Mt Cootha Brisbane

"Albert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I consider myself pretty fit, I ride weekly, and with distances of 50 to

80

Quoted message said:

Km.

I average around 30 ks an hour.
I have done the fitness test and can do the 3 mile ride in less than 8
minutes , and going by the book, makes me at an advanced level of fitness.
I can sprint up very steep short hills no problems.

However this morning I took my new Trek Road bike up to Mt Cootha, and
started from the Simpsons Falls Area heading towards the TV stations.

Now after around 5 minutes or so I was knackered, my HRM was showing 98%

max

Quoted message said:

HR, and my legs simply gave out, I could not continue.

I was suprised, I thought I would be able to climb Mt Cootha.

Any riders here that do this climb ?
I mean is it really that hard, or was I just having a bad day.
What sort of gradient is Mt Cootha on average ?

Given your background it sounds like you were on a bad
day. How much food did you have beforehand? How long
beforehand? What was the temp? Have you climbed anything
similar?

I don't know the hill, but someone like yourself 'should' be
able to go a bit longer, at least..

Once you stopped climbing.. what were your legs like?

hippy

"Albert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I consider myself pretty fit, I ride weekly, and with distances of 50 to 80
Km.

I average around 30 ks an hour.
I have done the fitness test and can do the 3 mile ride in less than 8
minutes , and going by the book, makes me at an advanced level of fitness.
I can sprint up very steep short hills no problems.

However this morning I took my new Trek Road bike up to Mt Cootha, and
started from the Simpsons Falls Area heading towards the TV stations.

Now after around 5 minutes or so I was knackered, my HRM was showing 98%
max
HR, and my legs simply gave out, I could not continue.

I was suprised, I thought I would be able to climb Mt Cootha.

Any riders here that do this climb ?
I mean is it really that hard, or was I just having a bad day.
What sort of gradient is Mt Cootha on average ?

Thanks for any feedback, looks like I will keep to the long flat rolling
hill roads.

Hey Albert,

Maybe you just went at it too hard too soon. I ride about 3 times a week
and only do about 120k's and my average is about 27kph.

I actually did that ride this morning also. I rode in from Mount Gravatt,
around Mt Coot-tha once and then home. I think one lap is about 10k's.
So for me the total trip was just over 44. I averaged about 27 on the
way in but that took a beating once I started the climb. Managed 72kph
on the way down though :-). I just took it steady and tried to keep my
cadence around 80, but today could only manage 75 mostly, which in
some places translated into about 9kph. Average dropped to about 23
after the climb and was just under 25 by the time I got home.

I can't (yet) average 30 so maybe you were just having a bad day. I
would say though that you would need a decent distance to warm up
before you start climbing. I have no idea what the gradient is.

Keep at it. Maybe I'll see you out there some day.

Cheers,
Mick

Hi Hippy, mate it was early this morning, I had food a good hour or so
before hand.
Yes it was a little warm.

I have never climbed a mountain road, but I have climbed many long steep
hills, no problems.

When I returned to the bottom, I felt ok, and did a lazy 20 k ride, felt
great.
Maybe I will try it again, but yes I did find it hard.

I would hate to Climb Alp De Huez, man those guys must be really super fit
to climb Alp De Huez, at an average speed of 28 k's or so.

I wonder if Mt Cootha is about the same gradient ?

Thanks again

Thanks again
"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Albert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I consider myself pretty fit, I ride weekly, and with distances of 50 to

80

Quoted message said:

Km.

I average around 30 ks an hour.
I have done the fitness test and can do the 3 mile ride in less than 8
minutes , and going by the book, makes me at an advanced level of

fitness.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I can sprint up very steep short hills no problems.

However this morning I took my new Trek Road bike up to Mt Cootha, and
started from the Simpsons Falls Area heading towards the TV stations.

Now after around 5 minutes or so I was knackered, my HRM was showing 98%

max

Quoted message said:

HR, and my legs simply gave out, I could not continue.

