Should riding a Single Speed up steep hills be part of a good round Taupo training programme?

It looks like I'll be doing the full 160km round Taupo this year so I have been thinking about perhaps doing a bit of training. Most people will also know I've just bought myself a single speed commuter bike. I am planning to do a blog post all about it but suffice to say I absolutely love it to bits, its one of the best things I've ever bought.

I've been quite curious about just how steep a hill is needed to make getting up it on the single speed impossible so I've decided to put the two together and do a lot of hills on the new bike.

So far I've done these:

1. Up Brooklyn Road, up Brooklyn side of Bidwell, half way up Bell Rd.
2. Oriental Bay, Up Mt Vic via Grafton Rd, round Hataitai side, 30 sec breather half way up.
3. Oriental Bay, Up Mt Vic via Grafton Rd, breather at top before Lookout Road, up lookout Road to top.
4. Up Brooklyn Road to Brooklyn lights, up Cleavland onto Washington Ave, up to Connaught Terrace.

So far I've made everything I've tried first time so I'm not too sure where the limits are but I'm pretty sure I'm going to hit them soon.

My goals before Taupo:

1. Get to the turbine with no breathers.
2. Get to Richards house in Karori (most of the way up Wrights Hill) via Aro Valley with no breathers.

Non goals would include:

Going up Bidwell, Everton Terrace or Aurora Terrace.

Oh and my gears are 48/18 (2.666667).

my Gain ratio is: 340mm / 175

my Gain ratio is:

340mm / 175 mm = 1.94 (wheel diameter/crank length)
48 / 18 = 2.666666667 (front/back teeth)

2.66666666666667 * 1.94 = 5.17

see: http://sheldonbrown.com/gain.html

all riding is good for taupo,

all riding is good for taupo, the important thing is that you enjoy it.

however. try and get in a few long (2, 3, 4 hour) easier rides, like round the south coast and seatoon and such

How about 100km round

How about 100km round Waikanae on sunday?

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