Mt Cootha first time for beginner

[RonK]

Are there no bike lanes on Cootha?

Wadda ya mean? That is the bike lane.

[GeoffInBrisbane]

Are there no bike lanes on Cootha?

The bike lane a bit further up from that picture (i.e. on the Front Descent) was full of broken glass bottle this morning. Which was nice...

[poohkies]

I rode up the backside for the first time on Sunday, was fun to say the least, only part I stressed about was coming down the front, was dragging my brakes most the way to try and slow down, when they started screaming sound I backed them off, hit 80km/h at on point! Never shat my self so much!

You took it up the backside the first time? 8o

When going down the front the classic newby mistake is to break all the way down. Just sit right up and let the breeze slow you. Do all your breaking in the last few hundred metres on cold and fresh brakes.

is that bad ? the back side, i had no idea, but hadn't ridden really down here and everyone talks abut it so i thought Id give it a go, and yeah i held the brakes on going down the front, they started screaming so i took them off, I hit 80 just before I got to bontanical gardens, I realise the speed limit and will make sure i sort out braking etc so that doesn't happen again, once again, first time, lot to learn

[jasonc]

the back is the harder climb

[Dragster1]

The first climb is the hardest this is where if you over do it you will be a wreck before you reach the top. I get into a rhythm with breathing and pushing down on the pedals before I know it im at the top.

[Dragster1]

the back is the harder climb

The rear climb is a lot longer but there are a few spots where its flat or downhill and I can regain energy easily I found. In general its a lot more climbing just depends on your riding style weather you like it or not. I have done it on a full weighted mountain bike with a steel solid one piece crank, steel frame and steel wheels twice in one day. The trick is about pacing yourself and watch for the wash outs towards the bottom when you come down on the sharp corners

[jasonc]

the back is the harder climb

The rear climb is a lot longer but there are a few spots where its flat or downhill and I can regain energy easily I found. In general its a lot more climbing just depends on your riding style weather you like it or not.

To do the back fast for me is a power climb

[skull]

Haven't lived in brissy for a long while now but isn't mt cootha the one with the tv stations?

If it is then I think you guys are talking it up a bit. I would hardly call my self a climbing cyclist and had no issues riding there. I had no idea about different cassettes then and ran a 11-23 cassette on standards. Originally set bike up for triathlons.

My worst climb (and run) was enoggera hill. A bit hard for those not in the army to go up tho.

Edit: I would probably struggle these days to ride it with such gears. Definitely stronger and fitter in my army days.


Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[jasonc]

this one:

http://www.strava.com/segments/615163" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

it's not long, but it's close to town and a great short challenge

[Dragster1]

the back is the harder climb

The rear climb is a lot longer but there are a few spots where its flat or downhill and I can regain energy easily I found. In general its a lot more climbing just depends on your riding style weather you like it or not.

To do the back fast for me is a power climb

on a bike that weighs about 6 kg you should be able to power climb riding the bike backwards, Its not a hard hill to ride if you ride all the time

[jasonc]

on a bike that weighs about 6 kg you should be able to power climb riding the bike backwards, Its not a hard hill to ride if you ride all the time

6kgs? your shout? my bike is 8kgs + saddle bag + drink bottles
it's no super-light
and yes, I do do the climb "all the time"

[Lukeyboy]

what?
just slam on the brakes when you get to the brake marker signs:

Yep. Those signs were a good indication that a bike going 7.......50.9kph would pull up before the stop sign. Boy didn't those things scream

They need to put up distance markers like they do in motorracing

[jasonc]

Yep. Those signs were a good indication that a bike going 7.......50.9kph would pull up before the stop sign. Boy didn't those things scream

They need to put up distance markers like they do in motorracing

you can keep your carbons

[Lukeyboy]

Carbon rims. Alloy braking surface

[poohkies]

Carbon rims. Alloy braking surface

my alloy rims were screaming also someone should see how those ebay carbon rim pull up

[jasonc]

am i the only one who doesn't have problems? maybe I'm not going fast enough

[baghwan]

am i the only one who doesn't have problems? maybe I'm not going fast enough

Front is a bit boring for a decent, only place I enjoy gunning it though is the roundabout and short section at the top, then its just freewheel to the stop signs.

The thing I hate about Cootha for me is its really difficult to find a rhythm and then once you do your at the top, maybe I need to warm up better.

[Lukeyboy]

maybe I'm not going fast enough

I don't have problems. I hardly call squealing brakes a problem. I'm the reason why they are squealing in the first place. They squeal once the bikes gets into the 20kph bracket because I use those signs as a reference point in where I first get out of the aero tuck position. Motorbike childhood FTW! I should give it a crack on discs. Now that would be extreme late breaking

[cancan64]

So when we are talking the back re strava is it:
A: http://www.strava.com/segments/615163
or B: http://www.strava.com/segments/5679350

B is 2.3km wheras A is 2.2km

[jasonc]

So when we are talking the back re strava is it:
A: http://www.strava.com/segments/615163
or B: http://www.strava.com/segments/5679350

B is 2.3km wheras A is 2.2km

everyone goes by A
Whoever that "TK" person is a pain in the butt. They've basically gone and duplicated every segment up there.
EDIT: A matches (within 1 or 2 seconds) the coot-tha challenge markers.

[winstonw]

unless you know your gear really really well, have done a lot of high speed descending, and know the bodyweight of the people giving descent advice, your life is cheap. I can't believe the number of riders <80kg who think those >80kg can brake the same....brake fade, static and dynamic coefficients of friction, rim heat punctures are very likely to finish you.

[Lukeyboy]

Wasn't the 80 reference earlier in regards to kph not kg?

PS I weight 69.8kg, been riding motorbikes before I went to school, been on bicycles since the stackhat days, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenty of downhill descent experience and I know my running gear surprisingly well and how it reacts differently across different types of tires. Anything else I should mention?

[winstonw]

Luke, not a stab at anyone in particular. I know several people who've suggested not braking at all until the 11th hour on Coot-tha front side are under 80kg. Just a reminder that handling and speed is different for heavier riders. I've seen two experienced 80+kg guys come within a bee's penls of killing themselves trying to stay with lighter guys when descending windy roads. Sub80kg guys who think I'm hysterical should don a 20kg backpack and tell us how it didn't make a diff!

Re motobikes, what's the weight of the heaviest guy that competes in MotoGP!!!

[jasonc]

I'm 80kgs. I brake at the same point on both my bikes (when riding the flat bar, I even have a back pack with between 6 and 8kgs on my back)
Knowing your bike and the road is what decides your braking point. For me, it's those signs.

[elantra]

Haven't lived in brissy for a long while now but isn't mt cootha the one with the tv stations?

If it is then I think you guys are talking it up a bit. I would hardly call my self a climbing cyclist and had no issues riding there. I had no idea about different cassettes then and ran a 11-23 cassette on standards. Originally set bike up for triathlons.

My worst climb (and run) was enoggera hill. A bit hard for those not in the army to go up tho.

Enoggera hill (AKA Mt Enoggera) is Cat 3 Strava segment, 1.8 km, average grade= 9.8%. i presume that it is a 4WD track. I have never been up it.
Not easy to get permission for that sort of thing these days.

You are right, Coottha is not that hard a climb, back in the 80's many would be doing it with 42x21 gear ratio.

Occasionally these days you do see someone doing it on a modern single speed.
A few yrs ago someone told me his dad did it on a singlespeed postie's bike back in the 1950's.