2013 Strava Climbing Challenge

[BrisVegas]

I drove that route last weekend. The last 30 kms to Oreilly's is pretty much all climbing. Didn't seem all that steep, but it goes on and on for what seems like forever. I'd like to give it a go one of these days.

I passed a cyclist on the way up and he was moving along at a good pace.

[clydesmcdale]

Yeah I've been told that the route from the village up to eagle heights is the toughest, but not as steep as coot-tha... Just goes on and on. Also said the O'Reilly's climb is the same but a little easier than the first climb.

Totally getting peer pressured into it by some work mates. "Nah you'll be fine, there's a guy who's 60 doing it..." says the 70kg triathlete about his tri-training buddies.

Need to put some miles in the legs in preparation. Too bad I just broke my 12-29, will have to do it in the 12-27.

[BrisVegas]

Yeah I've been told that the route from the village up to eagle heights is the toughest, but not as steep as coot-tha... Just goes on and on. Also said the O'Reilly's climb is the same but a little easier than the first climb.

Totally getting peer pressured into it by some work mates. "Nah you'll be fine, there's a guy who's 60 doing it..." says the 70kg triathlete about his tri-training buddies.

Need to put some miles in the legs in preparation. Too bad I just broke my 12-29, will have to do it in the 12-27.

oh, forgot to mention that the "Main Western Road" was closed on Saturday, I think due to landslips. We had to go out past the golf course and down (steep!) Henri Robert Drive to join up with Beaudesert-Nerang Rd to get to Canungra.

[Dimma]

I think the route from Tamborine up is the easiest of the 4 options. It's also the nicest/safest, once again this is only my opinion.
Re O'Reilly's; the climb is not overly hard just long, hence the HC classification, once you've made it to Alpaca Farm it flattens out for a bit, most ppl turn around cause the road condition deteriorates somewhat from there. You'll really notice coming down the boneshaker experience through the rainforest, wear gloves. There is one steep pinch of 500m at 11% within the last couple of km's so save something in the legs or just walk it (many do). The only other thing I'd mention is when going over the cattle grids make sure you roll over then square on, especially in the wet.

I've included a map which is the route you'll ride except I go back over Mt Tamborine after O'Reilly's then roll to the Gold Coast.

http://app.strava.com/activities/12612501

[singlespeedscott]

Just for a change I rode some dirt road climbs today. Didn’t get as many metres as I wanted though, 68km with 790m of ascent.

[singlespeedscott]

I've included a map which is the route you'll ride except I go back over Mt Tamborine after O'Reilly's then roll to the Gold Coast.

http://app.strava.com/activities/12612501

Damn that’s a solid ride. 0330hrs start, 180km with nearly 4000m of climbing

[Dan]

I've included a map which is the route you'll ride except I go back over Mt Tamborine after O'Reilly's then roll to the Gold Coast.

http://app.strava.com/activities/12612501

Damn that’s a solid ride. 0330hrs start, 180km with nearly 4000m of climbing

I started vomiting just looking at it.

[warthog1]

- toolonglegs
- norbs
- Marshious
- hannos
- DaveOZ
- Mugglechops
- grt046
- Dimma
- Chuck
- kb
- chucknitro
- Daccordi Rider
- sblack
- boss
- cavebear2
- warthog1
- singlespeedscott
- oldnewby
- RoFlmaTiC
- VBplease
- Wardie
- clydesmcdale
- Lukeyboy
- Jason C
- Red Rider
- gretaboy
- jzr
- stinhambo
- InTheWoods
- Ginjin
- Bentnose
- Mustang
- goneriding
- wqlava1
- Brisvegas
- Dan

[toolonglegs]

It used to be the day, about 18 months ago when Strava would give you silly meters of climbing on a flat ride if you were using a Phone App... these days it is totally the opposite ... I am losing about 10-20% on the guys using Garmins... doh.

[boss]

100km & 2100m this morning. Had 1700m by 70km. Tough but felt really good and finished super strong, haven't done a big (>60km) ride for a couple of weeks.

