Mt Tiede - how difficult?
Discussion
http://www.strava.com/activities/173961926#4057651...
I've been there twice now and it's great. Not being a mountain goat myself I was happy enough with the time up there, around 55 mins vs 51mins or so for a guy I know who is a very good climber. We went faster by a few minutes but my 800 lost the data. The climb is ok as you can get into a rhythm but it can get very hot at the top where the trees overhang. Best thing to do is just hold power and sweat it out. A really good workout is climbing from Los Cristianos to Teide, 35km and 2200m of elevation from sea level. Best of all the descent is mega, we had the 1/2 down there for a while but some nut job got the better of us, next time on standard gearing I'll be quicker
Hell of a place....we always rent a place from a mate of ours and it works out €300 or so each for a week out there. Utterly brilliant place to ride....unless you want it to be flat
I've been there twice now and it's great. Not being a mountain goat myself I was happy enough with the time up there, around 55 mins vs 51mins or so for a guy I know who is a very good climber. We went faster by a few minutes but my 800 lost the data. The climb is ok as you can get into a rhythm but it can get very hot at the top where the trees overhang. Best thing to do is just hold power and sweat it out. A really good workout is climbing from Los Cristianos to Teide, 35km and 2200m of elevation from sea level. Best of all the descent is mega, we had the 1/2 down there for a while but some nut job got the better of us, next time on standard gearing I'll be quicker
Hell of a place....we always rent a place from a mate of ours and it works out €300 or so each for a week out there. Utterly brilliant place to ride....unless you want it to be flat
Thanks for the reply guys
I've a BMC booked from Bike Point for four days, planning on climbing Teide on day two once I've gotten accustomed to the roads.
Nervously excited, I believe the bike comes with a 32t so I've a major bail out gear if it comes to it!
Thankfully I've switched to continental braking so there should be no nasty surprises at the first hair pin.
Is the hotel at Parador quite happy to let cyclists top up with water or is it not encouraged?
I've a BMC booked from Bike Point for four days, planning on climbing Teide on day two once I've gotten accustomed to the roads.
Nervously excited, I believe the bike comes with a 32t so I've a major bail out gear if it comes to it!
Thankfully I've switched to continental braking so there should be no nasty surprises at the first hair pin.
Is the hotel at Parador quite happy to let cyclists top up with water or is it not encouraged?
Made it
An amazing day on the bike and one that sat on the beach looking up at the mountain behind me, I'm still not sure I managed!
The bike came with 36/32 gearing and I'm not ashamed to say I spent the vast majority of the ascent in that gear, there was no way I was pushing too hard and having to abandon the attempt. From Vilaflor to the 2100m point is hard going, especially as I had no real idea how far it was to the summit, it really does appear out of nowhere.
Riding through the crater is spectacular even if the road surface is terrible, final climb to the the hotel had me cursing all the way up!
Climbing out of the crater on the return leg was tough, although not especially steep it took the last bit of zap I had in my legs away. I did meet Team Sky coming the opposite way, was nice to get a 'cyclists wave' from them and it gave my morale that little boost!
The descent is spectacular, although the BMC I had isn't quite as composed in the bends as my Wilier it was still hugely enjoyable, through the trees to Vilaflor being a highlight. Looking back at Strava afterwards I really wish I'd pushed just that little harder.
A few people mentioned bringing a gilet and arm warmers, I didn't bother and I'm glad I didn't, temp at the coast was 27c and it was warm all the way up including at the top, I certainly didn't feel any chill despite being in a thin merino jersey.
Fantastic day and its whetted my appetite for further monster climbs.
An amazing day on the bike and one that sat on the beach looking up at the mountain behind me, I'm still not sure I managed!
The bike came with 36/32 gearing and I'm not ashamed to say I spent the vast majority of the ascent in that gear, there was no way I was pushing too hard and having to abandon the attempt. From Vilaflor to the 2100m point is hard going, especially as I had no real idea how far it was to the summit, it really does appear out of nowhere.
Riding through the crater is spectacular even if the road surface is terrible, final climb to the the hotel had me cursing all the way up!
Climbing out of the crater on the return leg was tough, although not especially steep it took the last bit of zap I had in my legs away. I did meet Team Sky coming the opposite way, was nice to get a 'cyclists wave' from them and it gave my morale that little boost!
The descent is spectacular, although the BMC I had isn't quite as composed in the bends as my Wilier it was still hugely enjoyable, through the trees to Vilaflor being a highlight. Looking back at Strava afterwards I really wish I'd pushed just that little harder.
A few people mentioned bringing a gilet and arm warmers, I didn't bother and I'm glad I didn't, temp at the coast was 27c and it was warm all the way up including at the top, I certainly didn't feel any chill despite being in a thin merino jersey.
Fantastic day and its whetted my appetite for further monster climbs.
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