So. I'm bad at climbing hills.

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Comments

  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    Speaking of hills - a plug for the blog - http://www.100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com - 96 of the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs up there - 4 more by the end of this month touch wood....
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Did my first proper hill of the year today and it wasn't painless, the hills above Bath are steep. Need to leave the SS at home more and use the Allez more.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Twostage
    Twostage Posts: 987
    I'm an OK climber, diesel rather than turbo, just grind them out.
    I did the c2c last year, I was on my MTB and I was keeping a mate company on his crosser going up one of the steep ascents. I was in a low gear chatting away and about half way up he looked across and said -
    "You're not even breathing hard are you ?".
    "Erm no" I replied.
    "B@stard"
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    I like Hills. They're the reason I do any cycling beyond the recreational. Every time I'm climbing a decent one I'm making sworn promises to ride more to make the next set easier!

    +2 on the descending btw. On sportives I always seem to be overtaken by people I passed on the ascent...
    FCN 4 PX SL Pro SRAM Red
    FCN 8 Scott Sportster '05
  • reformedfatty
    reformedfatty Posts: 543
    Little poem for the occasion (not of my own invention I hasten to add)

    TO A VERY SPECIAL SLOPE
    You’re such a radiant gradient
    A smooth one, not a hilly one
    Your red-rimmed sign says you’re one in nine
    But to me you’re one in a million
  • symo
    symo Posts: 1,743
    I hate climbing hills.
    78kg (currently but down from 86) and 168cm. Not built for it. Despite having been a member of mid devon still hate bumps, just have to MTFU and get over them. Situation is not helped by the fact that I am mechanically inpet so suddenly don't have the derailleur centred over the sprockets, always adjust the barrel incorrectly on the hill and then lose my big sprocket everytime.
    +++++++++++++++++++++
    we are the proud, the few, Descendents.

    Panama - finally putting a nail in the economic theory of the trickle down effect.
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Hills are your Friend! They do you an immense amount of good.... treat them with respect. They are like great sex - the anticipation is there long before you get to the hill, sweaty palms, nervous, will you be able to perform, will you get to the top, deliver the power. Then it starts, slowly at first, your breath becomes quicker, you start to sweat, more power and concentration needed, keep pumping those legs, it gets harder, your muscles ache, you gasp for air, it gets ever harder..... then just as you think you can give no more, you SUMMIT! Then the glory of the freewheel down.... Bliss.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    cjcp wrote:
    Long, alpine climbs are a thing of beauty. The same cannot be said of, for example, Whitedown. That's a right, nasty little peg.

    This. Hate hills, love Cols! Or at least some of the long climbs you get in Wales - like the Bwlch or Gospel. Whitedown, Boar lane, Coombe bottom etc = hate hate hate. Lifted the front wheel on Coombe at the weekend. For shame.
    BigMat wrote:
    Greg66 wrote:

    I fcuking hate descending too. Used to like it. Now all I can see is me hitting the ground at high speed (eg Jens Voight getting caught out on the white line and having his tour ended-type thing) and there being lots of bones and skin and blood involved.


    I'm with you on this. Have really lost my bottle going down hill. Which is a shame, as I used to be quite fast. Last sportive I did there was this one bloke who I kept overtaking on every hill, then he kept catching me on the descent - every time! I'm built to go down hills fast, its a real waste, but once you start thinking what might go wrong (and what has gone wrong a couple of times, thankfully without being too serious) its a losing battle.

    Also this. Nothing like having broken a bone cycling to make you a little more wary. Coming off at 20 did enough damage, 40mph+ doesn't bear thinking about. :shock:
  • mudcovered
    mudcovered Posts: 725
    redvee wrote:
    Did my first proper hill of the year today and it wasn't painless, the hills above Bath are steep. Need to leave the SS at home more and use the Allez more.
    :lol: Now you know why I don't own a singlespeed. I live at the top of one of them. ;)

    I won't claim that climbing them is painless but you do get used to it.

    Mike
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Not had a lot of experience of particularly bad ones really, but I quite like the killer workout of attacking them followed by the pay off of being able to zip down the other side. The main thing that bothers me is how I am clearly way slower than others out there judging by my Strava times.
  • cje
    cje Posts: 148
    I thought I quite liked hills, then I attempted the ryals last week and realised what a hill was. Had to get off and push up the first, but got over the second.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,770
    There is one hill that I'm going to have to climb in September that I am not looking forward to. It's the climb onto the South Downs towards the end of the London to Brighton off road. After 63 miles off road it's a long, steep chalky climb. Bad surface with lots of rocks, i think I'm going to have to go out and ride it a few times before the event. Last time it defeated me as I picked a bad line and stopped dead against a rock. Once I'd stopped I couldn't get going again. 2 out of our group of 6 made it to the top. Walking it didn't take any longer than riding it, but I'd like to ride it properly.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,359
    Il Principe wrote:
    cjcp wrote:
    Long, alpine climbs are a thing of beauty. The same cannot be said of, for example, Whitedown. That's a right, nasty little peg.

