Hill training needed

[e-rider]

I need to really improve my hill climbing - I'm talking long steep hills such as 25% for 1 mile; not just powering up a shallow gradient for a couple of minutes.

I don't want to granny ring these hills either - I want to climb like I did when I was 16 years old again - out of the saddle 'sprinting' all the way!

First of all, I need to lose weight, and quite a bit too. Assuming that is done over the next 6 months, what is the best form of training? Riding up said hills time and time again? Gym work? Running?

 

[black'n'yellow]

having a read of this thread would be a start...

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/cadence-speed-and-hill-climbing.109691/

 

[ThaiGuy]

Losing weight should help any hill climbing. Less weight = Less effort.

 

[Boon 51]

You need to be where I live its all hills our hill is 1700 mts and only an hours ride by car you can practice on the Sierra Nevarda with all the big pro teams who train there..

 

[accountantpete]

I'm a firm believer that you have to train up hills for the correct muscle development and you get to know how to manage your riding so as to avoid going into oxygen debt etc etc.

Personally I turn the cranks on the flat/long drags which leaves my legs nice and fresh to push down on the pedals going up the steep bits. You can do it the other way around if you like.

 

[fossyant]

Plenty of practice, and not just 25% ones. Steep ones like this usually have me grovelling, but I don't have a granny ring or compact on my bikes, so it's a grind.

 

[vorsprung]

I need to really improve my hill climbing - I'm talking long steep hills such as 25% for 1 mile; not just powering up a shallow gradient for a couple of minutes.

I don't want to granny ring these hills either - I want to climb like I did when I was 16 years old again - out of the saddle 'sprinting' all the way!

First of all, I need to lose weight, and quite a bit too. Assuming that is done over the next 6 months, what is the best form of training? Riding up said hills time and time again? Gym work? Running?

25% for 1 mile is 1600 metres at 1 in 4, or going up 1 metre for every 4. This gives a total ascent of 400metres
Fortunately, I don't think there are any hills in the UK that do this

But if you wanted to climb something like this

http://www.climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=&MountainID=8699

Riding up hills again and again? yes
Gym work? no
Running? no

 

[GrasB]

Best form of training, lots of long intervals. You're I'd be looking at 15min riding around the 5w/kg marker. This means you'll be able to go slightly anaerobic with your power production. So work hard on boosting your VO2 max & maximum power with HIIT training, also work with longer 10-15min intervals at near maximal effort.

Edit: wrong person for the w/kg figure

 

[paulw1969]

Best form of training, lots of long intervals. You're looking at 15min riding around the 5w/kg marker. This means you'll be able to go slightly anaerobic with your power production. So work hard on boosting your VO2 max & maximum power with HIIT training, also work with longer 10-15min intervals at near maximal effort.

thats handy to know thanks

 

[e-rider]

25% for 1 mile is 1600 metres at 1 in 4, or going up 1 metre for every 4. This gives a total ascent of 400metres
Fortunately, I don't think there are any hills in the UK that do this

But if you wanted to climb something like this

http://www.climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=&MountainID=8699

Riding up hills again and again? yes
Gym work? no
Running? no

such hills do exist - Crowcombe in the Quantocks is 25% for very close to 1 mile

I've lost about 4 kg so far, but want/need to lose about 20kg more over the next 5 months; which would take me to an 'average' weight for my height (I am very tall)

 

[cyco2]

For climbing the use of longer cranks can help.

 

[Crackle]

Go mtn biking.

 

[vorsprung]

such hills do exist - Crowcombe in the Quantocks is 25% for very close to 1 mile

I've lost about 4 kg so far, but want/need to lose about 20kg more over the next 5 months; which would take me to an 'average' weight for my height (I am very tall)

I know that hill as the "Coast and Quantocks" Audax comes down it

I just measured it on bikehike, although it seems like a mile of 25% bikehike gives it as 1.04km, maximum gradient is nearly 25%, actual ascent is 167m so the average gradient is something like 17%. Which is nasty, but not anything like as bad as you suggest

I would say that the worst hill in Devon is the B3234 out of Lynmouth, which you can enjoy on the "Valley of the Rocks" Audax This has a section near the start which bikehike says is in excess of 40% but the numbers aren't important, it's excessive....

 

[ColinJ]

I just measured it on bikehike, although it seems like a mile of 25% bikehike gives it as 1.04km, maximum gradient is nearly 25%, actual ascent is 167m so the average gradient is something like 17%. Which is nasty, but not anything like as bad as you suggest

It depends where you measure it from. I just checked it on my OS mapping software and I made it 186 metres in 1.24 km or 15%. That's still a damn hard climb though!

I tackled Park Rash near Kettlewell in North Yorkshire and the worst stretch of that ascended 150 metres in 950, about 15.8 % average, followed by 600 metres at a mere 2.5% which allowed some recovery and then another 300 metres at 15.8%. I felt that was enough of a brute - a mile at 25% would be pretty horrid!

 

[e-rider]

I know that hill as the "Coast and Quantocks" Audax comes down it

I just measured it on bikehike, although it seems like a mile of 25% bikehike gives it as 1.04km, maximum gradient is nearly 25%, actual ascent is 167m so the average gradient is something like 17%. Which is nasty, but not anything like as bad as you suggest

I would say that the worst hill in Devon is the B3234 out of Lynmouth, which you can enjoy on the "Valley of the Rocks" Audax This has a section near the start which bikehike says is in excess of 40% but the numbers aren't important, it's excessive....

yes, I've climbed the hill out of Lynmouth but on my MTB in the granny ring at a slow pace - the Crowcombe climb feels just as hard but shorter. Anyway, all I want to do is improve my ability to climb these type of hills on my road bike with standard gears at a good pace. Losing weight is the key thing right now.