Hills ?

pzycoman · June 2007

Hi all,

Im having problems going up hills - I cycled from haywards heath to ditchling on sunday, and on the way up, I had to stop, and I got beat by a woman whos old enough to be my mother! (Im only 23 aswel!) - I seem to be quite good on flats (I did a flat 20 in 48mins), but on hills im just really crap - is there anything I can do to improve hill climbing, or is it simply ride them more?

Ta

domtyler · June 2007

No offence but being dropped on the hills by a grandmother on a shopper would indicate a total lack of fitness and/or strength. Are you over weight etc.? How many miles do you put in per week? How would you rate your own fitness level?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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oldwelshman · June 2007

Dom, if he can do 48 mins for 20 miles thats av 25mph!!!
That idicates not overweigh or not fit to me and should be capable of flying up hills!!
The only thing I can think of is a ridiculously high gear being used.
If you cannot climb but can do 48 mins for 20 miles, forget climbs and take up time trialling [8D]

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by domtyler

No offence but being dropped on the hills by a grandmother on a shopper would indicate a total lack of fitness and/or strength. Are you over weight etc.? How many miles do you put in per week? How would you rate your own fitness level?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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pzycoman · June 2007

She wasnt a grandmother, or on a shopper

She was 40something, and she had a triple with a granny ring (im on a double with a 11-23 on the back) - she still beat me though

(I was on my easiest gear too)

Im a bit heavy for my height, althoug the doc said that this could be because I do alot of cycling - I put in between 50 and 100 a week - almost always on weekends (work very long hours, just dont have any energy after work to go out for a quick 20 anymore)

I still need to climb a few hills when TTing though - and I dont think honking out of the saddle is the answer for every hill

(I didnt do that on ditchling tho)

oldwelshman · June 2007

You can average 25mph on flat with only 50 to 100 miles a week?
That is some going.

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walkercp · June 2007

I'm 6ft 1 and weigh just over 13 and a half stone. Although I'm not the best climber I know I can hold it with the best of them for a while.
Your best bet is to train on them, tackle the hill mentally before you try it physically.
Find a good hill and make a curcuit around it, around a 2 mile curcuit is good enough. Do around 6-10 Curcuits each time Preparing yourself before your hill. Power yourself as far as you can up the hill but remember to leave some in the tank for when it gets tougher. If you know your going to need a crink do it before the climb as its harder when your halfway up.

this might work for you, it might not. but this is how I train for those hills that annoy me. It also helps that I live on top of a hill so I got no choice but to go up them everyday anyway

Rhino's are the new Elephant

BlackHelmet · June 2007

Maybe you try a little too hard at the start of the climb? I know plenty of cyclists who do this and then slow down rapidly towards the end of a climb. Hare & tortoise [:)]

liversedge · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pzycoman

She wasnt a grandmother, or on a shopper

She was 40something, and she had a triple with a granny ring (im on a double with a 11-23 on the back) - she still beat me though

(I was on my easiest gear too)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Ditchling Beacon is about 800m with some 18-20% gradients in places. A 39x23 is a big ask if you're not a whippet. I did it in the L2B a few years ago with that gearing and was knackered at the top. Mind you, I was and still am average at best on the bike.

So, Gearing was your problem I suspect.

--
Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated. http://markliversedge.blogspot.com

domtyler · June 2007

All said and done though, if you want to be good at climbing hills the best training to do is to climb hills.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
________
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pzycoman · June 2007

or as welshman said, give up trying to climb and stick to TTs [:)]

hevipedal · June 2007

Go compact and get a cassette with at least a 25 and spin up the hill

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Norvcp · June 2007

Yeah, what speed gears to you have? It might be a good idea to find a cassett with a 27 or 28 lowest gear. Mine is 11-28, which is alright.

......................

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Unknown · June 2007

what was it that made you climb off the bike lactic acid, exhaustion, couldnt turn pedals...??

Something like DB should be climbed seated, in an easy gear, spinning at anything over 70rpm.

First thing to remember when climbing is relax, I see loads of people trying to climb hill gripping hold of the bars with white knuckles - total waste of energy, you dont have to grip the bars at all (unless you're climbing something so steep youre going to fall off the back of your saddle!!)

Next thing, get comfy, for some (alpine) climbs you could be there some time, you dont want to be constantly changing position, again wasted energy.

Change gear early - and stick to it, its no good flying up the first half of a climb and then start changing gear, most people come to a dead stop, and lose their rhythm.

