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Projecting how I'll fare in the mountains

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Projecting how I'll fare in the mountains

Old 06-19-21, 03:12 PM
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CoogansBluff
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Projecting how I'll fare in the mountains

I've never biked in the mountains, but I'm in Asheville, NC, this weekend. Went out on a 25-mile ride today, but somebody forgot to tell me the route had a gravel road, so I had to abort the original route after about 5 miles and free-lance for a while to get in some work.

So, I've found a replacement, a 33-mile route that climbs 2700 feet. Around where I live, a 33-mile ride typically would climb about 1,100 feet, and I can complete it in about 2 hours, maybe 17 mph if I'm feeling good and conditions (wind, temperature) are not unfriendly.

Given that info, how long would you guess it would take me to do the mountain route? (I realize that 'mountain' is relative, so I hope that climb doesn't offend those in the Rockies, or more serious Appalachian climbers.)

Looks like rain tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to test it, but I get over here from time to time, so hopefully it's in my future.
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Old 06-19-21, 08:01 PM
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It depends a lot on how steep the climbs are, how technical the descents are, and how much traffic you hit. Ie - how much you brake.

Flatter rides I average somewhere around 18 but I've averaged around 12 for some hilly rides. I'd say 14mph is probably a good worst case estimate.
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Old 06-19-21, 08:36 PM
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You're not 'in the mountains' below ~4,000' IMO, where altitude starts to be a factor.

'Hilly' is a better term, which starts at 100'/mile, again IMO.

smashndash's numbers look good.
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Old 06-20-21, 09:55 AM
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Check the rides people make public on RWGPS, Strava, MapMyRide, Garmin Connect and other sites around you. If you find some that ride the same routes you currently do as well as the routes you want to do, then you can make comparisons to you based on your stats.

Those sites will also let you look at the route profile and see where the steeper grades are. But don't go by the graph as the x and y scale are way out of kilter from each other. Hover your pointer over the section you are interested in to see the grade slope it is.
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Old 06-20-21, 06:48 PM
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3 hours? A little more?
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Old 06-20-21, 06:59 PM
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Originally Posted by CoogansBluff

Given that info, how long would you guess it would take me to do the mountain route?
You could always just do an empirical test.
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Old 06-20-21, 07:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Koyote
You could always just do an empirical test.
That's my goal, but chose the wrong course on Try 1 (had a gravel road) and rained on Try 2. But hopefully will get back over to that side of the state before summer is out.
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Old 06-20-21, 07:19 PM
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Originally Posted by sfrider
3 hours? A little more?
That's sounding about right.
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Old 06-21-21, 06:58 AM
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Coming from flatlandia (coastal SE Virginia) and riding in and around Asheville didn't give any major issues. Just make sure your gearing is appropriate.

Now, going somewhere with far greater elevation? That was a kick in the lungs. Going out to SD around Rushmore was a shock. The difference in the availability of oxygen at ~6200' was very eye-opening. And then riding in Yellowstone up to ~8500'? Lots of ouch was had those days.
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Old 06-21-21, 08:29 AM
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Similar question - Has anyone here rode Vail Pass from Breckenridge?
I live in Chicago and am planning to visit in August and want to do a little riding while I'm there. The Vail Pass route looks cool to me because it's entirely on a trail so I don't have to worry about motorists. It's 41 miles with 2300ft of climbing, which on its own doesn't sound too intense, but the summit is 10,600ft.

Am I crazy to think that I can do a ride like this 2-3 days after I land? For context, a typical 40 mile ride in the Chicago area will have around 300ft of elevation gain (most of that is overpasses/bridges). I'm a reasonably fit cyclist, but the only significant climbing I do is on Zwift.
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Old 06-21-21, 08:31 AM
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It depends on the route.

2700 feet over 33 miles really isn't that much climbing. It really depends on how steep the climbs are, and in Asheville, they can be very steep or fairly mild.
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Old 06-21-21, 11:35 AM
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Originally Posted by msu2001la
Similar question - Has anyone here rode Vail Pass from Breckenridge?
I live in Chicago and am planning to visit in August and want to do a little riding while I'm there. The Vail Pass route looks cool to me because it's entirely on a trail so I don't have to worry about motorists. It's 41 miles with 2300ft of climbing, which on its own doesn't sound too intense, but the summit is 10,600ft.

Am I crazy to think that I can do a ride like this 2-3 days after I land? For context, a typical 40 mile ride in the Chicago area will have around 300ft of elevation gain (most of that is overpasses/bridges). I'm a reasonably fit cyclist, but the only significant climbing I do is on Zwift.
Yes, I've ridden Breckenridge to Vail and back a few times. It is a pleasant ride. There's one fairly steep section under the freeway in the return direction, but the rest of the route has a reasonable grade.

You'll be slower at that elevation (we all are). But if you're not suffering from any AMS symptoms (headache, etc.), and you don't overexert yourself, you ought to be just fine. If you're feeling out of breath, take a break.

Get lots of sleep, drink plenty of water, and avoid alcohol.
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Old 06-21-21, 11:42 AM
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Grade and gearing make all the difference. Three hours unless you're over geared, in which case all bets are off.
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Old 06-21-21, 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by msu2001la
Similar question - Has anyone here rode Vail Pass from Breckenridge?
I live in Chicago and am planning to visit in August and want to do a little riding while I'm there. The Vail Pass route looks cool to me because it's entirely on a trail so I don't have to worry about motorists. It's 41 miles with 2300ft of climbing, which on its own doesn't sound too intense, but the summit is 10,600ft.
And the next day you can ride up to Hooiser Pass (11,542'). Only about 2,000' of climbing from the center of Breckenridge but higher than Vail Pass. Start early before traffic. Get a photo next to the pass sign. It's a staple for those who ride ACA's Trans America route. I rode part of that route during a self contained tour from Seattle to Cortez, CO.

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Old 06-21-21, 12:47 PM
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
And the next day you can ride up to Hooiser Pass (11,542'). Only about 2,000' of climbing from the center of Breckenridge but higher than Vail Pass. Start early before traffic. Get a photo next to the pass sign. It's a staple for those who ride ACA's Trans America route. I rode part of that route during a self contained tour from Seattle to Cortez, CO.
This looks like an excellent option and thanks for suggesting. 10.5 miles from Breck to the summit and the road looks like it has a nice wide shoulder to ride on. 8% grade will be a good test for me.
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Old 06-21-21, 01:52 PM
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Originally Posted by msu2001la
This looks like an excellent option and thanks for suggesting. 10.5 miles from Breck to the summit and the road looks like it has a nice wide shoulder to ride on. 8% grade will be a good test for me.
I started out from the HI Hostel in town with a Mennonite couple I had met on he road and been travelling with off and on for about a week. We started at dawn because they had an 80+ mile day ahead of them. They were riding a Bike Friday tandem pulling the suitcases it packs into as a trailer. Incredibly strong couple. I fell off the back about 4/5 of the way up but managed to claw my way back by the summit. Somewhere at home I have the photo they took of me in front of the pass sign. We descended together to Fairplay then went our separate ways. They continued east towards Pueblo and I turned south to go over Trout Creek Pass.
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