Hill Training Question

supermurph09

Lets say the Hill Climb event takes place on a 0.4 mile climb with a 12-13% average gradient would training on a hill with a 10% average gradient but 0.6 miles be of similar benefit?

The 10% climb is nice and quiet and very local, the other one isnt. Whilst I'll be riding all kinds of climbs, long and short I was just trying to understand how climbs of similar gradients but different distances might correlate.

Thanks

dw300

Supermurph09 wrote:

Lets say the Hill Climb event takes place on a 0.4 mile climb with a 12-13% average gradient would training on a hill with a 10% average gradient but 0.6 miles be of similar benefit?

The 10% climb is nice and quiet and very local, the other one isnt. Whilst I'll be riding all kinds of climbs, long and short I was just trying to understand how climbs of similar gradients but different distances might correlate.

Thanks

It might be similar in terms of overall work, but you're training at lower intensity.

0.4 miles at 10% but faster might more accurately recreate the effort.

supermurph09

Thanks for the input

imposter2.0

I don't think it really matters - you are training for the intensity, not the gradient.

supermurph09

Could you elaborate a little further?

imposter2.0

Supermurph09 wrote:

Could you elaborate a little further?

Hill climbs are about holding the highest possible effort level for a given amount of time. In that sense, the gradient is not as important as your work rate. So in reality, I suspect it doesn't really matter where you train, provided you are working at the right intensity/duration.

simon_e

The exact gradient of the hill you train on isn't terribly important. 0.4 miles is a very short, intense effort. To begin with I'd do lots of climbing, both long and short, work on your pedalling and breathing technique, get your general fitness up. Then nearer the date build towards doing very hard intervals to replicate the race effort.

One of many useful articles by Tejvan Pettinger:
http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/5818/trai ... -training/
and one by Matt Clinton:
http://mattyclinton.blogspot.co.uk/2011 ... guide.html

sloppyschleckonds

'The body is sending many signals to slow down. Part of the training is learning to ignore these and keep pushing harder.'

Useful advice from Tejvan