A little bit complicated by the fact my headlight went flat 20km in, top of a 600m climb, had to head back down in the dark... it was 5am so it was pretty dark. Was greeted by a Kangaroo and a Koala along the way, scared the absolute bejeebers outta me.

[Bentnose]

It used to be the day, about 18 months ago when Strava would give you silly meters of climbing on a flat ride if you were using a Phone App... these days it is totally the opposite ... I am losing about 10-20% on the guys using Garmins... doh.

I'm not so sure about my Garmin, sometimes on the steepest ascents, say 35%, it will indicate 0% grade, the whole climb. When I upload my data it doesn't seem to factor this in.

[sblack]

I'm not so sure about my Garmin, sometimes on the steepest ascents, say 35%, it will indicate 0% grade, the whole climb. When I upload my data it doesn't seem to factor this in.

Mine started doing this as well, I was wondering if it was the last firmware update but I noticed when the gradient got up around the 20% mark it would go to 0 and stay there until dropping back down into the teens or lower again. Distance and metres climbed both seamed to be progressing properly, just the %gradient field that played up.

I'm not sure if it's somehow fixed itself now though as I did a ride the other day and have figures in the 20s show up briefly. They where only very brief sections of a couple of seconds though, will have to check it again on longer and/or steeper sections.

[wqlava1]

This is about the steepest I've done recently on the cyclocross bike http://app.strava.com/segments/738664, hills like this are making me consider changing my 12-28 for an 11-36, this is a gravel road though.

Just a few hundred metres SE is Shorts Rd, which although the made section is shorter, it seems a bit steeper. I live close but haven't ridden either on Strava- I'll go over and compare them myself in the next day or 2. The current ruts in the unmade part of Shorts Rd just below the made section would make it unrideable for me with the slick-ish Marathon Supremes on my touring bike let alone my road bike's tyres.

I had a nice ride today down at Apollo Bay in the hot middle of the day - it was just a day trip justified for other domestic reasons. I went up to to Whitetoppers first (the top of the hill starting at Marengo) and then went back through town and the missus picked me up in Forrest after I went up Skenes Ck. 1249m in just on 50km. Shame the pub is shut at Forrest on Mondays - I could have done with just one light.

Bentnose, I went and compared Gum Tree Rd with Shorts Rd late last week. Shorts Rd was actually a little bit easier - just under 20% whereas Gum Tree was just over.

I think though that my percentages might be affected by my wobbling/zigzagging adding to the distance travelled enough to make both climbs appear flatter!

I did those two climbs on my tourer with 40 chainring, 16 sprocket, and bottom gear on the Rohloff hub. Most of my climbing up to 13-15% is tough for me but OK with 39 ring and 30-11 cassette. I have another bike I'm putting together with a 32-12 cassette and either compact cranks or an old MTB crankset with 46/36/24. Without just invoking rule 5 on me, what do the rest of you use for the steeper climbs you do?

[ldrcycles]

I did O'Reilly's for the first time last year and it is absolutely AMAZING. The scenery all the way up is beautiful and then reaching the top and having wild birds land on your shoulder . There is a pinch of 10+% right near the end that is VERY tough after 30 odd k of climbing but for the most part i was in the 53-28 with only moderate fitness.

I can't wait to go back, will be doing it at least twice next time.

Back to the climbing challenge, i've got 8,272m from 907kms so far, severely hamstrung by marriage preparations but once that's out of the way it's on!

[oldnewby]

Copied from my post on the 6k thread:

I've been a bit soft during Feb - and a bit busy wedding planning & working. Only done about 200km for the month so far, but yesterday, I participated in The Dirty Dozen - organised by The Climbing Cyclist. It was a last minute decision, a couple of mates were going, and I had the time free, so thought what the hell.
For anyone who doesn't know what it is... look it up, it was insane.
About 65km, with 2100m of climbing. 13 (bakers dozen) of the "best" climbs in the Dandenongs. One of the hardest rides I've done, but with 280 other participants, a few mates (old & new) to ride with, and a sausage sizzle at the end of the ride, it was a great day. Very sore today, but feel a bit better prepared for Baw Baw next weekend (with The Climbing Cyclist & Hells 500)

Anyway, very self indulgent - I haven't read anyone elses posts - but I will have more forum time in a few weeks. Meantime, keep up the riding folks!

