Road Cycling: Col du Pré Long - 1,227 m. (4,026 ft)

Sun, 9 August 2026

Technical

Description

Today’s ride was very much about pacing rather than testing myself. I knew the final kilometres of the Col du Pré Long included gradients above 15%, so I was quite apprehensive about going too hard earlier in the climb and deliberately kept something in reserve.

The ride lasted 2h31, with an average heart rate of 138.8 bpm. Despite the conservative pacing, it still turned into a substantial endurance and climbing session. My best two-hour average was 144.9 bpm, with 99.1% of that period spent moving, which makes it a useful indication of sustained aerobic endurance.

The climbing figures were also encouraging. My best 15-minute VAM was 817 m/h and my best 30-minute VAM was 762 m/h. The 30-minute value was still 93% of the 15-minute figure, suggesting that I maintained a fairly consistent climbing rate rather than producing one short hard effort and then fading.

Heart rate rose gradually as the climb became harder. My best 30-minute average was 157 bpm, 60 minutes was 155 bpm and 90 minutes was 152 bpm. There were several periods above 156 bpm towards the harder part of the climb, including an eight-minute section averaging just over 160 bpm, but I never really attempted a threshold effort. Maximum HR was only 166 bpm.

That matches how the ride felt. The earlier part of the climb was intentionally restrained because I was thinking about the very steep final section. When the gradient increased I had enough left to deal with it, rather than arriving there already exhausted.

Overall, I’d describe this as a successful long climbing endurance ride rather than a performance test. The most encouraging aspect was probably the combination of a solid two-hour aerobic effort and good VAM retention over the longer climbing periods. I finished the harder section working strongly, but without having had to push close to maximum earlier in the ride.

Conditions

Cloudy in the morning, cool on the climb.

Route