Torrey Pines Climb Cat 4 speed vs my speed

[jgspin]

Torrey Pines along the PCH is a little climb around 1.5 miles or so depending where you start your marker. For me I usually get there after about 20 miles of riding. The fastest I've ever climbed it from the on ramp from the parking lot at the bottom to the top at the traffic light is when I'm going about 10 mph 2/3 of the the way to the top. At that point I'm just struggling to get to the light.

How fast can an amateur racer climb Torrey? With his big races behind him my friend who turned cat 4 this year eased up on his training and started riding for fun. He decided to see just how fast he can get up to the light. His average for Torrey is 18 mph; 3rd fastest on Strava. I can't imagine how much faster the pros go.

[MattTuck]

All I know is that no matter how fast you are, there's almost always someone faster. The corollary is true also, which applies to me, no matter how slow I am, there's always someone slower. Unfortunately, those slower people don't use strava, which leaves me at 150/150 on one of the local segments.

[false_Aest]

I can't imagine how much faster the pros go.

MUCH FASTER.

Brah, I'm no slouch. Kara Gillis laid the smack down on me a few weeks ago on PCH....both on our way home from a ride... cept hers was about 3x harder than mine.

San Dimas Stage 1 is an uphill TT (~3.7 miles @ 5%):

Pro Men Top Time: 13.10.15 (Av speed of winner 17.31)
Pro Women: 15.01.00 (Kristin Armstrong)
Cat 4: 15.28.38 (av speed 14.74)

These are continental pros. Not to diminish what they do but I'm thinkin that the dudes across the pond rock it even harder.

[wasfast]

Perhaps check out strava.

[srenda]

Lived in San Diego for almost 4 years and did that climb, numerous, numerous times. Don't remember my fastest haul going up (which is south towards USCD), but do remember majestic views each time coming down as I headed into Del Mar.

[Fixed]

Lots of pros have had their way with Torrey and she has had her way too
I went there and broke a campy peddle off it was before looks came out
As a young guy I thought it great .
then there was blacks beach ,is it still there ?
Cheers

I remember riding with the woman's world champ at the time .well trying to keep up she was stunning. Marilyn Burland or something like that ,she trained there

[Gummee]

Lots of pros have had their way with Torrey and she has had her way too
I went there and broke a campy peddle off it was before looks came out
As a young guy I thought it great .
then there was blacks beach ,is it still there ?
Cheers

When I left 5-6 years ago, Black's Beach was still there, but do ya really want to see the folks that hang out there? There's some things that don't bear seeing in public.

AFA Torrey Pines? I've never timed myself bottom to top, but I'll bet Strava and/or Mapmyride will have folks that have.

M

[Jaq]

When I left 5-6 years ago, Black's Beach was still there, but do ya really want to see the folks that hang out there? There's some things that don't bear seeing in public.

This. The kind of people who want to take their clothes off in public are rarely the kind of people you want to see naked.

[GuyGadois]

Is this it?

http://app.strava.com/segments/580916

There are a lot of segments on Strava depending on where you want the segment to start...

http://app.strava.com/segments/search?utf8=✓&keywords=Torrey+pines&filter_type=cycling&min-cat=0&max-cat=5&terrain=all

GG

[ultraman6970]

Saw the videos of that climb and looks like is a steady not too long climb. And from what I saw even some grandmas were climbing pretty good that thing so doesn't look like awesomely steep. 6 to 7% maybe?

[Gummee]

Saw the videos of that climb and looks like is a steady not too long climb. And from what I saw even some grandmas were climbing pretty good that thing so doesn't look like awesomely steep. 6 to 7% maybe?

Something like that. Its not too bad. Somewhat long tho.

I useta do 'big gear hill repeats' on it in the early spring, so it can't be too steep.

M

[jgspin]

Is this it?

http://app.strava.com/segments/580916

There are a lot of segments on Strava depending on where you want the segment to start...

GG

3rd is 4:47 which is his time but I don't know that Matt M. unless he is using a different name. I do have a link to his garmin file that shows his ave speed is 18 but I don't want to share it as it has his address. I see one of his team mates on that list just a few slots down.

I also recognize the QOM. She got the mixed tandem record for Breathless Agony when I rode it. She also won at the Bulldog race Women's at Camp Pendleton a couple of years ago when I started riding.

[torquer]

I remember riding with the woman's world champ at the time .well trying to keep up she was stunning. Marilyn Burland or something like that ,she trained there
Lucky you!
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS0rs79XGdZoq4MGbg8YBfl_P64gFNDK-FiwK2P4HhaaD9JJ0i9MeK53pPIQg
More info here (but sadly, no pictures):
http://articles.latimes.com/1989-04-14/sports/sp-1638_1_marianne-berglund-la-jolla-grand-prix-15-yard-victory

[DY123]

I can see that hill from my backyard. I live about 2 miles away. I've been climbing it since I was a kid. Never at 4 or 5 minutes though...wow.

