# Fitness and Hills?



## Kovu (28 Dec 2007)

So now I have my bike I am going to start getting right back into it and get alot fitter than what I am at the moment. So questions? 

Hills. Any tips on tackling them. I can cope with the short very steep hills, but the constant and steeping hills I cant at all.

Training Regime. Am I best to set up a plan and goals etc or just go free for all?


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## Hugo15 (28 Dec 2007)

I find it easier to stay seated as otherwise my HR reaches my max very quickly. As far as goals go I find that getting my entries off a couple of sportives helps as it makes me go and ride the hills as practice - the best way to get better at them. You will also probably find that the hills never feel much easier but you will just get quicker at them!


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## Frazer (28 Dec 2007)

For longer hills, put it in a lower gear and spin up the hill rather than try to power up in a high gear. A higher cadence will allow you to keep going for longer, albeit maybe a bit slower at first


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## Plax (28 Dec 2007)

I'm always sitting down when cycling up hills, usually in one of the lowest gears depending on how steep the hill is and how tired I am at the end of the day. So I don't fly up hills, but I take them at a nice sedate pace and it saves the legs a lot.


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## bonj2 (28 Dec 2007)

hamstrings


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## Joe24 (28 Dec 2007)

If its a short hill i might stand up for abit, then go spinning. If its a long hill, i go between spinning and standing up to bring the cadence back up. Go find some huge long hill and see what works for you, just keep in mind about the fun you will have coming back down. The further up the hill you go, the longer and more fun you will have coming down.
As for the training plan i find it doesnt work for me. Sometimes i want to go and ride for along time, sometimes i want a quick, fast blast around. And when i'm feeling really good i want to do some hills to see how good i have got since i started.


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## yenrod (28 Dec 2007)

:HILLS = select a gear far easier than you actually think you need esp. for the longer grades...!


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## andygates (28 Dec 2007)

Yup. Twiddle up them. If a hill beats you, remember how far you got. Declare loudly to yourself next time that you'll get further up it! Eventually you will stride across the countryside like a colossus.


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## walker (31 Dec 2007)

try not to use the easiest gear you have, leave at least one or two gears to give yourself an emergency gear to bail yourself out when the going gets tough


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## Bigtallfatbloke (31 Dec 2007)

The worst ones are the long drags which have a convex profile...those which get steeper as to get to the end. I have one such horror withing a mimute of my front door. It took me several months before I could get up it without walking the last stretch. These days I go up it every otherday, I still huff and puff though. At first I needed the triple and almost run out of cogs on it, but now I can get up it on the double ring with plenty of cogs left before the triple is needed. I never stand up, and found th ebest way was to select a low gear, sit back on the saddle and pull as much as I push with my legs. I also take a big gulp of water before the hill, it is possibly more psychological than anything else but for some reason if I forget I struggle more it seems.


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## Tim Bennet. (31 Dec 2007)

If a specific training schedule doesn't appeal, at least try to mould your weekly rides around a 'rule of thumb'. This is for spring time onwards - the winter regime only calls for steady rides for as long as you can manage.

One ride a week should be as long and sustained as your schedule allows.

Two rides a week should be at least 90 minutes of fast and furious. (Club race or chain gang).

Three rides a week should be at least an hour of 'so slow you think you're wasting your time' speed.

One day should be spent off the bike.

It's this mixture of work and recovery that pays dividends. Trying to 'compress the process' by cutting out the recovery rides and rest will only lead to things getting worse. Maintaining the balance is required.


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## ColinJ (31 Dec 2007)

Bigtallfatbloke said:


> The worst ones are the long drags which have a *convex* profile...those which get steeper as to get to the end. I have one such horror withing a mimute of my front door.


That's actually a _concave_ profile (I remember which is which thus - concave 'caves in').

The late Ken Kifer's fine cycling website describes how to tackle hills on a bicycle here.


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## fossyant (3 Jan 2008)

Lots of training is the best way to get up hills, and training on them, but it all depends upon where you live and how many hills you have. 

I'm lucky being on the edge of Derbyshire/Cheshire in that we have most sorts of climbs - long 5 mile drags to short half mile 1 in 4's, and just about everything in between.

It's technique - shorter steep ones I'll be out the saddle honking it, on longer, lesser gradients, then in the saddle spinning, but occasionally get out to stretch the muscles. Also practice breathing when climbing - it's important for maintaining tempo - get it wrong and you'll get into oxygen debt.


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## Cycling Naturalist (9 Jan 2008)

fossyant said:


> Also practice breathing when climbing - it's important for maintaining tempo - get it wrong and you'll get into oxygen debt.



Yes, don't get into the habit of never breathing while climbing.


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## Kovu (9 Jan 2008)

Tim Bennet. said:


> If a specific training schedule doesn't appeal, at least try to mould your weekly rides around a 'rule of thumb'. This is for spring time onwards - the winter regime only calls for steady rides for as long as you can manage.
> 
> One ride a week should be as long and sustained as your schedule allows.
> 
> ...



That helped Tim thanks alot!! a training plan does appeal to me, but its just knowing what mileage to put in etc.

And Yesh I never breathe on hills


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## Ludwig (13 Jan 2008)

If you ride within yourself and introduce much more speed, and strength into your routine you can tackle most hills fairly easily. I live in Wales and regularly ride the mountain and forest trails up to 2500ft which are much harder than road hills and you find that when you get into a steady relaxed pace it isn't too difficult. I wouldn't advocate getting out of your saddle and thrashing about as you will just get into oxygen debt and can be painful on the knees. Finally look at the great cimbers on Youtube like Lance Armstong and Marco Pantani and see how relaxed and smooth their style is.


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## Ludwig (13 Jan 2008)

If you ride within yourself and introduce much more speed, and strength into your routine you can tackle most hills fairly easily. I live in Wales and regularly ride the mountain and forest trails up to 2500ft which are much harder than road hills and you find that when you get into a steady relaxed pace it isn't too difficult. I wouldn't advocate getting out of your saddle and thrashing about as you will just get into oxygen debt and can be painful on the knees. Finally look at the great climbers on Youtube like Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani and see how relaxed and smooth their style is.


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## stevenb (27 Jan 2008)

Ludwig said:


> Finally look at the great cimbers on Youtube like Lance Armstong and Marco Pantani and see how relaxed and smooth their style is.



Very true. Keeping a smooth pace and not flapping the bike about and moving your upper body side to side helps focus the energy to your legs where it's needed.
Find a gear thats comfortable....and as soon as you feel the strain coming on again it's time to change down again. Keeping a steady breathing pattern helps too. Stay focused. Keep you head straight and fix your eyes on the top of the hill if you can see it and don't look down at your gears etc.

Once you find yourself at the top of the hill see how quickly you can recover to a normal breathing pattern.
We all have off days so don't worry about that. The more you train at them the better you'll get as the others guys have said.

I always have to climb a hill on my way home from rides out with my mate as we have a meeting point start and finish. Once we finish I have to cycle another 6.3 miles and with a steep hill at the end. I always leave myself enough energy to climb...although a few times I've been close to passing out...


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## will (30 Jan 2008)

for LONG Long hill (several miles)

Good cadence in easy gear, sitting down, and move bum Back a bit on the saddle (and tie bungee cord to guy in front of you)


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## Bigtallfatbloke (30 Jan 2008)

Quite often it isnt the hill that is the main issue for me. It is th eidiot car drivers exercising their big right feet withing cms of me when i am knackered going up a hill...if they wold just piss orf and let me get on with things all would be aok


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