Hill climb competitions
Discussion
Road Hill climb events seem to place following the summer race season. Has anyone competed in one before, either regularly or as a one off? I'm reasonably light (63kg) and seem to go uphill OK. Are they typically club events, or do events exist for anyone to take part in?
Any comments welcome!
Any comments welcome!
nammynake said:
Road Hill climb events seem to place following the summer race season. Has anyone competed in one before, either regularly or as a one off? I'm reasonably light (63kg) and seem to go uphill OK. Are they typically club events, or do events exist for anyone to take part in?
Any comments welcome!
Once. 4.something minutes of abject misery, everything going dark come the last 25 metres and distinctly wobbly immediately afterwards. Damn good fun through as everyone's in the same boat!Any comments welcome!
Jimbo. said:
Once. 4.something minutes of abject misery, everything going dark come the last 25 metres and distinctly wobbly immediately afterwards. Damn good fun through as everyone's in the same boat!
Sounds like some of the hills on my frequent training loops! This being a good example:http://app.strava.com/activities/48570070#85175920...
nammynake said:
Sounds like some of the hills on my frequent training loops! This being a good example:
http://app.strava.com/activities/48570070#85175920...
Our local bhttp://app.strava.com/activities/48570070#85175920...
d is very slightly steeper but only one mile, you can keep yours!!!This is the Severn RC climb
http://www.strava.com/segments/hinton-hill-climb-7...
Weight shouldnt be too much of an issue on the short climbs frequently used in competitions, I used to work with the guy who won the VC Bristol hill climb last year and he is about 78 kgs and about six foot three though to be fair he was a good cyclist and had good climbing technique
http://www.strava.com/segments/hinton-hill-climb-7...
Weight shouldnt be too much of an issue on the short climbs frequently used in competitions, I used to work with the guy who won the VC Bristol hill climb last year and he is about 78 kgs and about six foot three though to be fair he was a good cyclist and had good climbing technique
Weight is EVERYTHING in hill climbs Pablo, they're usually well over 10% so it is power to weight that wins these and given its often only won by a few seconds, every little saving has to be made, which is why you will see at the nattional HC champs the bikes are butchered to weigh as little as possible, drilled saddles, drops chopped off bars etc.
There are loads of them about, and mostly they're open to anyone if they're a proper event, but you do find some smaller club ones if you look about.
There is a section of the CTT site I think for Hill Climbs, I will see what I can find for you.
Usually the winners of HC are skinny as hell but with very good power to weight, none of the big HC's down south are won by anyone over 70kg usually I don't think. Tejvan Pettinger is a good example of what sort of physique the top HC guys have.
There are loads of them about, and mostly they're open to anyone if they're a proper event, but you do find some smaller club ones if you look about.
There is a section of the CTT site I think for Hill Climbs, I will see what I can find for you.
Usually the winners of HC are skinny as hell but with very good power to weight, none of the big HC's down south are won by anyone over 70kg usually I don't think. Tejvan Pettinger is a good example of what sort of physique the top HC guys have.
This video shows the lengths they go to wrt the bikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDyLObj8W1U
A bunch of emaciated blokes riding bikes with drilled brakes? No thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDyLObj8W1U
A bunch of emaciated blokes riding bikes with drilled brakes? No thanks.
I won a few when I was a sylph-like 78kg teenager! (I'm rubbish now though at near 100kg!) Just removed the outer chainring and f/mech from my road bike.
Check out your local clubs for their events as you generally need to provide some previous club placings to qualify for a ride in one of the bigger events.
Check out your local clubs for their events as you generally need to provide some previous club placings to qualify for a ride in one of the bigger events.
Rocksteadyeddie said:
It's typically an autumn/winter event. As above shot periods of misery. Have a look on Strava for climbs that you do regularly and that will give you an idea of where you are.
I'm usually in the top 5-10% of climbs on Strava. However the gap between top 5% and KOM is quite huge in most cases though, so I don't have any illusions as to how slow I'll be compared with people competing in hill climb events. Tejvan Pettinger (as someone above mentioned) is on some of the segments I do regularly and in some cases is two minutes faster than me on a 7-8 minute climb!I have a couple of joint KOMs too but on those I was going at pretty much my maximum.
I'm doing the Marmotte next month, so that will be a good test of my climbing ability (or lack of!).
Whilst I agree in principle, surely there is some balance between power and weight based on the hill profile though? On longer, steeper climbs you're obviously right.
I dont know the specifics of the course Andy won on (Belmont Hill, Bristol) but the average gradient is can only be about 6 or 7% so for four minutes, I'd say power probably would trump weight. Mind you, he is a fit guy who does a lot of cx and climbing so his core strength would ultimately assist his technique.
Wasnt it 2011 when the National Hill climb was dominated by TT bikes because thats what suited the profile? I'll doubt any bikes in the top 10 that year were under 16lbs.
I dont know the specifics of the course Andy won on (Belmont Hill, Bristol) but the average gradient is can only be about 6 or 7% so for four minutes, I'd say power probably would trump weight. Mind you, he is a fit guy who does a lot of cx and climbing so his core strength would ultimately assist his technique.
Wasnt it 2011 when the National Hill climb was dominated by TT bikes because thats what suited the profile? I'll doubt any bikes in the top 10 that year were under 16lbs.
pablo said:
Whilst I agree in principle, surely there is some balance between power and weight based on the hill profile though? On longer, steeper climbs you're obviously right.
I dont know the specifics of the course Andy won on (Belmont Hill, Bristol) but the average gradient is can only be about 6 or 7% so for four minutes, I'd say power probably would trump weight. Mind you, he is a fit guy who does a lot of cx and climbing so his core strength would ultimately assist his technique.
Wasnt it 2011 when the National Hill climb was dominated by TT bikes because thats what suited the profile? I'll doubt any bikes in the top 10 that year were under 16lbs.
Yeh, on that sort of grade yeh, most of the famous HC's are up steep steep hills though, Catford and Bec certainly.I dont know the specifics of the course Andy won on (Belmont Hill, Bristol) but the average gradient is can only be about 6 or 7% so for four minutes, I'd say power probably would trump weight. Mind you, he is a fit guy who does a lot of cx and climbing so his core strength would ultimately assist his technique.
Wasnt it 2011 when the National Hill climb was dominated by TT bikes because thats what suited the profile? I'll doubt any bikes in the top 10 that year were under 16lbs.
I've never done one, but there's a charity event to run or cycle up Shelsley Walsh hillclimb later in the summer. Unfortunately, while I'm in France othewise I'd have fancied a punt as I'm on the doorstep.
http://www.thebighill.co.uk/
Will be interesting to compare the bike FTD with the historic car FTDs from 1905 onwards...
http://www.thebighill.co.uk/
Will be interesting to compare the bike FTD with the historic car FTDs from 1905 onwards...
TKF said:
This video shows the lengths they go to wrt the bikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDyLObj8W1U
A bunch of emaciated blokes riding bikes with drilled brakes? No thanks.
I'm pretty skinny (DEXA 7% BF), but I look like a powerfully-built company director compared to some of those skull-faced chaps.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDyLObj8W1U
A bunch of emaciated blokes riding bikes with drilled brakes? No thanks.
If they make a sequel to Schindler's List or The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, I know where they can find all the extras they need!
Looks like fun, but I'd be as competitive at that as if I entered a Formula One race in my Vectra diesel!
(88kgs and living in the fens, I'm not cut out for hills!)
Looks like fun, but I'd be as competitive at that as if I entered a Formula One race in my Vectra diesel!
(88kgs and living in the fens, I'm not cut out for hills!)
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