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Conference noted::bicycle

Title: Bicycling
Notice:Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:JAMIN::WASSER
Created:Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3214
Total number of notes:31946

1984.0. "Alps 1991" by FILMS::WIDDOWSON () Mon Jul 01 1991 10:32

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1984.1Alps trekRUTILE::MACFADYENLet's go out and have some funMon Jul 01 1991 10:5719
    I would go for a smaller inner than your suggestion as I don't actually
    believe there's such a thing as a gear that's "too small", but what do
    I know, I'm not much of a theorist on these matters. Since what you
    suggest for this year differs only in the size of the inner ring, why
    not go for a 32 instead of a 34? I'd keep the 52 and 14, sometimes it's
    fun to pedal on descents.
    
    As for brakes, I'm extremely happy with the Shimano 105SC (dual pivot)
    brakes. There seems to be so much stopping power that I've really
    enjoyed descents, knowing that I can brake late confidently. I note
    that one of Raleigh's touring bikes, the Tourlite, comes equipped with
    Shimano dual-pivot brakes rather than the more usual cantilevers.
    
    I can't offer you any route advice other than to note that you seem to
    have chosen some of the highest roads available in the Alps. What would
    Mr Spock say to that? "Most illogical.", I bet.
    
    
    Rod
1984.2better from the north?SHALOT::ELLISJohn Lee Ellis - assembly requiredMon Jul 01 1991 11:3549
1984.3CIMNET::MJOHNSONMatt JohnsonMon Jul 01 1991 12:567
    Galibier from the North, as you've planned, is a more "classic"  climb. 
    It's also the only climb that I've encountered that's more than 2000m
    bottom-to-top.  The descent on the South towards Alpe d'Huez would also
    be more entertaining, as it's milder and has fewer turns.
    
    Croix du Fer from the South is a long grind up a valley all the way to
    the top.  It's pretty, though.
1984.4Shimano are too soft.PAKORA::GGOODMANNumber 1 in a field of 1Tue Jul 02 1991 03:4216
    
    Rod,
    
        About the brakes. The Shimano brakeset itself works great, a lot
    more feel to it than the Campag set up. However, my only concern is
    with the pads. I find the rubber to be very soft, which makes it wear
    down quickly with use and almost useless in the rain. I prefer the
    harder Specialized pads (can't remember what they're exactly called),
    but have had to trim them down to size since they were too wide to fit
    in. I certainly would like the comfort of knowing that that was what
    was stopping me at that hairpin corner.
    	Mind you, last Sunday I don't seem to remember touching the brakes
    all that much...
    
    Graham.
    
1984.5Heading for the hillsSIEVAX::CROWTHERPikeTue Jul 02 1991 20:2511
    Back to the Alps.  I'm out there later on the 19th.  Can anyone 
    tell me the gradient and distance of L'Alpe-d'Huez?  I'm hoping my
    current bike with 42T front 28T rear will get me up.  Is this 
    ratio going to blow my knees away?  Also, being a low lander, will 
    oxygen be a problem nearing the top? Perhaps I should take a bottle 
    of oxgen as well as a bottle of water :-)
    
    BTW Rod - are we going to see you out there?
    
    
    Nigel.
1984.6RUTILE::MACFADYENLet's go out and have some funWed Jul 03 1991 07:1420
    Hi Nigel, I've got just the note for you. Go and read 278.45 and
    surrounding replies in CASEE::CYCLE_RACING. It tells you more than you
    want to know about Alpe d'Huez! As regards oxygen, since Alpe d'Huez
    finishes at 1800m, it shouldn't be a particular problem, though no
    doubt one's performance is degraded since the atmosphere's nearly 20%
    thinner at that height. I have felt it a bit above 2000m, in the sense
    that during a stop at 2100mm I began to feel generally poorly. While
    cycling it's hard to separate altitude effects from the overall pain of
    cycling up a big hill. I would like to do the Galibier this year, and
    since that goes up to about 2600m, I wonder what I'll make of it.
    Perhaps some of the participants in this conference who've cycled at
    those heights will share their experiences... But what the hell, people
    go skiing at much higher altitudes and don't make a big deal out of it.
    
    Yes, you may well see me on Alpe d'Huez, I certainly plan to be there,
    and may well come and join the Reading posse at their campsite for a
    day or two, if that's feasible. 
    
    
    Rod
1984.7FILMS::WIDDOWSONWed Jul 03 1991 08:4376
1984.8CIMNET::MJOHNSONMatt JohnsonWed Jul 03 1991 11:492
    A long climb is such an out-of-body experience anyway that you won't
    notice the altitude.
1984.9look, it's a FEATURE!SUSHI::KMACDONALDsushi: not just for breakfast!Wed Jul 03 1991 12:557
>    A long climb is such an out-of-body experience anyway that you won't
>    notice the altitude.

