Go Faster Hills

[RUTHIEBAV]

Hi
Now I've got my first ride under my belt I want to go faster. Specifically I want to go faster up hills.

How do you train for faster uphills? I know I'm going to have to train on hills but apart from that how do you do it?

Do you try to stay in higher gears or just try to go faster or both?

Do you do any specific gym exercises to help?

New to this cycling lark and slightly surprised that I want to cycle up a hill let alone cycle up it faster so please be gentle with me!!

Ruth

 

[Garz]

Hi
...Specifically I want to go faster up hills.

How do you train for faster uphills? I know I'm going to have to train on hills but apart from that how do you do it?

Do you try to stay in higher gears or just try to go faster or both?

Do you do any specific gym exercises to help?

Ruth

Hi Ruth.

OK Il try to be brief and concise as possible:

1) Practice by picking two types of hills. Firstly the loooong but not so steep type. (This should improve your speed and cardio). Secondly the short but really steep type. (This should improve your climbing ability).

2) None. Pace yourself and pick the gear which stresses you but not gasses out your muscles.

3) Yes, typically squats, lunges and core work (i.e. Plank).


Hope this helps

Good luck!

 

[Vikeonabike]

Last months Cycling Plus (July) has a good article on hill training! Add Plyometrics to the list of exercises for hills and sprint improvement!
Plyometrics in the middle somewhere

 

[jimboalee]

Hi
Now I've got my first ride under my belt I want to go faster. Specifically I want to go faster up hills.

How do you train for faster uphills? I know I'm going to have to train on hills but apart from that how do you do it?

Do you try to stay in higher gears or just try to go faster or both?

Do you do any specific gym exercises to help?

New to this cycling lark and slightly surprised that I want to cycle up a hill let alone cycle up it faster so please be gentle with me!!

Ruth

Yes. Warm up properly on the treadmill and gym bike.

On the gym bike, chose the 'hills' routine which alternates between high and low resistance in a progressive series.

Adjust the bike so that the highest resistance is more than 300 Watts.

Set the time to 30 minutes.


If you have to stand up, you have to stand up.

 

[fossyant]

Just ride more hills, simple really.

 

[ColinJ]

The most obvious thing to do is to lose weight reduce your levels of body fat unless you are already very slim!

 

[montage]

lose weight/gain power

 

[Will1985]

Ride them.

 

[HLaB]

I don't do any specific training off the bike as hinted at above actually riding them works for me.

With gearing, I try to change up when I stand up and down when I sit down. It works best on long consistent hills though. Physiologically for me anyway I don't like running out of gears some times, i.e already being in the lowest and not being able to change down.

 

[RUTHIEBAV]

Thanks everyone. Loads of tips and ideas there. Guess I've got to just get on with it now. Hope this means I'll end up with lovely legs! Ruth

 

[RUTHIEBAV]

Last months Cycling Plus (July) has a good article on hill training! Add Plyometrics to the list of exercises for hills and sprint improvement!
Plyometrics in the middle somewhere

Crikey, I'm so not strong. What a great clip. Ruth

I haven't ever bought Cycling Plus - I look out for it. I guess a big WH Smiths would stock it. Thanks.

 

[GrasB]

I live in Cambridgeshire & we don't do proper hills here. I don't do any specific exercises for climbing yet when I hit real climbs I'm usually one of the quicker ones. So what gives? I've simply got used to pushing out a lot of power for long periods regardless of the situation. So on the flat I'll do 24mph & up a 20% incline I'll be doing 4mph, for me hills aren't harder they're just slower going up.

 

[marinyork]

I think riding up a hill that is 1-2 miles long gives a decent work out. Do this several times a week.

 

[TheBoyBilly]

I have to agree that the best way to train for hills is to actually ride them. I really struggle at times, and I firmly try remember to follow advice not to look up to see how far away the crest is.....it seems to work - just. But I don't beat myself up too much if I can't make it all the way as I know I am getting better at hills, if only very slowly.

 

[jimboalee]

Crikey, I'm so not strong. What a great clip. Ruth

I used to be able to do the dining table when I was sixteen.

Not now tho'.


Book yourself and your bike on a flight to Tenerife.

Ride up the mountain. Take a day's rest and ride up it again from the opposite side of the island.


I prefer going to San Francisco. They're very bike-friendly there.