How can I take less breaks on ride?

[daisyj]

I'm new to cycling (loving it) and I've been riding a 6-mile loop since mid-August but still find it a challenge. I want to conquer the hills on this route before extending the miles. I find I have to stop several times to catch my breath, get my legs back, have a drink and blow my nose - usually all four things each stop! My average speed has increased by 2 mph (I'm not interested in speed other than using it to judge whether I'm making progress). I cycle 2 to 3 times per week. I'd like to be able to ride the loop with less stops - does anyone have any tips? Thanks for reading (ride below)

 

[Markymark]

Practice drinking whilst cycling (getting the bottle in/out of the cage whilst eyes on the road). Snot rockets after checking nobody is behind. At the crest of the hill, just take it easy for a few seconds and gradually start up again when you catch your breath.

 

[Joffey]

Pace yourself up the hills, maybe go a little easier than you are now and if any flats on the hill slow up and catch your breath.

You just need to keep doing it and you will get better. Try another route too, differing routes will help your overall fitness increase and it may help you once you go back to that 6 miler.

Remember you can blow your nose, get your legs back, drink and catch your breath whilst on your bike. Just takes practice.

Keep up the good work!

 

[The_Weekend_Report_Guy]

I think you are doing the right things..

Keep riding.. As your legs get stronger you will feel better... (your legs at least)

The out of breath part? Pace yourself up that hill a little more is one solution..

The nose? Well it is disgusting but I spit everything and almost nothing comes out of my nose..

Drink? Practice.. practice.. and practice while you are riding.

But you are doing great..! Keep it up..!

Another advice? Hills never get easier... You just get faster...

 

[Rasmus]

Set yourself some mental targets - for example getting to a specific lamppost/side road/whatever before stopping. Then make the target a little harder next time.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Practice makes perfect. Actually plan a single stop. Make it at the top of a climb. Take a bigger drink, do what you have to do, then ignore the urge to stop again. After a while, you'll get used to it, and then wonder why you used to stop more often. Keep at it, it gets better.

 

[Asa Post]

@Rasmus has already said what I was going to suggest.
The only thing I'd add is that some days you won't reach your target. You wont even get as far as you've got before.
Don't worry about it. We all have bad days and unless they keep happening on every ride it's just the normal "two steps forward, one step back" that comes with trying to improve fitness.
As you record your rides, check at the end of each month what your best time was (or what was the least number of stops) and compare it to the best in previous months. While week-to-week improvement is possible, month-to-month is more likely to even out the ups and downs in your form.

[As an aside, I've been riding for years and I still have to stop when I want a drink. I can't ride no-handed either.]

 

[snorri]

Breathlessness, sore legs, thirst, it sounds as if you are pushing too hard.
Dump the electronics, timing and analysis just get out on your bike regularly and your fitness will improve without pain.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Blowing your nose is easy enough while riding. Drinking is a bit harder and needs enough confidence to take the bottle out and put it back while moving. The difficulty is compounded when you're out of breath. Try to drink before the worst of the hill - it's easier to do when you've got a bit of momentum going and aren't breathing too heavily. And if you can take the hills more steadily (lower gears, slower), you may find that you won't need to stop quite so much (hare and tortoise theory...).

 

[MiK1138]

cant add much at all to the above advice, there is a school of though that difficulty with hills in in the head and if you beat it in your head you will conquer the hill.

 

[drummerbod]

Make sure your legs are spinning at the right speed - sounds daft but my gearing allows me to pedal even on the worst hills at around 50 to 60 rpm. It gets me up the hills slowly but I get there. If I use a higher gear I may make it and get up faster but it kills my legs making it harder for the next hill.

Keep it up though as others have said - it will get easier.

 

[MichaelW2]

Check that your bikes fits well and is correctly adjusted. Check your crank length. Use a gear that is lower than you would normally choose and spin your pedals more quickly with less pedaling force. 80rpm is a good recommendation.
Use your gears to maintain pedaling force and revs, letting speed vary. Don't stop pedaling to coast along and don't slack off.

Work on your bike handling skills. Ride one handed, ride as slowly as you can. Pick your way through slalom courses. Ride looking behind you.
Breakdown a drink-on-the-move into its component parts. reach, grab, remove, swig, relocate, insert into cage, regain hand on bars. Practice each then put together.

 

[Renmurew]

Well done so far! I am also a fairly newbie myself and I live at top of a 2 mile hill with a pretty steep mile to start off so have been through everything you describe. I record my rides on a Garmin and I saved the hill as a segment called Home Hill which allowed me to see my progress over that part of my ride. There is an electricity pole three quarters of the way up the steepest part of the slope and for months I never thought i would ever reach it without having to stop exactly as you described. Gradually I got closer and the first time I reached it I actually stopped and burst into tears at the achievement rather than pushing on! However the mental boost from knowing I'd done it once made all the difference. It took another 3 or 4 attempts to do it again but that time I got right up the hill before stopping. Now I maybe stop 1 in 4 times coming up the hill but I know that I can do it so it's mentally easier to imagine myself at the top of the hill.

I also had the same issues about drinking where I had to stop each time to begin with. I went out, found a really quiet stretch of road and cycled up and down taking my bottle out and putting it back time and time again. Now it's second nature.

My last bit of advice is that I categorise hills or slopes in terms of the number of jelly babies I can reward myself with if I get up the hill......no more motivation needed than that!

Good luck and keep going, you will get to the top of those hills

Wendy

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Well done so far! I am also a fairly newbie myself and I live at top of a 2 mile hill with a pretty steep mile to start off so have been through everything you describe. I record my rides on a Garmin and I saved the hill as a segment called Home Hill which allowed me to see my progress over that part of my ride. There is an electricity pole three quarters of the way up the steepest part of the slope and for months I never thought i would ever reach it without having to stop exactly as you described. Gradually I got closer and the first time I reached it I actually stopped and burst into tears at the achievement rather than pushing on! However the mental boost from knowing I'd done it once made all the difference. It took another 3 or 4 attempts to do it again but that time I got right up the hill before stopping. Now I maybe stop 1 in 4 times coming up the hill but I know that I can do it so it's mentally easier to imagine myself at the top of the hill.

I also had the same issues about drinking where I had to stop each time to begin with. I went out, found a really quiet stretch of road and cycled up and down taking my bottle out and putting it back time and time again. Now it's second nature.

My last bit of advice is that I categorise hills or slopes in terms of the number of jelly babies I can reward myself with if I get up the hill......no more motivation needed than that!

Good luck and keep going, you will get to the top of those hills

Wendy

As that time of year is approaching, have you found it any easier in the dark? I've found that hills are easier in the dark. I'm not sure why but I think that your focus of attention is on the road surface in the light beam and you don't see (and get intimidated by) the bigger picture.

 

[Racing roadkill]

spin your pedals more quickly with less pedaling force. 80rpm is a good recommendation.
.

It would seem that may not be a good idea.

http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2015-09-14-pedalling-tour-winner-losing-strategy-most-us#