Cycling UK Forum

After 2 years of lockdown i planned this year to return to the Alps; I've got 2 years to go to 70 so don't want to miss out. I gradually lost a stone in weight since lockdown: so was 11 stone , now 10 stone.
I began to follow a Tacx training course on the turbo in March planning for July, but family illnesses and moving house after 40 years took away the time.
I plan to go out in 5 weeks, but next week is family holiday so little time to get fit and snow in the Alps can start before end of of September.

So question 1 fitness is undercooked, but as weight is the enemy in the mountains I am wondering if the 9% weight reduction will go some way to make up for the lack of training?
question 2 is are the passes are likely to close in september or what is the latest to leave it?

Of course you should go. Try to get some training in now- anything you can. You won’t go if you wait to be the perfect weight and fitness. If the first day out there is too tough adjust what you are doing slightly.

I happily tour all over the place several stones heavier than you and often with no training. Somewhat younger and fortunately a lot of muscle memory in my legs. Cycling isn’t that tough though - you get better gears and go slower if you’re insufficiently physically prepared.

September seems a little early to worry.
Many years ago I drive over the petit st Bernard in late September with 6ft of snow on either side but the road was clear.
Mountain weather can turn up all sorts, but I'd expect to be ok

The weight loss will help a lot. I'm 18 lbs lighter than I was 8 years ago. 8 years ago I was riding 1000 hilly miles a month, putting in some long rides but also intervals a couple of times a week. This year I have ridden less than 2000, all but 200 on an ebike. I went out on my road bike a couple of weeks ago and took significant amounts of time off Strava PBs set 8 years ago. Maybe not scientific but a real world experience.

I'd follow a British Cycling training plan between now and when you go away to try and plug the fitness gap.

Snow in the Alps can happen in August, been there, done that! Went to the 'cows down' in Austria a few years back, mid September, nearly had to cancel the parade due to blizzards in the days before, this at under 800m!

Just go, don't over think things and be sensible on distances. You've got a few weeks in which to get some riding in but in my experience you need 10/14 days in the Alps to get used to riding in the Alps, no amount of riding UK climbs will ever prepare you for those 2/3 hour climbs! Do take some cold weather gear, you might not need it but if you do....

As Foxyrider says its the length of the climbs - I have heard that grinding out forty minutes or so on a turbo trainer set on a high gear will give you a feel for it.
However since you are returning to the Alps you must already have a sense of what to expect.
I had an Alpine camping trip when I was in my early seventies so I think you should be OK.

Maybe you should look at your gears and perhaps go a bit lower - but everyone is different.