How to start training to cycle to the top of col de rates Parcent Spain



vikstik

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Mar 24, 2013
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As a restaurant and bar owner at the bottom of the hill, I watch many, hundreds of cyclists go past each month. I would like to start training to have a go, but where do I start.
 
Originally Posted by vikstik .

As a restaurant and bar owner at the bottom of the hill, I watch many, hundreds of cyclists go past each month. I would like to start training to have a go, but where do I start.
It would be helpful to know a bit more about you. Age, height, weight, health, athletic background, etc.
 
Thats one heck of a climb, you will need lots of time and commitment, start slowly and build up the kms as you get fitter.
I have been riding the hills around La Muela and Ronda, Andalucia, not easy, but I have only been back in the saddle for 7 months, I ride 3 - 4 times a week, Road and MTB, averaging around 70 - 80 Km each ride.
 
The hill is about 5% for 4 miles (2.5k). Not much variation. (The top looks a bit steeper but ... ) And then there is some rolling terrain of lesser difficulty. It should only take 30-40 minutes to do the first 4 miles. No need for food. Not much need for water.

Find a bicycle. If necessary, have someone show you how to change the gears. Put the bicycle in one of the lower gears. Try to go up the hill. Make what adjustments you need to and try again. Keep adjusting and trying until you get to the top.

The goal of the the practice described above is to help you find gearing that will let you move your legs at a reasonable speed for the amount of power you can generate. And to be comfortable.

There is not a lot of need for training for a short ride like this. Ride up until you get tired. Then coast down. Try a couple times a week. Improvement comes quickly. It should not take too long before you can go up the hill. And then you can start "training" to get faster and ride further.
 
Originally Posted by An old Guy .

...

There is not a lot of need for training for a short ride like this. Ride up until you get tired. Then coast down. Try a couple times a week. Improvement comes quickly. It should not take too long before you can go up the hill. And then you can start "training" to get faster and ride further.
+1 probably the first time I ever actually agreed with anything AOG wrote here...

Just get a bike that fits and 2 things:

1. ride it as much as you can and anywhere you can

2. ride up the col as far as you can without killing yourself, make a metal note of how far you got and then just do it as often as you can and beat your previous distance

I'd be tempted to say that most people could ride straight to the top if they had a bike with enough gears and no underlying medical issues. Just a case of motivation as its not that you are exactly over weight /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif
 
I live along the Rocky Mountain front range in Colorado USA. Many long climbs here. I belong to a touring club and we often get riders from other states (flat landers) on our in Colorado tours. Though they can be very strong on the flats and short climbs, few can keep up with the Colorado riders on the long climbs. That's why so many USA professionals train in Boulder. My own personal experience is that riding a lot on the flats and doing shorter hill repeats is a good place to start, but the only real way to get ready for long climbs is by doing long climbs. Start by doing longer and longer rides on flater roads, start incorporating some hills into the rides, and gradually take on longer and longer climbs.
 
I live near Murla and I have the same goal as the OP. I am working towards climbing that hill. If you want a partner to train with let me know :)