Hill Climbing Etiquette

[rsvdaz]

while out on a bit of a training session yesterday I found on the fairly steep hills that it was easier to get up them by zig-zagging accross the road..is this an acceptable thing to do on an event?

 

[PK99]

while out on a bit of a training session yesterday I found on the fairly steep hills that it was easier to get up them by zig-zagging accross the road..is this an acceptable thing to do on an event?

not if you hinder others

 

[rsvdaz]

so... unless im last..its not the done thing! lol

 

[Will1985]

Not when there are cars around either.....get some smaller gears.

 

[rsvdaz]

or stronger legs

 

[Banjo]

I would think that tactic would help only on a very short gradient as you are also doubling the distance.

 

[kfinlay]

Try some other easier hills and build up to the harder ones.
Some hill repeats will do wonders for your progress.

If this is not an option changing your rear cassette is often the easy way to get easier gears and doesn't need to involve changing other parts.

HTH

 

[RedBike]

Any riders following you in an event will be less than pleased if you start weaving all over the place. If you can't ride up a climb without zig zagging then you need to hop off the bike and push up the climb at the side of the road out of the way of those who are still riding.

I often zig-zag on the fixed wheel bike to get up some climbs too!

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Zig zagging can be dangerous to other riders if they coming up from behind. Saying that, they should give you warning of their approach.

If they we to overtake on the outside and were knocked off by a sudden switch in your direction by the start of a zig-zag, you would be in sticky territory legally.

 

[rsvdaz]

cheers everyone

 

[Kestevan]

The complete bar-steward who zig-zagged in front of me, and then fell off; 20yds from the top of Mow cop on this years Cheshire cat is lucky to be still alive.

If I hadn't had a mouthful of my own napalm filled lungs at the time, and legs made of cheese, I would assuredly have killed him......

 

[Svendo]

The complete bar-steward who zig-zagged in front of me, and then fell off; 20yds from the top of Mow cop on this years Cheshire cat is lucky to be still alive.

I was just thinking of this example of when it's not really on myself, I saw someone fall off on Mow Cop too (And there's a picture of another faller in the report in CW too.) I think I might have seen the faller that stopped Kestevan, had a yellow frame, as I think I passed Kestevan a little later leaning against a stone wall eating a banana in a CC jersey (Kestevan, not the banana!).

 

[So Tyred]

some sound advice on hill climbing: http://www.road-bike.co.uk/articles/cyclinguphills.php

 

[zacklaws]

some sound advice on hill climbing: http://www.road-bike.co.uk/articles/cyclinguphills.php

That's not a bad little website, lots of advice and articles which cover some of the most repeatedly asked questions on the forum, especially the one on "average speed"

 

[rsvdaz]

Good read, thanks