FabSwingers.com > Forums > The Lounge > Forum cycling club - hill climbing
Forum cycling club - hill climbing
Jump to: Newest in thread
Spin in your low gear with consistent cadence and vary getting out of the saddle to change your muscle group and rest before sitting back down and spinning again. Don't forget to change up a couple of gears when you get out of the saddle. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
 |
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
It’s all about power to weight ratio. There’s no short cuts or an easy way of doing it, obviously the cheapest way is to lose weight and get in plenty of hills, living in Devon I can’t avoid them.
As Eddie Mercyx said, ‘don’t buy upgrades, ride upgrades!’ |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"It’s all about power to weight ratio. There’s no short cuts or an easy way of doing it, obviously the cheapest way is to lose weight and get in plenty of hills, living in Devon I can’t avoid them.
As Eddie Mercyx said, ‘don’t buy upgrades, ride upgrades!’"
I think it could also be noted
It actually never becomes easier one usually just gets quicker or can ride further or steeper the perceived effort always seems to stay the same or infact one learns to inflict or tolerate more pain
 |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
Lots of time spent on the turbo trainer building up stammina ha ha .
I trian on hills as we have a fair fee here in my little corner of Wales.
There is no real easy way just practice , build stammina and head down grit. Ive recently started mountain biking too , phew thata super hard work but the rewards are worth it  |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
Granny gear, look up the hill and don’t stop.
The more you do hills the easier they get; there will come a point where you start a hill in an easy cog, then as you climb you find yourself going up the gears and loving it.
Avoid standing; too far back to keep traction on the back wheel the front gets light and you lose control. Too far on the front you loos traction on the rear. Sit and suck it up |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"Granny gear, look up the hill and don’t stop.
The more you do hills the easier they get; there will come a point where you start a hill in an easy cog, then as you climb you find yourself going up the gears and loving it.
Avoid standing; too far back to keep traction on the back wheel the front gets light and you lose control. Too far on the front you loos traction on the rear. Sit and suck it up"
 |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *aybus9Couple
over a year ago
Leeds |
If you don’t do hills, you’re not going to get any better at them - simple.
Steep ones depend a good poet to weight ratio. Long gradients and you need to find your rhythm- change gear accordingly.
Try low level intervals using lampposts as a marker-increase your cadence for two, ease back for two and repeat.
If you’re riding a dinner plate block you’re also on a loser. Gear ratios are too spread and cause far too much cadence variation when you need to change down. I’m a bit old school and ride a 12-23 with a compact (winter, 38 summer). |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
For riders who prefer a flat way around the only way to get better at hills is as others have said, do them more. If you want to get better, get fitter. I wanted to do this efficiently so I started training with HR and focusing on training plans. This meant staying away from hills and boosting fitness on a stationary trainer where you have more control on what you’re doing. With the right plan and consistency it’s the most time efficient way to improve at going up hill on a bike.
If that’s not you then just ride hills as often as you can. Practice spinning in a lighter gear, pick a leg and count how many times you rotate the pedal in 15 secs and multiply that by 4 to get your revs per minute (rpm). Aim to keep it above 80, ideally 90 to 100 rpm.
If you are hurting break the climb down into chunks. Pick a fence, tree, road sign or bend in the road and make that your target. Once you get to it find the next target up the road. The biggest battle with hills is usually with your mind so tricking or distracting it is almost always required to get up without stopping |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"If you don’t do hills, you’re not going to get any better at them - simple.
Steep ones depend a good poet to weight ratio. Long gradients and you need to find your rhythm- change gear accordingly.
Try low level intervals using lampposts as a marker-increase your cadence for two, ease back for two and repeat.
If you’re riding a dinner plate block you’re also on a loser. Gear ratios are too spread and cause far too much cadence variation when you need to change down. I’m a bit old school and ride a 12-23 with a compact (winter, 38 summer). "
Agreed on ratio spread
Then again, l was once daft enough (early 90s) to head out around Norwood Edge, Fewston, Kexgill (A59) & East Chevin with a lowest gear of 42 x 21...
It hurt!
Others are just long steady ascents
Eg:
Snake Pass (A57) out of Glossop
HolmeMoss (harder from Derbyshire side
Some are plain nasty;
Trooper Lane (Halifax - top of Beacon Hill)
'Shibden Wall' (Lee Lane)
The Strines (officially Mortimer Road, & 11 miles long)
|
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *aybus9Couple
over a year ago
Leeds |
"If you don’t do hills, you’re not going to get any better at them - simple.
Steep ones depend a good poet to weight ratio. Long gradients and you need to find your rhythm- change gear accordingly.
Try low level intervals using lampposts as a marker-increase your cadence for two, ease back for two and repeat.
If you’re riding a dinner plate block you’re also on a loser. Gear ratios are too spread and cause far too much cadence variation when you need to change down. I’m a bit old school and ride a 12-23 with a compact (winter, 38 summer).
Agreed on ratio spread
Then again, l was once daft enough (early 90s) to head out around Norwood Edge, Fewston, Kexgill (A59) & East Chevin with a lowest gear of 42 x 21...
It hurt!
Others are just long steady ascents
Eg:
Snake Pass (A57) out of Glossop
HolmeMoss (harder from Derbyshire side
Some are plain nasty;
Trooper Lane (Halifax - top of Beacon Hill)
'Shibden Wall' (Lee Lane)
The Strines (officially Mortimer Road, & 11 miles long)
"
Trooper Lane  38x23 - the only hill I’ve had to walk up |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"If you don’t do hills, you’re not going to get any better at them - simple.