To look at the strata details it doesn't look like much and technically it isn't, but it always seems to be at the end of a ride that we decide to climb it ( for good measure).

Strava seems to have cut it a bit short though. Most people would consider the traffic light to be the end.

If you want you can also climb the inside grade. Cut though the park and take the original coast highway to the traffic light. It's much steeper but gets it over quicker.

Yes Blacks Beach still exists.

[Fixed]

Dy123
Nice bikes
Cheers

[Ken Robb]

My internist is a cyclist. When I get my annual he asks if I am still climbing TP Grade. "Yes". Then I don't have to give you a stress test.
By the top I am usually down to 7mph in the lowest gear on a triple. I have to climb it to get home from a ride up the coast so I'm already tired when I start.

I didn't know Mr. Ybarola was a neighbor. :)

[Charles M]

I've been up TP toward the end of a century that starts in Orange county and ends water front old town San Diego. it stings... 12 mph steady...

I've been up TP several times with a group of Euro Pro's that hit that area every winter and am always shocked to be sitting in at 15-17mph... It's a 5-6 minute bump in the road with a group like that (gearing gets a little higher at the end is all...).

[Gummee]

Heh heh I'd forgotten about the 'other way' up Torrey Pines.

Much different experience...

I was workin at the bike shop in the valley that became PBS. While there, I was livin over off DM Heights road. I got to climb to get home regardless of which way I went, so I didn't ride TP all that much.

M

[nbrewste]

I can't imagine how much faster the pros go.

The pros, undoubtedly, go faster. But that's not the point.

To be a pro you need massive amounts of endurance -- the ability to repeat anaerobic efforts over and over again. They can go hard and keep on going hard.

Take a look at the Manayunk Wall in the Philly championship -- I'm sure many amateurs can keep a respectable pace up that climb, but the pros will do it over and over again, with very limited recovery, in the midst of a 150 mile race.

Take a look at some of the power files from the TOC or Giro that Velonews has posted. To think these guys put out efforts like this over the course of multiple days (weeks!), with very little rest, is amazing.

[jimcav]

.

How fast can an amateur racer climb Torrey? .

SDBC or one of the other big San Diego clubs does a torrey pines hill climb each year and the results are (at least used to be) online. google it. I can tell you I am decent at hills, over 40, and last year around this time i did it in 6:20 after riding to and from the swamis ride on the weekend, which is a fast hilly 38-40 miles.

I think if I was fresh I could shave 30-40 seconds. But while i am rarely passed climbing that hill, when i am it is usually by someone that can just blow by me. As has been said, no matter what shape you are in, there is someone on PCH that can drop you (but you can just pretend it is a pro triathlete)

[Gummee]

As has been said, no matter what shape you are in, there is someone on PCH that can drop you (but you can just pretend it is a pro triathlete)My neighbor was one of those. Dood! I totally beat this guy up the climb up Torry! Man! I was FLYIN!!

Umm yeah. Its real easy to win a 1-horse race. :nod

...course, it *could* be a pro triathlete/mtn biker/whatever. Ya never know in Sandy Eggo.

M

[Jeff N.]

10MPH is usually my average going up Torrey, usually every Sunday. The Pros? Probably twice that and some. The inside climb (for me, anyway) is a slow crawl. My speedometer won't even function when I'm rolling that slow! Jeff N.

[jgspin]

I can tell you I am decent at hills, over 40, and last year around this time i did it in 6:20 after riding to and from the swamis ride on the weekend, which is a fast hilly 38-40 miles.


I've never ridden with the Swamis but I ride with friends who do and I have noticed that they got stronger and faster since they joined that club. In fact my friend rides with the A group and I have a hard time holding his wheel on his easy days.

[jgspin]

10MPH is usually my average going up Torrey, usually every Sunday. The Pros? Probably twice that and some. The inside climb (for me, anyway) is a slow crawl. My speedometer won't even function when I'm rolling that slow! Jeff N.

Well if you go fast on the inside climb, you'll have less time to appreciate the beauty and scenery.:)

[jgspin]

I've been up TP toward the end of a century that starts in Orange county and ends water front old town San Diego. it stings... 12 mph steady...

I've been up TP several times with a group of Euro Pro's that hit that area every winter and am always shocked to be sitting in at 15-17mph... It's a 5-6 minute bump in the road with a group like that (gearing gets a little higher at the end is all...).

Is that the Amtrak 100, cause I've always gone home to Poway via the 56 bike path before the Torrey Pines climb? Last time I got in a good draft behind some fast riders and a tandem who pulled for miles and miles up to Oceanside.