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The Horrible Hundred is more difficult than the total vertical would indicate. None of the climbs is more than 200 feet, so your just doing a ton of short often steep climbs. (IIRC sugarloaf tops out a 15%)
The organizers go out of their way to find every steep little pitch in Central Florida. The nature of the short, often rolling climbs tend to encourage riding them at a high pace. The repetitive short intense efforts eventually wear on you. IME, riding the HH hard is not much less taxing than just cruising through a ride with fewer longer climbs, such as Six Gap, even though Six Gap has substantially more total vertical. |
Originally Posted by njkayaker
(Post 20036578)
I'm pretty sure this is the typical case. I'd risk even saying it's a general principle.
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Originally Posted by nycphotography
(Post 20034239)
TLDR; you can't flatten hills if your watts/KG can't get you up the hills staying at your sustainable power level.
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Originally Posted by Bassmanbob
(Post 20035821)
It's very true that most of the Florida peninsula is flat. But there are significant hills in Clermont (just west of Orlando) where the Horrible Hundred is and up to Ocala and southern Gainesville. I did a "dry run" century that went from Gainesville, south to Ocala and back with about 3,300 ft of elevation. I'm sure these are not close to other parts of the country, but we do have some hills here.
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Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
(Post 20036760)
Of course it is. It's just math. You lose time going up the hills, and you don't make it all up coming back down.
Yet, we still had someone saying this:
Originally Posted by WNCGoater
(Post 20022145)
Without getting into specifics I believe the flat ride is no easier than the other.
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Sure. We also have people saying the Earth is flat and we only feel gravity because it's accelerating through space. People say all kinds of things.
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
(Post 20036970)
Yet, we still had someone saying this: But hey, whatever, knock yerself out!:thumb: SMH and moving on... |
Originally Posted by WNCGoater
(Post 20037004)
I pretty much explained where I stood on that statement at the bottom of page two, yet you still seem confused and continue to quote that even though I have made it clear, speed isn't on my radar in the context of a century.
Your "explanation" doesn't make sense. The fact that the speed is different means they aren't equally "easy". Most people used to riding on the flats are going to find a hilly ride significantly harder.
Originally Posted by WNCGoater
(Post 20037004)
Additionally, the OP didn't ask about speed, yet the discussion has switched from elevation gain to speed and you are using a one sentence quote from my original post, which had nothing to do with speed, in the context of a discussion about speed. :foo:
But hey, whatever, knock yerself out!:thumb: The OP talked about a particular ride with a time limit. So, speed is an aspect of what he was asking about. |
Originally Posted by OldTryGuy
(Post 20036198)
Congratulations :thumb: :thumb: and hope you didn't get too wet in the Howey-in-the-Hills section. :innocent:
First suggestion is to join a group..... Florida Cycling Clubs for group bike rides and racing TCCA would be a suggestion. Outstanding group. I tagged along with them at this year's Cross Florida ride, https://spacecoastfreewheelers.com/charities/xfl. A great ride you should consider for April next year. 156 miles yesterday with only 371' of gain that included 2 bridges so pretty flat over here west of you in the Cape Haze Peninsula area. Can ride 100 miles in Rotunda West with less than 100' of gain. I cut Horrible Hundred short this year and did Sugarloaf 4 times up the front with once up the rear. Had 200' more gain in 81 miles than the full 100 mile ride. Rode Six Gap in September, 11,000' in 103 miles and would recommend it for you....CycleNorthGeorgia.com Home of the Six Gap Century I prepare by riding in 53/12 or 50/11 into the wind for hard short distances or 2 to 3 mile sections at 15mph to 17mph. Yesterday's ride I did a few of the long steady standing sections. When riding group rides the guys I ride with keep me constantly pedaling for our 40 mile rides, no resting like going down after a climb, that helps condition for