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"Best Cycling in the French Pyrenees"
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"Best Cycling Routes of the Pyrénées" — Time Estimation Tables & Climbing Tools I’ve also provided you with some helpful tools for important calculations. Even with a heart-rate monitor, it’s always good to know how fast you can climb a given grade and for how long. You can use one of these tools to calculate your power and then determine your optimal or maximum speed for a given climb based on the grade and your total weight. Another will give you a time estimate using the average percentage and length of a climb. The last one will give you a personal time estimate for each guidebook route based on the time it takes you to complete your first ride. Time Estimation Tables This is a very easy to use Excel file. Just enter the time it took you to complete the first route from "Best Cycling Routes of the Pyrénées" as well as the time for our sample cyclists for the same route. The formulas will automatically estimate the time it should take you to complete every routes from the guidebook. You must enter your time in minutes. You can use any online calculators to convert your time from hours to minutes and back. Note that these are estimates as many other factors may need to be taken into consideration such as weather and temperature, amount of weight you bring with you, how you feel on that day, etc. Download "Best Cycling Routes of the Pyrénées" Time Estimation Tables. Climbing Tools If like me you love climbing, you will love this set of tools. Even if climbing isn't your forte, these tools will help you improve your skills. Any cyclist able to ride 50 miles on the flat can climb any of the famous Pyrenees ascents. It's all about pacing (view our fitness and training page). Download this tool now and share this page with all your friends. Detailed Description: How to use this tool Tool 1: Determining your Power This tool will estimate your power output based on your total weight and speed on the flat. Weight: To be accurate, you must use what you weigh while wearing all your cycling gear and then add the weight of your bike and all the gear and water bottles you usually carry. Speed: Choose a speed that you can maintain comfortably on the flat for several hours to determine the power you will have to climb comfortably for the same time period. You need a “flat” course to calculate this speed and it is best to do a round trip to compensate for variables like wind and slight changes in grade. You can also enter your time trial pace for one to two hours and that will give you the power output you’ll need to do your best climb of that same duration, a typical length for a mountain climb. Remember if you choose to enter your time trial pace, the power indicated won’t be the one you will be able to keep up for a full-day mountain route. Power: Your estimated power output is expressed in Watts. Tool 2: Knowing how fast you can climb This tool helps you choose your optimal speed on a given grade. Enter speeds as necessary to match the power you can generate (from Tool 1) for the grade you want to climb. The final speed you select will be the one at which you can climb using the same amount of power necessary for riding on the flat, either at your comfortable or optimal pace. Tool 3: Estimating your time If you know the average slope of the climb and its length, you can use the speed you chose in Tool 2 to estimate the time necessary to climb a specific mountain pass. If the climb is irregular, breaking down each section will improve the accuracy. You can also use this tool to estimate the time necessary for your entire ride by entering your typical average speed as shown by your heart rate monitor or cycling computer data. Note: These tools will give you very good estimates, but other factors will affect your speed. These include head or tail winds, road surface quality, whether or not you are riding in a group, weather conditions and how you feel on a given day. Remember that if you use a speed you can barely maintain for a short time, it will only give you the power you are able to generate for that same interval. If you are comfortable keeping the pace you enter for three or more hours, you should be able to keep it up all day for most routes.
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