Six Gap Century execution suggestions
Looking for some guidance from the Team about how I ought to execute a bike "race" that I am doing in four weeks (I put that in quotes b/c I am not really racing it, but it is technically a race....).
The race in question is the Six Gap Century (course mape here: http://www.cyclenorthgeorgia.com/in...;Itemid=35 
. It is ~104 miles long with 11,230 feet of climbing. See the elevation profile below:
Since there is no way I can maintain watts on the descents, I know that trying to race it like an Ironman is out of the question. Way to steep on the descents and I am pretty certain I will be riding the brakes a bit....
- So how ought I to pace this? What percentage of FTP should I target on the climbs?
- Also, how would/should I 'interval' the ride? I know that I only want to manage my IF over a manageable distance and time, but not sure if I should reset at the crest, or at the beginning of the major climbs.....
Thanks in advance!
0
Comments
c ya there
I'm using it more as a fun volume day as part of my IMFL build.
Chillin' on the ups, planning on about 80% effort on the ups, then carving the downs!
It's a long day from what I hear. Biggest challenge I've heard is to resist the urge to fall into a JackRabbit Paceline with some of the local roadie clubs, obviously most pacelines break up on these inclines. Some of them will stay together most of the day. But, there's a good bit of cycling on low grade rollers before we get to the first climb and it's real ez to go out too hot, just based on what I've been told.
note: my first 6Gap, info comes from some guys that have done it several times.
Chris and Joe,
A bunch of notes:
There's no way to hold 80% on those climbs; they are simply too steep. You'll be creeping along at 3-4 mph, lots, at or above FTP.
On Lincoln, getting off and walking may be the wise choice.
I'd figure on at least a 1:1 low gear, so that means you may need a new rear derailleur to handle the 34 tooth cog back there.
You'll need to be strategic with hydration and fueling. Both the climbs and descents are too steep to do either, so pound the fuel at every opportunity.
Letting "those guys" go early on will be an act of supreme willpower and humility. You will, however, be paid back in full and more later on.
I'd run the fattest tires you can squeeze in your frame. 28c? Perfect! Run 'em at 85-90 psi; those roads can be rough and at least one of the "big" descents is all dirt/gravel.
Work up a fueling plan and stick to it; and none of this pansy IM 250cal/hr stuff, either. Pump it up!
If you're looking for a "fast" time, be quick at the stops. Get in, fill your bottles, get out. If you eat while you're riding, there's plenty of time to eat. It's easy to faff away 20-30 minutes at stops.
As for "riding" the brakes, be careful of overheating those bad boys. Much better to brake in intervals: a lot, then nothing, over and over. Better yet, let it roll! Get good at descending; you can give the good climbers fits. My mantra? "Hands off the brakes and breathe". Also: the bike will go where you look, so make sure you look where you want to go, not where you're afraid of going!
have fun. look forward to the report.
I think what I said was you had to keep your IF under .75 for multiple days based on what Coach P had told Dave Campbell. He is the guy you need to talk to about 6 gap since he has done it before. I'll shoot you his contact info in an e-mail. Good Luck and have fun!
On a 2 day climbing stage race in '10 I averaged .7-.71 for both days. This was 100mi/16.5k gain the first day, ~75mi/14k gain the second day...and all of it at 6-10k feet in altitude. My point is that you could probably do this at .75-80 across the day, including the downhills. If it were me:
In my experience, events like this are PERFECT for the EN-execution-drilled, power-riding athlete. The first climb of the first day pretty much the entire Cat5 rode away from me...as I stuck to my 275-280w at my then 4.1w/kg. I knew there was no friggin' way that 95% of those guys had any business riding that hard. On day 2 I was passing many Cat2-3 riders on the last climb.
Don't ride at the front, displine on the climbs, get ground back on the descents.
Now my only conundrum is: What tires to run? And does it really matter? Here are my choices:
- Gatorskins (pretty new, but obviously not the lowest rolling resistance)
- Continental Force/Attack pair (old, but no gashes/cuts. Rear tire is pretty 'flat')
- Bontrager R4 Aero (two HIM races and only a couple of RR rides)
Ahhh...Choices. Choices.
And boiled peanuts in the jersey pocket, definitely :-)
I was looking at putting my Zipps on but choosing not to.
@Chris - if I want power, I have to use my 808PT/404 combo. Not the best for climbing, but I want to know my watts.
Bontragers are on with latex tubes (sure, why not?). About to go out for a quick 15 min ride to make sure all is working.
#style!