Do you ever give up...

[yenrod]

..on a hill !

Or would you rather keel-over trying !?"?!?!?!!!!!!!!!

 

[mondobongo]

Would rather keel over trying. On big or tough climbs I try and zone out and concentrate on slow but smooth pedalling and keeping my breathing as steady as possible. Might make slow progress but better than pushing.

 

[wlc1]

I've given up once. I genuinely felt as though I was about to pass out.

Horrible situation. Never happened before or since

It all went wrong - not smooth, breathing got out of control, wobbly hands etc etc.

I stopped for 3 mins and then all was well. Slowly though

 

[peanut]

climbed off once on Cheddar dammit
Person in front of me suddenly ground to a halt on a particularly steep switchback bit and I had to stop .

Because I struggle so much on hilly bits I have developed a few techniques to help me get up without climbing off.

I use a 38t small ring which few people realise can be fitted to a standard crankset instead of a 39t .Gives me a tiny edge and vanity won't let me fit anything bigger than a 27t cassette sprocket.

Also when I'm out of the saddle and at my limit I change my pedal stroke. I pull only for 10 revolutions then I push only for the next 10x .
Believe it or not it is just enough to allow one set of muscles a short recovery period.

When really desperate I have been known to weave from one side of the road to the other and back which lessens the gradient. Bit hairy on open roads though

 

[yenrod]

Thats right, I dont reckon there aint anyone around who aint stopped in some way.

I hate it if it rains - my back wheel slips. - bloody infuriating.

 

[HeartAttack]

Given you are asking in the racing section, then nope never quit on a hill when it counts, but yes I have stopped when out riding for pleasure, though that one time I can remember was to take a pi$$ then I got back on and rode on, well I didn't know that the Tourmalet was 23km (OK I did but bladder needed a rest)

 

[Keith Oates]

I have stopped on hills but not for a while now, getting a steady pedal rhythm and a good breathing routine usually gets me over the top!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[gratts]

Never stopped on one
I'm sure I will one day, when I meet a beast.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I get off - falling off sideways makes you look like you don't understand gearing and it hurts. I don't believe people who say they have never got off. Even the best climbers have off days - I think I remember seeing most of the field walking up one of the particularly evil climbs in one of the Spring Classics last year.

 

[John the Monkey]

I've not yet, but I suspect I've not tackled the sorts of hills you chaps have.

 

[col]

We have two hills close by that are pretty steep and long called neasham bank,i dont know what the other is called but its at the same cross roads as the neasham one,i used to just get up them,i dont think i would now,but i normally try to not stop.

 

[Crackle]

Always try and get up them, even if it means weaving about, because if you stop and have to restart, it's pretty difficult to get your feet back in the clips. It's the same downhill. Used to be easy with toe clips but clipless are a bit more difficult downhill because you need a bit of counter pressure. I once found myself heading down a twisty road at 35/40 trying to clip my left foot back in after a stop and was failing so dismally that I actually stopped and leant against a tree while I clipped back in.

 

[rich p]

I think that only hill I have given up on was Hardknott Pass on the Fred Whitton. That was a right b*stard

 

[maurice]

Never got off yet on a road bike, including riding loaded up in the Alps.

I would far rather stop and give the legs a breather than do the walk of shame.

 

[peanut]

I think I remember seeing most of the field walking up one of the particularly evil climbs in one of the Spring Classics last year.

I'd love to have seen that all those chickens with hairless muscled drumsticks