VT Biker

Hey guys:

I did two laps up Lookout yesterday, first lap (from rock gate at bottom to Buffalo Bill wooden park sign at the top) was 27:49. Second lap up was 28:01. This beat my best time up the mountain (before was 29:55). So I am quite happy with the progress I have made. I think losing the 10 pounds from last summer helped (156 to 146). I was even able to ride the whole thing up in the 53x23 & 53x21 gear ratio save for the flats in which I shifted up to increase the speed on the flats (especially near the top).

I am wondering however what the typical time is for a CAT 5 and CAT 4 quality racer up that mountain. Anyone know so I can start to get an idea as to where my fitness level stands?

Thanks,

VT Biker

GuitarWizard

You should aim for 16:01 next time

The_Convert

Here are the results from last years pillar to post. Looks like the cat 4's were running somewhere around 20 minutes.

https://www.americancycling.org/resul...ookout-mtn.htm

VT Biker

Depressing.

Anyone know what gear ratio typically is used up up Lookout Mountain? I assume most ride in their 53x ring, and just have a higher cadence. Any idea?

bvfrompc

39X23 but I'm a big cow and usually ride it in the mid 30s.

GuitarWizard

Looking at pics of Danielson, he was in his 39T 'ring when climbing it...

superdex

Climbing 6% average at 40rpms will blow up your knees, but if not having to shift is more important to you, cool. I guess.

SirScott

It's also an excellent way to build raw strength. Pushing big gears both seated and standing is a great workout, if your body can handle it. Spinning your 39*23 may be great, but you're never going to get faster if you don't push something harder.

That said, if all you ever do is climb at 40rpms, you'll never get faster either. Building both strength and leg speed are cruicial ingredients to bettering your hill climbing.

Mix it up, but absolutely keep the big gear days in there. Keep working at it VT Biker, and be sure to do the race in May anyhow -- you'll be surprised how much faster you go up in a race "group" versus on your own.

VosBike

https://www.mines.edu/stu_life/organ/...hc_results.pdf

results from the hill climb up lookout from 2 weeks ago.

Squint

Times are quite a bit slower this year. I wonder if it's because people are less fit due to the snowy winter or it was because it was windy that day. There's another race in May.

VosBike

it was incredibly windy.

You would not believe the wind.

Oh god, the wind.


You were sheltered from the wind for most of it (to a certain degree), but there were a few section where exceeding 6 mph at my max HR was just not happening.

VT Biker

Thanks guys.

I am going to try it Friday, but drop down to my 39 ring. I would at least like to get to 22 - 23 this summer. Part of the reason I ride it in the 53 ring is because I want to increase my power output. I figure that as I get stronger, the 45 rpm rate will increase to 60 and actually reduce the stress on my knees. This is also why I like Lookout. It is short enough that you can big ring the thing without worrying about blowing out your knees.

GuitarWizard

How long of a climb is it?

Barca

The wind that day was incredible. I went off around 9 and it was bad, I heard it got worse as the day pogressed. It wasn't just the wind too, there was a load of snow blowing off the mountain into your face near the top.

VosBike

oh to have gone off at nine! I went pretty damn late (noon) at it was so much windier than when I rode the first half in the morning. All I wanted to do was break 20 mins, goddam wind.

Barca

Are you going to be at Air Force this weekend? There's doing a HC, crit and RR I believe. HC is worse than Lookout I heard.

My group pre-registered so we were all out and done by 10.

waterrockets 

Back when I was a 4, I was riding lookout in about 21:30, but I'm not much of a climber. I really liked that climb. I used to ride up there from Aurora once a week. I REALLY loved the descent. Passing cars all the way down

Back then, a 19-year-old Jonathan Vaughters was rumored to have done it in 16 and change, but I never asked him about it (he's really modest). That same year though, he challenged Michael Engleman for Mt. Evans (but broke his seat binder bolt on the rough roads near summit lake). He still got 2nd though. The Coors Light team car tried to fix it for him while rolling, but no luck. They wanted him to be going fast to help Engleman break the record -- even at the risk of losing.

VosBike

The RR is at air force, but the Hill climb and crit are at CC, where I happen to go. So yeah, I'll be there, hopefully posting a solid result in the hillclimb and hanging on in the B's crit.

word of advice, the HC up cheyenne is burly. 39x25 at absolute minimum is needed. It's about 3.2 miles but has 500 more feet of elevation gain than lookout (avg. grade about 8-9%, with some 15% stuff).

Although, they are forcasting a snowstorm for friday night, so an early morning hill climb will be extra double fun with ice and snow.

See you there, if you want to say hi, the name's brendan

roadgator

hey guys, for the times posted what are the exact markers used for start/stop points?

i just did the ride today and i'm curious. i timed 27min from the 6th ave turnoff to the last turn before it flattens out and passes under the observation deck. im gonna try it again in a few weeks once im more acclimatized and maybe a few lbs lighter, hoping for <25 min.

oh, and whats the official elevation too? i measured it at 1500' with a hand held GPS from the points i timed from a couple years ago, but i've also heard 1700+/-' thrown around?

VT Biker

I have been told the following:

Start: Pilons where the Entrance to the Park Gate is located. So about 1/2 mile above the 6th Street Turnoff.

End: Buffalo Bill Park Sign (this is much farther along than where you stopped).

However - I have also been told that the end is before the Buffalo Bill Sign.

If anyone has the correct and accurate start/stop, that would be great.

Also: recently rode the mountain again ~ 26:40. So I am improving.