Hills

[walker]

I forgot about loosing weight!

Since giving up smoking ten years ago the kilos have steadily gained ground. There is also the problem of middle-aged drift.

The more I cycle, the more I eat. A local university has published that moderate beer consumption is good for sportsmen.

Last year I did a two week, 1,300 km cycle ride, and lost 1.3 kilos - i.e. one gram per kilometre.

Loosing weight seems to be easier said than done. However, it would be a good solution.

don't believe everything you read, especially from a bunch of students about beer

 

[byegad]

Nice hill, where is it??

They're all nice if you're at the top and going down!

I think there are two different approaches to hills.
1. Some people suffer and will say that hills always hurt, you just climb faster!
2. Others, me included, climb at a rate that allows us to avoid pain wherever possible.

I change down and keep pedalling at a slightly increased cadence and power, changing down again whenever I need to in order to maintain the new level of effort. My aim is to arrive at the top of the hill not too tired, or hot and able to ride on at my usual pace. This does not always work! Sometimes it's plain hard work, but it does get easier as you build up the miles.

 

[Tynan]

I was my heaviest ever at 17st4lb last June, down to 14st8lb now from nothing other than cycling to work, 25 miles a day

that simple

 

[fossyant]

sod the triple, go compact, saves buying a new Rear mech too.

Sod both - if I ever get a triple or a compact, I'm hanging up my wheels.......

 

[walker]

Sod both - if I ever get a triple or a compact, I'm hanging up my wheels.......

seconded

 

[HJ]

...
The more I cycle, the more I eat. A local university has published that moderate beer consumption is good for sportsmen...

That wouldn't be Granada, per chance, would it?

 

[thePig]

A local university has published that moderate beer consumption is good for sportsmen.

That is the best news I have heard all year

 

[Joe24]

I did a 60mile ride with a friend with about 48miles of those being steep hills. This helped with learning how to climb.
How i do it is:
Relax, drop down a gear and spin up when you get to where it starts to go up slightly, as soon as you stop spinning less flick it over a gear. Keep spinning then see how it feels if you start slowing down then flick it over another one, then another one if needed. Get some practice in on it and you can end up doing it right.
When you are going up the hill, slide back if you need and pull aswell as push down on the pedals.
Breathing always seems to change with me. But usualy i end up loosing what i was trying to do and breath deeply if i think i need it.
If you want to think of something, then think how good it will be to go down them.

 

[Lone Rider]

That wouldn't be Granada, per chance, would it?

The right country, but the wrong end - it was from Gerona.

 

[delb0y]

I'd love to spin up a few hills, but round here - the Cotswolds - I find I'm in the lowest gear almost immediately, and grinding rather than spinning. The hills then seem to always get even steeper and I've got nowhere left to go gearwise. So it's pure pain all the way (or walking...).

I'd love to get a compact, but for now I have what I have - 39-53 and 12-25.

Admittedly I could find plenty of rides where the hills aren't so steep and spend a lot of time building up my strength, but I like to go up those big ones because the coming down is so much fun!

Derek

 

[Keith Oates]

I think the best way to improve on hills is to make sure (if possible) to include one good hill in every ride you make. I lived on top of a hill when I was in Vietnam for eighteen months and so every ride ended in a 2 Km climb. My climbing became much easier and faster by the end of that period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Milo]

Im near the Cotwolds the hills are true beasts out there. Sometimes the roads are in such bad nick you cant go very fast back down them.

 

[HLaB]

I think the best way to improve on hills is to make sure (if possible) to include one good hill in every ride you make. I lived on top of a hill when I was in Vietnam for eighteen months and so every ride ended in a 2 Km climb. My climbing became much easier and faster by the end of that period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2km good going . I think everybody is right practice is the key. I like hilly rides, then I do live in Scotland but I don't think I've been much higher than 380m.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

I just came back from a 25 miles ride.... I had a go going up a hill that is fearly steep and longer than the hill I normally do. I got to the top so tired the hill is 1000 mts long and only first 600 mts are quite steep but for me it's a lot. At the start of the hill I was overtaken by a young and light lad on his road bike like I wasn't there - I think my gear choice was poor, I started on a very low gear, maybe too low as I was scared of the hill and I changed gear, in the first 600 mts, once, at about 300 mts . My breathing was terrible as I was tired and I wasn't relax at all. After reading this thread I'm looking forward to try that hill again. Unfortunately, I'm 19 stones at the moment (not for long hopefully ) and not a spring chicken but at 49, not too old either.

I;m planning to do the hill 4 miles into my ride instead of 20 miles into the ride as I did today. Start in a higher gear but change more frequently. Relax more and hopefully that will help with my breathing.

 

[Ludwig]

If you can be in a position to choose your parents it makes a huge difference