climbing. My 67yo legs are a bit tired this morning but still planning on 100+ faster pace miler tomorrow. Last Saturday's ride was 127 miles but only 8 miles with the faster riders since I joined them after already riding 68 miles and their 24 to 28mph speeds are no good for my old body. :eek: Ride smart and climbs will be a breeze. Lots easier than riding into invisible 20mph+ winds for endless miles. FORGOT to mention 2018 Bike Sebring 12/24 Hour in February, Bike Sebring 12/24 No major climbing but a great endurance challenge. I'm registered for the 24 Hour Non-Drafting 400 mile RAAM Qualifier I am a member of TCCA, but the slowest group is now a B+/A- group. I'm a B- to B rider. I keep up with the slower group for most of the weekend rides, but I get dropped for part of the ride most weekends. Oddly enough though, with all the long distance training I've been doing, this past Saturday I was dropped during the first 20 miles. After I caught up at the rest stop, I stayed with them the next 20 on the way back. Some of us extended the ride for about ten miles to the coffee shop which includes two causeway bridges. I was the fourth of six people going up the first bridge. I had plenty in the tank so I pulled ahead and smoked them. I made it to the coffee shop five minutes before them. I was amazed. I'm already signed up for the two day option of the Cross Florida Ride. I'm not fast enough to get 168 miles done in 12 - 13 hours as required. I actually tried to do the math earlier this week to include 17mph for the first 120 miles with 15 minute rests every two hours and a 25 minute rest at 120 miles. Then 15 mph up and down the hills for the next 30 miles with another 15 minute rest, and 13 mph (tired) for the last 20 miles. It gets me to the finish line in about 12 hours. That's if I have no flats or other mechanical issues and my bowels don't require much attention. My plan is to do the Cross Florida Ride in one day 2019. |
There were a couple of posts about speed. Speed is something I need to continue to work on. As a slow rider, it's not fun to do a century riding by yourself. I did that once, during my second century attempt and didn't finish due to heat exhaustion. But I was riding by myself for about 65 miles before I tanked.
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Originally Posted by Bassmanbob
(Post 20037497)
I am a member of TCCA,..............I'm already signed up for the two day option of the Cross Florida Ride. I'm not fast enough to get 168 miles done in 12 - 13 hours as required. I actually tried to do the math earlier this week to include 17mph for the first 120 miles with 15 minute rests every two hours and a 25 minute rest at 120 miles. Then 15 mph up and down the hills for the next 30 miles with another 15 minute rest, and 13 mph (tired) for the last 20 miles. It gets me to the finish line in about 12 hours. That's if I have no flats or other mechanical issues and my bowels don't require much attention. My plan is to do the Cross Florida Ride in one day 2019.
As for the X-FL ride, the game to play is drafting. I wouldn't be surprised if you could prepare and ride it in 1 day next year. I had my 1983 Paramount with upright bars this year for X-FL and hooked on to the TCCA group drafting them and taking an occasional pull. They were friendly and rode like a well oiled machine operates. First stop at HH there was a group of TCCA riders and am now wondering if you were there? If so, I was the guy who rode up on the red 2018 Roubaix and asked if the group would be riding X-FL next year and mentioned that I was the guy on the blue Paramount who hung on with them this past year. Put on the miles and think about the 1 day X-FL for April. |
Originally Posted by njkayaker
(Post 20037023)
:rolleyes:
Your "explanation" doesn't make sense. The fact that the speed is different means they aren't equally "easy". Most people used to riding on the flats are going to find a hilly ride significantly harder. |
Originally Posted by Bassmanbob
(Post 20037506)
There were a couple of posts about speed. Speed is something I need to continue to work on. As a slow rider, it's not fun to do a century riding by yourself. I did that once, during my second century attempt and didn't finish due to heat exhaustion. But I was riding by myself for about 65 miles before I tanked.
https://results.chronotrack.com/even...nt/event-30333 |
Originally Posted by Sy Reene
(Post 20038211)
Take a look at the GFNY results page.. Skip to last page; I don't think you'd be close to finding yourself alone.
