Bourg d OIsan Alp de Huez

moonshadow

Advice needed,
16 of our club are heading there in mid June for a week , I'm no goat but can do Irish hills but these mountains have me petrified..
I've had an injury since November and am slowly getting going again albeit 2500km behind what they have pedalled and climbed , I've only 1500km cycled at sea level..
So what am I asking...
Cassette range currently 50/34-11/28...... I presume I need to change this to make life easy for me ?
Should I go granny ring or try 11/32 on a compact or bite the bullet and change rear derailleur , cassette and chain. I don't mind being last/on my own but I want to get up there !!
Advise appreciated .

BGT

34 front and 28 rear will be fine. I'm not suggesting it will be a breeze, but find your rhythm, take it all in, admire the amazing road engineering and just enjoy it. You will be fine!

Wishbone Ash

You'll be fine on a 34/28. Most of the big classic climbs aren't that steep - just much longer than Irish climbs.

If you're with a group, don't be tempted to keep up with the others if you're finding the pace difficult. Do it at your own pace and they will usually regroup at the summit.

I often find that, even though I'm a slow and steady climber, I'll arrive in much the same time as the mountain goats who hoof it at the start and then die for the last few kms.

If you're not a goat don't chase them up hills !!!!! Set your own tempo and see them at the top.

EDIT: Thats what I do when my partner is out with me, no way I'm ever catching her uphill.

Mercian Pro

Definitely go for a 32 on the back. Even if you only use it intermittently, it eases the pressure on the legs and allows you to stay seated longer. You will be glad to have it especially on the first five or six ramps on Alpe d'Huez.

flatty

You may struggle fitting a 50-34 and a 32 on the back.
If you can, then go for it. I'd absolutely agree that once you cycle at your own pace you'll be fine. Don't get suckered into doing too much on any day either. Personally I like to do one and a half, or max two climbs a day. Don't get dragged miles away into another valley, and don't be afraid to just turn around. There are some lovely lesser known climbs. There's a nice circuit over the col de morte, there's another turning right about a third of the way up the alpe, and running along the valley before descending to the foot of deux alpes, which is a lovely climb,and a nice town. You can then take a left on the way down through the trees.
Finally, my favourite climb runs from the reservoir at the bottom of the telegraphe up to the alpe about two thirds of the way up. A nice day is to do the telegraphe, then come back down, have lunch at the cafe near the bottom, then back up that road, a really quiet forested gentle enough hairpinner, and back down to bourg.
The first four hairpins of the alpe are the steepest.
My oul fella got up it in two hours aged 79, and he's no mountain goat. It's lovely. Just relax, enjoy, and don't put yourself through purgatory.
PS watch out as it could be hot.

Borderfox

Anytime I cycled abroad the standard of the roads were excellent and this was worth a cog or two for me

in saying that I have 46-30 on the front and 11-32 on the back on the good bike as I was coming back from a back injury over the winter

I got the 46-30 from absolute black and love it

mr spuckler

I'm a worse than average climber (judging by Strava anyway) and have climbed a much longer but similarly steep climb on a 34 x 25. I wouldn't recommend that and didn't enjoy it much at the time!

imo a 34 x 28 is perfect, as others have said just try to get into a good rhythm at a pace you can sustain and certainly don't push too hard too early.

maldondo

If you can fit the 54/32 then do it. Better off having it there in case you find you need.

Echoing BGT, set your own pace whether by HR monitor, PWR meter or just knowing yourself and stick to it. Enjoy the scenery, its fantastic and Bourg is the best place IMO to do it from with both the Galibier and Huez within easy reach.

Something to think about if you haven't got huge mileage in your legs is to shorten the routes ie, drive from Bourg to the Galibier then climb it. Plotting a 150k spin in the Alps is a completely different ball game than doing it here, you would have serious climbing to do before getting to the Galibier for example.

Beautiful country and cycling heaven, you'll love it.

Wishbone Ash

maldondo wrote: »

If you can fit the 54/32 then do it...

A 54? He's not Hinault!

Irish Raven

As previous posters have recommended...if you can fit a 32, then do it...better having it, than wanting it!!

Can be the "get out of jail" gear...can be done on a short derailer too...but just means the changes are not as smooth...and the limits the gears to use on the 50...but if going vertical, that doesnt matter!!

I have previously done it this way...but wuth a 53/39!!

JayWalsh

Go for the 32 on the back, Croix de fer is a monster that will ate the legs off ya.

NeedMoreGears

Lucky you - fantastic part of the world and a great climb.

As the proud occupant of position 32,393 on the strava table , I feel I can speak authoritatively on climbing Alpe D'huez at the sort of pace that allows plenty of time to take in the scenery.

I used 34/32 and was grateful for the 32. The first few ramps are quite steep and the 32 allowed me get up them without killing myself (there was plenty of mountain later on to do that). The 32 was also handy later on the less steep bits when I needed a sneaky rest but wanted to keep moving.

If you can I would suggest you get yourself a 32 and do it at your pace not someone else's.

Mercian Pro

NeedMoreGears wrote: »

If you can I would suggest you get yourself a 32 and do it at your pace not someone else's.

Well you would say that!

And I fully agree with you

longshank

Alp d'Huez is not even close to being the best climb in the area. Get off the beaten track for some fantastic roads. The TdF climbs are on big roads to cater for the fans and traffic and are not the best ones to cycle. Do them to tick the box but check out the other really fantastic climbs in the area.

brownian

There is in fact an excellent website called '100 climbs better than the Alpe' at http://www.cycling-challenge.com/100-cycling-climbs-better-than-alpe-dhuez/

But do the Alpe, it is iconic (although not the best climb, by a long shot). And it's not that savage.

moonshadow

brownian wrote: »

There is in fact an excellent website called '100 climbs better than the Alpe' at http://www.cycling-challenge.com/100-cycling-climbs-better-than-alpe-dhuez/

But do the Alpe, it is iconic (although not the best climb, by a long shot). And it's not that savage.

Many thanks .

flatty

Col de madeleine is the worst imho.
You have to do the alpe though.

Koobcam

Not sure if the OP is a Zwift user, but there is a climb on it called Alpe Du Zwift, which is an exact copy of Alpe D'Huez-I think it would be excellent training for a trip to Bourg D'Oisans. There is nothing in Ireland remotely adequate to the task of preparing for Alpine Cols, so the Zwift option would be handy. In terms of gearing, Id always favour going as low as you can. If you've already got a compact and a 28 n the back, you'll probably be grand and I'd only suggest getting lower gears if it didn't involve huge expense. If you've a power meter this is probably the most useful gadget you can have for pacing yourself up the climbs. If not, you can use your HR and VAM to estimate a sustainable pace. On Alpe D'Huez itself, the climb is designed for large tour buses, which means each hairpin is completely flat, so you get a brief rest every time you turn.

mr spuckler

brownian wrote: »

There is in fact an excellent website called '100 climbs better than the Alpe' at http://www.cycling-challenge.com/100-cycling-climbs-better-than-alpe-dhuez/

But do the Alpe, it is iconic (although not the best climb, by a long shot). And it's not that savage.

and the only one I've done is #2 :cool: