hills

[jimboalee]

Dump the salad.

Go for fish, chicken or anything high protein. It's muscle mass you want.

1 hour after my arrival at work, I have a Proto Pure bar, from Holland and Barratt. 32g Protein, 1g sugar.

 

[Maizie]

Lucy, one of the most important things for a beginner cyclist to remember is: There are no rules!
You want/need to walk up a hill? Then get off and walk up it!
You want/need to stop for a drink or a rest (or a rest under the guise of a drink)? Then stop and do so.

Another very important thing is: try not to compare!
It's very hard, but don't worry about other people who go faster than you, or who overtake you on hills.
They are a different person, on a different bike, and may be cycling for different reasons. They've probably been cycling longer than you have, too.


(I've only been cycling since May; but remembering these two things really helped me keep going at my commute. Every time I cycle in to work, there's one bit I get to where I find myself saying in my head 'I can get off and walk, I can get off and walk' - I never have, but I will always allow myself to do so because forbidding yourself to do so is of no benefit to anyone! Plus, things do get easier remarkably quickly!)

 

[jimboalee]

There is no shame in jumping off and walking on a steep hill. I can remember a gaggle of riders on Constitution Hill, Swansea getting off and walking; and they were Pros

 

[swee'pea99]

As someone's said, are you sure you have 50/34 at the front? That's not standard - that would be very unusual. Check it. If you have a 'standard' setup, it's much more likely that you have 52/42, in which case you could make a significant difference by changing for a 53/39 setup, which isn't hard to find.

Beyond that, two things. One, a handy tip for getting up hills: don't look ahead. Keep your eyes fixed on the road at a point two or three metres in front of your front wheel. 'A little bit more, a little bit more' will often get you places 'God there's still loads to go!' won't. And two, as others have said, walk if you need to. No big deal.

 

[jimboalee]

+1

I count the pedalstrokes between the kerb marker catseyes or drain covers. A little bit at a time.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

+1

I count the pedalstrokes between the kerb marker catseyes or drain covers. A little bit at a time.

I can only liken that to when I used to work on a farm .. one of my least favourite jobs was mucking out the horses. I used to use the tried and tested split-it-up method: "well if I do that bit in the corner and work towards the door I've done a third, no call it a half, so then if I do that bit over by the window that must be two thirds so then it's nearly three quarters and I'll be done soon". Then only another twenty five stables to go to ..

 

[Randochap]

[quote name='swee'pea99'] it's much more likely that you have 52/42, in which case you could make a significant difference by changing for a 53/39 setup, which isn't hard to find.

[/QUOTE]

53/39?

She said she already had a 50/34

I never have to walk a hill. But then I'm a lifetime long-distance cyclist capable of riding 400 hilly kilometres in a day... and 39 would never do for me. Neither would I have use for a 53-tooth big ring. I bet a beginner wouldn't either. 53-tooth rings are for racers and time-trialists, IMO.

If we're talking double, then a 34/50 compact is the way to go -- which as we've already acertained, is in situ. But I'm partial to triples, which keeps the shifts crisper (closer together) and allow even smaller "granny" rings. I love my granny. Hardly ever visit, but always know she's there when needed.

For a beginner, a 24 or 26 is great. Lots of those around at a reasonable price -- Shimano, etc.

Campag, go 30-40-50. Other (Shimano, Sugino, etc) will allow, say, 24-36-46. That's a nice setup.

Rear: get a long-cage derailleur and a 12 or 13-32 or 34.

Bring on the hills.

 

[jimboalee]

I've done some calcs by adapting my own sheets.

A novice cyclist who is capable of a steady 12.5 mph on the flat, and a 20 minute sustained sprint of 16mph.

Estimated peak power of 200 Watts.

Maximum achievable gradient of 10% at 3.5 mph turning a 35" gear at 33 rpm.
8% gradient – 5.5 mph, 55 rpm in 35".
6% gradient – 7.5 mph, 73 rpm in 35"
4% gradient – 9.5 mph, 84 rpm in 39"

How does that look ?
Opinions...

 

[fossyant]

Jimboalee - you are getting obsessed with stats...... !!!

 

[swee'pea99]

53/39?

She said she already had a 50/34

Um, yes. And I said 'are you sure?' because as I also said, that sounded unlikely for the bike Lucy was describing, which to me at least seemed much more likely to have 52/42.

 

[summerdays]

There is no shame in jumping off and walking on a steep hill. I can remember a gaggle of riders on Constitution Hill, Swansea getting off and walking; and they were Pros

Why are steep hills called Constitution Hill - the one in Bristol is pretty steep too... perhaps it was good for your constitution to walk up it?

Jimboalee - you are getting obsessed with stats...... !!!

I don't understand his stats apart from the mph bit... I aim to go up about 4mph when its a big hill...

 

[jimboalee]

There's a DVD that can be purchased called "Something to aim at".
That is also MY philosophy.

It helps if I can quantify the task.