I was suprised, I thought I would be able to climb Mt Cootha.

Any riders here that do this climb ?
I mean is it really that hard, or was I just having a bad day.
What sort of gradient is Mt Cootha on average ?

Given your background it sounds like you were on a bad
day. How much food did you have beforehand? How long
beforehand? What was the temp? Have you climbed anything
similar?

I don't know the hill, but someone like yourself 'should' be
able to go a bit longer, at least..

Once you stopped climbing.. what were your legs like?

hippy

"Albert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Hippy, mate it was early this morning, I had food a good hour or so
before hand.
Yes it was a little warm.

I have never climbed a mountain road, but I have climbed many long steep
hills, no problems.

<snip>

Maybe just a simple "lack of match fitness"? Try it again tomorrow...and
the next day...and the next.... :-)

Mick said:

"Albert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I consider myself pretty fit, I ride weekly, and with distances of 50 to 80
Km.

I average around 30 ks an hour.
I have done the fitness test and can do the 3 mile ride in less than 8
minutes , and going by the book, makes me at an advanced level of fitness.
I can sprint up very steep short hills no problems.

However this morning I took my new Trek Road bike up to Mt Cootha, and
started from the Simpsons Falls Area heading towards the TV stations.

Now after around 5 minutes or so I was knackered, my HRM was showing 98%
max
HR, and my legs simply gave out, I could not continue.

I was suprised, I thought I would be able to climb Mt Cootha.

Any riders here that do this climb ?
I mean is it really that hard, or was I just having a bad day.
What sort of gradient is Mt Cootha on average ?

Thanks for any feedback, looks like I will keep to the long flat rolling
hill roads.

Hey Albert,

Maybe you just went at it too hard too soon. I ride about 3 times a week
and only do about 120k's and my average is about 27kph.

I actually did that ride this morning also. I rode in from Mount Gravatt,
around Mt Coot-tha once and then home. I think one lap is about 10k's.
So for me the total trip was just over 44. I averaged about 27 on the
way in but that took a beating once I started the climb. Managed 72kph
on the way down though :-). I just took it steady and tried to keep my
cadence around 80, but today could only manage 75 mostly, which in
some places translated into about 9kph. Average dropped to about 23
after the climb and was just under 25 by the time I got home.

I can't (yet) average 30 so maybe you were just having a bad day. I
would say though that you would need a decent distance to warm up
before you start climbing. I have no idea what the gradient is.

Keep at it. Maybe I'll see you out there some day.

Cheers,
Mick

I think it's about 340m elevation, or maybe that's Mt Enoggera, but it's
pretty similar, and if you do Coot-tha anti-clockwise it's about a 3km
climb. I've been up the other side on my MTB quite a few times and the
gearing is much friendlier! Once rode the roadie up clockwise, watched
the sunrise, finished the lap, turned around and went back. Clockwise is
a little steeper but not as long. But mentally anticlockwise is easier
because there's pretty bushland to look at. Entire loop is about 9.5km I
think.

T

PS Just for hippy - I have fond recollections of a woman stopping me at
the tap on the cafe side, asking me "did you run all the way around from
the other side?" and I proudly answered "yep, and it's my second lap."

Albert said:

Hi Hippy, mate it was early this morning, I had food a good hour or so
before hand.
Yes it was a little warm.

I have never climbed a mountain road, but I have climbed many long steep
hills, no problems.

When I returned to the bottom, I felt ok, and did a lazy 20 k ride, felt
great.
Maybe I will try it again, but yes I did find it hard.

I would hate to Climb Alp De Huez, man those guys must be really super fit
to climb Alp De Huez, at an average speed of 28 k's or so.

I wonder if Mt Cootha is about the same gradient ?

