% grades for 3-4 miles, with some turns, and a short `relief' section of 2% grade for, say, .2 miles. Then back to the 3-6% grades. Doing this for a 40 mile course will effectively simulate the pressure on the physical system.
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Something I learned when in AZ, going up those grades at speeds as low as 3.5 - 7 mph is that there is a lot of bike handling to master (esp on two lane mountain roads without a shoulder and lots of trucks and cars whizzing past).
With minimal forward velocity I'm much less able to ride a straight line. I found myself struggling, at times, to stay vertical, twisting the handlebar left and right to balance myself. On a few occasions when I thought I was going to fall over I had to increase the pressure on the pedals (increase the watt/power) suddenly to get forward velocity and to straighten myself out. I realized when i was doing that that a) I actually had the power to spare to do that, b) I wouldn't have had the power had I not done the indoor winter training on similar grades.
Something I learned to share: how to go slow on a bike when in a race so that you can finish the race (and maybe win). (One doesn't often get taught how to go `slow' very often).
- Dan
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'06 Aero ti
http://raw2010.blogspot.com/