Uphill Climbs...

Maxien78

...Oh my good lord how do you guys do it? lol

Ive only just got into mountain biking and have tried to do a few trails but have been rained off or the trails ahve been closed, however i did a short one with the other half the other day and my god the uphill was torture. I couldn't even ride up it i had to walk lol

How do you build the stamina to do it? I try going up in low gears but my legs go ten to the dozen so i tire out really quickly AND i don't seem to be getting anywhere.

I really enjoy it but those uphill climbs are a nightmare.

RevellRider

I set myself targets to aim for, tell myself I'll make it to that tree 10 metres in front of me, then that rock just further up the trail and before I know it, I'm at the top.

Just keep at them, you'll get fitter

anton1r

RevellRider wrote:

Just keep at them, you'll get fitter

I'm afraid that's basically it lad. All you can do is keep doing them and eventually you'll get used to it/find what works for you.

I find i have a couple of "techniques" that seem to mostly work for me.
1. find a gear i can spin away in but not without feeling i'm getting appropriate progress for my effort and just keep going until I'm at the top.

2. I'll do a mixture of sitting spinning (as above) and i'll occasionally stand up and mash away at the pedals for a bit, then return to sitting and repeat until i'm at the top.

I read somewhere that standing up and "mashing away" isn't actually too bad as it gives some of the muscles in your legs a little rest before sitting down and spinning away. It may be rubbish though!

Maxien78

I think i need to find the right gear first lol..its a new bike and im new to all this mountin bikin stuff, my previous bikes were cheap and i never really played with the gears etc. I think once i get the right gear i can tackle the hills better....AND i need to rejoin the gym , its amazing how unfit you can become after having a break from exercise.

Downhills are FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC!!! ...its just gettin up there hahaha

.blitz

What kind of hills are we talking about?

If it's long drag - miles - I take it really easy at the start and gradually wind it up.

But generally speaking I don't go over 60-70% effort no matter what the gradient. I might be slow but I never stop.

evillittlegoat

Maxien78 wrote:

I couldn't even ride up it i had to walk lol

Im not a great climber either but would advise against getting off and pushing. Keep cycling, no matter how many stops you have to make.

Neily03

evillittlegoat wrote:

Maxien78 wrote:

I couldn't even ride up it i had to walk lol

Im not a great climber either but would advise against getting off and pushing. Keep cycling, no matter how many stops you have to make.

+1 it's usually harder to walk it anyway.

cooldad

Take the reflectors off - saves weight.

Crash Test Dummy

anton1r wrote:

RevellRider wrote:

Just keep at them, you'll get fitter

I'm afraid that's basically it lad. All you can do is keep doing them and eventually you'll get used to it/find what works for you.

I find i have a couple of "techniques" that seem to mostly work for me.
1. find a gear i can spin away in but not without feeling i'm getting appropriate progress for my effort and just keep going until I'm at the top.

2. I'll do a mixture of sitting spinning (as above) and i'll occasionally stand up and mash away at the pedals for a bit, then return to sitting and repeat until i'm at the top.

I read somewhere that standing up and "mashing away" isn't actually too bad as it gives some of the muscles in your legs a little rest before sitting down and spinning away. It may be rubbish though!

Basically what I do.


Also what i tend to do is go at your own tempo, i find if u stand and slow your tempo down and take it easier in a lower gear i last a lot longer than if i go all out.

MountainMonster

I suggest finding a gear that's hard enough for you to feel the burn but you still keep fairly high cadence. If your spinning away with the lowest gear you will get too tired too quick, maybe jump 2 or 3 gears up and spin much slowed but more power, doesn't tire you out as much.

unixnerd

When I first started I had to get off and have a breather every few miles, even on fairly flat stuff.

I knew I was fairly fit when I could do the run from my house to the top car park on Cairngorm without stopping (about a 1500 foot climb). Took a while, but it's a journey worth taking :-) That said, I'm still in total awe of the Tour de France riders on huge climbs like the Tourmalet (about 5000 footer).

If you do a good ride most days for a fortnight you'll find a big difference. The trick is to take a lowish gear and maintain a good cadence or about 60rpm, turn the pedals once a second. Get into the rhythm and with time you'll find you're doing the same climb in higher gears.

Anonymous

Maxien78 wrote:

...Oh my good lord how do you guys do it? lol

Ive only just got into mountain biking and have tried to do a few trails but have been rained off or the trails ahve been closed, however i did a short one with the other half the other day and my god the uphill was torture. I couldn't even ride up it i had to walk lol

How do you build the stamina to do it? I try going up in low gears but my legs go ten to the dozen so i tire out really quickly AND i don't seem to be getting anywhere.

