Help me on Hills!

[Angelfishsolo]

I find doing core exercises helps me a great deal in climbing hills, its not all about the legs. There are some simple exercises you can do at home, but swimming is also good for your core strength, it will also strengthen you arms, you wouldn't believe it, but being able to pull my bike up the hills with my arms helps as much as spinning my legs.

That I can understand. MTBing is where upper body strength is especially noticeable (or lack of it in my case). I keep wanting to go to the local pool but is has nowhere to secure my bike. Oh the irony of a bike unfriendly sports centre

 

[briantrumpet]

the info that i am getting is that any individuals cycling potential , regardless of personal individualities , is largely regulated by your glycogen energy levels

I'm not sure that's really true - yes, it does have a big bearing on how each individual copes with a ride, but even at pro cycling level you get riders whose differing physiologies give them strengths in different areas: watching the Tour de France, you could see the ones who could climb well but weren't so good at grinding out miles, those who were good at sprinting, etc. At the recreational level the differences will be even more marked. I think the biggest differences will be seen on the hill climbing, both because it tends to push at the boundaries of the body's capabilities, but also because it is so affected by the rider's weight. Even if the rider is fit, carrying just an extra 10kg of weight will cause a much bigger drain on the rider's system: even if they can ride at the same speed up the hill as the lighter rider, they must be using using more power to do so.

Having said that, yes, if you ain't got the energy, you ain't gonna get up that hill!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I'm not sure that's really true - yes, it does have a big bearing on how each individual copes with a ride, but even at pro cycling level you get riders whose differing physiologies give them strengths in different areas: watching the Tour de France, you could see the ones who could climb well but weren't so good at grinding out miles, those who were good at sprinting, etc. At the recreational level the differences will be even more marked. I think the biggest differences will be seen on the hill climbing, both because it tends to push at the boundaries of the body's capabilities, but also because it is so affected by the rider's weight. Even if the rider is fit, carrying just an extra 10kg of weight will cause a much bigger drain on the rider's system: even if they can ride at the same speed up the hill as the lighter rider, they must be using using more power to do so.

Having said that, yes, if you ain't got the energy, you ain't gonna get up that hill!

Tell me about it I have dropped from 18 to 15 stone and notice my hill climbing has improved. However even if I can keep pace with a racing snake on the flat I am left for dead on the hills.

 

[briantrumpet]

I find doing core exercises helps me a great deal in climbing hills, its not all about the legs. There are some simple exercises you can do at home, but swimming is also good for your core strength, it will also strengthen you arms, you wouldn't believe it, but being able to pull my bike up the hills with my arms helps as much as spinning my legs.

I too do lots of swimming, but I think the biggest advantage of it is the improvement in heart & lung function. As for the upper body/arms thing, I don't use much upper body strength even on the steepest hills - I guess we've all got different techniques. You've only got to look at the Schlecks' upper body size to see that they are not relying on muscle strength there to make the difference. Indeed they will be deliberately aiming to keep their top-half musculature to the bare minimum to keep their weight as low as possible: Andy weighs about 68kg for 6'1"

 

[teletext45]

I sufferd the same problems with hills. So i purposely plan hilly routes to get training in. Short climbs sprint up them out of your saddle like you mentioned be each one try and push a little longer.

Each time i manage to sprint a little bit further and my technique is improving, for longer drags at the moment i tend to pick a nice high gear and literally plod up the hill maybe get out of the saddle towards the peak.

Hope that helps a little bit ish

andy

 

[Glover Fan]

Its also said that its best to cycle within yourself for the first half hour so you dont exhaust your bodies ability to supply energy from the outset. In light of this statement it may be the case that although you feel like attacking a mountain at the start of your ride - in fact it might be better to schedule it for mid to end time when physiologically your body has reached some kind of handle on things.

This is good info. I wouldn't recommend tackling a massive hill within the first mile, however I know some people due to the geography that is nigh on impossible!

