luckily live near Wales ATM and so i do have a lot of hills around me ā¦ not super long but with a a few reps you can get a fair amount in.
For example today i did my threshold workout: 5 x 10mins up a climb instead of on the trainer as the weather was decent for once. Do you think that is a fair simulation?
I do need to try and find some gradients similar to the Alps. Would you say they mostly fall in between 4-6% for an hour?
If i am feeling extravagant i was thinking of experimenting with the Kickr Climb and riding some longer climbs on an app like full gaz through the winter too ā¦
Also on terms of back to back, i plan on doing the sweet spot base high volume as currently i have the luxury of time and 12-15hrs a week feels pretty good at present.
The Alpine climbs tend to be a little steeper than that, though unlike the Pyrenees they are mostly pretty regular so you can settle into a rhythm. Gradients tend to be between 6 - 8%. Best way is to check climbbybike.com or Strava once you know which climbs you will be tackling and that will give you a good sense. Key thing is to get habituated to pushing the pedals for quite a long time, both physically & mentally, so that the prospect of heading uphill for an hour or so without any respite isnāt a problem.
I havenāt read through all the responses but I did the haute Route Pyrenees 4 weeks ago.
In my prep I did sweetspot base 1&2 with mixed outdoor rides through to march followed by sustained power build. I then had a training week in Mallorca including the 312 followed by a 12 day break (holiday without bike) before starting the climbing road race speciality plan. However I probably only did around 25% of the workouts in speciality as the weather was good and I preferred to go outside. I also had another week away in Italy for the Maratona and some climbing practice.
Overall though I would say sustained power build and climbing road race plans for sure.
The haute Route is an awesome event and Iāll be going back in the future for sure.
Another tip Iāll give you is to (nearer the event) practice sustained efforts at your climbing power in a low cadence eg 55-70 because you will get long sections in the Alps where you will be climbing at that cadence even in the 34x32 believe me and to achieve a higher cadence your power may not be sustainable.
Thank you very much for the additional INFO - so so valuable and useful ā¦
I think my plan is too really spend as much time as i can increasing my muscaur endurance adn then start a 40 week plan as detailed above ā¦
I will definitely be substituting a few sessions though as i do need to get outside and practice longer climbs ā¦ i am going to have to do some scouting to see if thereās anything in the UK i can use to replicate hour climbs!
re: gearing ā¦
i know the Pyrenees is tougher in terms of gradients ā¦ but do you think a 34/32 or even 34/34 will be sufficient to keep a high cadence on the alpine climbs? ā¦ i am a real spinner (95-105 rpm) most of the time climbing ā¦
Tom - 1st off CONGRATULATIONS on doing the HR - amazing. So glad to hear you enjoyed it.
2nd - thank you so much for your advice.
3rd: yes this is something i am a little concerned about as i am a real spinner ā¦ so its good to hear from you that doing some low cadence / high torque work might be neededā¦
Annoyingly this year i was diagnosed with a slightly odd/rare condition which makes me a tad more prone to muscle/tendon and joint damage. I actually stopped running due to it and switched to cycling, but have found the bike to be fine even with 15-16hour weeks BUT i do ride with a very high cadence and really spin up most hills around 95-110 rpm to avoid flaring things up!
My understanding was the Alps werenāt too bad bad in terms of extreme gradients compared to Dolomites or Pyrenees? But i could well be wrong.
Have you ridden the alps also?
Did you ride a compact with an 11-32?
I am almost tempted to see if i can get an 11-34 tbh!
thanks again for your advice - so useful for me to be able to ask someone like yourself who has completed it a few questions!
Hi Alex, youāre correct that the Alps arenāt as bad as Pyrenees/Dolomites but in diff ways. They are more consistent so a better rythem is obtainable but still expect some long steep sections.
To give you some reference, I am 38 and around 4 wpkg. I rode the HR with a 34x30 but have often used a 32 in the past.
However when I say practice slow cadence I do specifically mean at your climbing power which takes quite a bit of discipline on a multi day event because you will be capable of upping your power (and cadence) slightly but to do so would mean going into the red.
Also, I didnt mean to worry you. It wonāt all be like that but rather to expect it a little and be prepared for it. If youāve any other questions about HR feel free to ask or DM me.
I think either of those should be fine but as you say it comes down to style. I ride a 52/36 up front with 11-28 on the back & thatās fine for me ā¦
@deq451 Great post guys! Training currently for a 3day HR event. One question, what would be a recommended IF for each stage??? Probably going from less to more in the first two days and closing strong on the TT?
It will be a bit lower since the timmed segments were separated but here are my stats:
Day 1: 0.70 in total / 0.75 for the timmed section
Day 2: 0.61 in total / 0.70 for timmed segment
Day 3: 0.88 for the ITT
