{"id":4289,"date":"2010-04-19T10:47:08","date_gmt":"2010-04-19T09:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/?p=4289"},"modified":"2010-04-19T10:47:08","modified_gmt":"2010-04-19T09:47:08","slug":"my-own-private-alp-dhuez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/2010\/04\/my-own-private-alp-dhuez\/","title":{"rendered":"My own Private Alp D’Huez"},"content":{"rendered":"

The triathlon<\/a> looms ever closer and Jay, Brad, Matt and Beale all seem to be doing loads of secret training, so I thought I’d better get out there on my road bike again to get used to it.<\/p>\n

Last time I went out on the road bike it was OK, but I didn’t feel that confortbale or confident on it and when I reached any hills I felt as though I needed more gears<\/a>. So yesterday I decided to do a longer ride that took in a proper hill.<\/p>\n

I headed out from home, into Borth and then along Glanfred lane to Talybont, from there I took the mountain road to Nant y Moch. Not the steepest hill around but in the glorious sunshine with the road snaking up the hill in front of me it felt like my own private little Alp D’Huez.<\/p>\n

With my 42×21 gearing there was no way I could get up it in the saddle so I was out of the saddle and going at a slow pace all the way up. It wasn’t that bad to be honest and I soon reached the top. I didn’t see any cars, but I did overtake one guy on a mountain bike. It wasn’t fast, it wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t that steep but I did at least make it!<\/p>\n

If you click on the ‘View Details’ link in the Garmin Connect preview below you can see (unsurprisingly) more details, including the Elevation chart which does make it look quite steep!<\/p>\n

I then headed off around the gorgeous road that follows Nant y Moch and then dropped down into Ponterwyd. Other than the mountain-biker that I passed on the climb I didn’t see a single person or car for the whole trip between Talybont and Ponterwyd. I then joined the main road for the climb up out of Ponterwyd to Nant yr Arian before dropping back down along the main road to Capel Bangor, Lovesgrove and then on through Bow Street, Llandre, Borth and back home.<\/p>\n

A nice loop of just over 38 miles and I felt fine.<\/p>\n