Steep ones depend a good poet to weight ratio. Long gradients and you need to find your rhythm- change gear accordingly.
Try low level intervals using lampposts as a marker-increase your cadence for two, ease back for two and repeat.
If you’re riding a dinner plate block you’re also on a loser. Gear ratios are too spread and cause far too much cadence variation when you need to change down. I’m a bit old school and ride a 12-23 with a compact (winter, 38 summer).
Agreed on ratio spread
Then again, l was once daft enough (early 90s) to head out around Norwood Edge, Fewston, Kexgill (A59) & East Chevin with a lowest gear of 42 x 21...
It hurt!
Others are just long steady ascents
Eg:
Snake Pass (A57) out of Glossop
HolmeMoss (harder from Derbyshire side
Some are plain nasty;
Trooper Lane (Halifax - top of Beacon Hill)
'Shibden Wall' (Lee Lane)
The Strines (officially Mortimer Road, & 11 miles long)
Trooper Lane 38x23 - the only hill I’ve had to walk up"
I once did a race (run) that went up there, & off Beacon Hill, along the 'Magna Via' (the Dark Lane hollow-way)
I got about 3/4 of the way up TL, then had to walk, or collapse! |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
As a bit of a lump hills always caused me great pain.
As already said power weight ratio is a huge part, fitness obviously, familiarity with the particular climb helps, a well maintained bike last thing you want is jumping of gears or chain slipping at wrong time, don't get caught up with bravado.
If others want to ride in macho gears that's upto them, ride the gears which best suit you.
I was given some good advice when climbing.
Sit back on the saddle , don't grip the bars too hard as it causes tension and fatigue, on the hardest part of the climb every third peddle stroke push harder with that leg.
Not only does this distract you from the work ahead due to counting it alternates the legs.
But only for the hard part, rest of time as said smooth cadence find a style that suits you.
And
Like I said being a lump had a plus side once over the top, descending is as much if not more of a skill than climbing.
Where as climbing is about fitness and body weight ratio.
Going down a good skilled descender can really make up for lost time (not all unfortunately)
But the mind is the thing that really makes the difference not giving up and being clever. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"As a bit of a lump hills always caused me great pain.
As already said power weight ratio is a huge part, fitness obviously, familiarity with the particular climb helps, a well maintained bike last thing you want is jumping of gears or chain slipping at wrong time, don't get caught up with bravado.
If others want to ride in macho gears that's upto them, ride the gears which best suit you.
I was given some good advice when climbing.
Sit back on the saddle , don't grip the bars too hard as it causes tension and fatigue, on the hardest part of the climb every third peddle stroke push harder with that leg.
Not only does this distract you from the work ahead due to counting it alternates the legs.
But only for the hard part, rest of time as said smooth cadence find a style that suits you.
And
Like I said being a lump had a plus side once over the top, descending is as much if not more of a skill than climbing.
Where as climbing is about fitness and body weight ratio.
Going down a good skilled descender can really make up for lost time (not all unfortunately)
But the mind is the thing that really makes the difference not giving up and being clever."
I love idea of the third peddle stroke technique |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
I was a very good cyclist for over 30 years Ive rode with some world famous riders as i used to ride 800 miles a week every week ...there's a few types of hill or mountain depending where your riding And its about mental attitude having your bike set up right and using the gears properly and having the right cassette on for the role ie the right ratio cassette and chain rings and i used to count in my head to a rhythm...these days i still love a good ride |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
Hills are 60% head and 40% bike, if you think its hard before you get there it will be!! when i was young i had 3 gears and cycled everywhere.. never even mentioned hills. Now i have 20 gears and puff and blow up hills.. ok i am 65 but much of the hill is in my head. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"Hills are 60% head and 40% bike, if you think its hard before you get there it will be!! when i was young i had 3 gears and cycled everywhere.. never even mentioned hills. Now i have 20 gears and puff and blow up hills.. ok i am 65 but much of the hill is in my head. "
not if your a fat fuck like me.
Then it's 99% gravity 
However being able to hit 60mph on a downhill because of said weight makes me smile. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"Hills are 60% head and 40% bike, if you think its hard before you get there it will be!! when i was young i had 3 gears and cycled everywhere.. never even mentioned hills. Now i have 20 gears and puff and blow up hills.. ok i am 65 but much of the hill is in my head. not if your a fat fuck like me.
Then it's 99% gravity
However being able to hit 60mph on a downhill because of said weight makes me smile."
Also uses to make my pooper twitch on the corners EEEEK |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"Hills are 60% head and 40% bike, if you think its hard before you get there it will be!! when i was young i had 3 gears and cycled everywhere.. never even mentioned hills. Now i have 20 gears and puff and blow up hills.. ok i am 65 but much of the hill is in my head. not if your a fat fuck like me.
Then it's 99% gravity
However being able to hit 60mph on a downhill because of said weight makes me smile."
When l was younger, l'd head down hills as quick as possible, l guess partly adrenaline?
There's a descent to the north of Leeds that 60MPH could be seen
(measured by Avocet, due to set-up, probably more accurate than GPS)
If anyone from West (or North) Yorkshire is reading, East Chevin is the hill l refer to |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
Depends on the hill - a long alpine climb I'll stick it in a small gear and spin my way up. Belgian style bergs/short but steep lumps I prefer to keep it in the big ring as long as possible while out the saddle. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
» Add a new message to this topic
