Mont Ventoux on a single speed...

[allegro]

Potentially doable do we think?

[Bilkob]

Gearing?

[allegro]

... was going to be my next question

[Bilkob]

Well……..
I’ve done it a few times. I’m in pretty good shape, I NEEDED 34-27. It’s long enough that I’m not sure knees or muscles would thank you if you tried to grind it out. Or I’m just a wimp

[okgo]

Yes.

Just choose a gear that suits your fitness based on what you know and what can be seen from the profile of the climb.

[allegro]

Thanks all, I presumed it would be all in the gearing but nice to hear it's not a totally daft idea.

off the top of my head I was thinking of around 24/5 to 16 (BMX) 😉

[tog]

Is a Boris bike single speed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUWCeAzkc2Q

[Master Bean]

tog said:

Is a Boris bike single speed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUWCeAzkc2Q

3 speed.

[tog]

Master Bean said:

3 speed.

Ah, thanks. (I have to confess I didn't rewatch the video to check the details, but remembered it from years ago.)

[Harpoon]

I had a 50/34 front and 12-30 rear when I went up. Was in the 34-30 at the hairpin outside Le Mas des Vignes and still clicked a couple of times hoping for more!

[frisbee]

It's in Zwift, do a few practice runs on 100% difficulty.

[smn159]

Well I went up pretty much in one gear, so yeah it's doable

[oddball1313]

Planning on doing ventoux next year - got a 34/32 on my BMC so reckon that should make it relatively bearable

[allegro]

Thanks for the input all. now wondering how small a changing an 86 mongoose decade will take before the chain fouls on the chainstay :/

[smn159]

oddball1313 said:

Planning on doing ventoux next year - got a 34/32 on my BMC so reckon that should make it relatively bearable

It was the markers that tell you the average grade for the next Km that got me... can remember feeling relived when they came down to single figures

Couple of the guys that I was with did the three ascents in a day thing. Doable if you're trained, but I was mostly running at the time so left it at just the one

[z4RRSchris]

i did it 10 years ago in 30/28 basically the whole way up, at about 160w which is basically an untrained human.

its not that steep, 7.7% with no real nasty bits.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Yes

Gearing

But why

[Sgt_Slow]

z4RRSchris said:

i did it 10 years ago in 30/28 basically the whole way up, at about 160w which is basically an untrained human.

its not that steep, 7.7% with no real nasty bits.

160W at 65kgs is very different from 160W at 115kgs though!

[z4RRSchris]

true, i was prob 80kg back then. crawled up it in 2.24 like a fatty

[Daveyraveygravey]

Have you ever ridden it before on a geared bike, or anything similar? In my experience, there is nothing in the UK that can prepare you for an Alpine climb. You could be looking at over 2 hours, in your lowest gear. Chances are it will be hot, and Ventoux can be VERY windy. Gears are your friend; if you have done a lot of single speed riding, or a lot of mountain climbing before hand, you might be alright, but even 7% becomes hard after an hour, especially if it is hot and windy. You have a long time to think about how hard it is and what gears you could have chosen.