the hills are killing me

[cousi.hill]

started road cycling again about 3 weeks now i have just turned the big 50 years old and at 5ft 7in and i weigh in at 98kgs because i also enjoy training thing is the hills are murder lungs can not cope with some hills i have to get off to recover and then continue to the top . the sharp hills are worse just like to know when will it get easier my bike has only got 16 gears was thinking of getting a triple chainset or a compact or may be 10 speed cassette any ideas from you experience guys and gels just want to get fitter and tone up and also take part in some rides cheers

 

[coffeejo]

It does get easier: honest.

 

[ianrauk]

3 weeks is not a lot of time riding and for you to expect to fly up hills. It takes a long while for your body to get used to the bike and for your muscles to adjust. Keep riding, Take your time, take it easy and spin away. Don't push yourself too hard. If you have to get off and walk then do so. Give it time, keep riding and the hills do get easier.

 

[endoman]

Agree, I'm ten weeks in, and it's only now I can start to attack some hills, I can get up most, but it is often just survival,
Keep at it, don't work too hard, and just keep riding the hills, as the weight drops off that will help as well, plenty left for me to loose yet

 

[steve52]

get the gearing that you can push on a hill then lets talk in three mounths, ps i was the same and now love hills

started road cycling again about 3 weeks now i have just turned the big 50 years old and at 5ft 7in and i weigh in at 98kgs because i also enjoy training thing is the hills are murder lungs can not cope with some hills i have to get off to recover and then continue to the top . the sharp hills are worse just like to know when will it get easier my bike has only got 16 gears was thinking of getting a triple chainset or a compact or may be 10 speed cassette any ideas from you experience guys and gels just want to get fitter and tone up and also take part in some rides cheers

 

[lulubel]

The hills will make you stronger.

Ride up the ones you can ride up. Walk up the ones you can't ride up.

As you get fitter and stronger, you'll find you can ride up more and more. It just takes a bit of time.

In a few months, if you still feel you need smaller gears, then do something about it. But by that time, you might be wondering what you were bothered about.

 

[Tintin]

Patience dude. You need to give yourself time and plenty of riding that's all.

It will naturally come and after a few more weeks you will feel yourself gaining strength on climbs.

Technique is also key to climbing, and without giving you any boring guidance this will come and a natural rhythm will be developed.

The type of climb will determine how you choose to ride it, a short sharp climb can normally be attacked with a big gear and a long one needs more in the saddle tempo riding.

By the way it may be best for you to stay in the saddle when climbing if your not already, as riding out the saddle increases the demand on the heart and lungs, whereas in the saddle puts more demand on the legs.


As your fitness levels increase you will find the burden on your chest will become easier and will enable you to climb better.

I promise this will all come as long as you keep working at it.

Your own awareness of your increasing levels of fitness is one of the most amazing feelings ever, as you plateau and then target the next level.

Keep at it because the results are well worth the effort.

 

[screenman]

I found losing 25 kilo and riding hills often helps me go up them quicker.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I found the first 3 years the worst

 

[Holy Warrior]

I thought exactly the same thing, I remember being able to climb 15%+ hills in first gear on my mountain bike 5/6 years ago so now i've got a road bike and spent the last 5/6 years doing no cycling it was hardly a surprise that I couldn't just jump back on and do it, as much as I would have liked to.



using free online software to plan routes it has shown me that the hills I thought were just little rises, why do my legs burn when I go up them, are actually 7/8%. I've been back in the game 3 weeks now and the first week I ground up them in about 4/5th gear, nearly crying, now i'm in my big chain ring and out of the sadde they are no problem what so ever.



Week one I was exhausted doing 10 miles at 10/11 mph. Week three i'm doing double that at 12/13 mph with a little left in the tank. it is really surprising how little time it takes to get fitter. I'm not even going out everyday, two/three rides a week plus some extra football cardio is all i'm doing.

 

[albion]

I always think that if you have to walk up a hill you have the wrong size cassette/gear combination.That almost seems a bit of tradition in Britain.

 

[lulubel]

it is really surprising how little time it takes to get fitter. I'm not even going out everyday, two/three rides a week plus some extra football cardio is all i'm doing.

Which is probably a big part of the key to your fitness gains. You actually gain fitness on your rest/recovery days, when the muscles that were damaged on your cycling days repair stronger so they're better prepared next time.

 

[pepecat]

Gees, I started cycling properly just over a year ago, and i still hate hills - they kill me too. I don't rush up them by any means. I'm better than I was, but that's on poxy little hills around Brum. Hit some horrible ones on Dartmoor a couple of weeks back, and was struggling up them at about 3-4 mph...... NOT great...... But I did cycle up all but two. And cycled up the butt crunching one 15k before the end (i was quite chuffed at that).

Keep at it - you will improve. Slow and steady......

 

[aberal]

Learn to love them. Hills are like life - a lot of it is in the mind. I'm with the others though - 3 weeks isn't long enough to customise yourself to cycling on the flat, never mind the hills. What gears do you actually have though? How many teeth on your smallest chainring at the front and how many on the largest cog at the back? Count them and get back to us.

 

[cousi.hill]

cousi hill here again thanks you all for all the advice and information you gave me you are all right i did jump back into it like a bull should know better not cycled for two years properly and i also weight train and have put on 15kgs which does not help but i do not mind the weight and size i just need the fitness and maybe i will borrow mates bike which has a triple (granny gears ) to you people cheers