Besides, most biking records are set at high altitudes! Much less air to 
slow ya down! You can go for loads of 'personal bests'! :-)

                              ken
1984.10Those records won't come easy ALEXI::MANDRACCIAWed Jul 03 1991 14:488
	While there's less air resistance at altitude there's also less
	oxygen. I wouldn't count on setting any records climbing at
	altitude or anything else that involves hitting your anaerobic
	threshold. All the world class juniors are here in Colorado Springs
	in preparation for the Worlds this month and the ones from sea level
	
	are gagging big time. The main complaint seems to be legs are fine
	but no air to breathe.
	
1984.11nice routeSHALOT::ELLISJohn Lee Ellis - assembly requiredWed Jul 03 1991 16:1914
    
    I've never detected altitude effects in the Alps.  Or in the Rockies,
    once one is acclimated.  (There was a question whether pre-conditioning
    was a good idea for the RAAM route, which gets about 10,000 feet on one
    pass, but general consensus was "no.")
    
    Isola 2000 and its pass (Col de la Larche, is it?  I'm not sure) sounds
    great ... also Turini, etc., and the Haute Corniche.
    
    Bonne route, Rod.
    
    -john
    
    PS: Yes, must get out the old drogue chute.  :-)
1984.12BHAJEE::KONRADI hoab eam unterkriagt !!!Fri Jul 05 1991 11:3793
1984.13Thanks !FILMS::WIDDOWSONFri Jul 05 1991 12:4614
    Herman,
    
    That's fantastic.  Its nice to have ones impressions confirmed.  I shall
    take your list home and add it to my background info for the holiday.
    Given that it calls the Cayolle hard I'd love to know it calls the
    Tourmalet!
    
    I used to live in the Ste Baume so I can also recommend it.  Also the
    the Canyon de Verdon.
    
    As a matter of interest are guidbooks available (in English/French).
    
    rod
         
1984.14Dialekt, oder wie?SHALOT::ELLISJohn Lee Ellis - assembly requiredMon Jul 08 1991 13:228
    
    Herman,
    
    I also am going to clip out and post your list.
    
    What is your personal name ... bayrisch?
    
    -john
1984.15...Tourmalet? ouf!...BHAJEE::KONRADI hoab eam unterkriagt !!!Mon Jul 08 1991 15:1815
>    Given that it calls the Cayolle hard I'd love to know it calls the
>    Tourmalet!

    The Pyrenees are not described in my booklet. 
    But I agree-Tourmalet is really a very hard climb.
    I did it last year, starting with the Col d'Aspin in the morning,
    and the Tourmalet at noon - it's steep over a long distance and it was 
    very hot too plus the traffic was really awful. 
    
>    As a matter of interest are guidbooks available (in English/French).

    I'm sure there are some - but in Munich, I only get  german ones. So 
    I'm sorry but I can't help you there.

    Hermann
1984.16good guess!BHAJEE::KONRADI hoab eam unterkriagt !!!Mon Jul 08 1991 15:5211
re .14

>    What is your personal name ... bayrisch?

    You're right, John -  it's a mixture of bavarian  and austrian 
    dialect , a quote out of a kind of fun musical which is quite popular 
    amongst poeple that understand a little bit of bavarian, especially if 
    they do some  mountaineering - but I can't explain the whole 
    story here, it would be a matter of some more pages.

	Hermann
1984.17trip report...MOVIES::WIDDOWSONTwo pork pies and a Strawberry YoghurtFri Sep 06 1991 12:20141
1984.18the OCD - is it for you?SHALOT::ELLISJohn Lee Ellis - assembly requiredFri Sep 06 1991 12:3514
1984.19How about those tunnels?CIMNET::MJOHNSONMatt JohnsonFri Sep 06 1991 13:333
    How'd you like the tunnels coming down the north side of Croix de Fer?
    Going up, I thought they were pretty spooky, but at least I was going
    slowly.  If I had been flying down the mountain I might have crashed~!
1984.20MOVIES::WIDDOWSONTwo pork pies and a Strawberry YoghurtFri Sep 06 1991 13:5922
    >How'd you like the tunnels coming down the north side of Croix de Fer?
    >Going up, I thought they were pretty spooky, but at least I was going
    >slowly.  If I had been flying down the mountain I might have crashed~!
    
    The real long one is lit.  Another short one has turned into a bridge
    (!) and the other short ones are not toooo bad.  Mind you you gotta be
    real careful.  My technique was to slow right down.  Take my shades off
    before entering the tunnel, and (believe it) shutting my eyes for less
    than one second prior to going in.  That way when you go into the dark
    you can actually see...
    
    re OCD.  I was a member of the british `chapter' a couple of years ago
    and I let it slip.  The way it worked was that you add up the metres
    that you have climbed (ever) in terms of the tops of the cols (so
    Croix-fer/Glandon means 4000m) according to various rules (no col which
    was approached going down is acceptable, no col more that 7 times a
    year and so on).  There were medals at various levels (50k, 100k and
    250k) with the french version requiring more height.  For me the major
    advantage was description of cols (I was never one for counting the kms
    I've climbed...)
    
    rod