Demoralising

[sparty69]

I know I shouldn't let it get to me but...... I thought I was doing OK, getting fitter, climbing better etc. I probably am, compared to how I was when I first started cycling last year. But, the last couple of times I've been out, I've been passed by other cyclists whilst climbing hills. Not just slowly passed, but blown away!!. The first time was last week, climbing out of Uppermill towards the A62 Saddleworth road. I was plodding along when two older guys came sauntering past me at a fair old pace. Within about a mile they had pulled out a 2 minute lead over me . Now yesterday, while climbing up Chunal Hill out of Glossop towards Hayfield, a spriteley young thing dressed all in team SKY gear flew past me and disappeared into the distance!!. Why can't I climb like that??!! .

 

[jig-sore]

since joining the local club i have realised... i am utter CRAP at climbing hills. i can keep pace with everyone on the flat but a soon as we hit a hill, its by by me

i just see it as something to work on. i'll get there one day

 

[mark barker]

I'm the same, quite happy riding at a fair pace on the flat, but even the slightest incline and my speed drops off and my lungs try to escape through my chest... As soon as I'm on the flat again I can cruise up behind the others quite easily. I've just come to accept that I can't do hills and try to plan routes that avoid them!

 

[sparty69]

Thanks guys, it's nice to know I'm not alone. I have been thinking of joining the local club, but was scared of showing myself up by not being able to keep up. I know we all have to start somewhere, I just have bad memories of a cycle club I was in when I was about 14 years old. I could see it in the eyes of the older/more experienced members who used to look at me with despair when I rolled up on my old heavy raleigh. I even overheard one of them once slagging me off because I struggled to keep up. This kind of put me off clubs. At 42 years old you'd think I would've have put this behind me, but it's still there in the back of my mind.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

How do you know whether those guys had only started their ride ten minutes before they passed you?

 

[skudupnorth]

Don't let it get you down,i ride every day but hills still pig me off......unless it's going down ! If you want to really try some killer hills head to Devon and Cornwall THEY HURT !!!
Keep at it,it's not a race

 

[dellzeqq]

exactly.

If climbing hills means a lot to you, then I suppose the thing to do is to climb regularly, and see how you feel as you go up. If you're under par, consider the reasons (mine tend to be alcohol, overeating, dehydration and not enough sleep) and do what you can to make good any deficiencies.

Don't let the fact that the cyclists that passed you were older than you put you off. I'm guessing that you're 41 years old. People can climb well in to their sixties.

And...we don't have hills down here, (as you well know), but the Ditchling Beacon is as close as it gets. Last year I did this in a higher gear than I'd done it in the preceding 38 years. The secret - I drank a bottle of that blue Lucozade jungle juice at the bottom of the hill. Who know - perhaps TeamSkyBoy had been at the energy drinks?

 

[TVC]

Who said it was a race?

 

[Banjo]

I seem to be the other way around. Keeping up on the hills but struggling on the flat and getting left behind on downhill technical bits.

Certainly dont worry when a total stranger passes you on the road. Just tell them your not fully recovered from your heart transplant yet.

 

[GrasB]

I'm the same, quite happy riding at a fair pace on the flat, but even the slightest incline and my speed drops off and my lungs try to escape through my chest... As soon as I'm on the flat again I can cruise up behind the others quite easily. I've just come to accept that I can't do hills and try to plan routes that avoid them!

If you're no good on the hills the best thing you can do is find the steepest, longest & technically difficult climbs & plan your rides to make as many trips up them. Once you're used to climbing the hard stuff suddenly you find your self attacking the small fry with careless abandon.

 

[lukesdad]

If you're no good on the hills the best thing you can do is find the steepest, longest & technically difficult climbs & plan your rides to make as many trips up them. Once you're used to climbing the hard stuff suddenly you find your self attacking the small fry with careless abandon.

This is very true. Even though I live in a very hilly area, where any ride would include hills. When Hill training I pick the longest and steepest I can find to include on my rides. When starting out hill training Pick ones you can climb relatively easily but climb them in higher gears and at a faster pace, before you tackle any monsters,they ll just destroy you and knock your confidence.

 

[sparty69]

I take your point about not knowing whether or not they'd just set off. Dellzeqq, I have no option but to tackle hills on a regular basis. I live in Glossop, we're surrounded by hills, if I want to travel further than a mile in any direction I have to climb a hill. The fact is, I enjoy climbing the hills, I get a real sense of achievement/satisfaction when I get to the top. I will stick at it and hopefully I will eventually reach the point whereby I am overtaking people going up hill rather than the other way round!

 

[Tigerbiten]

If you're no good on the hills the best thing you can do is find the steepest, longest & technically difficult climbs & plan your rides to make as many trips up them. Once you're used to climbing the hard stuff suddenly you find your self attacking the small fry with careless abandon.

I find that the long 2-4% hills works best for me.
Its steep enough for me to spin-up without hitting bottom gear.
Plus I'll keep enough air flow over my recumbent to keep me cool.

One the hill hits over 6% then I slow down to much, loose any air cooling and cook.
Once that happens, I need to drop my power output to match my rate of heat loss.

At this moment in my training program, I'm tending to go the lumpy route just so that I work the legs harder.

Luck .........

 

[steve52]

i love hills and i love rideing i dont care who i pass or who passes me im doing the best my legs and lungs allow yipeeeeeeeee ps i often feel sick too but have at last gone sub 30 YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

[GrasB]

This is very true. Even though I live in a very hilly area, where any ride would include hills. When Hill training I pick the longest and steepest I can find to include on my rides. When starting out hill training Pick ones you can climb relatively easily but climb them in higher gears and at a faster pace, before you tackle any monsters,they ll just destroy you and knock your confidence.

Of course the irony of me saying that is around these parts it takes an extremely complicated route & going up every 'hill' both ways to average 35ft climbing per mile of road yet when I went to the Alps I was one of the best climbers .