Ventoux - how tough?

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pq
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by pq »

I climbed most of the way up from Bedouin last summer. I didn't reach the top becasue the road was closed - with security to stop people like me sneaking past the barriers. I don't climb particularly well, but found it not too bad on a race bike with 34/32 bottom gear. What was more of an issue was how dull it was, at least as far as Chalet Reynard. I descended to Sault which was much more scenic and with a very gentle gradient. On gearing, I'd just fit the lowest you can. Spinning up at an easy pace is the best way to do it, especially at 74. Good luck.
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Tiggertoo
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by Tiggertoo »

700c road bike with triple carrying 52/42/28
Much of my Colorado climbing has been on a steel Jamis with 52/35/30 triple and 26/12 - and I needed all of that - and more if I'd had it.
audaxjk
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by audaxjk »

If you’re planning to go up from Bedouin, the hardest bit is between 6-16km - ie from the hairpin at Saint Esteve where the road kicks up from the prior gentle ascent on the valley floor. From there it’s a pretty unrelenting gradient until Chalet Reynard at 16km from Bedouin, as unlike other climbs, there are no hairpins to ease up and recover - the road just keeps going straight up at 9-10% plus.
From Chalet Reynard upwards it’s not as bed, a bit of a kicker in the last km, but by then you won’t care as you know you are going to summit!

There is a water fountain at the bottom before St Esteve and another a few km above Chalet Reynard. I used them to cool my rims on the descent!

Gearing wise, like many posters I managed 34x28-30 (on a Kinesis TK2 - the old version of your 4S, I took my mudguards off to keep the weight down!). It’s hard to advise you gearing wise as this depends on your own level of fitness. What I would say though, is get as fit as your motivation allows as it will make the experience a bit easier and more enjoyable!

I think you posted on my “Upgrade from 11-28 to 11-34” thread. If you are able run 34 or ideally 36 teeth with your 34 front ring I think you’d cope.
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Audax67
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by Audax67 »

Tiggertoo wrote: 23 May 2022, 3:34pm
700c road bike with triple carrying 52/42/28
Much of my Colorado climbing has been on a steel Jamis with 52/35/30 triple and 26/12 - and I needed all of that - and more if I'd had it.
Did you do Boulder to the Divide? I was there in the 80s. Not by bike, but there were cyclists arriving about every 10 minutes. Good lungs.
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Tiggertoo
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by Tiggertoo »

Did you do Boulder to the Divide
I think you are referring to The Triple Bypass? Quite a feat that is.
I also rode about half a dozen Bike Tours of Colorado which altogether took in every high road pass in Colorado.
Cycling in Colorado is an absolute joy - once one is west of the front range. Not a lot of traffic and where there is, even the Interstates (motorways) have shoulders for cycling.
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by NickJP »

I'm a few years younger (69), and for a climb like that I would be looking for a low gear around 20". My view is that, on a big climb, it's much better to have a low gear that you might not need than to need a lower gear than you have. I've seen numerous people reduced to walking because they found that a gear that they could push up a three or four kilometre long hill was too big when faced with a 20 or 30 kilometre long climb.

These days I use a 110/74 BCD crank setup as a double, with 38-26 chainrings and a 11-36 cassette, which gives a low around 20" and a high around 95".
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Audax67
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by Audax67 »

Tiggertoo wrote: 24 May 2022, 3:40pm
Did you do Boulder to the Divide
I think you are referring to The Triple Bypass? Quite a feat that is.
I also rode about half a dozen Bike Tours of Colorado which altogether took in every high road pass in Colorado.
Cycling in Colorado is an absolute joy - once one is west of the front range. Not a lot of traffic and where there is, even the Interstates (motorways) have shoulders for cycling.
I was in Estes Park with a colleague on business, and one afternoon our hosts drove us up to around 13,000 ft and said "don't walk on the tundra". We were told that we could see 3 (or maybe 4) states at once from where we were, but which roads we took and what mountain we were on I forget. It was impressive, though.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by pwa »

NickJP wrote: 25 May 2022, 8:37am I'm a few years younger (69), and for a climb like that I would be looking for a low gear around 20". My view is that, on a big climb, it's much better to have a low gear that you might not need than to need a lower gear than you have. I've seen numerous people reduced to walking because they found that a gear that they could push up a three or four kilometre long hill was too big when faced with a 20 or 30 kilometre long climb.