Thanks again

[snip]

Quoted message said:

Mt Coot-tha climbs about 200m in about 2km the back way = average 10% gradient = really quite steep. I punch in 300W at 10% gradient on www.analyticcycling.com (85kg) and I'm only going 12km/h!

Don't feel bad - its a steep hill!

Alpe de Huez averages around 8%, but (I believe) the steepest section is near the bottom. Those guys put out closer to 400W for ages at a time!

Ritch

Albert said:

<snip>
I can sprint up very steep short hills no problems.
<snip>
Now after around 5 minutes or so I was knackered, my HRM was showing 98% max
HR, and my legs simply gave out, I could not continue.
<snip>

I don't know this hill but if it's like any other long hill you need to tackle it at a pace you can hold the whole way. Short hills can be sprinted, but then you must recover before you blow up. Five minutes is pretty short in what I call hill climbing. I recon you should try again & start in a really low gear. If you feel your spinning too fast then change up.

"Albert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I consider myself pretty fit, I ride weekly, and with distances of 50 to

80

Quoted message said:

Km.

I average around 30 ks an hour.
I have done the fitness test and can do the 3 mile ride in less than 8
minutes , and going by the book, makes me at an advanced level of fitness.
I can sprint up very steep short hills no problems.

However this morning I took my new Trek Road bike up to Mt Cootha, and
started from the Simpsons Falls Area heading towards the TV stations.

Now after around 5 minutes or so I was knackered, my HRM was showing 98%

max

Quoted message said:

HR, and my legs simply gave out, I could not continue.

I was suprised, I thought I would be able to climb Mt Cootha.

Any riders here that do this climb ?
I mean is it really that hard, or was I just having a bad day.
What sort of gradient is Mt Cootha on average ?

Thanks for any feedback, looks like I will keep to the long flat rolling
hill roads.

From:
http://www.cycle2max.com/

Mt Coot-tha Back.
19 attempts

all time rankings for this climb

1 Mark Lee 0:7:14
2 Murray McClymont 0:8:9
3 todd dawson 0:8:19
4 Danny Smoothy 0:8:51
5 Adam Harrison 0:9:0
6 Garth Rees 0:9:37
7 Ian Gillott 0:9:52
8 Garth Rees 0:9:58
9 Steven Heseltine 0:10:4
10 gordon coon 0:10:8
11 Cobey Parnell 0:10:53
12 Cobey Parnell 0:11:10
13 gordon coon 0:11:22
14 Neil McGuire 0:11:54
15 Adrian J D Mulholland 0:11:59
16 Neil McGuire 0:12:49
17 Martin Tame 0:13:12
18 Neil McGuire 0:16:3
19 David Horton 0:19:15

start point
JC Slaughter Falls sign on right of Mt Coot-tha Rd., rolling start
the route
This way is steeper and relentless compared to the front. I can't get out of
39/25 anywhere.It is a popular training ride, especially doing laps of the
mountain. It is a 50 zone, so kind of safe.....if you do crash, you are sure
to make the news here!!(The TV stations are all lined up along the ridge the
raod follows through the bush).
end point
Crest marked by yellow paint on road just past ABC driveway.

US metric
total distance 1.49 mi 2.39 km
total ascent 735 ft 224 m
starting altitude 65 ft 20 m
finishing altitude 800 ft 244 m

average gradient (%) 10.6

surface type: Hot mix.

==============================

Mt Coot-tha front
12 attempts

all time rankings for this climb

1 Nicholas O 0:8:14
2 Nicholas O 0:8:19
3 Adrian J D Mulholland 0:9:44
4 Adrian J D Mulholland 0:9:51
5 Adrian J D Mulholland 0:10:25
6 Daniel Young 0:12:0
7 Neil McGuire 0:12:9
8 Daniel Young 0:12:18
9 Daniel Young 0:12:30
10 Daniel Young 0:12:37
11 Neil McGuire 0:12:45
12 Lindsay Norval 0:13:31

start point
Rise starts past Planetarium after quarry turn off., rolling start
the route
Steep at the start and always up, some relief in the middle though. About
80% 39 25 though. On Mt Coot-tha road, past Toowong Round about, veer to
left after first (steep) part. UBD 158 ref.
end point
Round about at Summit cafe.

