We had another weekend in the Alps and it was very useful as we learnt many things.
1. Close by places take a long time to get too, even in a car
2. Check your back wheel doesn't fall to pieces before you leave Paris
3. Be thankful you took a spare but don't expect a bike shop to fit a new cassette (gears) until after they've had lunch for 2 hours
4. Never return to said cycle shop at the agreed time, your bike will not be ready
5. Starting a planned 80m ride at 3pm is NEVER a good idea
6. Driving up/down mountains in a large people carrier is not advised, smaller cars needed
7. You can't find anywhere open to eat food at 9.30pm on the Col de la Croix Fer
8. Going to bed without dinner makes you really frickin' hungry the next day......
9. Doing another ride in 35 degrees the next day is carnage, you're going to stop sooner or later!
So, we had an eventful Saturday morning but after negotiations in the bike shop I got underway at 3pm. Good in a way because it wasn't getting any hotter (it was 32 degrees at that point) but bad in almost any other way. I started in Bourg d'Oisans (the town at the bottom of Alpe D'Huez) and planned to cycle along the (assumed flat) valley, up the Lauteret, over the Galibier and then onto the Croix Fer where I'd stop somewhere after it when I got to 80 miles. Well, I got the route right but it was not what I bargained for. I, like you, had looked at those profiles Sprinter put on and they looked ok, 5-6% maybe average. The problem is, what you see on this computer screen and what you feel on the actual road are not the same.
Firstly, the valley road is not flat. Within a mile or 2 I was down to 10mph. There were some points that went downhill or flat even but they finished quickly. 'I'm not even on a mountain yet' I thought to myself as I reached for the easier gears again and again. The bike shop only had a 28 sprocket cassette which I really didn't want to take but when I started the real climbing I was glad for it (for those of you who haven't bought something similar, go get one!). The Lauteret wasn't too bad but at the top you turn onto the bottom of the Galibier. I didn't stop for a breather so got straight into it. It wasn't long before I was cycling with snow at the side of the road. You can just about tell from the Garmin data that on the Lauteret I was managing 8/9mph then there's a flat section near the top where I got upto 16mph! After that I was on the Galibier and doing 7, sometimes 6mph. It's probably only a little bit steeper but I guess it's the accumulation of everything. To make it more fun the road steepens to 12% to the top. When I stopped at the top I felt really dizzy, a combination I suppose of the onsets of the bonk (when you run out of energy) and the lack of oxygen up there. I had some popcorn and water. I looked at the computer. I'd done 29miles at average of a little over 10mph and I was not taking it easy boys believe me! there is nothing at the top but a parking space so we'll need to take lunch somewhere else...
The descent was excellent, as they all are, but over way too soon. You even get another mountain thrown in for free, the Telegraph as it's on the way down. It's not hard tackled from this direction and pretty short. There was a longish flat section which of course was all headwind before I hit the Croix Fer. It's 30km long and starts off pretty steep and then you have a descent for a couple of hairpins and then back up again. I first thought about stopping when the Garmin kept showing 9/10/11%, corner after corner without the occasional 5/6/7%'s like I'd seen earlier in the day. I got to some tunnels and it was flattish there so I kept going but I when the road kicked on again I'd had enough. I pulled over to the side of the road and stopped. Packed half way up, couldn't go on......
so, what else did we learn?
10. Do not treat the little climbs on the valley lightly, saving the girly 28 for later, select bottom gear and take it steady
11. Even if the profile says 5-6% it's because the flats and downhills are included - most of the time you're cycling up 8/9% gradients
12. Take alot more food than you think, what you use for a normal 80m ride it not enough!
13. Even if we average the same speed as I did on Saturday, it's going to take more than 10hours riding time
14. We need to start early to finish in daylight!
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/234614
Nathan Evington
28/02/77 - 03/11/07
About Nathan
Nathan, was a big chap in more ways than one. He was always to be found at the centre of the action, telling it exactly as it was – loudly!
In fact, Nathan was in such a hurry to make his impact on the world, he arrived on a cold February morning 8 weeks early. He was so premature that he spent his first month in hospital, and at the time was one of the youngest babies in Hedon Road hospital to survive!
Cycling played a huge part in Nathan’s life. He loved the film American Flyers and watched it many times. In it, there is a scene where the main character does the "torture test" which involved running on a treadmill for as long as possible before ending the test by hitting the "chicken" switch. After Nathan’s diagnosis of cardiomyopathy in 2004, he was actually quite excited to discover that he would be required to do his own "torture test" and spent a good deal of time psyching himself up for a good performance. In fact, he was so determined that it was ultimately the doctor, his Mum and the technician who had to drag him off, as Nathan refused to give in himself.
Cycling also revealed Nathan’s talent for remembering facts and figures. He was our very own walking cycling encyclopaedia. He loved to test his friends and show off his knowledge, and he was always the person you would want on your pub quiz team.
Nathan was determined to live life to the full, and unbeknown to his Mum he began playing in a football team a few years ago. The cat was out of the bag when a new football trophy took pride of place on the mantelpiece one evening. Nathan was very proud of himself and his team-mates, although I am reliably informed that Nathan was valued more for his enthusiastic participation, rather than his football talents – which led to his shots on goal just missing the target – 100% of the time!
Nathan was the life and soul of any party and loved to dance. He would always take to the dance floor first, and was quite happy to dance alone. However, his infectious enthusiasm always encouraged others to join him.
Nathan was a kind man, and always generous to a fault – on the benefit of his Mum and brother. He had a very special sense of humour – one he shared with his brother – and left his mark on everyone he met.
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