I see the Westernport wall, at 19mi into the bike in Savageman on YouTube, poses a challenge for most bikers. Has anyone done this without touching the feet? I can not get a good appreciation for the pitch. I wonder how in shape you have to be to get up it? Lets hear some stories. I wonder if I’d get to the point 1/2 up, where my effort would be so mentally challenging that the the imps in red with pitch forks would seem real.
All I could think of was John Candy in “Planes, Trains, and Automobile”, driving the wrong way on the interstate and laughing maniacally going between 2 tractor trailers, as Steve Martin is probably more than sharting in his pants.
You have more people walking than people riding up it… Yes, it’s steep. If you are used to climbing and have the gearing for it, then it’s doable. If you’re a “flat lander” and over geared, expect to walk. But it’s not only the grade that makes it epic, it’s also the poor road surface.
At over 30% grade, you can’t really stand up either… just too steep, you’ll lose traction.
The two biggest things are proper gearing, and not being near anyone else who might fall on you.
I did it with a 34x28 gear available, timed it so nobody would be near me, had no problems. Dave Scott tried it with a 39x25 or so, he fell over. (he still went a lot faster than me though!)
It is steep enough that you have to pay attention not to wheelie, it is bumpy enough that you have to pay attention where you go so you don’t hit a crack or hole.
Also remember there is a very steep leadup to the wall, pace yourself there, and a very steep 40 minutes AFTER the wall, so…have fun!
link to my power file from the race, the wall is marked:
http://www.slip-angle.com/savageman/Mott_Jack_2011_Savageman.wko
I did it seated in 39x27. There’s another ST’er who accidentally did it in the big ring.
As has been said, proper gearing and a good line away from others is the key.
It’s a wonderful Stupid Human Trick, but hardly the most difficult part of that course.*
That would be Killer Miller.
*Dave Scott might disagree.
NO BRICK FOR YOU!!!
It’s really a fun obstacle. With a good start and being in the right gear, it’s definitely do-able. The main reasons I see people with the requisite fitness fall is because they weren’t ready as they were coming up to it or they had to change tempo because of other riders.
I’ve done it with 27x39 and compacts. Either works. I’ve done it on a road bike but preferred my tri bike. I have 3 bricks. U need to pace yourself at the bottom 3 city blocks leading up to it and ensure you have spacing between the other riders. Keep turning your pedals and don’t stop or you may not have enough leg to push the pedals down. I try to stay seated so I don’t wheelie or spin the back wheel. So now stop thinking about it and go do the race. Most excellent race! I have more memories here than of my 9 Ironman races.
The grade is not as bad as the poor pavement IMO. You can feel the tire slipping underneath you.
This video on racers attacking the wall is worth your 5 mins.
http://youtu.be/E3Hv1v9gE_w
Wow, that’s awesome! Love that they actually have “catchers” stationed there, that’s crazy!
Oh my god lol that’s pretty epic stuff for a (full distance??) triathlon. Any idea what the length and average grade are?
Oh my god lol that’s pretty epic stuff for a (full distance??) triathlon. Any idea what the length and average grade are?
70.0
the wall is 25-30%, very short.
but it is 12-20% before and after it for a long time
It is legitimately hard. It’s a very steep four blocks leading up to the actual Wall, which is so steep that it is long since closed to traffic and badly deteriorated “pavement”.
The biggest problem most people have, which Dave Scott fell victim to, is to let the energy and noise of the party get the best of you and to expend to much power on the four blocks lead-in. You need big, full 20 seconds power for the Wall itself and if you’ve just torched yourself for the prior minute, you’re in trouble.
Once over, trying to recover for the 14% average next 0.8 mile is no fun at all.
Here’s Dave Scott, who by the way, finished an amazing 6th overall at age 57, so it’s a real shame he didn’t earn a brick in the road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37WvbDfYdN4
And here, in a video from my handlebars before there were GoPro cameras or even a SavageMan Triathlon, you can get a sense of the last 2 of the 4 hard blocks prior to the Wall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqPJ7WmPfi4
If you make it up the wall they put your name on a brick and the brick is permanently added to the street. If it was too easy they’d have too many bricks…
Ha if only this race was closer for me, I would go again to take care of unfinished business. I passed Westernport upright by pretty much doing all the wrong things: drifting left, losing traction, hitting a crack. What saved me was my 28 in the back.
So it is very doable but you need 3 things: respect, focus, and some luck (all the timing in the world can’t save you for an idiot like me that goes all over the place. I nearly took out 2 other guys).
The two biggest things are proper gearing, and not being near anyone else who might fall on you.
I did it with a 34x28 gear available, timed it so nobody would be near me, had no problems. Dave Scott tried it with a 39x25 or so, he fell over. (he still went a lot faster than me though!)
It is steep enough that you have to pay attention not to wheelie, it is bumpy enough that you have to pay attention where you go so you don’t hit a crack or hole.
Also remember there is a very steep leadup to the wall, pace yourself there, and a very steep 40 minutes AFTER the wall, so…have fun!
link to my power file from the race, the wall is marked:
http://www.slip-angle.com/savageman/Mott_Jack_2011_Savageman.wko
This. I’ll also add that I did the Paperboy in the two blocks leading up to the wall first to make sure no one was around me, and two to keep my power down until I hit the really steep part. The hardest part of the wall is getting back into a rhythm after the steep part for the .8 mile, 15 % grind after the wall. 195 pounds, 34x27 gearing worked for me.
Yep, the previous posts have it right!
Save your energy (doing the paperboy on the approach is wise), stay away from other people, and run the lowest gearing you can. Also, while the pavement is better on the right side, don’t go so far right that you only have one direction to maneuver if something happens.
All that being said, I still almost got taken out last year. I had traded passes with the guy miles before the wall. He seemed reasonably strong, but I still gave him about 20-25 meters lead just to avoid trouble. When we hit the steep part he lost speed so dramatically that I was right behind him when he fell. I ended up almost doing a track stand as I went around him. The fact I was on a road bike and had VERY low gearing (34 X 32) is all that saved me.
(Frontdoor brag, I have 7 bricks)
(Frontdoor brag, I have 7 bricks)
There’s only 6 of you left with bricks every year. Who will be the last left standing?
I’d say it’s pretty tough to get up the wall. Great race, great environment, have fun, and take some time to look around and enjoy the scenery once you get to the top of Killer Miller.
I would have been all over this if i didn’t have Rev 3 Poconos the same weekend. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
(Frontdoor brag, I have 7 bricks)
There’s only 6 of you left with bricks every year. Who will be the last left standing?
Not looking good for me this year. I’ve done no workouts for almost 3 weeks. (Probably pnuemonia)
I just tried doing a RBC ride for the first time since I got sick. At least I was able to keep up with my wife!