How to conquer hills

ansbaradigeidfran

After watching the cycling on TV this afternoon (interspersed with some rugby) I had a really lovely ride out to collect my other half and the car (drove her to work this morning then cycled home), felt like I was bombing it along good and proper. Except for the hills, that is.

Which leads me to ask this question on technique. When approaching a hill, should I keep going in as high a gear as I can and drop gears one by one as I'm forced to, or should I bite the bullet and downshift all the way to the gear I know I'll need to clear the summit?

Jen J

I think the ideal is to maintain usual cadence, which would suggest downshifting as necessary rather than a huge drop at once.

But I know nothing. Especially about hills.

chuckcork

Attack it in the highest gear you have until the veins on your head burst and you pass out or your heart rips its way out of your chest from beating at 200+bpm for too long, though if it is a short climb personally I would just get out of the saddle and give it a burst of strength without either occuring.

Or just do as Jen J said, which might be easier.

Of course if you train for riding hills, usually by riding hills, you will find the cadence you maintain will be in a higher gear, and getting out of the saddle and applying more power will be achievable for longer, because you will be stronger from the training. then when you get to the top and the slop eases off, start going up the gears again while maintaining the cadence and continue off at an easy pace....if you slacken off at this point, anyone you have blown off in your impressive climb will catch up.

Like anything else, no pain no gain.

always_tyred

I read your post as suggesting that you feel that you have to pick A gear for the hill. As others have implied - you can change gear on the way up as required.

Don't be afraid to sit further pack on the saddle to get power into the pedal stroke earlier and/or make better use of your hamstrings (not sure if you use clip ins).

Hills require good core strength and more upper body strength than riding on the flat - particularly if you get out of the saddle. Getting out of the saddle is a good "afterburner" technique and is essential of you have run out of gears but don't expect to be able to keep it up for long.

cjcp

ansbaradigeidfran wrote:

After watching the cycling on TV this afternoon (interspersed with some rugby) I had a really lovely ride out to collect my other half and the car (drove her to work this morning then cycled home), felt like I was bombing it along good and proper. Except for the hills, that is.

Which leads me to ask this question on technique. When approaching a hill, should I keep going in as high a gear as I can and drop gears one by one as I'm forced to, or should I bite the bullet and downshift all the way to the gear I know I'll need to clear the summit?

It's best to be in a rhythm at the foot of the hill/start of the climb. Changing down will disrupt this/your cadence.

lost_in_thought

I have wondered about this for a while as well - I try to use the technique of maintianing cadence (measured in my head due to lack of a computer that does it for me) by dropping gears one at a time as my cadence becomes un-maintain-able.

However, I find that sometimes I go a gear too far and seem to be spinning but getting nowhere.

Should I pick a gear at the foot of the hill and stick with that instead?

Standing up is a last resort for me.

don_don

Forget gears, ride them fixed and do what chcuk says in the first part of his post

cjcp

lost_in_thought wrote:

Should I pick a gear at the foot of the hill and stick with that instead?

Standing up is a last resort for me.

The flaw in my suggestion is that you don't necessarily know what's round the next corner (i.e. whether the hill has a kick) if you've not done it before, and so you might need another gear. (There is also a mental benefit to riding in not having to change down: you can get into the zone and just focus on maintaining a cadence and the road ahead.)

Generally, therefore, I find the gear you're comfortable with rather than a gear you know you're not going to be able to sustain because this will only leave you changing down and disrupting your cadence.

always_tyred

lost_in_thought wrote:

I have wondered about this for a while as well - I try to use the technique of maintianing cadence (measured in my head due to lack of a computer that does it for me) by dropping gears one at a time as my cadence becomes un-maintain-able.

However, I find that sometimes I go a gear too far and seem to be spinning but getting nowhere.

Should I pick a gear at the foot of the hill and stick with that instead?

Standing up is a last resort for me.

Its much easier to shift during a climb with the integrated shifters. Its not so easy with the downtube shifters.

Don't think of climbing any differently to a headwind or sprinting hard. I'm sure you climb out of the saddle to accelerate hard through traffic. Its just pushing on the pedals, really. People get psyched out by hills when they are no more diffucult to other cycling situations they encounter.

