Compact chainsets are for wimps.

A story of a couple of kiwi cyclists racing the etape de tour in France 2008.

Only 2 days before the etape, so we decided that a wee ride up one of the Pyrenean mountains would be a good look, practise makes perfect huh?

We settle on a ride up the Col d’Aubisque, we had heard that it was a beautiful climb and quite easy. Why not? it was a beautiful day, no wind and 30c.

We drive to Rebenac, unload bikes and down the valley we go, with a tailwind at our backs, it could be a grovel coming back – we’ll worry about that later. We hit the bottom of the Aubisque, the sign says only 14km to the top! It is a beautiful climb, up through a forest, every kilometre is marked with the %gradient of the kilometre ahead of you, all between 8-10% which is actually quite steep.

Slim rode off into the distance, I figured saving some energy for the etape would be a better option.

I had made the brave decision some months ago to fit a compact chainset. Riding big gears has always been a badge of honour with the guys I ride with so having a compact on your bike is generally considered to be limp wristed behaviour. The expected ridicule from my mates didn’t occur – the upcoming etape climbs made the compact acceptable – just! Having access to lower gears really works for the climbing. Riding up the climb in 34 x 24 made for a bloody nice ride, I had good cadence, good speed and most importantly I wasn’t killing myself. I don’t like Mr Lance Armstrong much but he does have something with that climbing cadence thing.

After 40 or so minutes I ride through a crap looking ski village and onto the last 5km of the climb. The last few kms are decidedly cooler, it is too high for trees to grow, just meadows and cows. The smell of cow poo and the sound of cowbells that is my overwhelmingly memory of the Aubisque.

After the obligatory 1850m summit photo opps, we discuss the idea of descending down to Argeles-Gazost and doing a loop back to Rebenac. For once we take the sensible option and go back the way we have come – good job we did, it would have been a 6 hour ride otherwise!

It was an incredible descent, fast and open and worth every minute of the climb up.

Back up the valley and to the car, 110km and 3.5 hours, not ideal race preparation but a brilliant ride.

We agree the Aubisque was easy, all of this talk of the Tourmalet and Hautacam being monsters is obviously over-done. We now feel pretty confident that the 167km Pau to Hautacam Tour de France stage in 2 days time will be a bit of a doddle…

We stop at the etape expo site on the way back, get registered, collect the goodies bag and get that ‘oh my god’ feeling - we are actually doing the etape! The riders are a complete mix of punters and very recent ex-pros, you can tell the Brits by their pink skin and waistlines.

Predictably there are loads of Yanks standing around talking loudly about what is the best triple chainring combination for the Tourmalet, nothing changes.

The etape expo was full of bike and clothing stands all doing a roaring trade. Of course there was a beer tent, we muscled our way in past all of the Brits and ordered a couple of Heinekens. The day after tomorrow we will be back here starting the event. Oh shit!