Author Topic: [HAMR] 6th January 2016 - Teethgrinder Day 152  (Read 9167 times)

Re: 6th January 2016 - Teethgrinder Day 152
« Reply #25 on: 07 January, 2016, 09:00:25 am »
You can't just judge how suitable a course may be purely by the elevation figure.

Compare Steve's ride today (round the bowl that has a 10m climb) to various other (extreme) options that have the same distance and elevation gain.

Imagine a 252.6km ride that starts off with a 25.22km climb that's a nasty 10%, then the remaining distance is very slightly downhill (-1%). That'd be horrible for his style of riding (trying to keep the HR down).

Or a ride that climbs at about 1% the 2522m over the course of ~230km and then has a final 25.22km 10% descent. That might be nicer with the free miles at the end, but it would require more energy to be expended than riding around the bowl[1].

Steve's now tried it on a windless day and can work out whether he's better off going somewhere really flat (Goole/Boston/etc), whether he should use the Bowl, or just head out on a normal ride on the open roads that may contain hills.

The shorter day has also meant an earlier start for today, which is good.

1. Very small rises (under 3m) can be climbed purely by freewheeling up them (30kph will allow you to freewheel up a 3.5m rise until you come to a halt) and you'll reclaim most of the lost speed on the subsequent descent. (Losses to rolling resistance are the same either way, for air resistance it's better to travel at a constant speed rather than periods of being slow then fast). Big long descents are bad as you lose much more energy to air resistance and there's a limit to how fast you can go (so you're not efficiently converting anywhere near a good percentage of the gravitational potential energy you had back into kinetic energy.) Anyway, all of the physics is a bit meaningless. It will mostly depend on whether Steve looks at the figures and decides whether 250km here was easier/better than being out on the open roads.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: 6th January 2016 - Teethgrinder Day 152
« Reply #26 on: 07 January, 2016, 10:08:30 am »
yes - greater % recovery from a low & regular elevation, with each iteration...  I'd imagine that KS' Florida Flatwoods circuit area is tedious enough - though he's had company, but multiple day 300+ revolutions of The Bowl..?   :o 

edit.  Hope Steve is Ok, as partly wondering why a test of 'only' ~250km...
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Re: 6th January 2016 - Teethgrinder Day 152
« Reply #27 on: 07 January, 2016, 07:28:40 pm »
157 miles...? :(
You're only as successful as your last 1200...

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: 6th January 2016 - Teethgrinder Day 152
« Reply #28 on: 07 January, 2016, 07:31:13 pm »
157 miles...? :(
Nope, not great at all compared to recent form.

based on simple totals, it would seem short circuits dont suit him at all.
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: 6th January 2016 - Teethgrinder Day 152
« Reply #29 on: 07 January, 2016, 07:37:07 pm »
Agreed, Matt.
You're only as successful as your last 1200...

Re: 6th January 2016 - Teethgrinder Day 152
« Reply #30 on: 07 January, 2016, 08:37:01 pm »
157 miles...? :(
Nope, not great at all compared to recent form.

based on simple totals, it would seem short circuits dont suit him at all.
Oh don't be so bloody negative mattc!!!  :-*
For all you know, this could be one of the 'easy' days required by the medics. In which case 157 miles is pretty good.

Re: 6th January 2016 - Teethgrinder Day 152
« Reply #31 on: 07 January, 2016, 08:45:07 pm »
157 miles...? :(
Nope, not great at all compared to recent form.

based on simple totals, it would seem short circuits dont suit him at all.
Oh don't be so bloody negative mattc!!!  :-*
For all you know, this could be one of the 'easy' days required by the medics. In which case 157 miles is pretty good.
Or maybe he was feeling f**ked after riding tougher-than-necessary Audax-style Big Rides the previous days, and/or bored out of his tree riding the Bowl which is considerably shorter than any of us kibitzers have advocated...