A 5:35 at LP is a 175 watt (plus/minus a little) ride. From what I see, Lanzarote is MUCH steeper and with more of it. I have yet to read a race report from Lanza from someone saying, "Darn. I wish I didn't bring that 27. I really only needed a 23."

Check this thread from last week:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/...tring=cadence;#66382

IMO it depends on what kind of bike you'll bring to the island. If you use a road bike, I think a 54/39 and 13/25 will be fine. On the other hand, if you choose to do it on a tri bike I think that a 14/27 rear cassette would be better.

Last year I raced with a road bike with 54/39 and 13/25 and I was glad I had that 25 when I was going uphill in strong headwinds at 6mph.

I haven't decided what bike I'll bring this year yet, but I'm leaning heavily toward the road one.

The problem in Lanzarote are not the climbs, you have only two real nasty ones (Mirador del Haria and Mirador del Rio), but the wind. Last year I went for a ride a few days before the race and there was such a strong headwind that I was forced to push hard with the 39/25 on a flat stretch. Consider that I'm 6'2'' 185lbs, not exactly a midget.

You'll be fine on 53/19 - 12/23, Wind can be strong, I wouldn't use a 54 - a 52 or 53 would be fine. Nothing to steep to climb. I'd be surprised if you went below 39x21....

I may be looking at this race long term (like 2005 or 2006). What did you make of it ?

I loved every single minute of it and I'm coming back this year. The bike is hard but not overwhelming (Nice is a lot worse IMO) and you can have a great day out there even if you're not Lance.
The island is fabolous, the organization is first class from start to finish and the landscape you see in the bike ride is worth by itself the pain and hassle you go through getting ready for it.
One thing though, if you don't fancy strong nasty winds, don't even bother. Sometimes you feel like the wind is blowing from within.
Check my story about last year race and should you need more info send me a private email, I'll be glad to help you in any way I can.
Filippo
http://www.slowtwitch.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?post=29552;search_string=search_string;#29552

It sounds brutal but superb. I'm only going long once and I'd like it to be memorable. The run sounds a bit plain (although flat is good !!!). Were there good crowds of supporters ? Are punctures more common on this course compared to others ?

Thanks for the input everyone!

I'm going to be riding a 76 degree bike pushed back to about 74.5-75.0 degrees. I've decided to go with drop bars, but with bar-end shifters. I like bar-end shifters, but felt the drop bar would be better for climbing (I'm riding a hed aerobar), and better on the decents.

I'm running 10spd so I'll go for either a 12-25 or 12-27. Does anyone know if I need a long cage rear derailleur for a 27?

Thanks again!

Kelly

I don't mind spelling errors, "your" when it's "you're" and vice-versa, but what really makes me go through the roof is when I see a bike setup with drop bars and bar-end shifters... But maybe that's just me...



Paulo

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"Yeah, no one likes a smartass, but we all like stars" - Thom Yorke


smartasscoach.tri-oeiras.com

I agree Paulo. It just seems wrong to have bar-end shifters with a drop bar. I've never ridden like this before, but I'm going to give it a go in training and hopefullly use it at the race.

Kelly

At 6 mph you were turning your 39/25 at a little under 50 rpm. That would not be my way to survive a tough IM. It would fry my legs.

Your standard setup will work fine.

Thanks Julian,

I'm going to go with the 27. Lanzarote is not my goal race for the year, so the 27 should make life a little easier for me.

Kelly

I did fry my legs, by consider that it was only for a few hundred meters, when the wind was really strong and you had people literally wobbling and struggling to keep their feet on the pedals.

The run is kinda plain but it's not flat at all. It's undulating and by the 3rd time around you start feeling it in your legs. Crowds are okay if somewhat indifferent to what's going on (most of the people in the many bars along the course were more interested in the FA Cup match between Arsenal and some low tier team), but those around the finish area are quite into it and give you a major boost every time you reach the turnaround point.
Punctures; the roads are really bad. I mean, sometimes it seems like you're riding on gravel, but I haven't seen too many guys working on their bikes, at least not more than in other courses.
If you plan to go long only once, I would incourage you to try Lanzarote, it's really a blast.
Filippo