Hill Climb Training

So you want to be first up the hill?

Pay a coach for a training plan and spend two weeks in some mountains (Majorca's nice).

Okay, Plan B.

Pick a nice hill, and repeatedly cycle around it until you get up to a mountain's worth of meters.

Not very scientific (I also sell copper bracelets and snake wee), but if you can stomp through 2000m of stiff UK climb and not feel too bad, then you'll be okay on 2000m of comparatively steady mountain. This (unfortunately rather tedious) method comes with the advantage of knowing that you've previously hit whatever ascent you're aiming for on the day.

Is Box hill reps better training for something of this nature? As its a long and steady gradient rather than short and steep?

Get your bike set up properly and do what max and dubtap suggest. Also, don't forget to learn to descend properly without dragging your brakes.

hmmpf DTM

Climbing mountains is easy.
Just keep on pedalling, you'll get to the top eventually.

This.

Is Box hill reps better training for something of this nature? As its a long and steady gradient rather than short and steep?

It's full of other gits with the same idea.

Need to be able to get down fast and do it again.

Smashing it into a headwind on the flat in 53x12 is a good way of building the testicular fortitude required for grinding up Col du Bastard.

personally I'd steer clear of Swain's lane or use it as an 'ender' to your hill reps.
Try E heath road or Frognal Road coming from Finchley road, longer and steady gradients that Swains

max gradient is 10 where as Swains is 18

So basically Col is simply loooooooong and steady. Piece of cake.

Is Box hill reps better training for something of this nature? As its a long and steady gradient rather than short and steep?

Box Hill, you are joking. The only hill that somehow is long and steep in the vicinity of London is Toys Hill form the South Side. Do a five times loop under ten minutes each and reward yourself with some new Rapha.

http://www.strava.com/segments/942815

...I'd steer clear of Swain's lane...

Actually, I'd go for 2000m (if not more) around Highate, if you're not easily bored, you don't mind company, and you're not put off by Swain's slightly cack reputation.

Optimal training strategy? Prolly not, but it seemed to help me.

If a tedious day looping in North London doesn't appeal, go somewhere on a train. There are plenty of cracking places to climb in the UK and many of them are very easy to get to. A whizz around the Dales would be both excellent practice and great fun.

hmmpf DTM

Don't cry sweet prince, I missed your pearls of wisdom. Forgive me

If you live in North London then I would do some Muswell Hill reps. It is a long steady and nasty hill which ramps up right at the very top
Or Swains Lance which is 12% at it's steepest part and even though I climb it most nights I still fucking hate it and it leaves me shattered.
An alternative to Swains Lane is Millfield Lane/ Fitzroy Park which is longer and more of a steady gradient and is a private road so zero cars. But also zero lights and a number of potholes

Just to give you an idea. My elevation gain from the Victoria to North London is 780 ft which isn't bad for a daily commute

the company donates a dollar for every mile run, cycled or swam to charity.

sounds like anyone who chooses to run or swim must really hate the people benefitting from the charity

I dont live in NL but its the nearest hill of some effort that i know of and is about the distance I am prepared to travel to. Im not one for putting in a lot of effort ha!

Just to give you an idea. My elevation gain from the Victoria to North London is 780 ft which isn't bad for a daily commute

Nice to hear someone does that route too! never thought it was that much of a climb.

sounds like anyone who chooses to run or swim must really hate the people benefitting from the charity

How so?

Just ride up it,

Ride up at TT effort if you want to do it as quickly as you can (like a TT - don't go out too hard or you will pay for it later).
Practice by riding at a constant effort that is as hard as you can ride for 1-2hrs (doesn't need to be uphill, so long as your effort is constant)
Otherwise just keep turning the pedals till you get to the top.

Most Alpine/Pyrenean cols are fine as they are generally not that steep, they just take a while.
Hell my other half rode up Alp D'Huez whilst 3-months pregnant, just kept going till she got to the top (I rode up* towing our 18month old in a trailer)

*yes I know I am scrawny, but #1 son + trailer is an extra 30kg

Alp D'Huez - September 2013 by Dan Burbridge, on Flickr

Or walk.

Or get Dan to tow you.

Nice to hear someone does that route too! never thought it was that much of a climb.

That's the total elevation across the whole ride. I go a slightly convoluted way to take in more hills than I need to. The top of Swains lane, the max elevation, is 428 ft

How To Train For Mountains If You Don't Live Near Any - YouTube

Cheddar!

How so?
meaning if you're making $1 per mile for the charity, swimming or running is pretty inefficient compared to the cycling option!

Audax pace then?

How about notcomplainingaboutthelackofenergyproductsatfeedstops pace?

Oh yeah? Well you're just a virgin who can't drive.

Just ride up it,

Ride up at TT effort if you want to do it as quickly as you can (like a TT - don't go out too hard or you will pay for it later).
Practice by riding at a constant effort that is as hard as you can ride for 1-2hrs (doesn't need to be uphill, so long as your effort is constant)
Otherwise just keep turning the pedals till you get to the top.

Most Alpine/Pyrenean cols are fine as they are generally not that steep, they just take a while.
Hell my other half rode up Alp D'Huez whilst 3-months pregnant, just kept going till she got to the top (I rode up* towing our 18month old in a trailer)

*yes I know I am scrawny, but #1 son + trailer is an extra 30kg

Alp D'Huez - September 2013 by Dan Burbridge, on Flickr

SImply awesome, what a view. That must have been a great day.