    This. Hate hills, love Cols! Or at least some of the long climbs you get in Wales - like the Bwlch or Gospel. Whitedown, Boar lane, Coombe bottom etc = hate hate hate. Lifted the front wheel on Coombe at the weekend. For shame.
    BigMat wrote:
    Greg66 wrote:

    I fcuking hate descending too. Used to like it. Now all I can see is me hitting the ground at high speed (eg Jens Voight getting caught out on the white line and having his tour ended-type thing) and there being lots of bones and skin and blood involved.


    I'm with you on this. Have really lost my bottle going down hill. Which is a shame, as I used to be quite fast. Last sportive I did there was this one bloke who I kept overtaking on every hill, then he kept catching me on the descent - every time! I'm built to go down hills fast, its a real waste, but once you start thinking what might go wrong (and what has gone wrong a couple of times, thankfully without being too serious) its a losing battle.

    Also this. Nothing like having broken a bone cycling to make you a little more wary. Coming off at 20 did enough damage, 40mph+ doesn't bear thinking about. :shock:

    I must have something wired wrong. I really like Whitedown, especially as you can't take a run up to it because of the hairpin, and the lumps if rock in the road 8). Must. Get. Out. To. The. Downs.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    I think all you wussy descenders need to strap on a pair.
    _
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    I think all you wussy descenders need to strap on a pair.

    This from the man that's so risk averse he won't even purchase a nice bike...

    :P
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    I think all you wussy descenders need to strap on a pair.


    I kind of agree with you, but...

    - got kids / responsibilities
    - getting old, the old veneer of invincibility has started to fade
    - have crashed once or twice, been lucky, but don't want to push my luck.

    Its all relative anyway, I'd still whoop you downhill! ;)
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • vermin
    vermin Posts: 1,739
    edited March 2012
    I love going down hill at over 40mph. But that's because I'm not a wuss.

    Edit: oh, Rick said it before me... But that's because I'm too busy not being a wuss to read the message board.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Il Principe wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    I think all you wussy descenders need to strap on a pair.

    This from the man that's so risk averse he won't even purchase a nice bike...

    :P

    *shrugs*

    I'm not claiming I'm the fastest downhill, but I don't get scared and always want to go faster.
    _
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,770
    It takes a lot longer to heal once your north of 40. Unfortunately this also applies to hangovers.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • vermin
    vermin Posts: 1,739
    Veronese68 wrote:
    It takes a lot longer to heal once your north of 40. Unfortunately this also applies to hangovers.

    Yay - 11 months of descending!
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    rjsterry wrote:

    I must have something wired wrong. I really like Whitedown, especially as you can't take a run up to it because of the hairpin, and the lumps if rock in the road 8). Must. Get. Out. To. The. Downs.

    na i like whitedown, steep enough to be fun, and quite pretty really.

    very much like a 'lite' version of the hills I grew up riding up and down.

    and regarding wusses still see the kids take their Brakeless BMX's down the hill nr folks place, it's the same distance as Whitedown but close to twice the height, you can smell the burning trainers after they've passed.....
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    I think all you wussy descenders need to strap on a pair.

    This from the man that's so risk averse he won't even purchase a nice bike...

    :P

    *shrugs*

    I'm not claiming I'm the fastest downhill, but I don't get scared and always want to go faster.

    i imagine with your weight, going fast downhill is a little problematic.

    I prefer climbing to descending, and I prefer cycling to being laid up with a broken bone...

    That said, I will be attempting to MTFU in June.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Unless it's a pretty straight downhill, being light is probably still an advantage.
    _
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,359
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Unless it's a pretty straight downhill, being light is probably still an advantage.

    Not IME. If the road isn't nice and smooth - and they aren't - you bounce around quite a bit at speed, and with twitchy handling and skinny tyres that's not ideal. Exciting, but braking is pretty ineffective when you're wheels aren't in full contact with the ground.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    rjsterry wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Unless it's a pretty straight downhill, being light is probably still an advantage.

    Not IME. If the road isn't nice and smooth - and they aren't - you bounce around quite a bit at speed, and with twitchy handling and skinny tyres that's not ideal. Exciting, but braking is pretty ineffective when you're wheels aren't in full contact with the ground.
    I'll take having 20 kilos less to slow down for the hairpin and 20kg less to turn round corners :).
    _
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,359
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    rjsterry wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Unless it's a pretty straight downhill, being light is probably still an advantage.

    Not IME. If the road isn't nice and smooth - and they aren't - you bounce around quite a bit at speed, and with twitchy handling and skinny tyres that's not ideal. Exciting, but braking is pretty ineffective when you're wheels aren't in full contact with the ground.
    I'll take having 20 kilos less to slow down for the hairpin and 20kg less to turn round corners :).

    I take your point. Maybe it's a result of riding a cheap steel frame, but I've caught some air on the Leith Hill ruts and potholes. A bit of weight to keep me in touch with the tarmac would have been good.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • thiscocks
    thiscocks Posts: 549
    mroli wrote:
    Speaking of hills - a plug for the blog - http://www.100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com - 96 of the 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs up there - 4 more by the end of this month touch wood....
    Enjoyed looking through that, good stuff! Any chance you can fit in my local one- Edge Hill in Warwickshire!?

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