Show us your KOMs on Strava

[The Ouzo]

3:26 waaaay back in 2014 for me. I would probably do it in double that time now. I am a free strava user so can only see the top 10, I am sure a sub 4 min is still pretty high up the leader board as the top 10 are mostly very good licensed riders.

Leader did it in 2:04, 3:58 puts my in 1142 position. Eish.

 

I think I've got a 3:45 in me with current fitness, if I could get my knee to behave.

 

What I realised last night though was that you need to time the lights at the bottom so that you're hitting the bottom of the hill with some momentum, because that first little kick sucks.

[Long Wheel Base]

Leader did it in 2:04, 3:58 puts my in 1142 position. Eish.

 

I think I've got a 3:45 in me with current fitness, if I could get my knee to behave.

 

What I realised last night though was that you need to time the lights at the bottom so that you're hitting the bottom of the hill with some momentum, because that first little kick sucks.

I would usually come from the left so already on a slight up. The best option would be from the right/fishers side(even bedfordview side is a slight up so no good) and ja get the lights timed right.

[The Ouzo]

I would usually come from the left so already on a slight up. The best option would be from the right/fishers side(even bedfordview side is a slight up so no good) and ja get the lights timed right.

bedfordview side is up until you get to the Sasol garage, then it dips down to the lights.

Problem for me is from work, right up to the Sasol is a gradual climb, so if I push it on cold legs to there I'm stuffed for the climb. (did that the other day, there was a truck with rubble on van buuren, I'd fly past it over the speed bumps and certain flatter sections with the workers on the back cheering me on, then on the quicker sections it would come past me).

[TNT1]

Strava has the segment as North Reef Highway View.

Went for an easy spin up there just now. 3:33. Got held up by a slow moving truck halfway, and I blame Tuesday's surgery for my lack of effort. When the stitches are out I'll have ago at full gas.

[Long Wheel Base]

Went for an easy spin up there just now. 3:33. Got held up by a slow moving truck halfway, and I blame Tuesday's surgery for my lack of effort. When the stitches are out I'll have ago at full gas.

Go back in 1.5 hours, I am going to builders after work, can take a detour on the way home and give you a slip up there..............

[The Ouzo]

Went for an easy spin up there just now. 3:33. Got held up by a slow moving truck halfway, and I blame Tuesday's surgery for my lack of effort. When the stitches are out I'll have ago at full gas.

Told you you'd blitz my time.

[Frosty]

Leader did it in 2:04, 3:58 puts my in 1142 position. Eish.

 

I think I've got a 3:45 in me with current fitness, if I could get my knee to behave.

 

What I realised last night though was that you need to time the lights at the bottom so that you're hitting the bottom of the hill with some momentum, because that first little kick sucks.

Any segment will work well if you get a running start into it, but more often than not one will go too hard in the beginning and won't be left with the power to kick near the top. Having done it once (officially) on a training ride for Maluti D90, I've only ever "ridden" up that segment. That doesn't put me in a position to comment on the segment with one recorded attempt under the belt.

 

However here is the 3D elevation profile showing a few gradients on the route. Not sure how accurate the Veloviewer app is, but I guess it tells the story similar to the Strava 2D gradient. The second half is definitely steep, plus you'll be slightly fatigued from giving it a go from the go.

 

My suggestion:

Head down van Buuren and up Riley road instead of staying on van Buuren. Spin your legs, and throw in a few sprints (2-3) for 10-15 seconds each - just to shake/wake the legs. But don't grind it and don't ride too fast. Use the 4.5- 5Km to get nicely warmed up. That should take you >10 minutes, otherwise you're going too fast. 10 minutes is probably not enough, but if that's all you can do, then make the most of your warm-up.

 

When you turn right onto North Reef, don't go too hard in the beginning, the segment doesn't start for at least 20m after the robots - it's tempting, but you'll waste power on the 200m (steeper gradient) that doesn't actually count for the segment. Once that first bit is over you can break it into two sections (before the right bend and after). You can stand in the beginning to get up to speed, but try not average more than 20km/h until the very end.

 

Halfway you should be about 1:50 - 1:53. The average speed for 3:45 is 19.3Km/h, so I'd try keep your average speed at at 19.5 - 20 Km/h. Try not stand until you're around the right bend (halfway). You will know how long you can hold a standing sprint for... 1 minute feels like an eternity, so keep it shorter and do shorter bursts to keep your speed up. Every time you change from seated to standing you lose a small amount of speed (marginal gains here), so only stand when you need to power back up to speed, or on one of the sections that has a slightly steeper gradient.

 

Tip: If you don't have a Garmin capable of doing the Live Segment thingy, then you must mark the start as a "lap - marked point", and then change your screen layout to show lap data, i.e. lap time, distance, lap speed, etc. IF you need to look at you device, you can see if you're on target or not.

 

Hope this helps, and good luck with your goal. PBs are as good as a KOM, especially when you're competing against others that are far more capable.

[Paul]

Oky so this topic goes to all you Strava lovers,tell us how many KOMs you have and which one is your best.

 

I have 31 KOMs and my best one is Short uphill in Groenkloof. 1st/1611 people.

 

This is the most popular segment in my area: https://www.strava.com/segments/1381007

 

It's been my test climb ever since I bought my first road bike in 2016. I did my first TT up there a few months after buying my first bike and got 13:03 and now my PR is 7:49. What I love about this climb is that it's the hill climb least effected by wind in Somerset West- so even if you do get a section of tailwind at the start it will be hidden further up the climb and turn into a gale force cross wind at the switchback.

