uphill nightmares!!

kathg

Hi all,

Well, boiling hot weekend, yaay... , so off me n other half went to do mega classic north wales ride from bikefax, it was the Pont Scethin ride. But, oh god the uphills on it nearly killed me! I basically walked up pretty much all of the two main climbs, quite depressing really. Anyway, what I wanted to know from all you gals out there is, has anyone else done this ride and is it really as bad as I thought or am I being a 'wingey wuss' who just needs to get muuuch fitter if riding with boyfriend is ever to be a thing of relative equality?? He was supportive etc but I just felt so rubbish really!
Oh yes, the descents were awesome, really fun and actually worth the pain of the climbs I dunno..but how good at suffering are you all?

Kathg

Konalisa120

Hey kath,
I've not done the ride you're talking about but I learnt some top tips for the ups on a course yesterday and put them into practice today on hills that I've previously walked and it worked!!

1. Sit further forward on seat
2. Drop chest and elbows in
3. Look ahead and to the top of the hill at all times

sounds simple but really works and I actually found steep hills fun today!

miss notax

Hiya

I haven't done that ride either, but as someone who has walked up pretty much every trail centre uphill in her time I feel qualified to answer! In my experience it all comes down to fitness - and pretty much the only way to get fit for riding uphill is by riding uphill :?

Other things like position (as Konalisa says) obviously come into it, and also having the technical skill to get over rocks etc, but I think fitness is the biggest one. Oh, and also making sure that you're in the right gear BEFORE you start losing speed and slogging uphill. I make good use of my granny gears!!!

I am very jealous though... We didn't get out on the bikes all weekend

Thewaylander

To be honest unless it's a short sharp technical climb in the end it's purely down to fitness i'm afraid.

Unless your manaing get out 2 times a week most weeks your gonna find improvement slow going and sometimes frustrating. clocking up the miles is the best way to build that fitness, and push if the ride is a shorter one to really get a good burn in the legs, and it will only take a couple of months and you will be blasting.

For example i had a rough end of last year, started back on the bike in Jan and was sick half way up my local cwm carn. Now i was riding this weekend with a friend, sat did Dragons back, sunday old red bull trail- the teme what ever 9 k red trail to top up. and semi thinking should i ride tonight.

Just takes a bt of determination, so chin up, (or down to hide the hill from site which is my favourite option lol)

sparrowlegs78

I struggle on climbs, I have to be in the lowest gear and just slowly spin my way up, just going into the middle ring if I need to push over an obsticle, then I drop back to spinning in the lowest gear.
I also have to think about my breathing, breathing in deeply, then making sure I breathe out fully to get the most oxygen into my body and muscles, It takes thinking about but it's much better than gasping in short breaths.
Caz xx

kathg

Thanks all, I kinda know it's fitness really, so will up from 2 rides a week to 3 and just try damn harder.!
Thanks for the technique tips too, will give them a go next time I'm feeling like taking my bike for a walk!!

kathg

Thewaylander

kath another thing to bearin mind is fuel. What you eat before and after a ride. It can make a huge difference to how you feel on a ride. i try to carb up a bit the day before, then have lots of good natural protein after (Milk, Eggs, chicken).

And if it's a longer trail aways take something to eat, even on a20k trail i will stop half way to have some kinda nutty bar to keep the fuel topped up. All this will just help you build that fitness easier.

enjoy

EmmaR

Kathg

Don't feel too bad! I've done the Pont Scethin route and it's got a couple of pretty long tricky climbs - amazing views and descents though! I ride 3/4 times a week - usually 2x long natural rides at the weekend and still found it quite hard going. As Thewaylander mentioned food is super important - little and often on a ride works for me. If I don't do this it all gets much more difficult.

I also depends on what you're used to riding. If you were to just ride trail centres then head to Pont Scethin it's quite a step-up fitness wise, even if the length sounds similar. The surfaces are just so much harder going.

Enjoy

Emma

kathg

Cheers Emma, that has made me feel better! Yes, most of my riding is at trail centres (Llandegla, penmachno etc). So the distance of the Pont Scethin ride looked fine on paper, but oh boy, it was so much harder! I get out twice a week at the mo but am now aiming for 3 times and more long natural stuff. My partner and I had a great weekend in mid Wales (Doethie valley and Brechfa trails) the week or so before so I thought I was fit enough :oops: Clearly not!!
Anyway, the food thing is definitely something to consider. Admittedly, I've been using the days I ride as good diet opportunities so I reckon I've been under fuelled for longer sessions. Will try the little and often tips. What do you use.. dried fruit, nuts, sandwiches????? Any good tips out there?

Kath

EmmaR

Hello again

I find a mix of food I like is good. For little and often I carry dried fruit and Haribo, but also sandwiches on longer rides. Long rides aren't diet opportunities, they're the opposite! I find I can easily eat my way through two rounds of sandwiches, plus snacks and don't put on weight!

The other thing to consider is what you're drinking. I used to always just drink water and have regular 'sugar crashes' (feeling tired, spaced out and rather grumpy). Now on longer rides I add SIS PSP22 to my water (at half the recommended concentration) and can honestly say I don't have 'sugar crashes' anymore. I couldn't quite beleive the differences it's made. The taste takes a little bit of getting used to but it's amazing stuff.

Cheers

Emma

Thewaylander

I would though be carefully of putting energy drinks in your camelbak it can be a bugger to clean. I would stick to water there and take a 300ml energy drink bottle with in in your pack.

eating is vital, without eating i really start to tire and drop badly at about 30k with eating good energy food i can make easily 40+k before i start to feel the leg much at all. Tailor the food to the length of trail 20k a cerial/nut bar type thing. 30k+ add a sanwhich in.