Tips

Here are some tips for cycling in the mountains. Checking the bike thoroughly before the trip is a given. Packing an extra bag with spare parts and tools is also essential. Personally, I’ve never needed them. But in case something breaks, it can be more challenging or much more expensive to replace it abroad, so you’ll be glad you have them with you. However, I did manage to forget my SPD shoes during the first vacation 🙂 Luckily, I was able to rent them cheaply for the duration of the holiday.

Descending – it might seem fun at first to go downhill fast, but you can suddenly be surprised by a hairpin bend in the mountains. That happened to me literally the first time I descended the Kaunertaler Gletscherstrasse. A bit too enthusiastic, perhaps. The braking distance at speeds above 60 km/h downhill is naturally long. Additionally, you might encounter a truck or bus taking the bend very wide or even having to maneuver to make the turn (Stelvio pass). And what about a group of cows? They roam freely on several mountain passes (Kühtai lives up to its name, I think).

Bike

Over the past twenty years, I’ve been to the Alps with several road bikes, and it always went well. The invention of disc brakes certainly proves its worth in this terrain; I find it delightful to cycle and a great upgrade if you’re used to rim brakes. I ride with mechanical disc brakes, easy to maintain and adjust – TRP Spyre’s. If you ride with hydraulic brakes and there’s already some air in them in the Netherlands, the change in air pressure at altitude can suddenly be much more bothersome. An extra set of brake pads is also handy to bring along. Unfortunately, the discs do add some weight to the bike. I think after over 20 years, I’m now on the heaviest bike I’ve ever had! A Merida Mission CX100, actually a cyclocross bike. Heavy, but I feel comfortable on it, and it’s the most secure bike I’ve experienced downhill. I compensate for it with my own weight (< 70 kg). So, no high-end carbon overpriced climbing monster for me, just a nice agile aluminum bike. This, combined with 30mm tires, Schwalbe One. Nice puncture-resistant all-round tires, and the width is wonderful.

In 2002 and 2003, I cycled my first mountain passes on a Bianchi EVO XL-2 in Celeste green. And I felt like some sort of Marco Pantani on that bike; after all, it was a replica of his tour bike. A beautiful bike and very light. Perhaps too light, because a crack appeared in the head tube fairly quickly. The frame hung in the shed for years because I couldn’t bring myself to take it to the dump. Eventually, it had to go. You can see the Bianchi in the photo below.

Gearing

What gearing should you use for these climbs? Nowadays, there are so many options! When I first took my road bike into the mountains in 2002, the choice was limited – a triple crankset or a 39-tooth chainring with a 27-tooth cassette (Shimano). With a long-cage derailleur, you could use a larger cassette, for example, 32 teeth. It worked fine, but the gaps between the gears were a bit annoying.

Nowadays, most bikes come with ‘compact cranks’ installed. These usually have a small chainring with 34 or 36 teeth. That’s a good choice and probably ideal for most people. Of course, I do it differently again; I now ride with a single chainring, without a derailleur. With an average chainring, you can ride comfortably both on flat terrain and in the mountains. In 2023, I rode with a 40 x 28 gear ratio. I was a bit worried beforehand that it might be too heavy, but it actually worked fine. On short, steep sections, you really have to push hard to avoid coming to a standstill; it’s tough. Note that you can’t just use a standard single chainring without a derailleur; you need a ‘narrow-wide’ chainring for that. The advantage for me is that I now ride with the same gearing in both the Netherlands and Austria, without changing cassettes.

Clothing

In the mountains, the temperature drops about one degree per 100 meters of altitude difference when the air is dry (a beautiful cycling day). When I climbed the Kaunertaler Gletscherstrasse, the temperature in Prutz was about 26 degrees. Just before the top, I was cycling in the clouds, and it was only about 10 degrees. A thin body warmer is windproof and can come in handy on the descent. During the climb, you can leave it open, and it doesn’t get in the way. I also bring along leg warmers, which I put on at the top depending on the temperature. These items fit easily in a saddlebag.

Safety

Wearing a helmet is also essential. Furthermore, don’t cycle too close to the edge of the road during the climb or descent: make your presence known. Austrians are used to the roads and cyclists on them. I’m always less sure about Dutch people. Check the operation of your bike before starting (especially the brakes) and bring a spare inner tube and a good pump. Also, bring a set of Allen keys, spoke wrenches, and a chain tool.