US metric
total distance 1.59 mi 2.56 km
total ascent 801 ft 244 m
starting altitude 0 ft 0 m
finishing altitude 800 ft 244 m

average gradient (%) 10.5

surface type: road 50/50 hotmix/chip.
==============================

Over 10% is steep!

fred said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

From:
http://www.cycle2max.com/

Mt Coot-tha Back.
19 attempts

all time rankings for this climb

1 Mark Lee 0:7:14
2 Murray McClymont 0:8:9
3 todd dawson 0:8:19
4 Danny Smoothy 0:8:51
5 Adam Harrison 0:9:0
6 Garth Rees 0:9:37
7 Ian Gillott 0:9:52
8 Garth Rees 0:9:58
9 Steven Heseltine 0:10:4
10 gordon coon 0:10:8
11 Cobey Parnell 0:10:53
12 Cobey Parnell 0:11:10
13 gordon coon 0:11:22
14 Neil McGuire 0:11:54
15 Adrian J D Mulholland 0:11:59
16 Neil McGuire 0:12:49
17 Martin Tame 0:13:12
18 Neil McGuire 0:16:3
19 David Horton 0:19:15

start point
JC Slaughter Falls sign on right of Mt Coot-tha Rd., rolling start
the route
This way is steeper and relentless compared to the front. I can't get out of
39/25 anywhere.It is a popular training ride, especially doing laps of the
mountain. It is a 50 zone, so kind of safe.....if you do crash, you are sure
to make the news here!!(The TV stations are all lined up along the ridge the
raod follows through the bush).
end point
Crest marked by yellow paint on road just past ABC driveway.

US metric
total distance 1.49 mi 2.39 km
total ascent 735 ft 224 m
starting altitude 65 ft 20 m
finishing altitude 800 ft 244 m

average gradient (%) 10.6

surface type: Hot mix.

==============================

Mt Coot-tha front
12 attempts

all time rankings for this climb

1 Nicholas O 0:8:14
2 Nicholas O 0:8:19
3 Adrian J D Mulholland 0:9:44
4 Adrian J D Mulholland 0:9:51
5 Adrian J D Mulholland 0:10:25
6 Daniel Young 0:12:0
7 Neil McGuire 0:12:9
8 Daniel Young 0:12:18
9 Daniel Young 0:12:30
10 Daniel Young 0:12:37
11 Neil McGuire 0:12:45
12 Lindsay Norval 0:13:31

start point
Rise starts past Planetarium after quarry turn off., rolling start
the route
Steep at the start and always up, some relief in the middle though. About
80% 39 25 though. On Mt Coot-tha road, past Toowong Round about, veer to
left after first (steep) part. UBD 158 ref.
end point
Round about at Summit cafe.

US metric
total distance 1.59 mi 2.56 km
total ascent 801 ft 244 m
starting altitude 0 ft 0 m
finishing altitude 800 ft 244 m

average gradient (%) 10.5

surface type: road 50/50 hotmix/chip.
==============================

Over 10% is steep!

Compare the numbers above - The back way is "relentless" but the average
gradient is virtually the same both ways. This is due to ***starting
from the planetarium instead of JC Slaughter Falls*** when you go up the
front, which is also what you do if you go the back way but ride from
Toowong etc instead of from Bardon. If you cut out Planetarium to
turnoff, I think the average gradient up the front would be much lower.
But I have no altimeter and don't care that much! 🙂

Tam

Albert said:

I consider myself pretty fit, I ride weekly, and with distances of 50 to 80 Km.

I average around 30 ks an hour. I have done the fitness test and can do the 3 mile ride in less than 8 minutes , and going by the book, makes me at an advanced level of fitness. I can sprint up very steep short hills no problems.

