Rolling Terrain

[BIGSESAL]

Today I decided to take a new road out of the village in the hope of finding a new route to ride. I came across a great road about 10km long. Most of this was up hill (it was really quite steep) but every so often there were small stretches going down hill. This meant that I would climb for about 1 minute, then descended for about 10 seconds. Is this kind of riding good training?

I remeber in my PE studies class a few years ago learning about interval training. I was keeping a high intensity with very short breaks. Is this type of ride likely to improve stamina? I presume that it is better than riding on the flat as this way I got up and down the gears and was constantly getting out of the saddle.

 

[Will1985]

Sounds a bit like a practical application of interval training, but 10 seconds isn't really enough of a recovery period.

As you use that road more, try different techniques such as staying in the saddle all the way or not dropping below a certain gear.

This should develop a great climbing strength, but don't forget overall stamina is gained by riding lots and far.

 

[jimboalee]

The 'training' hill near me is "Mucklows" in Halesowen.

It's consistant 11% for about 2km.

Doesn't sound much but its 15km from home ( distance enough to warm up properly ) and can be repeated using different techniques throughout a morning's session.

The first pass is on a low gear. Then sucessive passes are on increasingly longer gears - one ratio at a time. I end up standing and HEAVING.

All the muscles in both legs burn.

My only problem is I can't see a thing through the sweat trails on the inside of my specs.

After a rest at the Quinton Co-op, I ride into Birmingham to race the No. 37 bus back to Solihull.


Clue 1. Get properly warmed up before serious hill training.
Clue 2. Start easy and increase the difficulty during the same session.
Clue 3. Warm-down properly.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Any interval training will increase stamina. (In fact any training at all will increase stamina after a fashion). Your rest period needs to allow your Heart rate to drop and your lungs and legs to recover without allowing your bodies core to cool to much. IMHO however real stamina is gained by long rides over varying terrain and cycling through the pain barrier (without causing bodily harm).

Today I decided to take a new road out of the village in the hope of finding a new route to ride. I came across a great road about 10km long. Most of this was up hill (it was really quite steep) but every so often there were small stretches going down hill. This meant that I would climb for about 1 minute, then descended for about 10 seconds. Is this kind of riding good training?

I remeber in my PE studies class a few years ago learning about interval training. I was keeping a high intensity with very short breaks. Is this type of ride likely to improve stamina? I presume that it is better than riding on the flat as this way I got up and down the gears and was constantly getting out of the saddle.

 

[Crackle]

I used to ride a lot in that kind of rolling terrain. I found it quite tough because you're constantly working, the downhills don't give you enough time to recover. For me, it would half my maximum daily distance if I had to ride it all in rolling terrain.

 

[BIGSESAL]

What is the best way to attack a hill that lasts for a couple of minutes? Should I be attemtping to get some speed at the bottom of a hill and try and hold a harder gear the whole way to the top? Or change down to an easier gear as my legs start to feel painful?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Rolling terrain does seem to be a challenge. I say this because we have a new guy join us for our regular rides and he's tall, whippet thing and the first time he got on a road bike he flew along the flat and up-hill like greased weasel shoot, but the one piece of road he and another relatively new rider really struggle with is a fairly innocuous 4 to 5 miles of undulations. This already had me thinking...
I reckon on a geared bike undulating roads are very good training as you are constantly having to adjust work rate and rhythmn to maintain a decent pace. It seems to me this constant change in the type of effort required is a good thing to get the body to be able to do, sudden changes in heart-rate, breathing, fuelling and recovery.

Undulating roads on a fixed are... entertainment!

As far as approach to hills, ift depends on how you like to ride, how steep the hill is and how much of a hurry you are in! Any conservation of momentum is a good thing, so carry as much speed into the hill as is reasonable and then change into a gear/cadence regime that works for you. I like to push a biggish gear at a low cadence, so I tend to stand more than most, but at some point that hurts, so I have to sit and drop a few cogs on bigger hills lest my legs sieze up!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I like the psychology of knowing I have gears left so I will ride in the Middle ring whenever possible. Knowing that often allows me to finish a climb without having to drop into low ratio.

What is the best way to attack a hill that lasts for a couple of minutes? Should I be attemtping to get some speed at the bottom of a hill and try and hold a harder gear the whole way to the top? Or change down to an easier gear as my legs start to feel painful?

 

[BIGSESAL]

I like the psychology of knowing I have gears left so I will ride in the Middle ring whenever possible. Knowing that often allows me to finish a climb without having to drop into low ratio.

I am not on a triple only on a double. The current strategy is to ride on the big ring an get out the saddle for small hills, hence keeping up seed. And stay in the saddle and push the small ring for steeper prolonged climbs.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Well the same principle could be applied I guess - It's always good to know that as you get closer to the top of a hill you can change down if you need to.

I am not on a triple only on a double. The current strategy is to ride on the big ring an get out the saddle for small hills, hence keeping up seed. And stay in the saddle and push the small ring for steeper prolonged climbs.

 

[killiekosmos]

BIGSESAL, what road is it?

 

[Fab Foodie]

I am not on a triple only on a double. The current strategy is to ride on the big ring an get out the saddle for small hills, hence keeping up seed. And stay in the saddle and push the small ring for steeper prolonged climbs.

Seems sensible to me!