Mount Ventoux

[pwa]

I went up from Malaucene, on the western side of the mountain, and the ascent was a very long, steady climb with no really steep bits, but no easy bits either. The main challenge for me was keeping going whilst bothered by flies trying to land on me. I wasn't going fast enough to out-run them, and for some reason there were a lot of them about that day.

I didn't change gear much on the way up. I was soon twiddling the pedals in my lowest gear, and for me that was the best strategy. You will probably benefit from having the lowest gear you can get on your bike

And take loads of water.

Don't be intimidated by it. So long as you don't go up in bad weather, it is just a road. It will be hard going, but well worth it.

[Audax67]

P.S. It’s not ‘Mount’, it’s ‘Mont’. Getting that right might pre-empt further condescension.

To those in the know it's the Ventoux.

Anent flies, I found them worse in the forest on the Bédoin route. The air was hot and stifling in there, too. The Malaucène route was much more open, with a grand view of the Alps in the distance. IIRC the steepest pitch was 11% about ¾ of the way up.

Long time ago now.

[RobinS]

We cycled up Ventoux several years ago from Bedoin, as a "day off" from touring (we were camping in Bedoin). It was hot, and fine, but even without our camping loads we were very glad of our low ratio "touring gears".
Be aware though it can get very windy. We were there in the car this September, and very glad we weren't cycling. At the summit you could barely stand, and the odd few bold cyclists were having to walk their bikes down the hill as it was too dangerous to ride!

[rareposter]

Yep, one of the ascents I did was just about OK riding up but folk riding down were all over the road, many walking. It's pretty terrifying in the wind!

It can come and go too. You can look up at the summit from the surrounding area and it's clear but then it's a 2+hr climb (for most people!) and by the time you reach the summit it can be thick cloud.

Just be aware that 22nd July 2025, Mont Ventoux is a finish location for Stage 16 of the Tour (just announced)
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/tour ... ed-to-know

So the week before that and probably at least a couple of days after will not be the time to be trying an ascent of it!

[Audax67]

Be aware though it can get very windy. We were there in the car this September, and very glad we weren't cycling. At the summit you could barely stand, and the odd few bold cyclists were having to walk their bikes down the hill as it was too dangerous to ride!

3 days before we first did it the wind took a Belgian cyclist over the edge and they needed a helicopter to retrieve him. Well, the mountain's name does mean windy.

Heh: when we were preparing to ride a chappie we didn't know came over aand asked what ratios we were using. When I began "well, up front I've a 52/40/30 - " he interrupted with "ah, you're using a triple?!" and walked away in disgust. Imagine going up there on an old-fashioned 10-speed with a 52/42 up front and a 13-23 on the back. Ouch.

[RobinS]

Heh: when we were preparing to ride a chappie we didn't know came over aand asked what ratios we were using. When I began "well, up front I've a 52/40/30 - " he interrupted with "ah, you're using a triple?!" and walked away in disgust. Imagine going up there on an old-fashioned 10-speed with a 52/42 up front and a 13-23 on the back. Ouch.

I quite enjoyed it on the tourer with 22/32/44 on the front and 11-34 on the back. Wandering around Bedoin we did look at the lightweight road bikes for hire - at that time they all had low range "tourer or MTB" type gearing, all with 22 tooth granny rings.

[mattheus]

Heh: when we were preparing to ride a chappie we didn't know came over aand asked what ratios we were using. When I began "well, up front I've a 52/40/30 - " he interrupted with "ah, you're using a triple?!" and walked away in disgust. Imagine going up there on an old-fashioned 10-speed with a 52/42 up front and a 13-23 on the back. Ouch.

Yeah, I guess that would be hard.

But going by your username, you might already know about Paul "Octopus" Rozelle (whom I met riding PBP, a week after the ride in this blog:)
https://www.thebicyclestory.com/2011/11 ... oux-rides/

Lovely chap, and very supportive of us lesser mortals!

[cyclop]

P.S. It’s not ‘Mount’, it’s ‘Mont’. Getting that right might pre-empt further condescension.

Precisely...or is it presisely...or maybe precicely Anyway as Lance Armstrong once said,"It,s not about the bike".Not perhaps the best example ...he should have added "It,s all about suplements"(or is it supliments...supplements ?) Suggest you have "words" and/or ditch said patner for a more suitable model.P.S. Rode from the Arctic circle to Italy on an all steel Hercules ,4speed sturmy archer hub gear toting tent etc,No,definitely not about the bike.

[MrsHJ]

Yeah, like lots here I’ve ambled up ventoux. I think I did it on my tourer so nice low gears.

However, I did the tourmalet on a hybrid with a full set of camping equipment. Mountains aren’t as big a cycling challenge as is sometimes made out. If it’s got a pass on it it will always be cyclable with enough gears and time.

Have fun, take lots of photos, choose a day with a decent weather forecast.

Ps these days I mostly only use a hybrid for all touring- they are comfy and I’ve got it nicely geared so it’s good for long distance- not fast but lots of time to look at the views.

[cyclop]

What,exactly,is a hybrid ?

[nirakaro]

I suspect there is no exact answer to that. Not a road bike, not a mountain bike, but somewhere between the two?

[nirakaro]

Brace yourselves for some serious thread drift!

[pwa]

What,exactly,is a hybrid ?

A modern take on the traditional utility bike. Usually with 700c wheels.

[Audax67]

Heh: when we were preparing to ride a chappie we didn't know came over aand asked what ratios we were using. When I began "well, up front I've a 52/40/30 - " he interrupted with "ah, you're using a triple?!" and walked away in disgust. Imagine going up there on an old-fashioned 10-speed with a 52/42 up front and a 13-23 on the back. Ouch.

Yeah, I guess that would be hard.

But going by your username, you might already know about Paul "Octopus" Rozelle (whom I met riding PBP, a week after the ride in this blog:)
https://www.thebicyclestory.com/2011/11 ... oux-rides/

Lovely chap, and very supportive of us lesser mortals!

Alas no, I never met him. I was planning to do all three road routes in the same day and qualify for Les Cinglés du Mont Ventoux when the coronary squad got me in March 2008. I spent the next 3 years drugged up with unnecessary performance-killing nostrums before I got out from under and started to ride again. That was on the basis of a single high BP measurement. Still bitter about it, since it cost me PBP 2011. My BP still reads high in the presence of a white coat.

[mattheus]

Alas no, I never met him. I was planning to do all three road routes in the same day and qualify for Les Cinglés du Mont Ventoux when the coronary squad got me in March 2008. I spent the next 3 years drugged up with unnecessary performance-killing nostrums before I got out from under and started to ride again. That was on the basis of a single high BP measurement. Still bitter about it, since it cost me PBP 2011. My BP still reads high in the presence of a white coat.

Boo! :-(