couldn't believe it when you said 39 inner ring, i almost laughed. should have been on a 36 even just looking at the profile and distance. Hope you have improved your strategy even if your fitness was up to it.
The best video guide to Taiwan KOM over the years for average cyclist. I agree that 39/32 is not really adequate for the last 10K, compact 34/32 should be better.
Cycling is such a nice sports that one can keep on riding, even competitively, disregarding getting aged. Eastern Taiwan is gorgeous region! When you visit it, take some time to adore the nature.
@@EskoLius 5 years later and I'm going to Taiwan - work related trip that allowed me to align with the KOM challenge. different route after the earthquake, and also hoping to stay ahead of the broom wagon!
Need to ask my wife if this is open to the public to ride on none KOM days like this. In person Tarako Gorge is insanely beautiful. I hope to see it again one day.
Thanks Scott, it was extraordinary! It'd be great to ride it again next year, with better training and equipment. Maybe I should check out the local job market to have the opportunity to live there for a while...
Thanks for you comment! Here's some insight of analyzing fitness levels, also regarding TaiwanKOM Challenge: fillari.blogspot.com/2018/09/analyze-your-current-fitness-and.html
Gracias! Now I want to keep fit during the winter, firstly to be fit enough to enjoy riding in Andalucia in Feb, then improving fitness to take part in some European sportive during the summer, eg. La Pyrénéenne.
Ten days in Nerja, and I'll take my road bike with me. I've already checked out some possible road rides in Sierra Tejeda, for example roads A 7207/7206 and N-340 in the West and A-4050 in the East. Unfortunately it is a little long way from Sierra Nevada, but would love to ride there too. Do buses allow bikes? It would mean quicker transit to climbs starting eg. from Los Tablones or Granada.
Malaga/Nerja is near my home town. You can find some good roads over there. Don't worry about Sierra Nevada. In February that'll be impossible. Its a ski station (One of the greatest in Spain) and that month snow should be high. Between june and august/early sept you can climb with your bike to the very top of the Veleta in Sierra Nevada (one of the highest mountains in Spain, around 3.400m), but not in feb.Usually in Spain buses don't allow bikes and as far as I know Malaga or Granada are no exception. You'll find lots of bikers here but bike culture in general population need some polish. Malaga´s weather is soft and probably you'll find great routes. There's lots of Malaga routes on Strava.
Do you think this could be a nice route to ride: maps.app.goo.gl/?link=goo.gl/maps/xiZimmqHaKD2?Dapp-invite%26mt%3D8%26pt%3D9008%26DSIMPLE%26Ds2e-ai%26ct%3Ds2e-ai&apn=com.google.android.apps.maps&amv=703000000&isi=585027354&ibi=com.google.Maps&ius=comgooglemapsurl&mt=8&pt=9008&SIMPLE&ct=s2e-ai&invitation_id=493454522602-e287be4e-bdf6-4c2e-83cc-ba4bbd081ac0
Soomom Cycling Club thank you so much for positive feedback. Set challenges that are beyond your comfort zone and gradually you find achieving something you had only been dreaming of!
Great video capturing this epic ride. The suffering on the last 10 km is just indescribable. And as we always strive to improve I will give it my third shot next year again. Hope that you come again and do another video.
I'll never be a Grimpeur, but I guess it helps to know the route. I'm planning to join you next October, this time training for it properly, and having a shorter gear set. Must have more cameras next time, too :)
36-32 would be ok as the shortest gear but I'll take 34-32 next time. Now I had 39-32. Knowing your both HR thresholds (aer & anaer) helps a lot, and even better if you've got a calibrated power meter. I haven't been to real FTP test for some years now. Estimated FTP for the first hour of free pace riding was approx 220W which might be close to real. For 20 mins I have only the questimate of Zwift and smart trainer, stating 300W but thats only playing with figures. I can ride quite well knowing my FTHR (hours if keeping it just below 150, 51y old, max 180).
I had 34 - 32 on both rides. Still wished I had easier gearing. Next year will be either 34-34 or even a negative set up. Need to shed more weight too to go sub 80 or even dream level 75kg. And that’s just needed for the last 10k. The first 90k are manageable.
Ah, that's a good question. Definitely, I'd have more mileage under my belt before the event and I'd have shorter gears. Also, maybe, I might start a tad more conservatively using a power meter. In a race like situation, one (me) doesn't listen to legs and easily gets carried away without observing Watts compared to FTP.
