Damn hills!

paulski1966
paulski1966 Posts: 98
edited March 2013 in Health, fitness & training
Been mountain biking for about 6 months now and still struggling with hills. Cycle about three to four times a week for about an hour at a time - I know it would help to do more but work/life/family balance restricts this somewhat.

I'm already on a mission to drop body weight to make things easier, my question is I have read suggestions of hill repeats - mostly in relation to road cycling - I have to be honest and say the thought of that bores me to tears - however there is a very short trail near where I live with a wide gravel path back to the top of it about 250m in length at about 10% - 12% incline. Happy to cycle loops of this because at least I have the little trail which has a couple of small jumps and berms back down. So is this climb way to short to have any benefit?

Comments

  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    No its not too short to use. Just make sure when you climb you are pushing it and using the downhill as a recovery.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • paulski1966
    paulski1966 Posts: 98
    Cool - cheers for the quick reply. That's tomorrows ride sorted then :).
  • concorde
    concorde Posts: 1,008
    Ease in to the hill and increase your effort as it goes on, by the time you get to the top you should be blowing! Push it. Your aerobic threshold will increase in no time. You'll still be blowing out of your arse when you get to the top but that's just because you're getting up the hill faster :-) It never stops hurting!
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    No its not too short to use.

    That depends on whether you want to get good at climbing 200m hills (in which case it's fine), or climbing 2km hills, in which case it's too short...

    Hill reps are a very good way of maximising the time you spend going up hill, and I personally often push myself harder if I ride up the same climb repeatedly, rather than doing different hills.

    Climbing will get easier as you do more, and dropping weight makes a collosal difference, so focus on that. Resist the temptation to stop at the top of a climb, instead sprint over the top and keep going.
  • paulski1966
    paulski1966 Posts: 98
    Thanks for the info.
    That depends on whether you want to get good at climbing 200m hills (in which case it's fine), or climbing 2km hills, in which case it's too short...

    Its a mix really, but more a case of not wheezing my way back up the fireroad at the local trails :lol:
    Climbing will get easier as you do more, and dropping weight makes a collosal difference, so focus on that

    tbh i think this is going to be the key - I live on the South Downs which seems to be made from teflon when its wet (which has basically the last 6 months). I guess its a case of stop being such a ponce and get out more.

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