I really enjoy it but those uphill climbs are a nightmare.

You mean uphill climbs, as opposed to the downhill ones?

You do get better at it the more you ride. However, I've found that a great way to build strength quickly is to just get up the hills, not quickly, just keep the cranks turning. Take it as slowly as you want, or can, even at walking pace or below. just as long as you keep the cranks turning, no matter how slow.
Do this for an entire climb. If you were sitting down the first climb, then stand up and repeat on the second climb etc.
After a few rides, you'll start to notice much more strength and stamina in your legs.

I don't know WHY this works, or even if it would work for everyone, but it certainly makes a difference for me, and at least two other riders.

another way is, again, to take it easy, but take your mind off it. Have a chat with your mate or something. Take it so slowly again that you don't run out of breath. You'll be at the top in no time, and hardly realising you've just gone uphill!
A lot of it is in the mind.

CraziScot

As everyone has said, stick in at training and it will come quickly. Hit every hill, no matter how short just climb it.

Things I've found that help:

1. Learn wether you need the granny or middle depending on the climb and start in that but well down the cassette to give you room to drop down the gears as the climb takes its toll.

2. Drop through the gears so that you maintain a spin at around your on the flat pace, don't just immediately start spinning at 1000000 rpm, all you'll do is burn out fast.

3. Get a cheap HRM and learn what sort of rate your legs start to burn out at, then learn to breath and control your heart rate in line with effort put in.

4. There is no hill, only the 5-10m in front of the bars.

5. Ride with stronger riders, it will push you on plus they will hopefully give you some tips and its someone to talk to.

6. Finally, if its all getting too much.....make like a roadie and drop your hands on the bars, get your nose down towards the headset. This will stretch out you core muscle groups giving more leverage and efficiency to you legs.

jmillen

I tend to just drop down towards the beginning to save energy and keep spinning until I get to the top, but I always get there, regardless of how long it takes.

I think its a mental barrier as well as a physical one. If you can start making it to the top of several hills, even at walking pace, the mindset when you find the next one is "I can make this one as well" and you just get on with it

Alex

Singlespeed. 2:1 yourself until your legs fall off. Do it in front of mates on geared bikes, thus ensuring that you're unable to give up and stop lest you get called a wally.

This will ensure you climb like Cancellera.

darren555

A mate of mine started doing spinning classes too and his climbing and stamina has improved.

bennett_346

Make sure your seat is the right height, too low and you'll burn out pretty fast, too high and you'll be overstretching and wont be able to put power down.

Maxien78

Thanks for the info and advice guys I will give it a go next time i go out. The hills my other half took me up were very steep though, its not so bad at a slight gradient but these were pretty steep and even he had to get off a few times and he's been doing this every other day for about 2 years.

I will definately play about with the gears and will also give spinning classes a go...i didn't even think about those so thanks!

Thewaylander

Yeh The best advice is check your saddle height for climbing. Your leg should be almost straigh but not quiet when your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke.

And the other thing for when beginning is to try and pedal between 60-90 beats a minutes this is a reasonable efficient rate, As you get more confident you can vary from this to suit how you feel.

Its the first month or so that it really hurts and you get no where, then you will start to suddenly get a fair bit fitter quickly then it will steady off again after. so bit of patience in a month or two you will be flying

shinobishoryuken

I am not the fittest or the slimmest but I do agree it gets better with time and practice- I actually prefer the climbs now- often finishing hills before my 'fit and skinny' riding mates.

Agree with above, it's all in the mind. I do the same- aim for the next tree, then the next one, then I try and imagine how gutted I'd feel if I gave up!

Walking hurts more anyway!

aahjnnot

The solution depends on the problem.

If you're out of breath going uphill, your cardiovascular system is being stressed. In the short term, go more slowly or try a higher gear. In the long term, try interval training (you can do this most easily when cycling or running on the flat) to improve cardiovascular fitness.

If your muscles are tiring, you have a different problem. In the short term you should try to drop down a gear or two; in the long term, you can build up endurance by resistance training in the gym (high reps, low weights) or just keep tackling more hills.

Also, being overweight makes a huge difference on hills. But perhaps that's why you've taken up cycling...

Maxien78

Yeah i would say im most definately unfit. I used to do HIIT in the gym on the treadmill and bike but haven't been for about a year due to being sat in a boring lecture theatre in uni.

I think my main problem at the minute is the gears, im peddeling like a mad man lol....

