I’ve cycles quite a bit in the Alps and often visit Calderdale.

Calderdale is way scarier.

As a slight hijack, a friend wants me to join him cycling mont vent out next year and he doesn’t think he’ll need his easiest gear (28 on a compact) at any point. He’s not an avid cyclist, save commuting, by any means. Where can I take him to test how realistic his assumptions are?

He will, but no need to test. He’ll find out.

Take a fat bike from Aviemore to the top of Cairngorm a couple of times. You’ll be ready 🙂

From yours to holmfirth over Holme moss. Glossop, snake pass (1200ft) towards bamford up the back road to stanage. Down to hargersage. Surprise view down to grindleford. Up frogatt. Ride home.

All those climbs are mostly 5-7% ish

Plenty around Hartside, you could do a nice loop as all the hills round that part of the world are long yet reasonable gradual.

https://www.strava.com/activities/526472773

but connect Stanhope to Allendale or Alston if you want to shorten it a bit.

Lots around Blanchland. St Johns Chapel (Chapel fell) is a classic.

https://www.strava.com/activities/592113670

There’s no real need to train on long climbs, it’s all just power, weight, endurance and pacing. Do some big gear work as you may need to get used to riding at 60 rpm in your bottom gear when you can’t go any faster.

Another suggestion that conventional logic, on road bike gearing, might need a rethink

Another suggestion that conventional logic, on road bike gearing, might need a rethink

Fair point, I use the turbo for that.

Yes did Torino Nice last year, so know what to expect.

Thanks for the ideas, it’ll keep my busy.

May be some benefits to trying the turbo, but much more to gain by getting out in the rain/wind/cold.

As we don’t have the height available just pick some long easier gradients…INTO a head wind 😉

Yad Moss from Middleton in Teesdale
Tan Hill from Reeth
Hartside from Melmerby
Cragg Vale etc.

Chapel Fell, Great Dun Fell are too steep?

Cheers
Paul

Find a local sports centre with a treadmill:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycling-boardman-ready-for-his-ascent-1589110.html

Last year I did Ventoux,Telegraphe, Galibier and d’huez over a 11 day period. Training wise, I was doing about 500k a month from March to August. I’ve got the Bwlch / Rhigos Climbs near me ( Bwlch is about 25K and Rhigos about 6k but they make up an 80k loop ) and that helped. As said previously, get some spin classes in ( proper ones if possible not generic sports center ones ) – I put a 32 cassette on for the ‘ in case of emergency break glass situation’ – the situation was about 200M into Ventoux – Brutal LOL

Dunn Fell is the biggest, but as said, there’s some great climbing right around the North Pennines. Just pick a route and go. Most of the sportive routes will take many of them in. Hell of Hexham, Winking Sheep, etc. Some are pretty steep, but lots of long gradual climbs too.

Basically there aren’t any in the UK to replicate an alpine climb, but you don’t really need one either. As previously mentioned, TT type effort do the same job.

4×10, 3×15 or 2×20 @ftp/fthr 1-2 sessions per week.
There’s a decent chance of finding a hill for the 10’s, 15’s too if willing to travel, but probably going to have to compromise for the 20’s.

Don’t bother trying to replicate alpine climbs; there’s no need.

I’d probably get used to doing several hard days riding back to back though.

Make sure your bike setup is comfortable for seated efforts on grades of 6% – 10%

Get used to climbing out of the saddle for extended periods

Make sure your abdominal muscles are quite well defined on your departure abroad 😉 I actually think that’s really the most important point. Alpine climbs are pretty easy really, or at least you can ride up them at a leisurely pace if you want to (not like the 25% hills here which always hurt a bit). But if you’re carrying alot of excess weight, then they can be quite the opposite

Agree with Fred route (not that I’ve done it!) but there’s some cracking hells errr hills around here… Wrynose, hardknott, whinlatter 🙂

Bealach na ba is nothing like any of the Alps I’ve ridden…..Significantly easier and although often touted as one of the hardest climbs in the UK I’ll put forward south side of glenshee being significantly harder than bnb.

Snow roads is the closest thing I’ve found to match the relentless climbing.

As a slight hijack, a friend wants me to join him cycling mont vent out next year and he doesn’t think he’ll need his easiest gear (28 on a compact) at any point. He’s not an avid cyclist, save commuting, by any means. Where can I take him to test how realistic his assumptions are?

he 100% will, and probably keep pushing the shifter looking for another 1 (or 2). Ventoux is steep almost from the beginning. lots of 10%+ if ridden from Bedoin or Malaucene. from Sault it’s fairly easy but long (37km?)

ambleside up to kirkstone inn for a pint. do it twice.

Ton you cruel man ,watched the Tour of Britain pop over the top this year never seen as many broken men, think it took a few by surprise, saying that they did not stop for a pint!

Whinlatter – the mountain forest. You get 1500m climbing in a 50Km route there (can send you a GPX) – mix of BW, trail centre stuff and fire road. Kielder – likewise, Kielder 101 give 2000m climbing and you could easily make the route hillier.

Parliament hill .
😉

+1 on walna scar.

I’ve ridden a few alpine climbs and done the Marmotte a couple of times. As other posters have said don’t bother trying to find similar climbs in the UK as there aren’t any just get as fit and light as possible. Closest you will get is a 20 mile TT or a nice straight flat road into the wind for an hour or so or a turbo

How about trooper lane up from the Shay?

Lived in Halifax for 30 years. Its a real man maker of a climb.

As a slight hijack, a friend wants me to join him cycling mont vent out next year and he doesn’t think he’ll need his easiest gear (28 on a compact) at any point. He’s not an avid cyclist, save commuting, by any means. Where can I take him to test how realistic his assumptions are?

Totally depends, I did it comfortably on a compact with 27 on the back, and I was probably only riding once or twice a week at the time. I was in my lowest gear almost all the way up, but took it very steady and and didn’t need to stop (except to track stand…). For me the relatively consistent gradient made it manageable – had it been more spiky I would have struggled. Also, I got very lucky with the weather, light winds and not too hot. Its a wonderful climb and one of the best experiences on a bike I’ve had.

Agree with Fred route (not that I’ve done it!) but there’s some cracking hells errr hills around here… Wrynose, hardknott, whinlatter

I had a good, solid ten days in the Alps five or six years ago. Rode every day, did all the big climbs around the Morzine area, was light and fit.
Returned home and went out a few days later along a regular route taking in Wrynose pass. Expected to breeze up it. Much to my surprise, it was still hard work. I blamed fatigue 😉

Rest and be thankful pass? 900ft in 4 miles at a fairly steady gradient?

Glenshee 1000 ft in 6 miles again steady gradient?

If you’re happy to travel head east and look at north – south traverses of the North York Moors long steady climbs not much traffic.

Most alpine climbs are not really very steep tho are they – just go on for miles. I have done a couple. I could climb them easily. Just at 1/10th the pace of the pros!

Chew: Thought it was you. If you get tired you can always just check into a hotel….!

Dan