Cycling vs running up hill

alex

A couple of years ago Martin Fiz (that was a top level marathoner)
challenged any cyclist in a race to climb the hardest section of the
Angliru.

The challenge was picked up by Chechu Rubiera (and O.Sevilla was supossed to
have been interested too), but just one day before the competion Fiz claimed
he got injured . I do not know what happened next, but this challenge had a
lot of media coverage in Spain. Even the athletes were a bit taken aback by
its repecusion.

"Ryan Cousineau" <rcousine@sfu.ca> wrote in message
news:rcousine-E71B7C.14461026042004@morgoth.sfu.ca...
> In article <mrbob-42B898.15282326042004@news1.uncensored-news.com>,
> MrBob <mrbob@dontspamonme.bobmaher.dontspamonme.com.dontspamonme>
> wrote:
>
> > In article <6b851645.0404261044.735eaf46@posting.google.com>,
> > SJgerdemann@yahoo.com (Steve Gerdemann) wrote:
> >
> > > The time trial on the L'Alpe d'Huez got me wondering. Is it possible
> > > for a world-class runner to beat a cyclists time on a steep enough
> > > slope? Obviously on level ground a bike is much faster but when the
> > > road turns up the cyclist has the disadvantage of having to lift more
> > > weight up the hill. So if the hill is steep enough can a runner beat a
> > > cyclist and if so how steep does the hill have to be for the runner to
> > > win.
> > >
> > >
> > > Just wondering
> > > Steve Gerdemann
> >
> > Many years ago I read that above 15% leads to walking being more
> > efficient.
>
> Sounds about right. A retired co-worker was an avid trail-runner and
> one-time competitive cyclist (he regularly took his bicycle or jogged to
> work until he retired, and he had a longer commute than me).
>
> His analysis was that on the steepest trails (and 15% sounds about right
> to me), the joggers could outrun the cyclists. At some point on certain
> very steep and very technical descents, joggers can have an advantage
> over most, but probably not all cyclists, if the descent is at least
> theoretically navigable on a bike.
>
> The issue there becomes whether or not the cyclist can descend without
> dismounting. If they can, they probably win. If not, advantage: jogger.
>
> Sadly, the famous Welsh Man v Horse v Bike race has had to temporarily
> discontinue the v Bike part, apparently due to legal technicalities.
>
> Look under June:
>
> http://www.lafesta.co.uk/bizarre.html
>
> The few published accounts I can find indicate that serious mountain
> bikers have participated in this 22-mile race for a while (including
> Jacquie Phelan), and the very best cyclists have beaten both man and
> horse. It has been remarkably close, but reports I have indicate that no
> solo runner has ever beaten the winning horse on this course, and there
> is a #24,000 prize for any runner to do so.
>
> Of course, You could construct a simple obstacle that would simply and
> massively favor any one of rider, runner, or horse, thus demonstrating
> that victory is very course dependent:
>
> For horse to win, simply put one or more horse-jump (say, 5' or so?) in
> the course. Horses seem to win on relatively short power courses where
> the efficiency of a bike counts for little, and on obviously
> horse-specific obstacles where bikes are at a disadvantage.
>
> For the runner to win, put in one or more switchback climbs too steep
> for a horse to easily navigate, or more simply, a 6' ladder to the top
> of a cliff.
>
> For the cyclist, a super-steep, non-technical descent will favor them
> above all others, or a horse-unfriendly obstacle such as a ladder bridge
> or even a cow crossing too wide to be jumped by a horse. In general, the
> longer the course, the more the bicycle is favored. At the extreme
> level, I don't think a horse and rider could outpace any stage of the
> Tour de France, for example.
>
> Horses for courses,
> --
> Ryan Cousineau, rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.sfu.ca/~rcousine/wiredcola/
> President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club