Unless your 25 mph was downhill with the wind behind youyou should have the lung capacity, just keep at it, and if youre sticking with the 11-21, get a compact (same set up I use in the alps

oldwelshman · June 2007

This is totally dependant on what your climbing requiremnt is.
On recovery rides or low intensity training rides I can climb 95% of clims sat in saddle comfortable, in a race or hight intensity climbing training it is a totally different ball game and you have no choice other than to pull heavilly on the bars.
I was dropped recently in a race on a climb and I tried to sit and spin up, but I was getting dropped, started pulling harder and went up a gear, almost stayed with them, then had to go up another gear and get out of saddle, straining on bars, caught up but could not sustain it and got dropped.
On the last lap I climbed same climb alone and did it easily sat down. Looked at garmin stats later and guess what? It took me two minutes longer climbing sat down with little strain [8D]
So it is not just about the steepness, but also what your objective for the climb is.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bigdawg

what was it that made you climb off the bike lactic acid, exhaustion, couldnt turn pedals...??

Something like DB should be climbed seated, in an easy gear, spinning at anything over 70rpm.

First thing to remember when climbing is relax, I see loads of people trying to climb hill gripping hold of the bars with white knuckles - total waste of energy, you dont have to grip the bars at all (unless you're climbing something so steep youre going to fall off the back of your saddle!!)

Next thing, get comfy, for some (alpine) climbs you could be there some time, you dont want to be constantly changing position, again wasted energy.

Change gear early - and stick to it, its no good flying up the first half of a climb and then start changing gear, most people come to a dead stop, and lose their rhythm.

Unless your 25 mph was downhill with the wind behind youyou should have the lung capacity, just keep at it, and if youre sticking with the 11-21, get a compact (same set up I use in the alps
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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Fab Foodie · June 2007

Hi Pzycoman
For a fit stripling like you, DB should not be a problem even on 39x23, even as an unfit smoker I could ride DB on the L2B ride with a 42x15 fixed and laden Carradice saddle-bag, so it's not too bad a climb.
Sounds like you need practice and hone your technique. On 39x23 I'd be out of the saddle nearly all the way, but I like to climb standing. Only since my heart condition have I taken to using granny rings and staying seated more often.
As oldwelshman says, pacing yourself is also important.
Get-out and practice!

The pessimists of this world are rarely disappointed....
Fab's TCR1

pzycoman · June 2007

I think its more the fact that I just dont have the build for a climber - im 6ft (on the dot), but I weigh just over 87kg - thats 190 odd lbs (thats what, 10-15kg im dragging uphill with me for no reason?) - I really dont have a problem going fast on the flats, only when I climb (heart rate in the 190's, breathless, legs feel like stone)...

Unknown · June 2007

whats your heart rate on the flats??

pzycoman · June 2007

Last time I checked, pootling along at 20mph was about 140, going for it ~160 ish, flat out out of hte saddle trying to overtake a police car id hit 180 (couldnt sustain that for very long tho, maybe a min or two)

Unknown · June 2007

OK, just wondered if you were hammering along and hitting the hills at full pelt...

Just try relaxing and getting into a rhythm, stand up if you run out of gears, and keep practicing, there no reason why you cant climb hills.

My g/friend, excellent mtb racer (once in UK top ten for sport), great all rounder but a huge mental block when it comes to hills. If Im behind her she'll work only as much as she has to, but as soon as I go past her she'll drop her speed and virtually give up (although if its another girl that overtakes her she'll fight hammer and nail to get it back??!!). Set yourself goals, stay seated to the next sign or drain, stand until the next one etc..., as was mentioned previously practice..

pzycoman · June 2007

I tried standing up when I ran out of gears, and my legs started complaining even more and refused to hold me up...

ut_o_cykla · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bigdawg
SNIP

If Im behind her she'll work only as much as she has to, but as soon as I go past her she'll drop her speed and virtually give up
SNIP
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Mm[:(!]I have a hubby like that. Sits behind taking it easy as we ride fast on the flat till we get to the local hill. Then, well rested, he whizzes past to gain a hundred metres or so. He's very slightly faster up hills but the tactic makes him appear MUCH better...now if only I could p** up the wall ...he could beat me fair and square [;)]

I've convinced myself hills are nicer than headwinds, and take them at my own pace. Have even done a bit of interval training on hills in order to build confidence. I'll never be fast (too old/fat) but at least nothing daunts me anymore[:D]

pousse moi s'il vous plait

Rich Hcp · June 2007

Take them at your own pace, don't rush.

Practise
Practise
Practise

Richard

Best thing I ever bought for a bike?
Padded shorts![:D]

pzycoman · June 2007

Or I can forget about hills and stick to TTing [;)]

yenrodcp · June 2007

Hell Yeah ! [;)]

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by oldwelshman

Dom, if he can do 48 mins for 20 miles thats av 25mph!!!
That idicates not overweigh or not fit to me and should be capable of flying up hills!!
The only thing I can think of is a ridiculously high gear being used.
If you cannot climb but can do 48 mins for 20 miles, forget climbs and take up time trialling [8D]

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by domtyler

No offence but being dropped on the hills by a grandmother on a shopper would indicate a total lack of fitness and/or strength. Are you over weight etc.? How many miles do you put in per week? How would you rate your own fitness level?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Porridge not Petrol
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

[;)] 'tuono nel mio cuore...[:)]

Hills ?

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