# Mt. Diablo - faster solo or in the Diablo challenge?



## smoo (Sep 20, 2007)

I'm visiting CA for the summer and did Mt. Diablo yesterday for the first time - what an epic climb! That last bit at the top is a great way to check your HRmax... 

I managed the hour (just over 11 miles, starting from the Athenian School) with only 18 seconds to spare... I consider myself an OK climber, but it was harder than I expected. Unfortunately I won't be around in October to enter the challenge event and try for a T-shirt, but I'm curious - do most people who have done the climb solo and also in the challenge event get better times in the event or visa-versa? I guess there will be a very slight drafting effect (especially on that little flattish bit half way up) but then there will also potentially be time lost through being obstructed by other riders.


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Obstruction would be a minor issue, and only at the start. The delay getting over the starting line could be a few seconds if you happen to start at the back. I think it would not add up to a significant amount over a hour course ... unless you are right on the hour mark and miss because of those seconds! Drafting will help, especially if there are any winds which you can hide from. More than this is the motivation effect of riding in a fast competitive group. I've found that to be worth around 5%, about 1 minute in every 20 minutes, or 3 minutes in an hour. You have to be careful to pace yourself realistically to start off with though - if you jump with a group that's going much faster than you can sustain then you are going to pay back the time gained and probably some more later.


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## Rhymenocerus (Jul 17, 2010)

Adrenaline alone will make you a bit faster than on a solo effort.

1 Hour for a training attempt is pretty solid.


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## imjps (Feb 15, 2005)

Being able to ride a clean line through the corners, get w/ a fast group through Rock City, adrenaline, etc...all helps.


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## smoo (Sep 20, 2007)

Yeah, of course, the adrenaline is going to help. That said, I had a fair amount of adrenaline going in any case, I guess I was treating it more as a TT than a training run...


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## EBrider (Aug 9, 2009)

Faster during the challenge due to adrenaline and the ability to pace from other riders. Unfortunately many riders in wave 1 get there hours before the start to get a spot in line and set up a trainer to warm up. I started at the back of wave 1 last year and finished in 59:45 from start line to finish line, but had 1:00:14 as an official time.


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

Any tips or strategy under 1 hour in terms of where to put down the best effort? I am hoping to do that one day.
My second time up so still don't know the road well, 1:04 from the tire spike where is starts the smooth tarmac, and 1:10 from the school. That is without warm up and also took my time through the craters in the beginning.

Avg mph 9.3 but it seems I have to increase it to 10.8 to have a chance. It's definitely a challenge!


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Get a power meter, and then figure out what power you need to sustain in order to be under your target. You can ramp up to that power over the first couple of minutes, and go all out for the last couple of minutes, but between the two the fastest way to the top is generally to sustain the highest constant power that you can muster for the whole duration.


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## rcjunkie3000 (Sep 5, 2009)

I need a power meter :thumbsup: this year 10lbs heavier, i dont think ill make the hour.

I broke an hour last year but the official time had me 7 seconds over! I started in wave 2 behind wave 1. Some tips given to me last year was to cut corners since road is closed to traffic (however i did see some non particiapants and spectators on bikes on the sides), draft a group you're on the same pace with after Rock City, try and warm up before the race or that first hill after athenian might burn and from ukbloke himself, magic pixie dust, or the adrenaline and competition with other riders will keep you motivated...chasing or hunting down rabbits. It was fun catching up to some wave 1 riders. :thumbsup:


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## lanierb (Dec 6, 2004)

Definitely faster in the race: (1) adrenaline, (2) drafting, (3) no cars. The only downside to the race is bad pacing -- a lot of people go out too hard and it's really hard to hold yourself back and not do it too.


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## smoo (Sep 20, 2007)

I did it again about 3 weeks ago, just before leaving CA. This time I was just over the hour (1h 1m 37s). I put that down to less adrenaline maybe - having already done it in just under 1h, I didn't have the same motivation (although I still nearly passed out after that last ramp at the top..) Or it could just as easily have been the wind direction.


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