omg hills

[edindave]

[QUOTE 2706809, member: 259"]Blimey. I'm not being funny, Nigel, but do you actually think about all this stuff?

I change to an easier gear if I'm getting knackered, and to a harder on if I want to go faster.

I'm not even sure if I should use the words "change up" or "change down".

I have a bike with some fancy gears that tell me what gear I'm in, and I didn't even notice the indicator was there until nearly a year after I'd bought it.

I've been riding bikes since about 1967![/quote]

You have indicators? Clearly this technology is wasted on you! Anything good on the radiogram this evening?

Anyway Nigel, crunching numbers is good. Crunching gears is bad!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

[QUOTE 2706809, member: 259"]Blimey. I'm not being funny, Nigel, but do you actually think about all this stuff?

I change to an easier gear if I'm getting knackered, and to a harder on if I want to go faster.

I'm not even sure if I should use the words "change up" or "change down".

I have a bike with some fancy gears that tell me what gear I'm in, and I didn't even notice the indicator was there until nearly a year after I'd bought it.

I've been riding bikes since about 1967![/quote]
Yea I do, I have even been know to change individual cogs on the rear to suite the ride, when I was running 7 on the back, it was normally 21-23-26 as the low three but on occasion i would change it to 21-24-28, since I got a 2nd 8sp sora 2 weeks ago, I have been able to run the 21-23-25-28 and it is so much better.

I ease off on the pressure when I'm changing rear sprockets up or down, but I effectively freewheel when I'm changing rings on the front. It avoids those crunching noises - metal on metal - bad noises!

This is why I find down shifting on the front ok, because it is possible to do, it's the lift on the front thats the problem under pressure, and why I have never tried it, it seems to me to be asking for trouble, but I suppose anything is possible, mind you usually if I am shifting up on the front I am not climbing any more, or at least less steeply.

 

[Dusty Bin]

it's the lift on the front thats the problem under pressure,

it can't be done under pressure - you have to back off first.

 

[edindave]

This is why I find down shifting on the front ok, because it is possible to do, it's the lift on the front thats the problem under pressure, and why I have never tried it, it seems to me to be asking for trouble, but I suppose anything is possible, mind you usually if I am shifting up on the front I am not climbing any more, or at least less steeply.

For the change up to a bigger ring on the front to work the force you apply on the shifter through the gear cable and derailleur has to overcome any force going through the cranks, so if you are going uphill out of the saddle with your body weight on the pedals it is not going to happen very easily. If ever.
Shifting down is different though, it'll happen like pinging an elastic band that's been stretched along a ruler.

 

[Mickthemove]

done the Hills and Mills today and got stuck in the wrong gea on a rather nast climb between sowerby and Hedben, it was either stop with no assured restart or grind up, nearly killed me, i was just dying to get it in the granny but with 16 and a half stone hammering it i did not dare!

I love Hills and i havent a clue why, i am built for sprinting on a slight slope, but go out of my way for a hilly ride! Just find gearing that suits you and the terrain and get grinding!

 

[lukesdad]

You use less energy seated but standing up now and then uses your muscles differently so it feels like you have had a rest when you sit down again.

Use low gear and just keep pedalling if your gear changing is good enough you can change up a gear or two when standing .

It will feel like a real achievment whaen you can ride hills you used to walk up.

Graham, now you know if your not out of the saddle you know you're not trying hard enough !

 

[Nigelnaturist]

done the Hills and Mills today and got stuck in the wrong gea on a rather nast climb between sowerby and Hedben, it was either stop with no assured restart or grind up, nearly killed me, i was just dying to get it in the granny but with 16 and a half stone hammering it i did not dare!

I love Hills and i havent a clue why, i am built for sprinting on a slight slope, but go out of my way for a hilly ride! Just find gearing that suits you and the terrain and get grinding!

We have a couple of short but steep climbs I practise on, this I can do on a 40x28 but usually on a 30x21 for more felxablity
Well the lowest was 6.8 mph @ 52rpm which is 43.94" or closest gear I have is 40x25
http://app.strava.com/activities/87817743#1820743194

 

[sreten]

Hi,

Hills and headwinds are the real killer for a beginner on a bike. Trust me you will
get used to them and there is no point changing the gearing on a bike when
your starting out, you don't yet know what gearing you really actually need.

FWIW I did a route today (Brighton To Lewes and back) fairly comfortably on my
folder that the first time I did it, on my road bike, I nearly had to stop on the long
uphill slog out of Lewes, and my road bike it much better up hills than the folder.

First time I've tried it on the folder, and I wasn't looking forward to the return leg.
Turned out to be much less worse than I feared. 9 months after starting
again seems I've got a lot more in my legs than I had after 3 to 6 months.

rgds, sreten.

50+ so the improvements come slower ....

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Ride - get off-walk-ride ride-get off-walk-ride ride ride-get off-walk-ride ride ride ride-get off-walk-ride ride ride ride ride ride ride ride
then get off the bus and ride the bike.

 

[Canardly]

As many on here will tell you take it slowly and don't attack the hill. You have done the hard part getting rid of the fags. The rest will come.

 

[ShipHill]

There are a few hills in my area. One I have to scale every morning on the way to work, but luckily it's only a wee one. Then there are others that I put on a "hitlist" and had a go at them 1 by 1 as my strength grew over the weeks and months culminating in the...

Great Rose Hill Fiasco of Olde Birmingham Towne.

I had to take 2 stops on the way up to get my breath, but I didn't push and just kept slugging away in 1st and eventually arrived at the top where I took a long rest.

Just keep banging away mate.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

What the others said. It will get easier with practice, and you'll enjoy it more too . Next thing you know, you'll be riding up mountains .

 

[nicholas]

Got to thank you all for your support its appreciated

 

[themosquitoking]

Hills are a**holes but once you've ridden them a couple of times the fear goes.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Hills are a**holes but once you've ridden them a couple of times the fear goes.

I was thinking on my way home tonight that a section that runs through a place called Darrington as a steady climb through it for about a 1 1/2 miles or so, I used to hate back when I started, these days I hate it because it usually means my ride is nearly over. Tonight I hardly noticed it, which is what got me thinking.