Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

User avatar
marc2131
Posts: 469
Joined: Fri May 27, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: Inner West, Sydney

Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby marc2131 » Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:31 am

My team and I plan to do the NSW Club Team Time Trials (Nowra) again this year.
As some of you will know, there is an 18km hill climb. Pretty grueling, but not overly steep.
While I dont have problems with this, one of my team mates only realised he had problems with this climb on the day of the event.
Am looking for potential climbs we can incorporate into a training regime. Some of us are keen to do Sydney's Royal National Park, eventhough the gradients are a bit on the extreme side and not indicative of the Nowra course.
I am looking for a course which replicates the Nowra climb; 3-5 degree climb over 18 or so kilometres.
... 15km short of a cardiac arrest ...

User avatar
biker jk
Posts: 6998
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 6:18 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby biker jk » Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:53 am

You could try Mangrove Mountain (Wiseman's Ferry Rd). Climbing for around 12km but average gradient is less than 3%. Steeper at beginning then starts to flatten out.

rogan
Posts: 985
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:31 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby rogan » Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:49 pm

So, 3% over 18 km would get you 540 metres above sea level. For that, you need the Blue Mountains or 120+ km south of Sydney. The Great Western Highway is largely rideable these days, at least as far as Faulconbridge. And yes, there are sections above 5%.

There are some good climbs on the South Coast (such as Macquarie Pass) but they are real climbs, with sections above 5%, and no significant flat spots like you get on the GWH. If you are going that far you should consider riding the course itself.
Image

vander
Posts: 1346
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:35 am
Location: Earlwood
Contact:

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby vander » Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:00 pm

http://www.strava.com/segments/1794388" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Its a 1% climb not 3-5%. So given that its more a drag than a climb. I wouldnt worry too much about getting climbing in and more 20-30min consistent efforts at TT pace/hr.

User avatar
Chuck
Posts: 4376
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:19 pm
Location: Hiding in the bunch

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby Chuck » Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:06 am

marc2131 wrote:
I am looking for a course which replicates the Nowra climb; 3-5 degree climb over 18 or so kilometres.

http://app.strava.com/segments/5708138" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
FPR Ragamuffin

User avatar
trailgumby
Posts: 15469
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:30 pm
Location: Northern Beaches, Sydney
Contact:

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby trailgumby » Fri Jan 17, 2014 6:12 am

If you are looking to do intervals the climb from the harbour up to Mosman in front of Taronga Zoo could be useful but its only 5-7 minutes long. Best I can think of that's actually *in* Sydney. The rest are off road.

Sent from my android thingy using Crapatalk

User avatar
MREJ
Posts: 404
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 5:58 pm

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby MREJ » Fri Jan 17, 2014 7:15 am

M7 bike path heading north from Prestons.

Sutherland to Sublime Pt along the old highway.

Ride the freeway from Liverpool towards Goulburn - basically a (very long) uphill drag.

The second is the best of these in my view, and most similar to the Nowra ride. Lots of TT types ride it for training.
2016 S-Works Tarmac, 2014 Wabi Lightning SE, 2012 Felt F75, 2011 Genesis Equilibrium 20, ancient Avanti Pista track bike

User avatar
marc2131
Posts: 469
Joined: Fri May 27, 2011 9:20 pm
Location: Inner West, Sydney

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby marc2131 » Fri Jan 17, 2014 7:56 am

Thanks guys. Will mull these over the the team. :)
... 15km short of a cardiac arrest ...

Deon.taylor
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:49 pm

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby Deon.taylor » Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:51 pm

Hi , where is the 18km climb in nowra? Can u post a strava segment pls

GAV!N
Posts: 456
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 9:14 am
Location: Shoalhaven

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby GAV!N » Wed Jan 18, 2017 10:58 am

As others have said, it's a gradual uphill/false flat, averaging about 1-2% and then back down again. It's not a hill climb. Hames hill is the steepest which is probably a bit over 1km around the 5% mark.