Using the gears is really no different to the reason you use them in a car. You will have a cadence range within which you generate power most efficiently. Shifting during a climb keeps you in that range for longer. But again, that's no different to cycling on the flat.

Its just a state of mind. Be at one with the hill.

chromehoof

lost_in_thought wrote:

I have wondered about this for a while as well - I try to use the technique of maintianing cadence (measured in my head due to lack of a computer that does it for me) by dropping gears one at a time as my cadence becomes un-maintain-able.

However, I find that sometimes I go a gear too far and seem to be spinning but getting nowhere.

Should I pick a gear at the foot of the hill and stick with that instead?

Standing up is a last resort for me.

theres no shame in standing. Look at the pros, they do it all the time. The short answer is, do whatever you're comfortable with. For long steady hills, downshift til you find a gear you're comfortable with. If you can maintain a rhythm in a cadence you're happy with, stick with that. For a short, sharper hill, downshift, get out of the saddle, and pump the legs til you get up the top.

I do quite a bit of road cycling too (at weekends) which involves a fair bit in the hills. The overall goal when it comes to road is to get where you're going by using the least amount of resources possible. I don't see why things have to be any different while commuting. If you want massive thighs and calves, push a big gear. If not, keep the cadence high and the speed steady.

Also, if people are so inclined, get a HRM. They're especially useful on hills. I don't wear mine for my commute but I do every time I start a new route, just to get an idea of how I feel on different parts of it, and how my HR corresponds.

Hills are great. For me they are the most enjoyable, and rewarding part of cycling.

lost_in_thought

Always Tyred wrote:

Its much easier to shift during a climb with the integrated shifters. Its not so easy with the downtube shifters.

Agreed. Agreed agreed agreed. Bl**dy things. I'm getting a new bike once I've tried a few on. The rubbish roadie will be relegated to pub bike.

Always Tyred wrote:

Using the gears is really no different to the reason you use them in a car. You will have a cadence range within which you generate power most efficiently. Shifting during a climb keeps you in that range for longer. But again, that's no different to cycling on the flat.

Its just a state of mind. Be at one with the hill.

Ommmmmmm...

cjcp wrote:

The flaw in my suggestion is that you don't necessarily know what's round the next corner (i.e. whether the hill has a kick) if you've not done it before, and so you might need another gear. (There is also a mental benefit to riding in not having to change down: you can get into the zone and just focus on maintaining a cadence and the road ahead.)

I agree with you both on this one - having been around Richmond Park fixed a few times now, it is possible to climb hills in one gear, as long as they're little ones.

However, I have almost never managed to drop the right number of gears and get the correct one at the bottom of a hill. Interestingly, on the ones I know, I tend to only ever drop 2 or 3 gears.

Ones I don't know completely do me in, they're the problem.

Jen J

lost_in_thought wrote:

However, I find that sometimes I go a gear too far and seem to be spinning but getting nowhere.

I have this problem - as newbie to biking and hills, and lacking bike specific leg muscles (and well aware that I get left behind on hills on the RP rides I've been on) I change down to almost the lowest gear at the bottom of the hill, in the hope I will make it to the top, but this does indeed lead to lots of spinning and not much moving forward. Now that I'm more comfortable in using the higher gears, Im going to be a bit braver on the hills next time at RP, and try a decent gear rather than a useless one...

Jen J

chromehoof wrote:

theres no shame in standing. Look at the pros, they do it all the time. The short answer is, do whatever you're comfortable with.

I think standing is actually a skill that needs to be learnt, or else I'm just even more rubbish than I thought.

I can't stand on hills. The one time I tried it (admitedly my first proper bike ride) I wobbled all over the place and nearly toppled over. Hence ever since then, my bum is firmly glued to the saddle on hills. I'd like to be *able* to stand, but am too scared to try now, espceially since going clipless!

chromehoof

Jen J wrote:

chromehoof wrote:

theres no shame in standing. Look at the pros, they do it all the time. The short answer is, do whatever you're comfortable with.

