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Climbing mount Evans



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 11th 20, 02:13 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Mark Cleary[_3_]
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Default Climbing mount Evans

Has anyone here done this and what gears did you use? I just have no clue what is needed for a regular reasonably fit cyclist.

Deacon Mark
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  #2  
Old July 11th 20, 02:35 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
SMS
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Posts: 9,477
Default Climbing mount Evans

On 7/11/2020 6:13 AM, Mark Cleary wrote:
Has anyone here done this and what gears did you use? I just have no clue what is needed for a regular reasonably fit cyclist.

Deacon Mark


You'll want a 10-52 SRAM cassette on the rear, a 22/32/44 triple on the
front.

For comparison, I was able to climb Mount Dora with only a 14-34 on the
rear, but it is less difficult as Mount Evans. Bought a cool "I Climbed
Mount Dora" cap at the store at the top
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61au43V6YDL._AC_UL320_.jpg. Need
to ascend Mount Evans one of these days.
  #3  
Old July 11th 20, 04:07 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Posts: 5,870
Default Climbing mount Evans

On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 6:13:14 AM UTC-7, Mark Cleary wrote:
Has anyone here done this and what gears did you use? I just have no clue what is needed for a regular reasonably fit cyclist.

Deacon Mark


I used to ride with a guy who won the Mt. Evans Hill Climb five times, Mike Engleman. When we rode together, he rode a 39/21 low.

A quick search of the interweb shows reasonably fit sport riders using compact 34/28-30. The average gradient is moderate, although there are some steep sections. I'd be more concerned about heat and altitude. You're starting at 7,000 and ending at 14,000. I've ridden Rocky Mountain passes fully loaded on a touring bike as high as 12,000 (with a low of 36/28), but I was at altitude for a week or weeks before that, and those passes had very moderate grades. Doing weekend trips to Salt Lake and starting at 5,000 feet and riding up to 10,000 (Mirror Lake), I'm panting and sweating coming from balmy sea level Portland. You'll be used to the heat coming from the Midwest, but you'll need to acclimate to the altitude. You can get off the plane and start climbing, but if you do that, I would recommend going slowly, taking some Tylenol in advance and tons of water. Altitude sickness sucks. Its like a migraine and the flu. Maybe get some little CO2 canisters filled with O2.

-- Jay Beattie.
  #4  
Old July 11th 20, 04:44 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Mark J.
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Posts: 840
Default Climbing mount Evans

On 7/11/2020 8:07 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 6:13:14 AM UTC-7, Mark Cleary wrote:
Has anyone here done this and what gears did you use? I just have no clue what is needed for a regular reasonably fit cyclist.

Deacon Mark


I used to ride with a guy who won the Mt. Evans Hill Climb five times, Mike Engleman. When we rode together, he rode a 39/21 low.

A quick search of the interweb shows reasonably fit sport riders using compact 34/28-30. The average gradient is moderate, although there are some steep sections. I'd be more concerned about heat and altitude. You're starting at 7,000 and ending at 14,000. I've ridden Rocky Mountain passes fully loaded on a touring bike as high as 12,000 (with a low of 36/28), but I was at altitude for a week or weeks before that, and those passes had very moderate grades. Doing weekend trips to Salt Lake and starting at 5,000 feet and riding up to 10,000 (Mirror Lake), I'm panting and sweating coming from balmy sea level Portland. You'll be used to the heat coming from the Midwest, but you'll need to acclimate to the altitude. You can get off the plane and start climbing, but if you do that, I would recommend going slowly, taking some Tylenol in advance and tons of water. Altitude sickness sucks. Its like a migraine and the flu. Maybe get some little CO2 canisters filled with O2.

-- Jay Beattie.


What Jay said, and drink more than you think you need; coming from the
humid midwest and riding in the dry Colorado air, you won't realize just
how much you are sweating, it evaporates so quickly.

Mark J.
  #5  
Old July 12th 20, 01:56 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Radey Shouman
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Posts: 1,747
Default Climbing mount Evans

"Mark J." writes:

On 7/11/2020 8:07 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 6:13:14 AM UTC-7, Mark Cleary wrote:
Has anyone here done this and what gears did you use? I just have
no clue what is needed for a regular reasonably fit cyclist.

Deacon Mark


I used to ride with a guy who won the Mt. Evans Hill Climb five
times, Mike Engleman. When we rode together, he rode a 39/21 low.

