Help with climbing

[Moodyman]

Not quite a SS, but my hub geared bike is also a compromise - either in a too big gear or just a little too spinny. I also find that I go faster uphills on it than my derailleur bikes as I've no choice but to work harder.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Think what happens is ill blast along in a pretty high gear at the start and will become reluctant to drop down a lot of the time , the question I guess should be, how much speed do I lose, before I start dropping gears?

speed is not really a relevant measure - it's the effort level you need to manage...

 

[gb155]

speed is not really a relevant measure - it's the effort level you need to manage...

Effort isn't an issue when you look at some of my strava times on my ss, can't seem to match them with gears

 

[fossyant]

SS really has no advantage over a geared bike, other than you will gauge your effort as you have just one gear. Fixed has a big advantage I would say, having ridden it for 3 years every day. Even a loaded, panniered fixed, is quite fast up hill.

Gaz I would try and use the site that does the comparisons against you and another. Certainly shows me, even on a KOM of mine, as soon as I get out of the saddle I drop speed against others, so even gears are good.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Effort isn't an issue when you look at some of my strava times on my ss, can't seem to match them with gears

not sure I understand what you mean - unless you make 'no effort' on climbs (in which case, you probably aren't climbing, or even cycling) then of course regulation of effort is key...

 

[Rob3rt]

Effort isn't an issue when you look at some of my strava times on my ss, can't seem to match them with gears

I think he means your physical effort, eg. gauging your power output, directly or indirectly, not whether you are trying real hard. Or am I misunderstanding one or both of you?

 

[2old2care]

Think what happens is ill blast along in a pretty high gear at the start and will become reluctant to drop down a lot of the time , the question I guess should be, how much speed do I lose, before I start dropping gears?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

I don't think it's speed you should be thinking of losing before changing gears, more of a cadence issue, keeping up a cadence that will enable you to climb quickly to achieve the time you're looking for.

 

[2old2care]

Hey all

Strange quandary this, on my alu single speed (52*17) I can climb the majority of hills much quicker than on my ultegra carbon madone.

But I don't get why, is it because my madone is too small and my single speed isn't? Ir I am just using the wrong gears when given the opportunity to?

Driving me mental tbh

Some people when given gears change gear much too often, rather than pushing harder or pedalling faster and changing gear less. Besides when you change gear that costs you time, because you put less pressure on the cranks when changing gear. When I commute I quite often leave my geared bike in one gear all the way home, this helps me build leg strength, I think.

 

[gb155]

I don't think it's speed you should be thinking of losing before changing gears, more of a cadence issue, keeping up a cadence that will enable you to climb quickly to achieve the time you're looking for.

Is there an accepted "best cadence" for climbing? Or is it rider specific?

 

[GrasB]

Is there an accepted "best cadence" for climbing? Or is it rider specific?

As a general rule, as your power increases your preferred cadence will rise. However, as the gradient you're riding up increases your cadence will fall.
As with everything cadence related it's all personal. Where 105rpm may work for me you might prefer 80rpm.

 

[Rob3rt]

Is there an accepted "best cadence" for climbing? Or is it rider specific?

Basically, as GrasB said.

It would be interesting if you could clarify if my following thoughts are roughly correct or if they are way off (if they are way off, describe your experience of climbing a hill that you find challenging, preferably with some reference to both perceived effort and measurable metrics):

When you hit a climb, I am guessing that you hit it with quite a high level of effort and for a while feel good, then after a short while realise that you pushed beyond your sustainable limit, start to suffer....... then you huff and puff, your cadence drops and your speed drops so you start switching down gears searching for some respite until you can eventually claw your way to the top?

Most people do this, until they find a better way to go about it and chances are even when you learn a better way, you will still do it to some degree (since your intuition can only go so far), but you will do it less, as in you will get further before you start shifting down and begging for a break.

If this is the case, what you need to do is find through trial and error (or develop you intuition based on experience), an effort level that you can sustain for the duration of the climb, this might mean lower effort level in the start of the climb but you will be more able to hold it for the duration of the climb. If you do this, then your cadence will be fairly constant and your speed will generally be more even. I suspect you climb the 1st part fast, then blow up, cadence drops and end up crawling the later part, which reduces the average speed.

I'm not good at climbing, I am quite slow up hills, but generally fairly even in pace.

 

[gb155]

Basically, as GrasB said.

It would be interesting if you could clarify if my following thoughts are roughly correct or if they are way off (if they are way off, describe your experience of climbing a hill that you find challenging, preferably with some reference to both perceived effort and measurable metrics):

When you hit a climb, I am guessing that you hit it with quite a high level of effort and for a while feel good, then after a short while realise that you pushed beyond your sustainable limit, start to suffer....... then you huff and puff, your cadence drops and your speed drops so you start switching down gears searching for some respite until you can eventually claw your way to the top?

Most people do this, until they find a better way to go about it and chances are even when you learn a better way, you will still do it to some degree (since your intuition can only go so far), but you will do it less, as in you will get further before you start shifting down and begging for a break.

If this is the case, what you need to do is find through trial and error (or develop you intuition based on experience), an effort level that you can sustain for the duration of the climb, this might mean lower effort level in the start of the climb but you will be more able to hold it for the duration of the climb. If you do this, then your cadence will be fairly constant and your speed will generally be more even. I suspect you climb the 1st part fast, then blow up, cadence drops and end up crawling the later part, which reduces the average speed.

I'm not good at climbing, I am quite slow up hills, but generally fairly even in pace.

That's pretty close yeah, although I'm not so much as dead by the top, more conscious of needing a better gear for the lower cadence