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KANSAS BOB: A GREAT BOOK ON CLIMBING
Bob Sutton
September 4, 2008
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I’ve been reading a great book lately that I’d like to pass along to all of you. “The Complete Guide To Climbing (by Bike)” contains a lifetimes worth of routes that need to be included on your “To Do” list.
John Summerson has written, what I consider, the best book ever about climbing mountain roads on a bicycle. He has taken the time and energy to explain some of the great climbs of Europe and compare them to what we have in the States. This is a pretty daunting task. Each road has such a unique personality. Some rise consistently to the summit, while others tease you into thinking you’re at the top, only to round a corner and discover more switchbacks leading upward.
All of us have a local climb that we like to challenge one another on. Until now, we haven’t been able to compare them to the challenges of the pros in the great races of Europe. Mr. Summerson seems to have measured every hill in the U. S. and rated it from several perspectives. He doesn’t list any in my home state of Kansas, but I know of a couple that might make his steepest 1/10 mile list. Yes, that’s what’s cool about this book – he lists steep climbs across the country in 1/10 mile, 1 mile, 5 mile, and 10 mile stretches, plus two listings of the gnarliest climbs overall. Also included are climb profiles, fabulous photographs, and a complete list of winners of the big foreign and domestic tour climbing champions.
No longer do we have to trek to Colorado to climb steep roads (he doesn’t attempt to factor in altitude as a degree of difficulty). No, in fact, the steepest and most difficult road exists in the East - Mt. Washington, in New Hampshire, to be exact. In his list of “100 Toughest U. S. Road Bike Climbs” (again not adjusting for altitude), Colorado’s Mt. Evans doesn’t show up until number 20, although Mt. Evans does make it to number 10 in his “100 Most Difficult Road Bike Climbs in the U. S.”
Surprisingly, Hawaii nabs the number two, three, and four spots on both lists! I’ve climbed number three, Haleakala, on a bike loaded with about 50 pounds of camping gear, so I can attest to its difficulty! While in Santa Barbara, I’m lucky to have four rides nearby that Mr. Summerson rates as Category 1, although I’m surprised that the “Old San Marcos – Painted Cave” climb isn’t rated Hors Category. That’s the reason I’ll try to start working my way through the “Toughest Climb” list to see what a real mountain feels like.
I actually bought the book thinking that it would have unique tips for getting up the climbs quicker, such as: Never skip dessert, slabs are for sissies, one glass of red wine a day is good, but three is better. Instead, I found sound training routines described in detail: Interval training, big gear climbs, anaerobic endurance intervals, lactate threshold intervals, sprints, jumps and more.
Does anyone actually train like this? My modus operandi is to mount a headlight, tell my wife I won’t be home for a couple of days, and graft mountain bike gearing on my bike. I move at a snails pace, but love to climb. Needless to say, my bicycling friends are going to be hounded by me to go climb many of the routes described in the book.
Is your list up to date?
Check out more info on the book here.
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