A quick search of the interweb shows reasonably fit sport riders
using compact 34/28-30. The average gradient is moderate, although
there are some steep sections. I'd be more concerned about heat and
altitude. You're starting at 7,000 and ending at 14,000. I've
ridden Rocky Mountain passes fully loaded on a touring bike as high
as 12,000 (with a low of 36/28), but I was at altitude for a week or
weeks before that, and those passes had very moderate grades. Doing
weekend trips to Salt Lake and starting at 5,000 feet and riding up
to 10,000 (Mirror Lake), I'm panting and sweating coming from balmy
sea level Portland. You'll be used to the heat coming from the
Midwest, but you'll need to acclimate to the altitude. You can get
off the plane and start climbing, but if you do that, I would
recommend going slowly, taking some Tylenol in advance and tons of
water. Altitude sickness sucks. Its like a migraine and the
flu. Maybe get some little CO2 canisters filled with O2.

-- Jay Beattie.


What Jay said, and drink more than you think you need; coming from the
humid midwest and riding in the dry Colorado air, you won't realize
just how much you are sweating, it evaporates so quickly.


That's absolutely true -- you may not actually even *be* sweating, water
just transpires directly through your skin into the vapor phase. Cooling
but dehydrating.
  #6  
Old July 12th 20, 03:34 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
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Posts: 2,041
Default Climbing mount Evans

On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 8:13:14 AM UTC-5, Mark Cleary wrote:
Has anyone here done this and what gears did you use? I just have no clue what is needed for a regular reasonably fit cyclist.

Deacon Mark


I've climbed Mt. Evans. Or at least up to the visitor center. Its a few miles below the actual top of the mountain. Did it in July 2007. I came up from Idaho Springs. Bike I used had 46-30 chainrings. 12-29 cassette. Campagnolo Ergo 10 speed. If that matters. I got to the visitor center at about 4 PM. The ranger said it was the latest he had ever seen a cyclist up there. Rocky Mountains are known to get storms in the afternoon. It did snow on me a little as I rode down to Idaho Springs when I left. I do not think the roads from Idaho Springs up to the visitor center is really steep. 30x24 or 30x26 is more than low enough. None of the Rocky Mt. climbs are really steep. Just long.
  #7  
Old July 13th 20, 01:28 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
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Posts: 2
Default Climbing mount Evans

On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 8:34:09 PM UTC-6, wrote:
None of the Rocky Mt. climbs are really steep. Just long.


As a general matter, I agree with this. There are some bits that are steep, but usually it's a matter of "downshift and slog along." When I ride elsewhere, New England, Seattle, Ozarks, I'm often surprised at how much tougher the short little climbs all day long feel.

  #8  
Old July 22nd 20, 09:38 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
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Posts: 884
Default Climbing mount Evans

On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 8:07:07 AM UTC-7, jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 6:13:14 AM UTC-7, Mark Cleary wrote:
Has anyone here done this and what gears did you use? I just have no clue what is needed for a regular reasonably fit cyclist.

Deacon Mark


I used to ride with a guy who won the Mt. Evans Hill Climb five times, Mike Engleman. When we rode together, he rode a 39/21 low.

A quick search of the interweb shows reasonably fit sport riders using compact 34/28-30. The average gradient is moderate, although there are some steep sections. I'd be more concerned about heat and altitude. You're starting at 7,000 and ending at 14,000. I've ridden Rocky Mountain passes fully loaded on a touring bike as high as 12,000 (with a low of 36/28), but I was at altitude for a week or weeks before that, and those passes had very moderate grades. Doing weekend trips to Salt Lake and starting at 5,000 feet and riding up to 10,000 (Mirror Lake), I'm panting and sweating coming from balmy sea level Portland. You'll be used to the heat coming from the Midwest, but you'll need to acclimate to the altitude. You can get off the plane and start climbing, but if you do that, I would recommend going slowly, taking some Tylenol in advance and tons of water. Altitude sickness sucks. Its like a migraine and the flu. Maybe get some little CO2 canisters filled with O2.

