Peaks Challenge
There is no disputing that Peaks Challenge is a big day out on the bike (possibly the biggest physical challenge you’ll ever undertake). Here’s a guide to help you conquer Peaks Challenge, regardless of your level of riding.
Words by: Stephen Lane
Conquering Peaks Challenge – Overall Tips
All riders (new and returning) have a few key elements they should be getting right on event day.
1. Efficiency – Ride time vs stopping time
One of the biggest differences between sub 10 hour finishers and 10 to 13 hour finishers is stopping time. It’s essential to limit your stopping time at rest areas and be quick and efficient. Get in, grab what you need, get out. The 8 hour group will typically have less than 5 minutes total stopping time for the entire ride!
Look for groups that are rolling out of the feed zone and try to tag on. You don’t want to ride the route alone! Bunches that move at a comfortable speed for you will give you a rest and allow you to move faster than you would alone. This is so important on the flats and to a lesser extent on the hills. Riding smart and getting an ‘aerodynamic’ advantage to save energy can have a massive benefit as to how fresh you feel later in the ride.
2. Fueling
Getting your nutrition right so you can sustain a steady intensity all day is the make or break for many riders. Yes, you will fatigue, but so many people underestimate how much of their fatigue actually comes from inadequate fueling and hydration. It all starts in training. Learn to eat on the bike!
3. Pacing
Knowing your sustainable pace up the climbs is key to a good day. Pace yourself too slow and you will be behind schedule. Too fast and you will suffer in the later stages.
You’ll learn your best sustainable pace during your training for the event. Heart rate or power is best for this but even just perceived exertion is a metric you can rely on.
Note, sometimes when you are cresting the top of a hill it is smarter to dig a little deeper (for short periods) so you can stay with a bunch over the top and then save energy by sitting in the group and hiding from the wind. An experienced rider is confident in doing this because they know how much difference it makes to going faster.
Which Peaks Challenge rider are you?
Riders attempting Peaks Challenge will typically fall into three main categories.
- You’ve never done it before, nor an event that is even remotely as challenging. You just want to get through within the 13-hour cut off time.
- You’ve never done Peaks Challenge before but you are confident you’ll get through it. You have some experience training for big events and want to go as quick as you can in your first attempt.
- You’ve done Peaks Challenge before and you are determined to go faster than your previous attempt(s) – maybe even crack that magic sub 10-hour target!
Which one are you? Below are some of the key elements you should be focusing on in the lead up to ensure you reach the goal you have set for yourself come March.
First attempt – aiming to get through it
So, you have never attempted Peaks Challenge before and it is the biggest ride you have ever done. What can you do in the lead up and on the day to ensure your first attempt is a solid effort with no major catastrophes?
Training
The Peaks Challenge course requires a solid amount of fitness. You need to prioritise some long rides as well as some strength sessions to feel at all confident in being able to survive the 235km route. Optimising fitness is key! Bicycle Network have three great options for training plans that are tried and tested. Even if you can’t follow the plans to a tee, you can use them as a guide for the key sessions and ride durations so you have the fitness and confidence to get through the day. Training really does work! It takes time and effort, but following the 16-week program will give significant improvements in your endurance and speed.
Knowledge
There is an abundance of articles, videos and tips and tricks available on the Peaks Challenge website that will give you the knowledge about the course and how the day works. Spend some time digesting them all so you can take the guess work out of your preparation. You will learn a lot from experienced riders!
First attempt – aiming to go as quick as you can
OK, you think you are pretty fit and want to have crack at getting your best time around the course. What can you do to ensure you get the most of your yourself on the day?
Pace groups
For the rider that has more experience in training and preparation, the key to a good day is going to be finding the right group or ‘wave’ for you. It could be a bunch of mates or the right Bicycle Network ‘wave leader group’ for your target pace.
To help with this here are two charts that can be used as a guide. The first ‘Strava segment chart‘ is for comparison to your known times on the Strava segments of the Falls Creek Decent, Tawonga Gap and the Mount Hotham climb. Please note, these aren’t your ‘all-out effort’ times. They are based on times taken from the event for the different wave groups. The pace you’ve ridden on these segments should be a solid but sustainable pace, similar to what you feel you could sustain on the day.
The second ‘Projected finish time W/KG chart‘ is based off riders with a power meter and uses Watts/KG of body mass to determine the power output needed to stay with a specific wave leader group. Remember this is only a guide! If you do the math on a pace that you feel is sustainable for you over each duration, it will give you a good guide as to what group you should try to stay with.
The point here is that for your best possible time you need a group to work with, and that group needs to be at a similar climbing ability to you. Tawonga Gap works pretty well for that group to naturally form. So stick to your sustainable pace and you will most probably find your riding friends for the rest of the day.
Returning rider – aiming to beat your previous time
You’ve done Peaks Challenge previously and are back to go faster than before. If going faster is your key objective you need to look at your strengths and weaknesses from previous attempts.
For some it might be power to weight for the climbs. Can you shave off a little extra weight after all that Christmas pudding? Did you pace your previous attempts well? Do you need to focus on fuelling better? Can you reduce your stopping time? Can you do a better training block in January to really help improve your speed and endurance?
Fine tuning
For the returning rider, it is always a matter of fine tuning your approach. For me, it is usually about my preparation and getting in those solid long days with lots of solid paced climbing repeats. This helps ensure that everything just feels easier on the day and I can sustain my pace all day long. Finally, be sure to find a group that works well together to optimise your chances of a good finish time.
Last chance to ride the legend. Your time is now!
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