[boss]

I think though that my percentages might be affected by my wobbling/zigzagging adding to the distance travelled enough to make both climbs appear flatter!

You might be onto something. I think that really excessive zig-zagging can positively influences times on Strava, at least for the short/steep segments.

There is one tough climb that I regularly do (20%+ for 800m), and I took a friend there a couple of times.

The first time he totally blew up, had to get off and walk it.

The second time he went hard, overtook me, and then blew up and ended up snaking across the road (riding it at 90 degree angles). I passed him and got to the top and had at least 30 seconds on him.

His Strava time said he was 1 second faster than me on that climb.

My guess is that he turned a 800m climb into a much, much longer one. Strava would have got confused and cut it off early, or started it later, or something.

I should point out that the result didn't bother me (at all) but it did open my eyes to how our little GPS devices do have their little weaknesses. And they need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Having said that, I find mine to be reasonably consistent in terms of elevation and % grade. I did spot mine doing the old 0% grade thing for the first time the other day - wasn't zig zagging but the grade was above 25%.

[wqlava1]

I think though that my percentages might be affected by my wobbling/zigzagging adding to the distance travelled enough to make both climbs appear flatter!

You might be onto something. I think that really excessive zig-zagging can positively influences times on Strava, at least for the short/steep segments.

There is one tough climb that I regularly do (20%+ for 800m), and I took a friend there a couple of times.

The first time he totally blew up, had to get off and walk it.

The second time he went hard, overtook me, and then blew up and ended up snaking across the road (riding it at 90 degree angles). I passed him and got to the top and had at least 30 seconds on him.

His Strava time said he was 1 second faster than me on that climb.

My guess is that he turned a 800m climb into a much, much longer one. Strava would have got confused and cut it off early, or started it later, or something.

I should point out that the result didn't bother me (at all) but it did open my eyes to how our little GPS devices do have their little weaknesses. And they need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Having said that, I find mine to be reasonably consistent in terms of elevation and % grade. I did spot mine doing the old 0% grade thing for the first time the other day - wasn't zig zagging but the grade was above 25%.

Boss, whilst in the case of your mate a longer climb couldn't affect the time, the zigzagging might be interpreted by Strava as a series of short rests interspersed with short periods of activity. Strava might have some sort of smoothing in their interpretation of the GPS data that only picks up progress in the road direction, not across the road. Now that I have started to mention breaks, it is relevant and informative (but not helpful to my pride!) to note that Strava accurately picked up the rest I had on the level driveway at I think number 70, halfway up Gum Tree Rd.

[Daccordi Rider]

25% done.

[Dimma]

I think you need to reassess your 2013 goal

[boss]

Got myself over 30k today, fairly pleased with that.

And Daccordi - dude you're killing it.

[Daccordi Rider]

I think you need to reassess your 2013 goal

You too Dimma, you're almost at 25% yourself.

Thanks Boss, going well and the form is really lifting with it. You've been doing some pretty solid climbs. Got a race next month that includes Fox Creek twice so really want to go well in that.

[Dimma]

Good call Daccordi, I forgot I halved my goal this year.
If it ever stops raining in Brissie I might bump it back up to the 200k.

[singlespeedscott]

Completed the Strava, Quarq 100 mile challenge this morning. Finally managed to pump up my climbing. I was shattered by the end. Total was 2500m from 164km.

[Lukeyboy]

Completed the Strava, Quarq 100 mile challenge this morning. Finally managed to pump up my climbing. I was shattered by the end. Total was 2500m from 164km.

[Matt_Matt]

Completed the Strava, Quarq 100 mile challenge this morning. Finally managed to pump up my climbing. I was shattered by the end. Total was 2500m from 164km.

Nice Work !!!