How to Train for Hills when all around you is flat?!?!

Aggerdoo

Hi

I recently found out I am lucky enough to be riding the London 100 in August, I live in Cambridgeshire and there are no real climbs around me and I am just a little bit anxious that I won't be prepared enough for the likes of Leith Hill and Box Hill on the route. Does anyone know any decent hills/climbs/routes around Huntingdon in Cambs, or any advice on how to train for climbs when there aren't really any around will it help if I do short sharp climbs over and over?

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated

Cheers
Aggerdoo

ShutUpLegs

I'd buy a strava enabled watch or a turbo trainer

imposter2.0

Aggerdoo wrote:

or any advice on how to train for climbs when there aren't really any around

Climbing is like riding on the flat, except you are holding a higher effort for less speed. If you are riding at the right intensity for the right duration, it really doesn't matter if you train up hills or not.

danowat

Repeats against the wind?

bigpikle

Imposter wrote:

Aggerdoo wrote:

or any advice on how to train for climbs when there aren't really any around

Climbing is like riding on the flat, except you are holding a higher effort for less speed. If you are riding at the right intensity for the right duration, it really doesn't matter if you train up hills or not.

+100

Ride hard efforts on the flat that force you to ride at the same effort levels you need for a hill and you'll develop the power you need for hills. 10, 20, 60, 120 min max efforts will soon build the power you need and have the bonus of getting you round the entire 100 miles faster.

phreak

A turbo is a great way to train for hills as you can prescribe yourself a clearly defined effort for a clearly defined length of time. I've used that as the bulk of my training over the last few years, which combined with keeping weight in check has allowed me to get over some of the biggies on offer in Italy and France.

And don't worry too much about Box/Leith hill. They're not that bad at all. It's just we don't have many hills in Britain worthy of the name so they get hyped up more than they ought.

fcukwit

I live in the Fens, and the best way of simulating a hill is to get out on a WINDY day and go into it for a prescribed amount of time at a certain pace. That works.

junglist_matty

Go ride the Cambridge busway when there's a headwind, that'll get you fit enough to ride hills, it's boring as hell though; I ride it every day

Courage Monsieur

A spinning bike class at your local gym or a turbo trainer might be worth a try.

Wrath Rob

Box hill is a sub-8 minute effort (assuming you're relatively fit). Leith Hill similar. None of the climbs in Surrey are massive leg breakers, though the frequency of them might grate after a while. Check them out on something like Strava.

If you want to train for these hills on the Ride London even then focus on 8 min threshold intervals with 5 mins rest and repeat that 5 times will do you well. Otherwise just get some longer rides under your belt

keef66

I do some little hills on a circuit round here. Newmarket - Moulton - Gazeley - Dalham - Ashley. For a longer climb you can head east from Dalham towards Bury St Eds.

They ain't alpine climbs though.

chrisaonabike

Wrath Rob wrote:

Box hill is a sub-8 minute effort (assuming you're relatively fit). Leith Hill similar.

Relative to what?

FWIW, I'm just turned 50, I started road cycling in October, and I've done 1400 miles since then. I'm not ultra fit or strong, but nor am I a lardy slob. I've done Box Hill 5 times now, and it takes me about 11 minutes in a low gear just spinning comfortably up.

Leith Hill, which I've now done once, is much harder than Box Hill. If you're so fit and strong that you breeze up them both and can't tell the difference between the two, your advice is not going to help someone that is only used to cycling on flattish terrain.

The other thing is that on the RL100, Leith Hill and then Box Hill are about 60 miles into the ride. Which is very different from tackling either when fresh.

Wrath Rob

Haha, point taken. Leith is more steep than Box but shorter so yes it is harder but the positive is that is over quicker.

FWIW, unless you're really going to attack the hills specifically you're better off just doing endurance training to increase your stamina to the point that you can spend the hours in the saddle that you think is required. After that, if you want, you can work on any perceived weaknesses. The training plans in the magazine are good enough for that.

Of course, if you want some advice on how to build up to a PB time up Box then this group will be more than glad to opine

Aggerdoo

Hey everyone
Thanks very much for the different training tips/advice/experience. By the basic sounds of it, if I ride enough before hand to get my fitness up I should be able to get over the hills?

I recently got a new bike and am looking to get a new bike computer for it with a cadence setting on it, is this worth while getting? if yea can anyone recommend a good one sub £80 I've read that by keeping a higher cadence in a smaller gear and "spinning" up over the hills is a more efficient way than just trying to slog it out over them; and if I do get a computer with cadence on it what is a realistic but good cadence to aim for?

Cheers again guys you've all been a great help

chrisaonabike

Wrath Rob wrote:

Haha, point taken. Leith is more steep than Box but shorter so yes it is harder but the positive is that is over quicker.

only just from where I'm sitting.

My time for Leith was 10:38 from the bottom of Etherley Hill (junction with the B2126) to the top, and my PB up Box is 11:00 from the bottom of the zigzags to the cafe.

Sorry if I sounded prickly. I did want to slap you when you said Box Hill was sub-8 though.

Of course, if you want some advice on how to build up to a PB time up Box then this group will be more than glad to opine

I certainly will do (pedal harder, I know!!), but I'm still in the getting-to-the-top-and-being-surprised-to-be-still-alive category at the moment

And still pumped from getting up White Down Lane without dying (or falling over sideways).

ric/rstsport

while riding on the flat, into a head wind, or using a turbo can/will/should improve your fitness you should also try riding a few hills, because there are some different physiological responses to riding uphill (and i'm not talking about altitude issues). i've never ridden in your area before (so have no idea if there's any hills there or not), but have you considered either driving somewhere else (with your bike in the car) or taking your bike on a train to a new area and having a go up a few hills. If nothing else, it'll stimulate your mind riding new routes.

ric