 

Would be awesome to get a monthly hill climb race going up this climb? Almost like how Strand running club has that 4km TT on Tuesday evenings. I don't know if something like that will work but just an idea. Is there anything more fun than riding as hard as you can up the hardest climb in your area? 

[The Ouzo]

Any segment will work well if you get a running start into it, but more often than not one will go too hard in the beginning and won't be left with the power to kick near the top. Having done it once (officially) on a training ride for Maluti D90, I've only ever "ridden" up that segment. That doesn't put me in a position to comment on the segment with one recorded attempt under the belt.

 

However here is the 3D elevation profile showing a few gradients on the route. Not sure how accurate the Veloviewer app is, but I guess it tells the story similar to the Strava 2D gradient. The second half is definitely steep, plus you'll be slightly fatigued from giving it a go from the go.

download (3).png

 

My suggestion:

Head down van Buuren and up Riley road instead of staying on van Buuren. Spin your legs, and throw in a few sprints (2-3) for 10-15 seconds each - just to shake/wake the legs. But don't grind it and don't ride too fast. Use the 4.5- 5Km to get nicely warmed up. That should take you >10 minutes, otherwise you're going too fast. 10 minutes is probably not enough, but if that's all you can do, then make the most of your warm-up.

 

When you turn right onto North Reef, don't go too hard in the beginning, the segment doesn't start for at least 20m after the robots - it's tempting, but you'll waste power on the 20m (steeper gradient) that doesn't actually count for the segment. Once that first bit is over you can break it into two sections (before the right bend and after). You can stand in the beginning to get up to speed, but try not average more than 20km/h until the very end.

 

Halfway you should be about 1:50 - 1:53. The average speed for 3:45 is 19.3Km/h, so I'd try keep your average speed at at 19.5 - 20 Km/h. Try not stand until you're around the right bend (halfway). You will know how long you can hold a standing sprint for... 1 minute feels like an eternity, so keep it shorter and do shorter bursts to keep your speed up. Every time you change from seated to standing you lose a small amount of speed (marginal gains here), so only stand when you need to power back up to speed, or on one of the sections that has a slightly steeper gradient.

 

Tip: If you don't have a Garmin capable of doing the Live Segment thingy, then you must mark the start as a "lap - marked point", and then change your screen layout to show lap data, i.e. lap time, distance, lap speed, etc. IF you need to look at you device, you can see if you're on target or not.

 

Hope this helps, and good luck with your goal. PBs are as good as a KOM, especially when you're competing against others that are far more capable.

The thing is, I want to beat my PB doing what I normally do, as a test of getting stronger/fitter.

 

But, just dropping the backpack with work clothing etc. will make a big difference.

[Underachiever]

Strava has the segment as North Reef Highway View.

 

 

I'm nowhere near the fastest, this is a personal goal. (Although I saw last night of all the people that rode it yesterday I was the fastest). I'm sure you will blitz my time.

Ahhh, the short  version of "easy peasy macro"

 

Lekker segment that seems to get steeper to the finish. The harder version is to keep going to the top!!!

 

My best = 2:44 with the training bike.  You'll drop to at least 3:00 when dropping the backpack.

[Underachiever]

Leader did it in 2:04, 3:58 puts my in 1142 position. Eish.

 

I think I've got a 3:45 in me with current fitness, if I could get my knee to behave.

 

What I realised last night though was that you need to time the lights at the bottom so that you're hitting the bottom of the hill with some momentum, because that first little kick sucks.

I always do a u-turn at the robot, so that first bit is always a kick in the nuts.  I only settle down at the robot on the flat bit.

[Underachiever]

Told you you'd blitz my time.

Methinks there was a slight wind from the west... worth a few secs.    

 

But then, he has a Giant... So all fair play... 

[The Ouzo]

Ahhh, the short  version of "easy peasy macro"

 

Lekker segment that seems to get steeper to the finish. The harder version is to keep going to the top!!!

 

My best = 2:44 with the training bike.  You'll drop to at least 3:00 when dropping the backpack.

I used to keep going up past KSB, but for the commute I prefer turning left and heading past Efficient Engineering, its just a quieter road

[Underachiever]

I used to keep going up past KSB, but for the commute I prefer turning left and heading past Efficient Engineering, its just a quieter road

True, so you do my normal route in reverse.

 

When you feel like it, turn right at the robot, and keep going to the top of Wessel Str, a real little tester. Segments to the right called "little Gemsbok"/"water tower short climb" 

[Underachiever]

snip snip...

 

Halfway you should be about 1:50 - 1:53. The average speed for 3:45 is 19.3Km/h, so I'd try keep your average speed at at 19.5 - 20 Km/h. Try not stand until you're around the right bend (halfway). You will know how long you can hold a standing sprint for... 

Up to the RH bend it's pretty flat, so I agree no need to stand.  To the bend I normally just ride a hardish tempo, easish gear, and then hit the "steep" part with a HTFU slog.  I normally need to stand once just to stretch the legs.  Oh and I try to ride this in one gear, once you gear down, your time is gone.  I think a 53x17 works for me to the bend, a 53x19 just after??

[The Ouzo]

True, so you do my normal route in reverse.

 

When you feel like it, turn right at the robot, and keep going to the top of Wessel Str, a real little tester. Segments to the right called "little Gemsbok"/"water tower short climb" 

I've done that once before, need to do it again soon.

 

I often come out this way and then head over to Linksfield Drive, Silvia's etc. as I've got a mate that stays at the top of the ridge.