The Hillclimb problem isn't the grade or length. It is the sheer altitude. Normal gears will work if you have trained enough at altitude to not get any altitude sickness. At one time climbing gears were 42-21 low and Jobst used to ride up the stuff around here in a 48-21 if memory serves. I don't think I was ever comfortable until I got a 39-25 And just last year did a climb with significant amounts of 12% that I went up with that gearing. The problem is being able to go slow enough to push a gear like that - you need very strong legs. At my age now just yesterday I did the same climb with a 34-28 holding a 32 in reserve.

With that mess up there now are you going to move out of town?
  #9  
Old July 22nd 20, 09:46 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
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Posts: 884
Default Climbing mount Evans

On Monday, July 13, 2020 at 5:28:30 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 8:34:09 PM UTC-6, wrote:
None of the Rocky Mt. climbs are really steep. Just long.


As a general matter, I agree with this. There are some bits that are steep, but usually it's a matter of "downshift and slog along." When I ride elsewhere, New England, Seattle, Ozarks, I'm often surprised at how much tougher the short little climbs all day long feel.


I agree, there is a quarter mile section from a way from here that is 16% for a quarter of a mile and then it comes down to a mere 13% but most people that do this are dead at the top. I will do this because the road down into Dublin from there is a straight fast shot and only has a couple of detours to Livermore I can't do any of this stuff with the lockdown because there's no place to be sure you can stop and rest. So my mileage is WAY down this year. I only have 2300 miles and 72,000 feet of climbing. But that is a lot more than many people. That nut case Gavin Newsom should be thrown bodily out of office. Preferably from the 3rd story of his Sacramento office.
  #10  
Old July 23rd 20, 03:14 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Posts: 5,870
Default Climbing mount Evans

On Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 1:38:45 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 8:07:07 AM UTC-7, jbeattie wrote:
On Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 6:13:14 AM UTC-7, Mark Cleary wrote:
Has anyone here done this and what gears did you use? I just have no clue what is needed for a regular reasonably fit cyclist.

Deacon Mark


I used to ride with a guy who won the Mt. Evans Hill Climb five times, Mike Engleman. When we rode together, he rode a 39/21 low.

A quick search of the interweb shows reasonably fit sport riders using compact 34/28-30. The average gradient is moderate, although there are some steep sections. I'd be more concerned about heat and altitude. You're starting at 7,000 and ending at 14,000. I've ridden Rocky Mountain passes fully loaded on a touring bike as high as 12,000 (with a low of 36/28), but I was at altitude for a week or weeks before that, and those passes had very moderate grades. Doing weekend trips to Salt Lake and starting at 5,000 feet and riding up to 10,000 (Mirror Lake), I'm panting and sweating coming from balmy sea level Portland. You'll be used to the heat coming from the Midwest, but you'll need to acclimate to the altitude. You can get off the plane and start climbing, but if you do that, I would recommend going slowly, taking some Tylenol in advance and tons of water. Altitude sickness sucks. Its like a migraine and the flu. Maybe get some little CO2 canisters filled with O2.

The Hillclimb problem isn't the grade or length. It is the sheer altitude.. Normal gears will work if you have trained enough at altitude to not get any altitude sickness. At one time climbing gears were 42-21 low and Jobst used to ride up the stuff around here in a 48-21 if memory serves. I don't think I was ever comfortable until I got a 39-25 And just last year did a climb with significant amounts of 12% that I went up with that gearing. The problem is being able to go slow enough to push a gear like that - you need very strong legs. At my age now just yesterday I did the same climb with a 34-28 holding a 32 in reserve.

With that mess up there now are you going to move out of town?


I'm going to move out of state because the taxes are too high. As far as the protests, I was downtown last night on my bike doing an after work climb through the West Hills, and down next to the federal court house/county justice center, it looked like the beginning of a fun run with sign-up tents and people standing around in shorts and t-shirts and masks. Its a very compliant crowd. I was down there a few days earlier -- and earlier in the day, and it was totally dead.

Yes, the bad ones are tagging the federal court house, which is a shame and should be stopped along with any property damage, but the Faux news coverage is basically a lie -- not surprisingly. The FPS goons are fanning flames that would have died down by now.

The weather has been beyond spectacular. I got slaughtered again last weekend riding with my buddy. I think he just wants to ride me off his wheel. Age has finally smote me. We were riding around suburban wine country, up and down, no climb more than a few miles long -- but I was ready to shoot the next roller I saw. https://traveloregon.com/wp-content/..._DavidHill.jpg It reminded me of racing the classics back in Belgium . . .


-- Jay Beattie.


 




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