Beach Rd on the weekends?

zill
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby zill » Wed Jul 29, 2015 7:20 am

Bluejay87 wrote:Are you transitioning from a time trialer to a sprinter now Zill?
Not in my dream. Was just mistaken about the effect of tail winds.

fat and old
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby fat and old » Wed Jul 29, 2015 8:59 am

tail winds and grade can make a big diff. few weeks ago I was riding north along the Hume Fwy into a howling headwind, couldn't get over 18kmh. roughly 3% I guess. Turned around, was holding 45+ and hit over 50 for a while, and it wasn't a major effort as I was rooted. Nowhere near KOM of course :lol: A good/fast rider could have made that pay. 8)

cerb
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby cerb » Wed Jul 29, 2015 2:24 pm

Top speed is a fun topic though...!

My fastest speeds have been descenting Lake Mountain, with three of my top 10 speeds between 80.5-83.1kph.
81.0kph on a descent called Arthur's pass in NZ - down from Craigieburn ski field.
80.9kph descending Mt. Dandenong Tourist Drive.
I've hit 80.8kph on Old Healsville Rd. just out of Yarra Glen.
I've got 3 times coming down Kinglake West with speeds 78.3-79.4kph.

Fastest on Beach Rd. is 71.9kph down Olivers Hill. Note that this was early morning and with no-one on the roads. Do not reccommend this when there are cars or other bikes around!!
Fastest speed on Beach Rd. (without hills) was sprinting into Black Rock with a tailwind - hitting 64.1kph. Without tailwainds, this is usually only 58-60kph.

Fastest speed i've done at SKCC Crits (flat course and B-Grade sprint finish) was 59.9kph.

I do like going fast! I've also got the right *ahem* build *ahem* for going downhill fast!

This should also help to provide some realism about what speeds you're hitting. :)

zill
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby zill » Wed Jul 29, 2015 6:28 pm

cerb wrote:Top speed is a fun topic though...!

My fastest speeds have been descenting Lake Mountain, with three of my top 10 speeds between 80.5-83.1kph.
81.0kph on a descent called Arthur's pass in NZ - down from Craigieburn ski field.
80.9kph descending Mt. Dandenong Tourist Drive.
I've hit 80.8kph on Old Healsville Rd. just out of Yarra Glen.
I've got 3 times coming down Kinglake West with speeds 78.3-79.4kph.

Fastest on Beach Rd. is 71.9kph down Olivers Hill. Note that this was early morning and with no-one on the roads. Do not reccommend this when there are cars or other bikes around!!
Fastest speed on Beach Rd. (without hills) was sprinting into Black Rock with a tailwind - hitting 64.1kph. Without tailwainds, this is usually only 58-60kph.

Fastest speed i've done at SKCC Crits (flat course and B-Grade sprint finish) was 59.9kph.

I do like going fast! I've also got the right *ahem* build *ahem* for going downhill fast!

Thanks for the info. Will keep in mind. From memory you are 6'4? Are you also a sprinter?

This should also help to provide some realism about what speeds you're hitting. :)

cerb
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby cerb » Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:40 am

Correct - 6'4" and anywhere from 85kg in race season to 100kg in off season.

I was a sprinter up to B-Grade, but i'm currently too slow to really be a sprinter in A-Grade. Hell, I was too slow to even finish A-Grade at the end of last season!

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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby Midds_78 » Thu Jul 30, 2015 3:22 pm

Have just finished reading this entire story ......oops, i mean Thread, from start to finish !!
brilliant reading ....... i hope to meet the great man one day....
2016 Giant TCR Advanced 1

Bluejay87
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby Bluejay87 » Thu Jul 30, 2015 5:50 pm

Probably wouldn't visit this forum if it wasn't for Zill tbh

zill
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby zill » Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:03 pm

cerb wrote: I was a sprinter up to B-Grade, but i'm currently too slow to really be a sprinter in A-Grade. Hell, I was too slow to even finish A-Grade at the end of last season!
When you were fit during racing season, was one reason you could do well in B grade but not in A because of lacking of base kms? How many kms per week were you riding during racing season?

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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby cerb » Fri Jul 31, 2015 9:17 am

zill wrote:When you were fit during racing season, was one reason you could do well in B grade but not in A because of lacking of base kms? How many kms per week were you riding during racing season?
Yes & No. I only ride 5000-6000km per year (100-200km per week during race season, including racing) and am just lucky that I have a decent sprint. Even in D & C grades, guys are doing 12-20,000km a year. It's hard to build FTP with so little time on the bike, so you need to be quite specific about how you structure your rides. As crits are quite short, the endurance aspect doesn't really come into them - it's mostly about short duration high power outputs, which I am quite good at.

In the lower grades, I didn't have to stress myself too much keeping up with the bunch, so was still quite fresh for the finish. This was harder by the time I got to B-grade but I managed to lift my fitness level by doing fast bunch rides twice a week and ensured I always did a few efforts on the front. This kept me consistently in the top 5-6, but podiums weren't very frequent as the competition level is quite high.

