Red Bull UK posted an Instagram video this week pitting professional mountain biker and Tour de France rider Tom Pidcock against ultra runner Tom Evans in a race to the top of Yr Wyddfa, aka Snowden, the tallest mountain in Wales. Both men started at the bottom of a roughly 800m, 7km-long climb in a head-to-head sprint to the top.
Pidcock, riding a Pinarello Dogma mountain bike, gets off to a good start on pavement and mostly keeps his lead even after the asphalt gives way to gravel. However, once the track turns steep and becomes more technical, it’s clear that Evans has the advantage.
At one point during the climb, Pidcock’s 145bpm heart rate is considerably lower than Evans’ 170 bpm, which suggests that perhaps the bike allows Pidcock to conserve more energy. Or maybe he has a higher VO2 max. Regardless, simple physics dictates that moving more weight (man plus bike) to a higher point requires more energy, which gives trail runners like Evans an advantage.
Of course, the flip side is that Pidcock has more potential energy sitting at the top of the mountain than Evans, and that, plus the efficiency of rolling wheels, means there would be no competition going downhill. If you’ve ever shared the trail with a trail runner, you’ve probably noticed that you will pass them on the descents, only to have them catch up and pass you back on the climbs.
Which begs the question: would a trail runner beat a mountain biker on a course that balances climbs and descents? Toms, we want to see a rematch!
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