[martinsynapse]

Hey all, I’m planning to ride up Mount Teide in Tenerrife next month from Pueto de La Cruz. (28 miles up, 7k ft climb). Any tips from anyone else who’s done it? 

• ways of training in advance (in the UK)? What, how often, how hard?
• clothing to wear (how to handle potential large swings in temp.)?
• food at the top, around the cable car?

 

Topic

[martinsynapse]

That’s great advice, thank

That’s great advice, thank you! I have ridden up Great Dun Fell twice + a bunch of the big climbs in the Lakes (Honister, Wrynose, Hardknott, The Struggle etc) so I expect this to be like those but a) much longer and b) lower gradient.

Great Dun Fell & Honister are less enjoyable on the down because they are single track with tight curves, so you could easily find yourself doing 35+ mph into blind bends + facing tourist car traffic head on. Teide is at least one lane up, one lane down (the route I am taking). 

Great shout re the temp drop: mountains are powerful and changeable. I’m planning to pack gloves + glasses. I’m just trying to think about how I pack something long sleeve without taking on too much extra weight.

[Daveyraveygravey]

I haven’t ridden up Teide,

I haven’t ridden up Teide, but I have ridden a couple of the Alps and one in Abruzzo that are 2000m of climbing and 20-30 km long. 

If you’ve never ridden one of these climbs, it can be a bit of a shock.  Spending an hour or two in your bottom gear, the only relief you get is either stopping or getting out of the saddle for a few metres.  When you add in possible high temps and direct sunlight, it can be a bit of a mind over matter job.  However the sense of achievement at getting to the top, and the views on the way there will make it all worthwhile.  Bear in mind it could be 30 degrees at the bottom, and 10 or lower at the top.  I have found in the past that temp drop is ok so long as you are climbing, but if you stop at the top you will get cold quickly, and the descent will also be cold. 

You might also find the descent less enjoyable than expected.  You’ll likely be on the drops all the way down, with your weight going through your wrists.

[martinsynapse]

Duncanap wrote:

Duncanap wrote:

I think that the reality is that a month is not long enough to train to improve your performance 

So, I ride about 70 miles a week but I started recently adding two sessions of just loops of the steepest hills around here for an hour. Given when I started and when I’m going, I should get two sessions of 1h a week in for 8 weeks. The “neuromuscular” bar in the Estimated Power Zones histogram is twice the size of my normal rides, so I’m hoping it’s doing something…

Just trying to find out from folk who have ridden Teide before if that’s enough or I should do more?

[Pilot Pete]

I’ve ridden it. Started at

I’ve ridden it. Started at the bike shop by the airport on a hire bike, and it is uphill from there!

Training wise? Well, nothing specific. If you just ride your bike plenty on flat and hills at home you won’t have a problem. It’s just a relentless long steady drag. None of it is particularly steep, just a steady gradient, so once you hit the climb proper, just stick it in a low gear and twiddle away.

The surface was fantastic smooth tarmac (was about 5yrs ago mind you) as I recall. I rode along the ridge past the radar station and turned back down a wonderful twisty descent towards Güímar and back along the coast. All in i think it was nigh on 100 miles.

It was misty and chilly on the top, I stopped at the restaurant for refreshments and some food, from what I recall the food was crap – just a plate of pasta with a watery Bologna sauce, but I needed it! I did stop at a cafe on the way up for a coffee and cake and to top up my water bottles.

Clothing wise, I just had summer kit plus arm warmers and gilet. The first part of the descent was a bit chilly, but bearable. It was late January when I did it.

[duncanap]

Clothing is a very personal

Clothing is a very personal thing. I find I can climb in just a base layer/jersey/bib shorts down to about 10 degC if it is dry.

For descending I like to be a bit warmer so generally carry wind proof gilet, arm warmers, thin full finger gloves, and thin gore toe covers. But I have also seen people descend with just a newspaper down the front of their jersey on big descents like tourmalet.

I use a top tube bag to carry gloves/food/arm warmers if my pockets are getting a bit full. If you are going to do this make sure you can climb standing without your knees hitting the bag, thats just annoying on a long climb where you need to move from seated to standing every now and then for comfort.

[duncanap]

That should be a really cool

That should be a really cool experience. I have never done that climb but have done plenty of long climbs in the alpes etc. I think that the reality is that a month is not long enough to train to improve your performance – but perhaps riding the long climbs on zwift could get you used to long sustained efforts but I would say not more than once per week to avoid building too much fatigue unless you are already training seriously.

For me on a long climb the key is pacing, to know how hard I can push and stay in an aerobic zone – if you have a power meter then do you know what power you can hold for an hour or more? If not then at least having a heart rate monitor would help you to pace yourself and avoid going too hard and spoiling the experience. The advice to stop and take a break is definitely good advice as well.

Pay attention to weather forecast, don’t forget your sunscreen, and take plenty of water/drinks. I would say 2x 1 litre bottles.

it looks from the profile on line that there are a couple of 8% sections – do you have gearing you can manage that kind of gradient easily? I use 50/34 chain rings, and an 11/34 cassette, but your choice will depend on your fitness and how much you weigh.

If there are other cyclists on the climb, you can use them to help yourself keep going if you are struggling – but be careful not to get sucked into racing someone who is climbing faster than you can manage.  

I hope you have a great experience.

[bobbinogs]

Bearing in mind that I

Bearing in mind that I suspect you are not in a race…when you need a break, take one.  Phones are good for this since you can pretend to be taking some nice piccies and feel no shame from anyone passing!  Ultimately, it’s a big hill, get over it 

[Author]

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