However this morning I took my new Trek Road bike up to Mt Cootha, and
started from the Simpsons Falls Area heading towards the TV stations.

Now after around 5 minutes or so I was knackered, my HRM was showing 98% max HR, and my legs simply gave out, I could not continue.

I was suprised, I thought I would be able to climb Mt Cootha.

Any riders here that do this climb ? I mean is it really that hard, or was I just having a bad day. What sort of gradient is Mt Cootha on average ?

Thanks for any feedback, looks like I will keep to the long flat rolling
hill roads.

Mt Cootha comes up quite regularly on aus.bicycle. Check out http://tinyurl.com/4tl8s for one thread. Mark Lee has the fastest time on www.cycle2max.com and that is a wickedly fast time.

It's 2.3km @~10% and 206m from Simpons rd to the top of the hill just past the ABC. Climbing hills is something you can only get better at by doing it regularly but I think the most important thing is to have the right gearing. I'm not a bad climber but I find it much easier to spin with a 25 on the back than grind up in a 21 or 23. A 12-25 cassette is one of the best cycling buys I've ever made. Also go at a steady pace, if you hammer early on the easier part you'll have nothing left for the steeper kick towards the end. I sit mostly and stand for a short while just to work different muscles or if my speed if dropping. One tip I read was to put your hands at the outside of the flats with your elbows out a bit - it can help your breathing. And no matter how f*#ked you are, you HAVE to sprint at the end 🙂 Give it another couple of goes - I reckon on the third attempt you'll [censored] it in.

Cycleogical (shop at west end) is having a 10 lap challenge around Mt Cootha next month - that's going to be murder. They are practicing on saturdays mornings.

Good luck!

Adam

"Tamyka Bell" <[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

But mentally anticlockwise is easier because there's pretty
bushland to look at. Entire loop is about 9.5km I think.

<climbing cynic>
You're not riding hard enough if you notice pretty bushland!
All I notice when climbing anything remotely steep is how
much my sweat stings my eyes! ;-)
</climbing cynic>

Quoted message said:

PS Just for hippy - I have fond recollections of a woman stopping me at
the tap on the cafe side, asking me "did you run all the way around from
the other side?" and I proudly answered "yep, and it's my second lap."

Arrrg! the "r" word! and uphill is just sick.. :-P

hippy

hippy said:

Arrrg! the "r" word! and uphill is just sick.. :-P
hippy

You're not wrong, why run when you can cycle? I stupidly did a 5km charity run thru the city on wednesday night and now I can hardly walk my quads are so sore! Racing at lakeside tomorrow and I'm gonna be toast 🙁

Adam

adam85 said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

It's 2.3km @~10% and 206m from Simpons rd to the top of the hill just
past the ABC. Climbing hills is something you can only get better at by
doing it regularly but I think the most important thing is to have the
right gearing. I'm not a bad climber but I find it much easier to spin
with a 25 on the back than grind up in a 21 or 23. A 12-25 cassette is
one of the best cycling buys I've ever made. Also go at a steady pace,
if you hammer early on the easier part you'll have nothing left for the
steeper kick towards the end. I sit mostly and stand for a short while
just to work different muscles or if my speed if dropping. One tip I
read was to put your hands at the outside of the flats with your elbows
out a bit - it can help your breathing. And no matter how f*#ked you
are, you HAVE to sprint at the end 🙂 Give it another couple of goes -
I reckon on the third attempt you'll [censored] it in.

<snip>

One of my hill-climber friends scoffed at me for always being one cog
easier on the back than her... until I pointed out that I had a 42 on
the front, not a 39, so my 42x17 was about the same as her 39x16.

That being said, I tried to haul my bum up Coot-tha in 42x23 and had no
chance. Good thing I never got around to removing the third chain ring
up the front - a lovely 30! Hmmm, maybe I'm not as hardcore as another
mate who does laps in the big chainring - but I'd like to see him run
two laps of Coot-tha!

