Best intervals for flat-like terrain for practicing hill-climbing ability?

Just ride at threshold for whatever duration of hill climb you are trying to simulate. Perhaps with some 1min over/under intervals thrown in...

You can't, really. In my experience, the inertia/gravity/out-of-the-saddle characteristics of climbing can't really be found on the flat. Not even with a headwind. The turbo is maybe the best way to replicate those things but even then it's not the same.

However you can work on whatever component of fitness represents the hills you want to climb well. So if they are short sharp 1 min efforts, do 1 min repeat. Climbs of 5 to 8 minutes, do repeats of that length with recovery. Alpine climbs, do 20-60 min threshold or just below threshold training. Then when you do hit the climbs you will have that fitness.

put it in 54x11 and let the tyres down.
Failing that ride through soft sand.

burnthesheep wrote:

I'd say emulating the lower cadence seated grind would be one thing. Long flat road and put it in a stronger gear than you can hold at a normal 90-100 rpm and grind out intervals at 75-80 RPM in that gear.

You can do the same but get out of the saddle.

On long training rides I will do that once or twice out of saddle for a minute to give my bum a rest from being on the saddle so long.

Again, IMHO, turbos and trainers are best for regimented interval training unless you are blessed with alpine climbs or soft flat terrain with no wind. Otherwise, too many variables to interfere in completing the interval.

About the only interval work I do on the open road is really long SS riding. Spend a few hours straight holding lower to upper sweet spot power.

Less then a year ago you were enquiringly on whether it was possible to ride at 20 mph. Now you are the expert on all things training. How do you think people manage to train before turbos and power metres. People were doing 25 mile TT in 50 minutes and well under 4 hours for a 100 miles 30 years ago.

Webboo wrote:

Less then a year ago you were enquiringly on whether it was possible to ride at 20 mph. Now you are the expert on all things training. How do you think people manage to train before turbos and power metres. People were doing 25 mile TT in 50 minutes and well under 4 hours for a 100 miles 30 years ago.

Not related to you, I can't stand how this website multi-quotes all previous quotes. Makes the page so long to read. I need to find a user setting to disable that.

Anyway, good memory! Yup, that's me.

And yup, you're right. People trained until their eyes bugged out and their heart pounded out of their chest since sport began.

You can do it without a meter or HRM or a turbo, you learn your perceived exertion and go ride. I get that. My point was that for me, my local rides don't work well to do repeats or interval work.

Up, down, around the corner, stop, go, car, stop sign, stop light, hill, flat, corner........ You get the idea.

For me, that's what I have to do if I want to train for a climb. Not saying you can't do a great job otherwise, just personal preference.

FWIW, a used fluid trainer is what? $100 for a pretty nice one? I got mine used for that with the block, mat, trainer, skewer, and a brand new sweat catcher. So $100 gets you training. Another $100 for used equipment could probably get you an acceptable computer and HRM. I saw he posted up times for segments. So using a phone or computer already. So a HRM would be just another $25 plus the turbo.

$125 is very much worth it in the modern era to train if you have your eye on slaying that hill but aren't blessed to live near lots of hills or mountains.

Again, you don't have to. That's cool. But to me, $125 would be worth every penny if you really want to train in the year 2017 versus the year 1970.

thecycleclinic wrote:

if you have a bike that can take guards and panniers fit them. Loads the pannier up then any hill becomes longer and you become slow. Ride into the wind on such a bike up a incline even 2% and you know about it. This is what I do. The commuter is my training bike. It is every effective.

Also known as 'resistance training' - it doesn't really have a usefulness in this context, IMO. The objective is simply to hit a certain effort level and maintain it for a certain amount of time. If you can do that using power/HR/RPE (and there's no reason why that would not be possible) then you don't need to ride with panniers full of bricks, or similar.

OnTheRopes wrote:

Ride into a strong headwind in a big gear.

See above..

By complete fluke, just seen this comedy clip!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05kf0sd

Imposter wrote:

thecycleclinic wrote:

if you have a bike that can take guards and panniers fit them. Loads the pannier up then any hill becomes longer and you become slow. Ride into the wind on such a bike up a incline even 2% and you know about it. This is what I do. The commuter is my training bike. It is every effective.

Also known as 'resistance training' - it doesn't really have a usefulness in this context, IMO. The objective is simply to hit a certain effort level and maintain it for a certain amount of time. If you can do that using power/HR/RPE (and there's no reason why that would not be possible) then you don't need to ride with panniers full of bricks, or similar.

It would slow you down, and mean you get longer at the right power between junctions.

Imposter wrote:

KingstonGraham wrote:

Imposter wrote:

thecycleclinic wrote:

if you have a bike that can take guards and panniers fit them. Loads the pannier up then any hill becomes longer and you become slow. Ride into the wind on such a bike up a incline even 2% and you know about it. This is what I do. The commuter is my training bike. It is every effective.

Also known as 'resistance training' - it doesn't really have a usefulness in this context, IMO. The objective is simply to hit a certain effort level and maintain it for a certain amount of time. If you can do that using power/HR/RPE (and there's no reason why that would not be possible) then you don't need to ride with panniers full of bricks, or similar.

It would slow you down, and mean you get longer at the right power between junctions.

On the flat - it wouldn't slow you down, although you might take slightly longer to accelerate..

True. The suggestion from thecycleclinic was into the wind up a 2% incline.

Maybe a parachute to slow you down on the flat would do the same.

What I noticed with threshold training is that it will let you stay on higher heart rate for longer, but it won't improve ftp after you reach a certain point. That's when hill reps intervals come in place to improve leg strength (that's what I am experiencing).