These days I use a 110/74 BCD crank setup as a double, with 38-26 chainrings and a 11-36 cassette, which gives a low around 20" and a high around 95".
IMG_20170417_161044.jpg
Is that a Spa crank with a Colnago transfer stuck on it?
I put a similar arrangement on my wife's bike and she loved the lower gears it gave her.
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by NickJP »

pwa wrote: 25 May 2022, 9:20am Is that a Spa crank with a Colnago transfer stuck on it?
I put a similar arrangement on my wife's bike and she loved the lower gears it gave her.
No, it's an actual Sugino (has the crown stamped into the back of the crankarms near the pedal eye) that I bought NOS on fleabay. I believe it dates from when Colnago had a couple of models of MTB - they must have had Sugino make some cranks for them. Here's another example of the same, though this is the Sugino model without the fifth spider arm hidden behind the crank: https://www.carousell.sg/p/colnago-sugi ... 119108463/.
pwa
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by pwa »

NickJP wrote: 26 May 2022, 1:35am
pwa wrote: 25 May 2022, 9:20am Is that a Spa crank with a Colnago transfer stuck on it?
I put a similar arrangement on my wife's bike and she loved the lower gears it gave her.
No, it's an actual Sugino (has the crown stamped into the back of the crankarms near the pedal eye) that I bought NOS on fleabay. I believe it dates from when Colnago had a couple of models of MTB - they must have had Sugino make some cranks for them. Here's another example of the same, though this is the Sugino model without the fifth spider arm hidden behind the crank: https://www.carousell.sg/p/colnago-sugi ... 119108463/.
It may be an age thing, but I do like cranks that look like cranks, as those do. The Spa equivalents look very similar. I'm guessing they are the same, but with the Sugino polished a little more.
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TrevA
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by TrevA »

There are a few ways you could lower your gears without spending too much money. You can get a rear hanger extension known as a Wolf’s Tooth. This enables you to fit a cassette of up to 40 teeth with your existing gear set up, though you’ll need a new cassette and chain.

You could also change your chainset - a Shimano GRX chainset is 46/30 and will give you a low gear of 30x32 or 34. You’ll probably need a new front mech too, as the chain line on the GRX is wider. From Spa Cycles, you can get a smaller square taper chainset - you can choose what rings you want, but you’ll need a new bottom bracket, assuming your existing chainset isn’t square taper. I bought my young son a 42/32 chainset to replace the 53/39 that his bike came with, but you could go lower than that 40/28 or 38/26.

I’ve done the Galibier and Alpe d’Huez on 39x26 and it was a bottom gear grind all the way on both of them. The Alpe was much harder. I’ve never done Ventoux, but it’s on my Bucket List too.
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NickJP
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by NickJP »

pwa wrote: 26 May 2022, 8:12am
NickJP wrote: 26 May 2022, 1:35am
pwa wrote: 25 May 2022, 9:20am Is that a Spa crank with a Colnago transfer stuck on it?
I put a similar arrangement on my wife's bike and she loved the lower gears it gave her.
No, it's an actual Sugino (has the crown stamped into the back of the crankarms near the pedal eye) that I bought NOS on fleabay. I believe it dates from when Colnago had a couple of models of MTB - they must have had Sugino make some cranks for them. Here's another example of the same, though this is the Sugino model without the fifth spider arm hidden behind the crank: https://www.carousell.sg/p/colnago-sugi ... 119108463/.
It may be an age thing, but I do like cranks that look like cranks, as those do. The Spa equivalents look very similar. I'm guessing they are the same, but with the Sugino polished a little more.
The Spa cranks are made by Sugino. See viewtopic.php?p=1601650#p1601650.
Tiggertoo
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by Tiggertoo »

but which roads we took and what mountain we were on I forget. It was impressive, though.
You must have been In Rocky Mountain National Park and the pass there over Trail Ridge is Milner Pass at 10,758 feet. A favourite route for Audaxers from the front range to Granby.

And the admonishment about the tundra is that at that altitude and climate plants take years to recover once tread on.

I'm hoping to spend a few days further south in Colorado around Leadville in July/August - maybe over Independence Pass at 12,095 feet. to get some training in for my LeJog. It's a lot cooler there than where I am - 95F yesterday and exhausting on my 100 mile ride. I plan 60 miles today and maybe another 100 tomorrow - if I can last. Muscle spasms are the bane of riding in this heat and humidity.
Brianjeff50
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by Brianjeff50 »

TrevA wrote: 26 May 2022, 10:20pm
I’ve done the Galibier and Alpe d’Huez on 39x26 and it was a bottom gear grind all the way on both of them. The Alpe was much harder. I’ve never done Ventoux, but it’s on my Bucket List too.
I’m starting to get confused with my terminology now: 39x26 - is that ring x cog? If so I’m very impressed!
I suspect I will go for numerically lower chainings - I’m getting too old to wind along in the 50 ring top gears for any other than an occasional heady downhill rush.
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TrevA
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Re: Ventoux - how tough?

Post by TrevA »

Brianjeff50 wrote: 29 May 2022, 8:12am
TrevA wrote: 26 May 2022, 10:20pm
I’ve done the Galibier and Alpe d’Huez on 39x26 and it was a bottom gear grind all the way on both of them. The Alpe was much harder. I’ve never done Ventoux, but it’s on my Bucket List too.
I’m starting to get confused with my terminology now: 39x26 - is that ring x cog? If so I’m very impressed!
I suspect I will go for numerically lower chainings - I’m getting too old to wind along in the 50 ring top gears for any other than an occasional heady downhill rush.
Yes, 39 ring and 26 cog on a Campag set up. Stupid really, as I did have a triple chainset with a 30 ring that I could have fitted and used without changing anything else but the front mech. but thought I wouldn’t need it (I did). My wife had a Shimano triple and had an easier ride with her 30x30 bottom gear.
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
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