Definatley gonna take all of this advice into account when i go out again this weekend Hopefully i can come back and say i got to the top without getting off.

Cheers!

wordnumb

It's all about getting to the point where you can get to the top of a climb and just carry on riding. Doesn't matter whether there's a gathering of resting riders, steaming and wheezing, to pass or just empty trail - it's such a good feeling.

tHIS iSLAND eARTH

@Maxien78 have you checked this out ?

http://www.imbikemag.com/issue7/

navigate to Page 69 8)

delta5

Agree with most of the advice offered so far, just to add . .

It's sometimes easy to 'forget' to use all the available muscles in your legs. I often see people pedalling 'flat-footed', using only their upper leg muscles (quads), without actively flexing their ankles to bring their calf muscles into the action. If on the downstroke you focus on pointing your foot as well as straightening your leg, you can add a surprising amount of power by spreading the load across a bigger muscle volume. Getting your feet in the correct position on the pedals is crucial - for max power the pedal axle should be under the ball of your foot.
Just for fun try pedalling (seated) using mainly your calves & ankles, flexing your knees as little as possible, and you'll see what I'm getting at.

A lot depends on your personal ability - most people can develop reasonable climbing ability but not everyone can be a Cancellara. Trying to keep up with faster climbers is ok to a point, but don't let it affect you too much - just work on it at your own pace. There's no point and little to prove by exhausting yourself beyond enjoyment. Try to climb every hill, but if it gets silly just get off and walk to the next flattish bit. It gives your legs a change of load, and saves energy for the downhill climbs

Be patient - it can take several seasons to develop your strength, stamina and technique. Good luck and happy climbing!

mak3m

well as a noob i hated climbing even laughably small inclines (fatty alert)

but 6 weeks in im finding it getting easier, leg strength and stamina improving all the time. Advice above apart i dont think there is a magic wand just hill time

glhf

belugabob

If you are 'pedalling like a mad man' then I suspect that you are too low a gear.

I'm gradually getting there with the climbing myself, so I'll admit that it's a tricky thing to master. For me, the key seems to be striking a balance between having a gear that's low enough for you to not explode your knees, and one that's high enough to make some progress. If you're in too low a gear, you spin like mad, get nowhere and tire out the 'short term' muscles very quickly. If you're in too high a gear, you just can't put enough power in to get up the hill at all, you're likely to strain something, and can even snap a chain,

Just try a slightly higher gear until you find one that feels a better balance between these two scenarios.

In addition to being fit enough to get up the hill, you will sometimes encounter climbs that are technically tricky too - these need a whole new set of techniques to conquer...

Move your thumbs onto the top of the handlebars - this will reduce the likelyhood that you'll pull up on the bars.

Keep your elbows in - this will emphasise the downwards pressure on the bars

keep your body low and lean forward - this will reduce the chances of your front wheel from coming off the ground.

Slide forward onto the nose of your saddle - this moves the weight forward even more, but be careful not to overdo it, or your back wheel may lose traction

Most of all - just keep plugging at it and work out your own little strategies.

8)

MountainMonster

belugabob wrote:

If you are 'pedalling like a mad man' then I suspect that you are too low a gear.

I'm gradually getting there with the climbing myself, so I'll admit that it's a tricky thing to master. For me, the key seems to be striking a balance between having a gear that's low enough for you to not explode your knees, and one that's high enough to make some progress. If you're in too low a gear, you spin like mad, get nowhere and tire out the 'short term' muscles very quickly. If you're in too high a gear, you just can't put enough power in to get up the hill at all, you're likely to strain something, and can even snap a chain,

Just try a slightly higher gear until you find one that feels a better balance between these two scenarios.

In addition to being fit enough to get up the hill, you will sometimes encounter climbs that are technically tricky too - these need a whole new set of techniques to conquer...

Move your thumbs onto the top of the handlebars - this will reduce the likelyhood that you'll pull up on the bars.

Keep your elbows in - this will emphasise the downwards pressure on the bars

keep your body low and lean forward - this will reduce the chances of your front wheel from coming off the ground.

Slide forward onto the nose of your saddle - this moves the weight forward even more, but be careful not to overdo it, or your back wheel may lose traction

Most of all - just keep plugging at it and work out your own little strategies.

8)

Some true words of wisdom there from this fella. Great technical points there!

delta5

If your forks have lockout, use it on long non-technical uphills. It keeps your front wheel from bouncing, which wastes your energy. Just remember to undo the lockout before you descend . . .

balchy88

i find that using the cross trainner or bike on a high level at the gym helps alot but the best thing is determination, alot of it is in the mind