I think standing is actually a skill that needs to be learnt, or else I'm just even more rubbish than I thought.

I can't stand on hills. The one time I tried it (admitedly my first proper bike ride) I wobbled all over the place and nearly toppled over. Hence ever since then, my bum is firmly glued to the saddle on hills. I'd like to be *able* to stand, but am too scared to try now, espceially since going clipless!

the temptation is that once you're standing, push as hard and fast as you can (because initially you'll feel able to). I recommend leaning forward slightly once out of the saddle, and pedal initially with a gentle, controlled stroke. The rest should fall into place after that.

Practice it on a not-so-steep slope. Get out of the saddle, even though you'll feel that you don't need to, and force yourself to stay out of it as long as you can. You do burn more energy, but its a good skill to master as it will come in useful.

chuckcork

Don't start climbing the hill in the 'correct' gear for the hill, at least for the rear gears. Front gear yes but that is different.

Otherwise if you select one gear and stay with it as you approach you will lose a lot of momentum while spinning, and when you get to the top will not be in a position to start moving forward at speed again.

Realistically just balance the gears with what amount of effort you can manage at each point of a hill, simplistically, bottom while slowing down from faster flat speeds - middle needing more leverage with higher gears - top avoiding spinning by changing up again.

Gonna enjoy being back in the park again after an 21 months away from it, I'll find out how the hills of East Cork have developed my legs....

always_tyred

Jen J wrote:

chromehoof wrote:

theres no shame in standing. Look at the pros, they do it all the time. The short answer is, do whatever you're comfortable with.

I think standing is actually a skill that needs to be learnt, or else I'm just even more rubbish than I thought.

I can't stand on hills. The one time I tried it (admitedly my first proper bike ride) I wobbled all over the place and nearly toppled over. Hence ever since then, my bum is firmly glued to the saddle on hills. I'd like to be *able* to stand, but am too scared to try now, espceially since going clipless!

Try mountain biking a few times to get some more confidence handling a bike. Mtb's are easier to handle because they are lower and "softer". A local club to me used to get new members out to a wet field, on road bikes, to just play around in the mud and get used to the sensations of a bike moving around under you.

Its extremely useful to feel confident with the bike moving around underneath you - on longer rides you can stretch in the saddle, you can learn to hop over potholes (saves money) you learn not to brick yourself if you feel the back wheel slipping (leaves, frost.... it does happen, especially on hills) and you can be confident jumping out of the saddle and really stomping on the pedals - very useful in certain traffic situations. It also helps get to the point of being confident at very low speeds.

salsarider79

Hills are about focus and energy. Finding a cadence that is right for you is hard. On the way home I go up a 12% hill which is about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile long. I have found the only way (I don't have gears) is to go into tractor mode. Find a cadence and grind at that cadence. The hill now finishes before I do. Standing and sitting also work different muscles so try sitting, and when you run out of puff, try standing.
If you struggle on hills, one good training method is to change pace. Go slow then speed up, then go slow, then speed up. By changing pace your legs get better suited to climbing...

p.s. I really don't give it everything on a hill, until the very last bit, when I love to try to sprint over the crest. It hurts, but my legs are getting massive now...

always_tyred

salsarider79 wrote:

It hurts, but my legs are getting massive now...

How to put women off cycing.

gtvlusso

Aggression, aggression and more aggression - attack the motherf*cker, don't stand until it starts to hurt and don't change gear until your *happy* cadence drops. Shout if you have to!! Enjoy the hill on the flipside!!

chuckcork

gtvlusso wrote:

Aggression, aggression and more aggression - attack the motherf*cker, don't stand until it starts to hurt and don't change gear until your *happy* cadence drops. Shout if you have to!! Enjoy the hill on the flipside!!

Funny that. When out by myself* I occasionally just say 'arse father jack style in a nice rythm that works with the cadence/pulling up the hill.

*Other riders might get the wrong idea otherwise.

Jamey

I was gonna say a similar thing to chuckcork - that front gears and rear gears are different things. Ideally you don't want to be trying to change down on the front mech while climbing (front derailers don't shift as well as rear derailers when placed under stress) so select your chainring 10-15 seconds before you get to the hill and increase your rear gear to maintain cadence/speed for the short period before you start climbing.