Here is the elevation profile for my hill training session as you can see there are four sharp climbs in it, although none of them are particularly high, I think the most I climb on one hill is about +-600ft, but they are all in quite quick succession and all at least 10%, with the last being a long drag. It really does take it out of your legs, but getting a swift 13 miles before makes sure that my legs and heart are fully up to temp, much like a car so that I am physically feeling good.

That said the last 13 miles are literally just a spin session just trying to get home!!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I sufferd the same problems with hills. So i purposely plan hilly routes to get training in. Short climbs sprint up them out of your saddle like you mentioned be each one try and push a little longer.

Each time i manage to sprint a little bit further and my technique is improving, for longer drags at the moment i tend to pick a nice high gear and literally plod up the hill maybe get out of the saddle towards the peak.

Hope that helps a little bit ish

andy

Ditto - As I have said before - The only way to get better at riding up hills is to ride up more hills.

 

[apollo179]

I'm not sure that's really true - yes, it does have a big bearing on how each individual copes with a ride, but even at pro cycling level you get riders whose differing physiologies give them strengths in different areas: watching the Tour de France, you could see the ones who could climb well but weren't so good at grinding out miles, those who were good at sprinting, etc. At the recreational level the differences will be even more marked. I think the biggest differences will be seen on the hill climbing, both because it tends to push at the boundaries of the body's capabilities, but also because it is so affected by the rider's weight. Even if the rider is fit, carrying just an extra 10kg of weight will cause a much bigger drain on the rider's system: even if they can ride at the same speed up the hill as the lighter rider, they must be using using more power to do so.

Having said that, yes, if you ain't got the energy, you ain't gonna get up that hill!

Brian.
I said "regardless of personal individualities" This means - ignoring "differing physiologies", "strengths in different areas", "rider's weight" etc etc .
Obviously there are other factors that affect an individuals cycling.

 

[apollo179]

That I can understand. MTBing is where upper body strength is especially noticeable (or lack of it in my case). I keep wanting to go to the local pool but is has nowhere to secure my bike. Oh the irony of a bike unfriendly sports centre

Thats one of the drawbacks of having an expensive bike.
Surely you can just chain it to a railing cant you ? or a tree ?

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Thats one of the drawbacks of having an expensive bike.
Surely you can just chain it to a railing cant you ? or a tree ?

The closest place to chain it is about 200 yards away on a fence that edges a car park and is right next to a footpath. Little CCTV coverage and too much chance of the bike being damaged or stolen.

 

[apollo179]

This is good info. I wouldn't recommend tackling a massive hill within the first mile, however I know some people due to the geography that is nigh on impossible!

Here is the elevation profile for my hill training session as you can see there are four sharp climbs in it, although none of them are particularly high, I think the most I climb on one hill is about +-600ft, but they are all in quite quick succession and all at least 10%, with the last being a long drag. It really does take it out of your legs, but getting a swift 13 miles before makes sure that my legs and heart are fully up to temp, much like a car so that I am physically feeling good.

That said the last 13 miles are literally just a spin session just trying to get home!!

4 climbs like that look quite testing. I did a 500ft climb last tuesday and am still feeling it.
Keep those glycogen levels up !

 

[apollo179]

The closest place to chain it is about 200 yards away on a fence that edges a car park and is right next to a footpath. Little CCTV coverage and too much chance of the bike being damaged or stolen.

That (in all seriousness) is a real disadvantage to owning an expensive bike. The fear of leaving it incase it gets stolen. You could do with a bso that you can use for appropriate journeys.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

That (in all seriousness) is a real disadvantage to owning an expensive bike. The fear of leaving it incase it gets stolen. You could do with a bso that you can use for appropriate journeys.

Or I could just walk A BSO would pi$$ me off so much I would be wound up by the time I reached the pool

 

[apollo179]

Or I could just walk A BSO would pi$ me off so much I would be wound up by the time I reached the pool

Shame - i was looking forward to the topic - "Please help AFS choose a Bso"
Guess it was never going to happen.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Shame - i was looking forward to the topic - "Please help AFS choose a Bso"
Guess it was never going to happen.

Never Sorry to disappoint you.