User avatar
Derny Driver
Posts: 3039
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:18 pm
Location: Wollongong

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby Derny Driver » Wed Jan 18, 2017 7:18 pm

I agree with vander. I took a ladies team down last year and had a good look at the course from the follow car. Its a gradual uphill drag similar to the ones MREJ mentioned. Its not an out of the seat climb. Its a long seated power climb and you can get that power from normal TT work. Use you team as a team - that is, the stronger guys pull up those long drags on the way out. Guys behind call out "steady" if they are struggling. On the way home the guys who didnt do much on the way out, can put it in the 54-11 and pull some big turns on the way back.

User avatar
Alex Simmons/RST
Expert
Posts: 4997
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 3:51 pm
Contact:

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby Alex Simmons/RST » Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:52 am

vander wrote:http://www.strava.com/segments/1794388" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Its a 1% climb not 3-5%. So given that its more a drag than a climb. I wouldnt worry too much about getting climbing in and more 20-30min consistent efforts at TT pace/hr.
This. There are a few short pinches on the way out but it's not a climb as such, just a really draggy road.

User avatar
queequeg
Posts: 6477
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:09 am

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby queequeg » Thu Jan 19, 2017 2:11 pm

Definitely not a climb at all. First time I rode it was at the State TTT Champs last July, which was also the first time I'd ever done a Time Trial (of any kind). Only thing I'd do different next time is maybe throw a set of TT rings on the bike. I was struggling to match pace with the captain who had a TT bike with a 54-11.
'11 Lynskey Cooper CX, '00 Hillbrick Steel Racing (Total Rebuild '10), '16 Cervelo R5, '18 Mason BokekTi

User avatar
mikesbytes
Super Mod
Super Mod
Posts: 22143
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:42 pm
Location: Tempe, Sydney
Contact:

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby mikesbytes » Thu Jan 19, 2017 3:06 pm

One way to replicate the ride is to do the actual course. I did that many years ago. Drive down, ride, drive back

Loftus to Waterfall has some similarities. You could continue on along the Princess to Hellengsburg, Stanwell tops or Otford Pie shop to add K's to the incline.

Are you trying to address the steeper climbs or the false flat (for want of a better description)?
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

thomas1987
Posts: 102
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:20 pm

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby thomas1987 » Thu Jan 19, 2017 10:14 pm

Do repeats of the ride between Nepean Dam and Avon Dam.

Jawa
Posts: 245
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 8:16 am

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby Jawa » Tue Jan 24, 2017 1:35 pm


User avatar
g-boaf
Posts: 21219
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 6:11 pm

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby g-boaf » Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:25 pm

Burragorang lookout is not very difficult, it's just rolling hills IMO. I did it a while back without drama.

Mt Keira looks like a much better option for hill efforts.

M7 bike path north from Prestons isn't too difficult either, all very short hills.

You could also try repeats of Razorback down past Camden, the old road (really rough) and the new road going the other way.

Another route is to ride Yarramundi to Springwood via Hawkesbury Heights. That's a great route that I like a lot.

More here:
viewtopic.php?t=8688

Jawa
Posts: 245
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 8:16 am

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby Jawa » Wed Jan 25, 2017 8:18 am

There is a charity ride at Mt Kiera
http://www.keirachallenge.com.au/

Having only ridden it once last year during the event I did find it a bit of a ball tearer

Image

User avatar
CXCommuter
Posts: 1885
Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:18 pm
Location: Lane Cove NSW

Re: Seeking long hill climb training courses in Sydney

Postby CXCommuter » Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:35 am

g-boaf wrote:Burragorang lookout is not very difficult, it's just rolling hills IMO. I did it a while back without drama.

Mt Keira looks like a much better option for hill efforts.

M7 bike path north from Prestons isn't too difficult either, all very short hills.

You could also try repeats of Razorback down past Camden, the old road (really rough) and the new road going the other way.

Another route is to ride Yarramundi to Springwood via Hawkesbury Heights. That's a great route that I like a lot.

More here:
viewtopic.php?t=8688
Yarramundi (or Old Bathurst Road from Emu Plains) right through to Katoomba would be my choice also- that is a long grind.. Further supplemented by a ripping fast ride back
edit- this: https://www.strava.com/activities/521508814
Image

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users