Help with hills

[Lien Sdrawde]

I'm struggling with even moderate hills and could do with some tips / advice.

I'm currently on my second go round with cycling - the first was mid last year but an ankle injury brought that to a stop.
I'm back again now though and a few weeks into training i'm 13 lbs lighter and now weigh 15st on the nose. Ive just bought some scales that measure my body fat and this morning they declared I was at 38% - I dont know what it was before I lost the 13 lbs.

I dont have a target weight, I just aim to be 'fit in my fifties' after being 'fat in my forties' - but one thing I do want to target is the ability to ride distances that would put me in a sportive or enjoy riding with others where I feel I can cope with other moderate riders. I want rid of the fat, and I want to be and feel well after eating and drinking the wrong stuff for too long. I'm competative and will win this lifestyle change.

Ive really enjoyed getting out on the bike and am managing both early morning rides, and evening rides... but:

When I get to a hill, I end up in my granny gear every time. Do i just need to give it time - or target hills for practice?
I know i'm carrying excess fat and it makes sense that when I get lighter it will be easier to get up hills. I seem to be able to bat along at 14 - 18 on the flat (ish) and my last few average speeds have been an improvement, rising from 9mph a few weeks ago to 12mph now, but after a few hundred miles I thought i'd be better than 'granny gear' status every time a reasonable hill pops up. Thanks, Neil.

 

[srw]

When I get to a hill, I end up in my granny gear every time.

Yup. That's what they're there for.

Don't fret about it. Just enjoy riding.

 

[Nebulous]

Practising hills makes it better. It takes time though. I've done the fat forties followed by weight loss thing. In fact I've pretty much lost 5 stone in just over a year. I'm really enjoying my cycling and have become quite a bit faster on the flat, but I still don't really get hills.

In February I started commuting. Only two miles, using my old mountain bike with mudguards, but I have over 300 feet of climb followed by about 80 feet of drop. It's beginning to get easier, but it has been a real drag. It's also a bit restrictive knowing I have to do it. Normally when I leave the house on my bike it is because I want to. It's amazing to me how much difference that makes to how I approach my journey. Nevertheless it is finally paying off!

 

[Hacienda71]

Practice is the key. If you choose a hill that is a challenge and ride it repeatedly over a few weeks you will see that you can do it faster and with less apparent effort. You will lose weight and get fitter as a result. It will hurt but it is worth it.
The only practical tip I would give, if you are comfortable doing it, is drop a couple of gears and get up off the saddle, then after say twenty seconds change back into your easiest gear and sit back down and continue spinning in the granny gear. It just varies the muscles you are using a little.

 

[Hicky]

First thing I'd do is dump the fat measuring tool and the scales.
What I'd measure myself against is how my clothes fit, my weight doesnt really change too much but my shape does.

Time and miles on the bike are what matters however back off on both if you begin to suffer either through doing too much or not feeling 100%, most of all enjoy the summer on two wheels.

 

[pepecat]

Yup, I'd agree with the others - practice is the only way forward. Hills that i used to have to stand up on, i can now do sitting down (in the same gear) and an absolute arse of a hill that i had to rest at the top of for five minutes the first time i did it, the second time i went up (standing up) and didn't have to stop at the top.
The more you get out and cycle, the easier you'll find it. As fitness improves, your ability to get up the hills will too. Make sure your saddle's at the right height too - i raised mine a wee bit recently and it make a heck of a difference.

 

[PK99]

I'm struggling with even moderate hills and could do with some tips / advice.

....

I know i'm carrying excess fat and it makes sense that when I get lighter it will be easier to get up hills. I seem to be able to bat along at 14 - 18 on the flat (ish) and my last few average speeds have been an improvement, rising from 9mph a few weeks ago to 12mph now, but after a few hundred miles I thought i'd be better than 'granny gear' status every time a reasonable hill pops up. Thanks, Neil.

Been there got the t-shirt!

Find a moderate hill (3-5%?) 3/4 mile long
Warm up for 20/30 minutes then ride up at a steady pace, roll back down.
Repeat several times.
ride home easy

Find a speed/cadence effort that works for you.

Repeat the exercise once a week recording your times/speed/effort/knackerdness

If at the start you need granny gear don't worry

 

[lulubel]

The granny ring is your friend. It helps you not to knacker your knees while you're building up strength and fitness. (It also helps you to keep going later on when you're really tired at the end of a long ride.)

Just keep doing the hills, and they'll gradually get easier. I've never had any particular training plan, other than gradually doing longer and longer rides. Just through that, the hills get easier, and your average speed gets faster.

 

[Garz]

For fitness the long gradual hills are more beneficial, the short and steep vein busters are better when you need to step up a notch in your training.

 

[Lien Sdrawde]

Thanks everyone - points noted

 

[Melonfish]

I'd agree with the scales thing, in the last couple of weeks i've not noticed any weight drop at all. yet my body shape has already changed.
i'm static around 104kg but my stomach is flatter, my waist is a bit smaller but my legs are defo bigger lol.
the missus keeps commenting on my legs too. in a positive way mind..
pete

 

[Globalti]

You're in the Pennines so you should be able to find a long steady hill to train on. A well-engineered turnpike road is what you need, they usually have a moderate slope and are usually fairly even in gradient. Most of them are now A roads. The Snake is a good example, here's what Wiki says about it:


Snake Pass is one of only a few road climbs in the UK that are comparable in length and average gradient (approximately 7% for around 3.2 miles (5.1 km) when starting in Glossop) to those used in continental cycle racing. For this reason it has frequently featured in the Tour of Britain along with another nearby favourite Holme Moss.


Ride it once or twice a week and the fitness will build up amazingly fast.

 

[Lien Sdrawde]

You're in the Pennines so you should be able to find a long steady hill to train on. A well-engineered turnpike road is what you need, they usually have a moderate slope and are usually fairly even in gradient. Most of them are now A roads. The Snake is a good example, Ride it once or twice a week and the fitness will build up amazingly fast.

Errm, which bit - please dont say the start of it where it heads out of Glossop past the golf club - as I would surely die. I can drive to the pass quite easy (Im close to the M67) have a ride and then come home, but dont think i'm up to cracking that hill yet? - or am I under estimating things. It does seem a tad f*king steep.

 

[Andrew_P]

It does seem a tad f*king steep.

I don't know the area but this made me lol

 

[Hacienda71]

Errm, which bit - please dont say the start of it where it heads out of Glossop past the golf club - as I would surely die. I can drive to the pass quite easy (Im close to the M67) have a ride and then come home, but dont think i'm up to cracking that hill yet? - or am I under estimating things. It does seem a tad f*king steep.

With a bit of practice you will get up that no problem. Seriously it is not too steep just a long drag.