Congratulations on a epic ride. Very nice video. I saw you posted a 39/32 low gear. To save some suffering see if you can put a 34/34. I would not try that without a 22/36 as a low gear. Thanks for stopping to get the view of the valley
Thanks! It wasn't possible to change the crankset for the rent bike. If I go there next year, I'll take my own with 34/32. That'd be enough. I see now that I hadn't trainer these long rides this year and I consumed my energy in four hours.
Haha, and think that above 3000 m we had double digit climb sections with all the effort already in the legs, and with so little oxygen to inhale. But definitely, I'd do it again :)
It would be awesome! Unfortunately can't attend this year. Btw, it could be that without the help of the wonderful spectators who gave me a push 150m from the finish I would have walked pushing my bike the last climb. So a big hand to them!
Chan Michael Thanks! I’d love to reride it this year. Now I have a good basic training season done and the length of the ride wouldn’t be a problem at all (if I can continue riding through the summer without issues).
GoPro is quite conservative on the battery life estimations of Hero4 Session: gopro.com/help/articles/Question_Answer/HERO4-Session-Battery-life but I got over 2hrs (720p/wifi off), and when took in 5-20 mins sections it covered the 7 hours well (32 Gb card)
Well done! After doing my first century last year, the London-Surrey 100, I went through everything you did... But the sense of personal achievement. Well done!
There are two parts: first 85k is enjoying (albeit hard), and for a layman the rest 20k is very challenging. GoPro Hero 4 Session, 720p 60fps. It really makes a difference to use higher frame rate than 30: gives you a lot smoother video.
The Taipei rental had my exact bike fitting measurements and agreed that I'll get a bike to my needs - but it happened that the bike was too small. Not very much but something one pays attention to more and more after every kilometre. (eg. saddle height 1.5 cm too low)
Specialized Tarmac with Roval CLX40 wheelset. Very good bike but the standard crankset was not very suitable. That's why I most likely take my own Bianchi Oltre XR2 with me next year, with 52/34 in front and a 11-32 cassette.
Sure, here: www.strava.com/athletes/275813 Now, next I'm doing some basic riding/training for six weeks and then to the mountains of Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands.
Hi, yes at least that was it last year. I know that the broom wagon caught some riders (even slower than me) and at least some of those who insisted they keep on riding were allowed to finish.
spongebob tentacles, I rented a Specialized S-Works Roubaix (Disc) from Specialized Taipei (fb) in the Zhongshan District. It’s several thousands, depending on where you buy and what currency :) My own Bianchi Oltre (see fillari.blogspot.com/p/fillarit.html ) would have been perfect but I couldn’t take it with me.
Fantastic video, you should be well proud of yourself!! I'm gonna try my luck in the alps this summer, I hope to put the Taiwan KOM on my agenda somewhere in the future.
InnoOmniaEDU Good to hear you're coming back! I have 34-32 already so my bike is ready, but my body and legs still need (some, or a lot of?) work. Maybe 2019?
I never doubted you. But you should pace it slower on flats and descents and fuel up properly. You might be 15-30 minutes slower with far less doubts and suffering
Esko Lius i see your point, I had forgotten the summit medal granting timeline which is different than the actual lantern rouge. Your video is a good representation of the ‘ups and downs’ - both literally and figuratively of Taroko Challenge. No question it is a long slog up, but it is not murderous ramps until AFTER the descent into the final portion. So, you knew that and played it smart enough. And I think it is very critical that anyone of our level - fit, enthusiastic but not categorized should be very measured to save enough for the final 8-10 tough kms. I saw you passing quite a number of cyclists walking up the final 5-10 kms.
Will Eigo thank you, it is very nice to have your comment particularly as you were there too! Reading you is line reliving it again. I had made a plan and followed it until the steep parts. Taking it a tad easier in the beginning might have help - or not, timewise. I think that during the ride I did it right. My advice to everyone: shorter gears is the key (expecting you have the fitness and stamina).
Esko Lius you seem to have a climber’s bike with electronic shifting, so yes, your comment on 39 small ring was accurate. Go with 36 or 34 with 32 on back, for 80 km, some spinning is necessary to keep flow of oxygen in legs
it’s a really tough road in Taiwan , but also a unbelievable beautiful road.About 60 years ago,They built it for connecting the eastern side and western side of Taiwan .Many war veterans sacrificed.
I agree that was weak 😅 Still, TaiwanKOM is very different from your 64k 3h 1000VAM. The latter is easy and can't be multiplied mathematically in order to understand TaiwanKOM. Comparing my current fitness to last October, I would've shaved off quite a lot: fillari.blogspot.com/2018/09/analyze-your-current-fitness-and.html
