Weight weenies/hill climbers; help please

I would be careful about silly light wheels, if you reduce the spoke count massively they get light but also flexy – which is not good for a hill climb because you aren’t getting all of the power from the drive through the wheel and up the road

He’s the man who won a steep hill climb on his BMX bike and the roadies were so upset they haven’t run the event since…

I’ve searched the forum but not come up with anything. I want details!

you aren’t getting all of the power from the drive through the wheel and up the road

Where is the power going then? Making a wheel lighter will make it more springy – But all energy stored in the spring must be released into the road at some point – like between pedal strokes. In fact you might actually get a more even transfer of power!

that depends if you want to go sideways or forwards ndthornton.

the flex pretty much returns out of the system in the form of sideways motion.

If you dont want to go sideways keep your bars straight 🙂

all energy spent not going forwards and upwards.

http://cyclinguphill.com/marginal-gains-hill-climb-bike/

cant decide if serious or a pisstake (much like most of this thread) 🙂

🙂 Cheers Donk – the smaller shoe size looks like a good idea; probably one that not many others have considered either, so I’ll let him know.

I asked this at the start of the season. Sadly I can’t make the nationals as I’m on holiday. I’ve had my best season ever winning an open and getting on the podium in most of the others taking the NE league title. For me the biggest gain was losing 5kg getting down to under 70kg for the first time in a long time.

For the last race of the season I bought a new bike. £2k but I won 😉

If that isn’t an option then I would suggest that anything now is going to make little difference unless you are going to spend a fair bit of money.

-Take off the bottle cages and the bolts.
-Cheap ebay carbon post and saddle.
-Lightest skinniest front tyre you can lay your hands on.
-Chop down some handlebars, remove the tape.
-Remove top cap and stem bolt (assuming star nut)
-Lightest 23/25mm tyre for the rear (you might need grip If damp and steep).
-Look at your gearing – you may be able to run a single ring up front so you can either remove the mech or at least all the cabling
-Put a new block on. I never used the 25t in hill climbs so could have got away with a 23t – depends on style and gearing.
-Shorten your chain – especially if you remove the big ring.
-Latex tubes.
-Weigh kit, you might have lighter shorts and jersey.
-Lose the helmet, watch, wedding ring, roadie cap, glasses, gloves, base layer.
-Take off your garmin – you won’t get the strava KOM anyway.
-Eat a low residue diet.
-Don’t be too hydrated for the race. It is only 4minute so you could be slightly below what would be normal for a longer race.

Well done on your efforts Jon, and thanks for the tips. I’ll pass them on. Sounds like you’re in a similar position to my mate; he’s won most/everything he’s entered this year I think. Looking forward to seeing how he gets on; don’t think he’ll win though! He was a good half a minute down on Tejvan Pettinger’s 6:57 record time up Jubilee Tower. Although I’m hoping the shorter/sharper national course will suit him more.

Back in the 90s I used to ride fixed on a old track bike and did well. Came back for a few rides when I was 40 and rode my normal carbon road bike. Couldn’t be bothered to take anything off the bike at all and even put my computer in my back pocket so people wouldn’t moan at me! Did just as well in the end 😀

one thing not on your list was a power meter. i know somebody on the bec(or maybe catford) podium who knew what he could output in wattage over the time and just matched that for the minute or so, this way he didn’t fade to much at the end by going full gas at the bottom. he shaved his brake pads down too (on some old caliper that weighed nothing but worked well enough) plus a bit of drilling here or there..

Edit – 😉

Dp, soz.

Stick to the sides of the road, not the middle – The crown is often much steeper than the bits to the side.

A higher gear will also mean that he goes further for each pedal stroke.

Platform shoes will make his effective leg length (ELL) longer, increasing his ‘lever length’.
This also has the benefit of making tyres much easier to remove.

Oiled tyres have a lower friction coefficient, making them much faster.
Lard can be used in an emergency.

