Mt Donna Buang Threepeat revisited

Another weekend and Mt Donna Threepeat ticked.

It had been another solid week on the bike including a solid midweek hitout; riding a 1 in 20 threepeat Wednesday night negative splitting each lap. 

The legs were tired, but with the forecast listing rain from mid morning Saturday all the way through Sunday I decided to ride my Mt Donna Buang repeats first thing Saturday. Hopefully getting some laps in before it got miserable... With the impending rain came milder temps on the hill for this time of year. Still cold, but a low of 7 degrees Celcius three or four degrees above the usual. Didn't stop the at times strong wind adding to the chill!

Warburton council supporting cyclists

Still not quite there with my fitness, again basically even splitting the first two repeats but struggling to keep the wattage into Zone 4 on the third lap. 

Quiet roads

Even though managed to summit just with a few spots of light rain for company near the top. After descending and the rolling around the riverside loop for a warm down, it was straight to the local supermarket to raid the shelves before the drive home in the now falling rain...

Summit tower after lap one

110km 50.4km climbing at 6.4% average

Mt Buller weekend

Saturday 100km ~ 45km climbing

My wife went up the road to the Mt Buller ski resort earlier in the morning for work and I got the call the road was mostly clear other than slushy in the last kilometres to the village. So I decided to ride Mt Buller regardless the horrid weather forecast and the fronts sweeping through.

At the entrance I was waved to the counter and was told I could continue as long as I could answer a question - how do the riders in the tdf go for a toilet stop? She was planning on phoning Simon's Gerran's mum to ask! 

I made it to 8 1/2 km up where chains had to be fitted - asked the worker if I was allowed to continue. His answer that I can't stop and fit chains anyway... So onwards into to the slush and rain now falling as snow. If I was only riding uphill and didn't have to descend I would have gone on. As I had to come down I decided finally to pull the pin and turn around at Andrew's carpark. 

Very tentative descent back to the entrance. Any sane person would have returned to his accommodation and soak in the spa tub, obviously I am not sane...

The only others not in a car. Dropped in for a cup of tea on the descent.

Wasn't able to ride a threepeat in the end as I couldn't get to the village, so instead ended with four slightly shorter repeats; the last three laps turning around a little lower at Box Corner ~11km up the hill. To here was only a couple of kilometers of slush and snow to ride through.

Sunday 82km

Learn't the hard way that it really depends on the day and who is working at the entrance if you are allowed on the Mountain. Sunday cars weren't having to fit chains, weather was looking a little better so was keen on another couple of laps but I was stopped! Reason given is that once the toll opens, VicRoads hand control of the road to the resort and although not mentioned anywhere that bikes are banned we are a hazard with numerous buses and inexperienced drivers making their way up the mountain.

So instead of being passed by cars going under 60km/hr, I turned around and rode to Mansfield return plus a side out and back up towards Tolmie on 100 km/hr roads...

Heading towards Mansfield

Support for Mansfield born and bred Simon Gerran's

First Mt Donna Threepeat for the year

For previous overseas trips, my training staple has been the Mt Donna Threepeat. The best local climb with some length - 16.8km and 6.4% average for each lap.

The major issue with using this for Northern hemisphere Autumn assaults is the cold, as Mt Donna Buang is the closest snow play area to Melbourne. Although the snow is inconsistent, the road ascends the shaded Southern side of the mountain adding to the chill....

Some patches of sun on the lower slopes

Summit 4 degrees celcius and a bitterly cold wind - top of the third repeat late in the day

 Total 103km, 50.4km climbing 3240m vertical gain.

Strade Bianche

After not having ridden in the hills the last couple of weeks, on Saturday I decided I couldn't handle what would be a slow time for me up the 1 in 20 (extremely popular ride on Mt Dandenong with over 33,000 times posted on Strava) so turned left instead onto the Basin-Olinda rd.

As the Basin-Olinda rd is gravel for 5.5km of the 6km, I have avoided it all these years like many other local cyclists. But I'd seen some positive comments about the climb and surface being fine on road tyres recently so was intrigued. It was still wet and a little slippery especially in the lower half from the rain earlier last week but was fine on 23mm tyres. Wonderful little climb and extremely enjoyable to ride another local climb I hadn't been on before. Loved it that much I had to ride it again Monday.

Keen now to search out other gravel roads!

Continued across to Montrose and back over the hill to Olinda and down the 1 in 20 to home...

