Climbed Lemmon several times and lots of other Alpine peaks (but never Ventoux although I grew up in the area). I find Lemmon to be a super easy climb with Ski Run Road being the only real climbing. The thing you have to be most prepared for is the humidity and batting away/trying not to swallow flies. Make sure to have lots of drink and gels, you will sweat way more.

If you have a smart trainer jump on a Fulgaz.com - they have Ventoux from both sides.

who has climbed either, and has climbed onion valley? paul thomas. who else?

let me know when you're ready for a man's climb.

---

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Which climb are you doing there? Bedoin? Mulecene? Or sault? (which is kind of like bedoin)

warning front door brag!
My friend and I did all 3 in one day a few years ago now. There was, at that time, something called CLUB CINGLESE (sp?) .. i would have to find the certificate.. but you can register with them and then you get a card punched at the bottom in each town, and at the top to prove you did it. They had a website and put your name on it if you make it in one day.
I wasn't huge into garmins and strava back then, but I wish I had those climbs in my history...

Anyways, that area is spectacular and the climb is iconic.
from memory...
From bedoin, where most go from, including the tour, the start was fairly mundane. You know you are going up but it didn't feel like the climb. if that makes sense. Then it gets grippy and the shade from the trees was much needed. The painted roads, other cyclists and when I was there, tour fans made it an incredible experience. The tour went up the next day.
Once you come out of the trees the temp can drop but the wind def will pick up and even though you can see the top, it never seems to come. Pretty steady inclines from that point forward vs pitchy a bit earlier.
The last kick before the top is just super steep. Our first climb that morning took us 90min.

Hope you have a great time and soak it all in.
It was one the best days ever for me on the bike.
Although the mulecene climb being the last one was a true sufferfest.

daved

I have done both, lived in Tucson from 86-91. Loved to leave from the University hospital and head up to Mt. Lemmon,

Lemmon is a great climb but I was never hoping I would get a flat so I could abandon. Mont Ventoux was significantly harder. Hoped for a flat much of the way.

Climbing from Bedoin there is a very difficult section in the forest for 2 kilometers and then when you exit the trees and turn left at Chalet Reynard it is quite windy. There was snow along the rodes and it was cold and foggy at the top. I froze my tail off descending to Sault and then made a second ascent, which was easier.

Descending was nerve racking with rim brakes, I was worried about blowing a tire. I would love to go back and do the third ascent. I tried the next day but got up 2/3 of the way and the road was blocked by bulldozers because it had not been cleared of snow any farther. This was in late April.

You will love it, just bring extra clothes for the descent, I was glad I had them

Like any steep climb that is long, just make sure you have the right gearing so you are not pushing past your threshold on the climb and it won't seem as bad. You start pushing well above threshold on the steeper sections and the climb will be a nightmare towards the end. So go with a compact 36x28 and be prepared for a slower cadence on the really steep sections.

I have climbed both; thought Ventoux was harder. In fact, much harder for at least 3 reasons (specific to me). It was hotter with terrible heat wave throughout France, we had been riding pretty hard for about a week, and we 'raced' it (several friends). Worked in Tucson for awhile and usually biked it 'fresh'. Ventoux harder.

I've done both. Ventoux from the Sault side, which is the easier way. If memory serves it's about a 14k approach that's quite similar to Lemmon (and far more scenic), so far as moderate pitch that you can ride pretty fast. After the Chalet it's the same nasty 6 or so k to the top as the "hard" side, with ramps and often headwinds.

http://www.clubcinglesventoux.org/en/club.html
cinglé = loony

that fits...my friend was pretty loony and made me do all kinds of crazy stuff all over the planet.

ill have to check the site and see if our names are there.

thanks

daved

Have fun and smile if you are doing Ventoux. It is a tough climb
I have done both Lemon and Ventoux (along with most of the climbs in the Pyrenees and Alps). Ventoux from Bedion is WAY WAY harder than Lemon. It is one of the most famous and toughest Tour climbs in France. I would recommend not descending to Bedoin but descend down to Malaucene. It is safer and a nice ride back around to Bedion.
There used to be a candy shop on top (make sure you bring some money as you might want some sweets as a reward if its still there)

Ventoux averages 7.6% gradient with some steep ramps in sections. Lemmon averages 3.6% and the road rarely goes above 6% even on the switchbacks. So if you use the same gearing, Ventoux would feel almost twice as difficult.

But the point I was trying to make is that you need to choose easier gearing so you are not grinding at 50rpms on the steep sections of Ventoux or you will suffer badly. Which is why a compact crank is a must if you plan to do anything but race up it. But if you used a powermeter and rode both climbs at similar power levels, they wouldn't really feel much different. The thing is, most riders don't do this, they tend to go way too hard at the beginning and pay for it later.