Ideal build for Roadie up hill

DuncSF

Having answered to a topic on weight and Toups saddle suitability its made me wonder what the pros and cons of size and weight are for roadies. I'm an 18stone ex 1st class rugby player so my weight is quite difficult to shift because of 30+years of weights.
I look enviously at the Pro cyclists powering up steep alpine hills and read about people on this Forum who undertake steep personal challenges.
I do cycle up hills some very steep but feel a little uncomfortable with my build on a light racing bike. Although the enjoyment far outweighs any worries on this front.
The good bit is downhill where I find nature and gravity help make up for the loss of speed uphil! when riding with mates who are lighter I always get down quicker.

Are there any big chaps like me who have really mastered the hills and if so how have you done it - is there a good training schedule apart from pure effort and sweat?

Mystique

As the bloke from Star Trek says "You cannae defy the laws of physics".

However, I'd have thought that while weight is a factor, the key thing is your power:weight ratio. You may be a few kilos heavier than some, but I'm prepared to bet you're also a whole lot stronger too.

Have you tried different cadences when climbing. I train with an ex-rugby man, and even though we climb at around the same pace, his cadence is around half of mine (probably due to his additional weight and legs like effin' tree-trunks).

Don't worry & enjoy yourself. There will always be someone quicker than you and some a whole lot slower too.

kenbaxter

Its all about power to weight. You should be able to drop some weight (lets face it, we all can!). I'm a wee bit lighter thatn you at 87kg but can climb as well if not quicker than fellow riders around 70 kg. Why - I train bloody hard on the hills. AND I come down them a hell of a lot faster. At then end of the day if you want to get better at something, go do lots of it.

Don't get hung up on it. Get out there and enjoy. If you're also powerful then you should roll along on the flats at a faster pace where weight isn;t the deciding factor

nasahapley

Hi Dunc,

While I'm not quite as big as you, at about 13.5 stone I'm no whippet either! I wouldn't presume to say I've mastered the hills, but I have found one technique that works for me - when tackling longer hills I stay seated and on the drops. This seemed a bit weird at first (it's the same position you use when hammering along on the flat and downhill) but I found I could get up the same hills using this technique in the middle ring as opposed to the little ring, at pretty much the same cadence, and without being any more knackered at the top.

I don't know why this works for me, I suspect it's because it allows me get more leverage on the bars and utilise my strong glutes, hamstrings and quads (years of weight training for rowing y'see), but I'm going up the bigs hills around 20% faster so I don't really care why! It might be worth giving it a go...

kenbaxter

Interesting as I've started standing up on climbs but in the drops as it is a much more powerful position than being on the top of the levers.

markos1963

As a larger rider(85kg,5'11") I like you use my power to get up hills. After many years of judo I have a surplus of leg muscle but I am finding that the more I train the better my aerobic capacity is getting. As others have said its a question of practice,practice,practice; I also find that interval training helps a lot.

JoeBH

kenbaxter wrote:

Interesting as I've started standing up on climbs but in the drops as it is a much more powerful position than being on the top of the levers.

This is how I do alot of my climbing, and I'm a skinny bugger. I rarely see anyone else using this technique though :?

simon johnson

JoeBH wrote:

kenbaxter wrote:

Interesting as I've started standing up on climbs but in the drops as it is a much more powerful position than being on the top of the levers.

This is how I do alot of my climbing, and I'm a skinny bugger. I rarely see anyone else using this technique though :?

I think being 'on the drops' is an acquired taste...

simbil1

I reckon shortish, lightish riders do the best up hill.

My advice would be to get as powerful as you can and then start loosing weight without loosing power.

Hill repeats are good for power, as are time trials.
Long and steady (70% effort) is good for weight loss, especially if you forgo any carb and sugar on the ride and before the ride. Build sensibly on duration (start at a duration you can manage now and add 5% a week) and stay at or below 70%, it really is no fun running out of energy miles from home. With that kind of ride, your body will metabolise fat and even cannibalise a bit of muscluature, so bulk will slowly decline.

deal

simon johnson wrote:

I think being 'on the drops' is an acquired taste...

usually done by posers who quickly get dropped

simon johnson

deal wrote:

simon johnson wrote:

I think being 'on the drops' is an acquired taste...

usually done by posers who quickly get dropped

You think so, eh?

I'm usually grab 'em on a downhill and then don't have the energy to lift my arms back up to the hoods, not posing, just lazy

ColinJ

Interesting article here.

Once he lost a bit of weight 'Big Mig' was better than all except the very best climbers in the mountains. I'm about the same height as him (6' 2") and a medium build but my fat levels have varied wildly over the years. I cycle a few thousand miles a year in the Pennines hills of Yorkshire and Lancashire and I find that my ability to climb is directly connected to my weight as follows:

• Below 12 st - my climbing is great, but I feel weaker on the flat and get ill easily - underweight.
• 12 st to 12 st 7lbs - climbing great, strong on flat, feel more robust - ideal cycling weight for me.
• 12 st 7 lbs to 13 st - I climb reasonably well but can already feel the extra weight.
• 13 st to 13 st 7lbs - climbing definitely slower but I can still cope with the big hills.
• 13 st 7 lbs to 14 st - I start getting dropped on anything steeper than about 5%, but I can still climb steep stuff okay if I take my time.
• 14 st to 14 st 7 lbs - too heavy. Hills feel much harder than they should and I start having to resort to my granny gear too much of the time.
• 14 st 7 lbs to 15 st - starting to get silly now. Can't climb and talk at the same time.
• 15 st to 15 st 7 lbs (my current weight :shock: ) - this isn't funny. Hills hurt! Why am I doing this to myself?
• 15 st 7 lbs and higher - this is what I was when I started cycling in Yorkshire. Really hard work and not much fun.

It's all about power-to-weight ratio. Even if you were 25% heavier than another rider, if you were also 25% more powerful, you'd probably be able to climb better because your bike probably wouldn't weigh 25% more too!

So to answer your question... climbing is much more fun when lighter. My training secrets - eat a healthy diet, ride hard for about 10 hours a week and don't drink much alcohol!