Tejvan Pettinger’s 6:57 record time up Jubilee Tower.

James Gullen took nearly 20secs off pettinger’s time earlier this year. 6min39secs, 437w and an av. speed of 16.9mph 😯

serious question – is their a wheel size dictated for these events? A smaller wheel would obviously be lighter, stiffer and accelerate faster.

A smaller wheel would obviously be lighter, stiffer and accelerate faster

You say that, but I’ve not seen any 250g rims in 650c or smaller.

I guess there’s potential to save a few grams on the tyre, tube and spokes too. And be a tiny bit more aero (which is a factor if you can average 16.9 mph!)

Look at fixed.

Rich Bussell (National 10 Champ) did a 1:50 on the Catford HC on Sunday getting the win from James Lowden’s 1:53.

Failing that Jonba’s tips are all good.

Remember, fall off at the top.

do you actually have to ride, or can you run up with a bag full of bits?

Fixed would be hard! You would need to get your gearing spot on. And it would work best on a fairly constant gradient. You’d need to be able to make the power over a decent range of cadence too. If you’re really strong (like a National 10 champ!) experienced, and it’s the right course, it could work for you.

Matt Clinton used to ride fixed too IIRC.

Good luck running uphill at 16mph!

Now if only martinxyz would just chime in.

He’s the man who won a steep hill climb on his BMX bike and the roadies were so upset they haven’t run the event since…

We jest but Akrigg is a good advert for raw power above all else (in more local events at least)

Monsal record is over 30 years old, and was done fixed. And the first 150m are flat.

Having said that there were a few fixed wheel bikes this year, but a geared bike won.

I used gears, but I didn’t win….

Probably makes a lot more sense than the last 150m being flat – I’d suggest that over the first 100m on the flat you’d be quicker on a fixed geared for hillclimbing than one geared for flat TTs.

There’s only a few days left….need to try and find him 20 seconds (that’s how far off Dan Evan’s time he was a couple of weeks back).

Any other tips and tricks? How much weight might your body retain in water if you load up on carbs? Enough Kg’s to make the difference over a four minute climb?

How is he at riding one-handed?

Amoebic dystentary?

heh; probably no worse than the rest of us!

It’d be nice to find him a few extra seconds though; will be the difference between a top five/ten/twnety etc.

Took this from 7.5ish to under 5.7kg for about £400. Also racing the National on Sunday, just drilled my saddle and lost a chain link 😉

You need a spreadsheet

You cant run a hill climb no part of the course can be covered on foot ,dab and you get dqed

picolax is effective for short-term weight loss. The infamous thread also discussed colonic inflation which I guess could further aid weight loss if helium is used (NB I am not a doctor). The subsequent rapid deflation may also help with propulsion. There’s got to be a few seconds there.

https://rideupgrades.wordpress.com/2015/10/17/richard-bussell-hill-climb-bike/

This is a joke thread…right?

Must be. Anyone who’s racing at that level would already have an idea, Shirley?

(Or can you just enter without any previous experience?)

You can enter, but you won’t get a ride without previous results.

Must be. Anyone who’s racing at that level would already have an idea, Shirley?

(Or can you just enter without any previous experience?)

Nah, it’s not a joke; he’s just only really got into competing properly this year so fairly new to it all. He’s done the obvious stuff like removing the big ring, fitting a light saddle etc. Was just wondering if there were any less obvious tips and tricks that might gain him a few seconds.

What jersey are you wearing umop3pisdn? I’ll give you a shout if I see you on Sunday…..

You say that, but I’ve not seen any 250g rims in 650c or smaller.

My mate rides a Moulton, he has a hard time finding decent wheels/rims for it.

Having said that, he also says it climbs badly. Weighs about 25lbs too.

What jersey are you wearing umop3pisdn? I’ll give you a shout if I see you on Sunday…..

Cheers! Blue and grey skinsuit, with white headband. Who’s your mate?