This might mean you're using a "forbidden" gear for a brief time but personally I think it's the price you pay for making sure you've got the correct chainring lined up and ready to go.

passout

Short Hills- Charge
Long Hills - Cadence & gear change as stated

The definition of short/long depends on your fitness, gradient, headwind & hangover.

linsen

passout wrote:

Short Hills- Charge
Long Hills - Cadence & gear change as stated

The definition of short/long depends on your fitness, gradient, headwind & hangover.

Agree on the above. Very hard to start standing if you have just gone balls-out spinning stylie halfway up though!

My preference is to stand and go steadily up the real tinkers. Long not-so-steep hills I try to keep cadence at 90-100 and change accordingly.

I'm still pretty rubbish at hills though....

CiB

I go for the drop one gear at a time approach, keeping the cadence within a sensible range but always remembering the maxim 'have one bullet left in the locker'. No good making it ½ way up in the biggest cog and then finding you've got nowhere left to go when it turns really nasty. There are so many factors even on regular rides to make hills different - time of day, going to work / on the way home, wind, rain, solo / accompanied etc - best to approach hills with an open mind.

Re the Father Jack technique, diversion therapy is very effective. Getting annoyed about some wrong (imaginary or real) that's been visited upon me, or getting wound up by one of the BBC's mad anti-cycling radio presenters works just fine. Half way through composing the mental* email and suddenly the crest of the hill has appeared. If nothing else, it proves that hills are rarely as bad you imagine them to be.

* in both senses.

secretsam

lost_in_thought wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

Its much easier to shift during a climb with the integrated shifters. Its not so easy with the downtube shifters.

Agreed. Agreed agreed agreed. Bl**dy things. I'm getting a new bike once I've tried a few on. The rubbish roadie will be relegated to pub bike.

Tsk, you youngsters, some of us are still using the same bike from 20 years ago...and yes, d/t shifters suck totally. Could not believe that Kona were bringing them back on some 'retro cool' new '09 bikes. FFS, "oh, yah, like so cool and 80s, you know". If something was sh1t and replaced by something better, don't go bringing back the sh1t thing 5-10 years later as "new retro cool"...these design w&nkers boil my blood.

always_tyred

SecretSam wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

Its much easier to shift during a climb with the integrated shifters. Its not so easy with the downtube shifters.

Agreed. Agreed agreed agreed. Bl**dy things. I'm getting a new bike once I've tried a few on. The rubbish roadie will be relegated to pub bike.

Tsk, you youngsters, some of us are still using the same bike from 20 years ago...and yes, d/t shifters suck totally. Could not believe that Kona were bringing them back on some 'retro cool' new '09 bikes. FFS, "oh, yah, like so cool and 80s, you know". If something was sh1t and replaced by something better, don't go bringing back the sh1t thing 5-10 years later as "new retro cool"...these design w&nkers boil my blood.

What, you mean like single speeds from 1908?

DiggingDeeper

Always Tyred wrote:

What, you mean like single speeds from 1908?

You're gunna go to hell for that one!!!!!

I happen to agree with you but I think there are other bethren on this site have lost their faith in technology (er gears that is) and may have something to say....................

ansbaradigeidfran

No, it's selective faith. I'm sure there's at least one person that has a carbon fibre fixie.

Backwardness isn't always bad, though. Just as progress isn't always good. In this regard, I tend to describe myself as a technologically adept luddite!

DiggingDeeper

"ansbaradigeidfran"

Backwardness isn't always bad, though. Just as progress isn't always good. In this regard, I tend to describe myself as a technologically adept luddite!

Pragmatism is usually the way forward, however riding the fence is pretty darn tricky whether on a fixie or geared!

iain_j

For any long climb I get in a low gear just before it starts and spin my way up. Short steepenings I change up one and get out of the saddle, otherwise it's down one and continue spinning.

The "Father Jack" technique - now I know it's not just me if I'm on the limit and see it getting steeper ahead of me, shouting obscenities at the tarmac does wonders even if it does cost a desperate gasp of breath or two