https://results.chronotrack.com/even...nt/event-30333 |
Originally Posted by kbarch
(Post 20037750)
And then there are those (like me) who find flat rides significantly harder. We'll I think I would, anyhow. Never did a real sportive type ride that was flat, but one of the toughest rides I ever did was also one of the flattest. It was all the stopping and starting that got to me. The main reason I think I'd find flatter sportives harder is because, although I rarely worry about getting dropped on hills (unless I burnt all my matches before everyone else did), I often worry about getting dropped on flats; among other things, I have a bad habit of letting gaps grow. :o
You also provided an explanation of why the typical/general case didn't apply to you. While what you said here might not be useful to the OP, at least you provide enough information to make that determination. The NYGF used to time the climbs, which likely caused many people to "burn matches" on the climbs. |
Originally Posted by Bassmanbob
(Post 20037506)
There were a couple of posts about speed. Speed is something I need to continue to work on. As a slow rider, it's not fun to do a century riding by yourself. I did that once, during my second century attempt and didn't finish due to heat exhaustion. But I was riding by myself for about 65 miles before I tanked.
The reason I asked about speed was to get a rough idea of your riding ability. If you did the 4500' century at 10 mph and it was hard, you should probably avoid doing the NYGF. Note that one way of compensating being "slow" is to spend less time at stops. |
Originally Posted by DrIsotope
(Post 20038433)
I don't know which I find more striking: the fact that 105 people did it in less than 5 hours, or the fact that 67 people took more than 10 hours. I could personally do neither--..
Originally Posted by DrIsotope
(Post 20038433)
...I'd be somewhere in the middle of the bell curve.
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Originally Posted by WNCGoater
(Post 20037004)
I pretty much explained where I stood on that statement at the bottom of page two, yet you still seem confused and continue to quote that even though I have made it clear, speed isn't on my radar in the context of a century. Additionally, the OP didn't ask about speed, yet the discussion has switched from elevation gain to speed and you are using a one sentence quote from my original post, which had nothing to do with speed, in the context of a discussion about speed. :foo:
But hey, whatever, knock yerself out!:thumb: SMH and moving on... |
Originally Posted by nycphotography
(Post 20036644)
Also, beware of counting the accumulated ups and downs of a rolling ride. Many of those rollers are tackled with momentum for the first part, and a little burst up and over the rest, and your threshold power is no where near limiting your effort, and you aren't sustaining it long enough to burn matches / hurt your legs.
You can climb like 5-7 minutes well above threshold. If that gets you over the top and staying with a group you can benefit from on the descent and flats, then it's probably worth burning a match. But much beyond that 5-7 minutes you'll pop, have to recover, and the rest of the climb will give back whatever time you made on that initial attack (and then some). But worse, you'll have burned a match for no gain!!! This is the real killer of climbs longer than 5-7 minutes. If you don't pace yourself, you're burning matches for no gain. |
Perhaps I was unclear, but the 5-7 minute over threshold, definitely burn matches.
The first pp is about little rollers... 30 seconds to a minute. Tops. I think we are agreeing here. |
Originally Posted by OldTryGuy
(Post 20037690)
Good deal being a member. :thumb:
As for the X-FL ride, the game to play is drafting. I wouldn't be surprised if you could prepare and ride it in 1 day next year. I had my 1983 Paramount with upright bars this year for X-FL and hooked on to the TCCA group drafting them and taking an occasional pull. They were friendly and rode like a well oiled machine operates. First stop at HH there was a group of TCCA riders and am now wondering if you were there? If so, I was the guy who rode up on the red 2018 Roubaix and asked if the group would be riding X-FL next year and mentioned that I was the guy on the blue Paramount who hung on with them this past year. Put on the miles and think about the 1 day X-FL for April. I think you are right, that I could prepare for the CFR in one day, but I don't want to pressure myself to do it. I trained pretty hard for the HH, which cost time away from my wife and my business. I need to catch up on those two fronts. I was not with the TCCA group at the HH; they are too fast for me. But yes, it is a really nice group of people who encourage me to keep improving. I was entering the extra loop (for the century course) as they were exiting that section. As we crossed paths, I yelled and waved. |
Momentum is not much help in gaining elevation. 20 mph worth of kinetic energy will only convert to about 16 feet elevation.. Meaning, a 20 mph speed reduction can be converted to 16 feet elevation gain.
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Originally Posted by Bassmanbob
(Post 20039559)
....... cost time away from my wife and my business. I need to catch up on those two fronts..........
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