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Alpsman bike selection
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I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with the Alpsman half ironman bike course. In particular how technical is the downhill? I'm trying to decide between TT and road bike with clip on bars. The TT bike seems the logical choice but I don't want to be the dork spending half the ride on the bullhorns so I can brake. Course profile shows straight up and down over mountain passes. I'm coming from the US and have ridden in the Rockies, also some Alps, Pyrenees, and Ventoux but all on road bike. I wouldn't enjoy coming down Ventoux on a TT bike. In fact my road bike (ultra butted Seven) got high-speed shimmy and I had to stop!
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Re: Alpsman bike selection [3kids4bikes] [ In reply to ]
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Hi,

I was registered for the full distance Alpsman but can't make the new date...My 2 cents below, I am used to rinding my TT and road bikes. Hope this helps

I am familiar with this bike course, as I have ridden it in a "cyclosportive" multiple times. I would not call these descents very technical, but I am accustomed to riding in the French Alps, pretty much a local. Road surface is overall pretty good on this course. Same degree of technicality as Nice Ironman or Nice 70.3 descents I would say. Way more technical than Ventoux though, where the road is pretty much straight on every side.

The thoughest part of this course for me is from "Village du châtelard". You think you're done, but there are pinches all over and always false flats.

For more data points, I averaged c.50km/h on 8-10kms in these descents. To me, this indicates fast not very technical descents. For reference if it can help, I have digged out an old strava file from this exact same course I believe and you can see the speed in the descent segments: https://www.strava.com/activities/1155356386/

All these considerations aside, I would never even start considering riding my TT on this bike course. I don't think you can spend more than 20% of the time in the aero position (no way you're on the aerobars in the descents) and you're adding weight. Personal preference obviously, but for me, road bike every time. I would not even add clip-on bars.

On another note, it can get super cold up there at the end of September. Bring a warm jacket and gloves, especially for the descents.

It doesn't get easier, you just get slower
https://mymsracesironman.home.blog/
Last edited by: Kampinou: May 17, 21 5:08
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Re: Alpsman bike selection [Kampinou] [ In reply to ]
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Hi,

I have done the full race in 2019 and I completely agree with your message.
It doesn't feel like the good race to use a TT bike.

I decided to put the clip-on-bars, and was able to use them but not very often (still it helped).

The Half seems different from the full especially without the Semnoz at the start.
But I will choose the same configuration.
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Re: Alpsman bike selection [Kampinou] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks both for the great feedback. This is exactly what I wanted to know!

Nicolas - that Strava post is really helpful especially showing % grade on the different sections. Sorry to hear you can't make it for the new date.
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Re: Alpsman bike selection [3kids4bikes] [ In reply to ]
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I did the race in 2016 (? 1st edition). I ride my TT bike almost all the time, but I opted for road bike, no clip-ons for this one.
There are about 10km in the race where I regretted not having the TT bike, and about 170km where I was reaaaaaally happy to be on a road bike. The course is not fast. At all.
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Re: Alpsman bike selection [3kids4bikes] [ In reply to ]
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The race starts in St Jorioz where we lived for 3 years. I have biked and raced that whole area-our XC ski area-La Ferclaz-is at the top of Col de Plainpalais. I would caution you not to use your TT bike. Have a great time-this is my old club that is hosting.
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Re: Alpsman bike selection [3kids4bikes] [ In reply to ]
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We've stayed around St Jorioz a few times and ridden the local area, AND I have this race on my radar, but I would never do it on a TT bike. Road bike all the way for me!

For those that have done the full distance race and finished with a run up the Semnoz, how was that run?
Last edited by: WhittleFit: May 18, 21 12:55
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Re: Alpsman bike selection [WhittleFit] [ In reply to ]
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awful!!

Not for the scenery which is amazing but because of my state.
I had an hypoglycemia issue and it took me a long time to reach the top!!

But in a normal state, this is the kind of race I loved. After the bell, it is an off-road run on a small track and you are surrounded by the forest until you reached the last 3km where you can have a beautiful view on the lake (where you have started the race) and the mountains around.
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Re: Alpsman bike selection [NiceTriathlete] [ In reply to ]
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Excellent to see a consensus on bike choice. I'm leaving the TT machine at home. Thanks for all the input! Now to try training for this beast in the relative flatlands of Boston.
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