T (not bitter at all about a lack of climbing ability...)

Thanks guys and gals for the feedback, yep its pretty steep, but I will try
again.
Wow a 10 lap race around Mt Cootha, now thats sounds hard, I wanna see that,
anyone know the date ?
Cheers,
"Tamyka Bell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

adam85 said:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

It's 2.3km @~10% and 206m from Simpons rd to the top of the hill just
past the ABC. Climbing hills is something you can only get better at by
doing it regularly but I think the most important thing is to have the
right gearing. I'm not a bad climber but I find it much easier to spin
with a 25 on the back than grind up in a 21 or 23. A 12-25 cassette is
one of the best cycling buys I've ever made. Also go at a steady pace,
if you hammer early on the easier part you'll have nothing left for the
steeper kick towards the end. I sit mostly and stand for a short while
just to work different muscles or if my speed if dropping. One tip I
read was to put your hands at the outside of the flats with your elbows
out a bit - it can help your breathing. And no matter how f*#ked you
are, you HAVE to sprint at the end 🙂 Give it another couple of goes -
I reckon on the third attempt you'll [censored] it in.

<snip>

One of my hill-climber friends scoffed at me for always being one cog
easier on the back than her... until I pointed out that I had a 42 on
the front, not a 39, so my 42x17 was about the same as her 39x16.

That being said, I tried to haul my bum up Coot-tha in 42x23 and had no
chance. Good thing I never got around to removing the third chain ring
up the front - a lovely 30! Hmmm, maybe I'm not as hardcore as another
mate who does laps in the big chainring - but I'd like to see him run
two laps of Coot-tha!

T (not bitter at all about a lack of climbing ability...)

Tamyka Bell said:

adam85 wrote:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

It's 2.3km @~10% and 206m from Simpons rd to the top of the hill just
past the ABC. Climbing hills is something you can only get better at by
doing it regularly but I think the most important thing is to have the
right gearing. I'm not a bad climber but I find it much easier to spin
with a 25 on the back than grind up in a 21 or 23. A 12-25 cassette is
one of the best cycling buys I've ever made. Also go at a steady pace,
if you hammer early on the easier part you'll have nothing left for the
steeper kick towards the end. I sit mostly and stand for a short while
just to work different muscles or if my speed if dropping. One tip I
read was to put your hands at the outside of the flats with your elbows
out a bit - it can help your breathing. And no matter how f*#ked you
are, you HAVE to sprint at the end 🙂 Give it another couple of goes -
I reckon on the third attempt you'll [censored] it in.

<snip>

One of my hill-climber friends scoffed at me for always being one cog
easier on the back than her... until I pointed out that I had a 42 on
the front, not a 39, so my 42x17 was about the same as her 39x16.

That being said, I tried to haul my bum up Coot-tha in 42x23 and had no
chance. Good thing I never got around to removing the third chain ring
up the front - a lovely 30! Hmmm, maybe I'm not as hardcore as another
mate who does laps in the big chainring - but I'd like to see him run
two laps of Coot-tha!

T (not bitter at all about a lack of climbing ability...)

Crikey! I climbed Mt Cootha once as a teenager. (On a holiday from
Perth). Clockwise, cause i didn't know better and running a 39x18 as my
lowest gear! I'm starting to suspect that may be why I broke the sole
of one my Sidi shoes. It snapped completely through in line with the
slot in the cleat (this was a long time ago...)

Brett

"Albert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks guys and gals for the feedback, yep its pretty steep, but I will
try
again.
Wow a 10 lap race around Mt Cootha, now thats sounds hard, I wanna see
that,
anyone know the date ?

It's just a challenge not a proper race but it's on Sunday 12 December - not
sure of the time. Practice is sat am 6:30 from the shop.

Adam