Those 10% + hill climbs and efficiency

JimmyK

I was watching some really good cycling advice clips on youtube about maximising efficiency when on the bike. It was said to pedal constantly at a suitable cadence and adjust your gear selection so as you can maintain that steady rpm.

My point is, my trek1000 has a compact double 50/34 and 8 speed 12-25 at the back. There are hill sections Ive gone over that are real steep and even in 34/25 granny gear , it can be a struggle not to overheat , maintain 80 rpm cadence and totally shoot the legs for the rest of the ride.

Im sure some of you would use 12-25 or cartridges in that range, how do you cope with 10% + climbing and maintain efficiency ?

softlad

get yer arsse out of the saddle...

Valy

You don't need to stick to any one cadence, rather whatever is the most comfortable for a particular situation.

JimmyK

softlad wrote:

get yer arsse out of the saddle...

but long steep climb, bum outta saddle will surely result in tired thigh muscles later on ?

softlad

JimmyK wrote:

softlad wrote:

get yer arsse out of the saddle...

but long steep climb, bum outta saddle will surely result in tired thigh muscles later on ?

if you cycle, muscles will get tired - it's just a matter of time....

Garz

Shallower inclines that are long I find it's best to sit and spin.

I only tend to out of the saddle climb if its mega steep, not too long or need to stop my man bits from going numb. 8)

JimmyK

the annoyance is , you come to a climb like craigantlet hill in stormont, belfast which is 10% for about 1.5 miles. I want to stay seated, less intensive on the legs and shouldnt contribute to leg fatigue like outta the saddle will over a 1.5 mile distance. Even in the granny gear you can really feel it, stay in the saddle and fail to get to circa 80rpm cadence without a heart attack, get out of the saddle and do the climb but be prepared for big leg fatigue later on.

Dont wanna go to 12-28 and bigger rear cassettes as in 8 speed there would be horrendous gaps between the cogs.

So what is a bloke to do ?

Anonymous

Just keep riding up it, that's what.

Don't worry about cadence, seating or whatever, just do it.

adukeofkent

A lot of people are against grinding up a hill with low rpm (60)

I have found that during a hill training session I ride steep hills sat down, no matter what the incline. It will hurt the legs, especially in the hamstring/ass area however what you are doing is building strength in that area of the leg required for sat down climbing. I find I sit right back in the saddle to engage those muscles even more.

I wouldnt worry about what gear you are in, who cares, as long as you go fast and get stronger with training. I have a tripple and and worked on my hill strength by doing the above training. Now I only go into the double.

Are you doing hill specific training?

Disclaimer: This is only how I train and I am not saying its for everyone. I have found that this training mixed with stand up training and high cadence gets you better up hills in gereral.

amaferanga

What makes you think that climbing out of the saddle will lead to extra muscle fatigue? Of course if you never climb hills out of the saddle then you won't be very good at climbing hills out of the saddle. I climb out of the saddle a lot, with the result that I can comfortably climb long hills that way. I actually find it reduces leg fatigue - something to do with using different muscles.

As for always pedalling at the same cadence - that's just daft.

sampras38

Everyone's different, some stay seated, some out of the saddle and there's no hard and fast rule. Personally I prefer seated on long climbs and get out of the saddle to stretch the legs every so often. I'll occasionally get out the saddle if the climb is very short but tend to stay seated on the long grinds such as Alp Duez, Joux Plane etc. I'm far more efficient that way but that's just me.

JimmyK

but does your gearing allow you stay at your most efficient cadence or do you find yourself grinding on the steepest bits at a much lower rpm ?

i know a triple will allow you to pedal thin air rapidly up a hill , but id rather not go the triple route.

redddraggon

JimmyK wrote:

but does your gearing allow you stay at your most efficient cadence or do you find yourself grinding on the steepest bits at a much lower rpm ?

If you forget about riding at one cadence you'll find cycling at different cadences easier eventually.

How do you think track cyclists manage with only one gear? They have to adjust their cadence to go at different speeds.

Brommers76

Not convinced that maintaining a cadence of 80rpm up a 10% hill is efficient anyway, certainly not IME. I ride on average between 80 and 90 on the flat and 60 to 70 up hills.

When I do hill reps I tend to do some seated and some standing. Seated is more specific to your form on the flat where as if I want to go as fast as possible and be as explosive as possible I will stand up. General riding is seated up hill.

joeyhalloran

ok, well if you want to keep a certain cadence up a hill then you either need to get more power, get lighter or change your gears. You have said no to the latter, so your only option is to get more power or lose weight (from you or your bike).

joeyhalloran

oh, or see the thing in the other thread about crank length.

incog24

Personally I tend to be most efficient at about 80ish on a hill, so when it gets steep I struggle. However, personally I don't think this really matters unless you're racing, and if I'm racing its pretty rare to be in a situation where you're going slow enough to be at an innefficient cadence.

So just man up and push the big gear, its good for you and you'll build leg strength . Unless you've got knackered knees, that would be a reason not to do it...

kfinlay

There's a 20% hill on a route I do and I find it so steep I'm lifting the front wheel off the road when pulling on the bars and seated on the front of my saddle. Getting out of the saddle helps as I lean forward so more weight is on the front. It's not too long about 300m but is there a better technique to avoid this and be more efficient?
I've only ridden this hill twice - once when it was snowy and icy so sitting all the way was the only option.
TIA

sampurnell

doesnt a steady cadence at 80 mean you would need an infinite amount of gears?
if you say you can feel it badly in the granny gear on a 10%, what happens when you come to a 25?!

Anonymous

I don't even look at my cadence unless I'm specifically asked to by my coach during an interval, I just ride at the cadence that just feels 'right' at that particular time...

njee20

I don't even look at my cadence unless I'm specifically asked to by my coach during an interval, I just ride at the cadence that just feels 'right' at that particular time...

+1

Just ride at a cadence that feels comfortable. Personally I tend to climb out of the saddle sometimes, and in the saddle at others.

JimmyK

to the outta the saddle climbers


if i go outta the saddle for more than a short climb, i really feel it in the front of my thigh muscles later into the ride, do some of you climb the real steep hills and get away with fatigue in the thigh muscles ?

redddraggon

You need to keep training out of the saddle climbing to feel better doing it

dennisn

I sort of get the impression that you think that IF you pedal at a fairly constant 80 RPM
on the flats that you are under some obligation to hold that cadence going uphill. Not true.
I don't know anyone who rolls along on the flats at an 80 - 100 regular cadence who doesn't, or is forced to, back off the RPM's when things go up. Even Pros are forced into a bit less in the RPM range. They may ride the flats all day at 90 or so RPM's but I can't think of anyone who continues to hold those kind of numbers on long climbs. Steep, long, or both, it almost always turns into a grind at lower RPM's for most everyone.

JimmyK

im inclined to agree, 80rpm going up a steep hill would have me totally outta breath.....where is the fun in that.

incog24

JimmyK wrote:

to the outta the saddle climbers


if i go outta the saddle for more than a short climb, i really feel it in the front of my thigh muscles later into the ride, do some of you climb the real steep hills and get away with fatigue in the thigh muscles ?

Partially this is going to be about doing more climbing and developing those muscles, I think they're probably the most cycling specific IME? But it may also be worth looking at your cleat set up. I had the same issues and this appeared to help a lot. Its a while ago now though so I can't quite remember the details. Possibly move the cleats back and under the ball of your foot more? There's a good article on cleat set up on here somewhere, check it out.