When I got to A-Grade, I spent the race basically yoyoing around my FTP (the whole time) - this meant I use all my energy during the race instead of conserving for the finish. The step up to A is also kinda brutal, because you go from a fairly consitent 42-44kph in B-grade up to a very surging 46-48kph average speed in A.

A-grade also sees you racing against NRS (Charter Mason, AWS etc.) and pro-conti teams (Drapac) - those guys do a lot of riding and specific training and it's just not possible to be super competetive in that environment when you go to work everyday while they go and train... There is a certain amount of luck and picking the right move/wheel.

I only spent the last few months of last season in A and had a baby at the same time. I always find it takes me a little while to adjust to the increased speed/fitness requirements of a higher grade, so hopefully I can get up to speed early this season! As my team are now mostly together into the same grade, i'll probably change from being a lone-wolf sprinter to working for the team and being a leadout for a team mate who is faster than me.

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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby Duck! » Sat Aug 01, 2015 9:53 pm

cerb wrote:
Fastest on Beach Rd. is 71.9kph down Olivers Hill.
That's not Beach Rd. Fastest I've done down Ollies is 80 with a stonking tailwind. On Beach Rd I think maybe low 60s on the drop (southbound) into Ricketts Point; Can't remember the exact speed because it's yonks since I subjected myself to that numpty-filled stretch of road.... Fastest I've hit is 87 down Wooralla Dve, off the back of Mt Eliza.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

zill
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby zill » Sun Aug 09, 2015 10:11 pm

Just reporting to say that riding on Beach rd is great even during non peak hour. There was a small and light climber who sat behind me most of the way but I wanted to drop him on a hill. To my surprise he surpassed me. So for the next hill, I was more cautious and put in everything into a 200m climb. This time he couldn't pass me although was right behind me. This is the first sprint I've had on the drop bars (although still don't have the ability/confidence to stand up). Averaged 10W/kg for 16 seconds. Never felt more alive afterwards and for the first time felt the sprinter's elation!

Note that I'm more happy because of my performance rather than beating that guy but without that guy behind me, wouldn't have produced such an effort. Street racing is great!
Last edited by zill on Mon Aug 10, 2015 5:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Duck!
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby Duck! » Mon Aug 10, 2015 1:05 am

There are no hills on Beach Rd. Only minor undulations.
I had a thought, but it got run over as it crossed my mind.

zill
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby zill » Mon Aug 10, 2015 5:46 am

Duck! wrote:There are no hills on Beach Rd. Only minor undulations.
yeah ok, it was a 200m rise of 2% but good enough for me.

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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby Calvin27 » Mon Aug 10, 2015 9:37 am

Duck! wrote:There are no hills on Beach Rd. Only minor undulations.
I haven't done beach road in a long time. I can still remember when the little ascents felt like climbing everest.
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danny the boy
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby danny the boy » Tue Aug 11, 2015 2:42 pm

So we've gone from 15 mins up the 1:20 to calling 200m climbs on Beach Rd as hills.....

Image

Bluejay87
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby Bluejay87 » Tue Aug 11, 2015 2:58 pm

He's a sprinter now Danny, his perspective has changed

defy1
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby defy1 » Tue Aug 11, 2015 4:59 pm

don't feed the troll

zill
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby zill » Wed Aug 12, 2015 5:49 am

danny the boy wrote:So we've gone from 15 mins up the 1:20 to calling 200m climbs on Beach Rd as hills.....

]

Doesn't matter what you call it. The difference is in the W/Kg, 5 vs 10.
Last edited by zill on Wed Aug 12, 2015 5:55 am, edited 3 times in total.

zill
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby zill » Wed Aug 12, 2015 5:51 am

Bluejay87 wrote:He's a sprinter now Danny, his perspective has changed
I've merely demonstrated that I can sprint, which wasn't the case only 6 months ago. Doesn't make me a sprinter.

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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby ft_critical » Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:00 am

zill wrote:
Bluejay87 wrote:He's a sprinter now Danny, his perspective has changed
I've merely demonstrated that I can sprint, which wasn't the case only 6 months ago. Doesn't make me a sprinter.
Best drop some time trialists to round out your palmares Zill.

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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby Bluejay87 » Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:38 am

zill wrote:
I've merely demonstrated that I can sprint.
How many watts you putting out??

zill
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby zill » Wed Aug 12, 2015 10:34 am

Bluejay87 wrote:
zill wrote:
I've merely demonstrated that I can sprint.
How many watts you putting out??
790W for 16 seconds up that hill. Peak power at 900W. Not that great and it was a seated effort as well.

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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby macca33 » Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:27 pm

Rhymes with....
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struggler
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby struggler » Wed Aug 12, 2015 3:32 pm

With no posts for a week, I was worried that this thread had died...... so glad to see it back in full flight.

zill
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Re: Beach Rd on the weekends?

Postby zill » Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:24 pm

struggler wrote:With no posts for a week, I was worried that this thread had died...... so glad to see it back in full flight.
One thing I've noticed is that other riders seem very much interested in having a go (if able) at riding hard if you take a look at them a few times when in front. However, they in general dislike you tagging behind them for too long. So being competitive is good but being lazy is bad.

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