The Alpe d'Huez

got a summer job as a goatherd?

Did it back in October, but wouldn't entertain the thought of doing it fixed if I'm honest! Great climb though, and looking forward to finishing on it at the end of the Marmotte this year!

Doing it fixed is full on insane.

sorry, but agreeing with the "doing it fixed is insane" group. Also, Ventoux is far more worth the trouble!

I'm not doing this just to start an argument, but what makes it so difficult, it's a pretty constant slope, so you find a gear that lets you spin at a required amount, stick it on, and off you go.

Alright I made that sound a little too simple, but in essence that's it.

It's not all that constant, and really, it's not so much the going up that'd kill you, it's trying to descent and take the hairpins!

You'd need a very small gear, and on the easier bits would be spinning a hell of a lot... maybe no impossible, but not worth the trouble (bar the bragging rights!)

(bar the bragging rights!)

Isn't that what life's about?!?!

Bragging about bar rights? Yep.

@mmccarthy, you're right, lets head off to the Alps and give it a go, then we can come back and bask in our own superiority :)

I'm not doing this just to start an argument, but what makes it so difficult, it's a pretty constant slope, so you find a gear that lets you spin at a required amount, stick it on, and off you go.

Errr. It's not a constant slope. The bottom 6 k is average 9%, kicking up past 10% in places, the middle 4 is a little less steep, and from the last hairpin to the village is just mad, mad steep. As is the first 2k to the first hairpin. So steep, you could fall down it walking!

I did it a few times, and only really felt on top of the gear when I was running 39 X 32. Admittedly, I have only ever done it at the end of the Marmotte or after riding from the Vercors, and up through Grenoble.

All 4 times I rode it, I got up it in around 75 mins - I was as fit as I have ever been.

That's consistent Bill. I did it in 59 minutes when fresh and nearer 90 minutes at the end of the Marmotte. I don't know which one hurt more though, it felt like both were painful but in different ways.

I did it in 33 mins but that was at night and no one saw me. it was also in the late nineties, ahem.

32 minutes in the late eighties.

i plan also to be on Mount Ventoux next summer 09

but not fixed

You making a comeback too Mr Indurain?

pantani is going to be reincarnated to beat you up those climbs.

got 'High Life' on DVD for chrimbo - some stunningly impressive climbing by Robert Millar in there

Apologies, think i was a bit brash... if you are a hardened tourist, you're right, why not do it fixed? If you have not done something like this before, i would not waste the opportunity on a fixed gear bike.

Ok
without trying to sound like a posy, mouthy shit. Who would be up for a ride up the d'huez in the summer?

I've been wanting to do it since I went there years ago on a family holiday, and I can use it as a fundraiser for TCT. Anyhow, I think it would be a crazy challenge (at least for me, don't know about the everyday couriers and more hardcore road riders, I've fallen out of that groove) but doable. I'm not even thinking about this one fixed, although some logic would suggest it has advantages...but, come on. So would any one be up for this? Just an idea really. Other wise I'm going to make do with that event at Cheddar gorge where you have to do the vertical distance of Everest for the same cause.

But yeah, you're all going to rip the life out of this aren't you? :p

There is a stage of The Tour de France every year which is opened to the public, it is know as L'étape du Tour. This year the stage which is open is the penultimate stage of the main race, Montélimar to Mont Ventoux (167km, mountain stage). It's not cheap to enter, but it's still possible this year. On that particular site they are charging £590-£685 excluding flights, excluding bike transport. You can expect to be spending about £1000 in total. If you were able to buy just the entry to the race (sold out now) then you might be able to save a bit by renting a camper van.

http://www.londonfgss.com/thread9831.html

You can expect to be spending about £1000 in total.

choke!

I had a friend who did the etape a few years running and loved it, but i'm on a very tight budget. It would be a really good way to do the climb though.

ill be riding it in the summer, going to the last week of the tour and the staying on for a week to ride the classics. did the Pyrenees ones last year, amazing riding. if you have not done yet, riding in france is great!