 

Training

As the planned ride schedule grew, so did the need to get out and start riding in the hills! I had no specific goal other than get in the hills as often as working full time allowed.

Having a wife who was an athlete herself and understood the need to prepare made the process a lot easier, as it meant I was able to disappear into the hills for whole days many weekends running.

The bulk of the 35,011 metres vertical gain I accumulated over these last four months was spent riding laps up Mt Donna Buang. It is one of the few local hills with some decent length; offering 16.8km of climbing and a consistent gradient that averages 6.4%. Many of these days involved riding three repeats, which put 50.4 km of climbing and 3240m vert into my legs.

Totals

Being winter and Melbourne’s closest snow play area threw in some added hazards, some snow but fortunately mainly just really cold. On most days it was only 1-4 degrees on the summit and not much warmer on the climb as the road takes the shaded southern side. It was warm enough wearing the right layers ascending, but to combat the wind chill on the descents I had to wear the usual winter layers such as thermals, arm warmers, gillet, and waterproof top. Additionally I took to wearing plastic waterproof pants carried up in the second bidon cage to try and keep the legs warm!

Perfect weather – warm in the sun

Same day – conditions deteriorated

The worst day - strong winds and driving rain

Final ascent, last day. Very glad I won't have to climb this hill again for a while.

The Alps cols are big and with long sections at a steep gradient, so I’m a little apprehensive even with the training if I’ve done enough! I will find out the answer very soon…

Technology

The last time I was in France was for 3 1/2 months rockclimbing, nearly 14 years ago. Back then, all the electronics I carried  were a cassette walkman, SLR camera and head torch... Life was simple - the hardest decision was whether it was a day to climb or take a rest day. The latter involved relaxing in the sun reading anything in English that was available, which meant some novels I wouldn't normally read! Then hitching a lift into the nearest town for supplies and whiling away the afternoon drinking coffee at a suitable cafe in the town square watching the people go by. Communication was by infrequent letters and even more infrequent reverse calls back home...

At its core, this trip will be the same. Each day will revolve around the decision whether to climb (this time on the bike) or have a rest day. But the list of electronics has snowballed! With Wifi available the Netbook will allow me to email and Skype my lovely wife and family, keep up to date with current events, and update this blog with the days exploits. The Garmin 310XT GPS watch will record the days stats from distance ridden to vertical height gains (of most interest) and can be uploaded. Camera, bike computer, mobile phone, car GPS with western Europe maps, and finally all the chargers and a couple of travel plugs!

I'm hoping I will still find the time to wander into town, relax over a coffee or two and watch people go by.

The Bike

During the planning for this trip to France, I quizzed my friend Ben who has spent many months riding in the French Alps. Questions were mainly on where to stay and ride, but also included what gearing would be necessary. He suggested getting a compact crankset or at least fit a bigger cassette. Given I want to keep data from all the rides, the cranks had to stay which meant finding a bigger rear cassette.

Originally I had plans to use a 13-26 cassette. But after looking at the profiles for climbs I was including in the trip schedule and that these would be ridden day after day, I finally conceded and bought a 13-29 cassette. As the regular Campagnolo rear derailleur can only handle a cog up to 26 teeth, it meant I needed to buy a new rear mid cage derailleur! Hopefully though armed with a low gear of 39*29 combined with the training I've done to date will get me over the climbs I have planned.

Other updates to the bike in preparation for the trip have been to rebuild the right lever (love Campagnolo for the fact you can rebuild rather than throw out), new cables, new tyres and tubes and a new seat. Plus general servicing and regrease the headset, pedal bearings and bottom bracket. 

As pictured, it's not particularly light at 8.2kg but should hold up well for the trip. Only decision still to be made is if I am willing to add another couple of hundred grams and swap out my KCNC lightweight brakes for the more solid Campagnolo brakes purely due to the extra descending I'll be doing on this trip. The KCNC brakes have performed fine on my many days in the hills locally, but the descents in the Alps will be at a whole different level...



Welcome

Not one to follow blogs or even have anything interesting to post, a blog still seemed the best way to keep friends and family updated on my upcoming trip to ride in the French Alps .

Over the next month I'll look at posting more about the trip; from planning, itinerary and the training I've done to prepare. Definitely finally feels that the trip is really happening with one more month to go before I fly out!

Others may find my posts interesting, and if it helps with planning a similar trip all the better! I hope the many photos will get others motivated to pack their bags, bike, and get into the mountains...