Different types of hills

[MichaelW2]

The corner of Northants, Beds and Bucks where I ride seems to have two types of hills

When I lived in East Susses, I recall two types of hill. Ones that go up and ones that go down. I had most problems on ones that go up, but down hills are not without danger.
For up hills, I found that using low gears usually worked to match my power output to the gradient and load at a comfortable and efficient cadence..

 

[Citius]

Citius, you are indefagitable.

I'm planning a post in which I outline my plans to combine squats in the gym (for leg strength), a high cadence (for efficiency) and patterned tyres (for extra grip) to improve my hill climbing. Just to see if it pushes you over the edge.

It won't - I'll just keep correcting you..

 

[mythste]

Citius, you are indefagitable.

Thats a much more delicate word than I think a lot of us had in mind. Bravo!

 

[Citius]

Thats a much more delicate word than I think a lot of us had in mind. Bravo!

Slightly unnecessary. I've yet to read your contribution to this debate.

 

[rugby bloke]

I'm guessing from your username that you like a spot of rugger? And, if so, I'm making a further assumption that you're built accordingly?

If I'm right, I have some bad news for you... You will always find those steep climbs hard. It's a matter of physiology. Your muscle mass will work against you as your cardiovascular system has to work harder to push the extra weight up the hill.

I speak from bitter experience; I'm built like a middleweight boxer, but with bigger legs. I can blat up Box Hill at a pretty good rate of knots, but something like York Hill or Sundridge Hill has me up off the saddle on the granny ring, pumping away, blowing for tugs and swearing.

To echo what everyone else says; you can get better, by practice, practice and practice (and by losing weight, but obviously that's easier said than done if you're low in body fat already but carry a lot of muscle). However, it's always going to hurt, and you'll never keep up with those 6' 3" stick insects whipping past you and turning 90rpm (till you get to the descent, anyway).

That could be part of the problem ! I'm not very tall, hence short leavers but carrying a lot of muscle mass (plus some extra gut I've picked up over the years). I guess its just a matter of putting up with it and getting out there and practicing. It would be ok but the final part of my wobble up the hill is past the village pub, I'm sure its a source of amusement !

 

[Ajax Bay]

any tips about improving climbing performance on short steep climbs

Once a week, go out, warm up and then do repetitions of your local steep hill, with a little rest at the top, a steady roll back down, and another at the bottom (say a minute, riding round very gently to keep the legs turning over and the lactate flushing out). On each climb try to maintain a constant speed from bottom to top. Take it steady on the first one and use that as a benchmark. Decide before the first of these, how many reps you're going to do - say 6 if the climbs take one minute or more to climb. Warm down.

This will train your 'steep climbing' muscles and offer the opportunity for you to mix spinning (if you can climb this gradient sitting) and standing - you may discover a formula which suits you better. Your performance will improve and mentally you will have framed each steep little hill as entirely doable, which after a few weekly sessions like this, they will be. No more than once a week.

This session is hard; it's meant to be, but it doesn't consume many calories so does not justify a(n extra) bun for tea.

 

[mythste]

Slightly unnecessary. I've yet to read your contribution to this debate.

And we've yet to read yours.

 

[KneesUp]

I'm right down the gears, usually try to leave one final cog so I've got somewhere to go. Cadence may be an issue - I think I try to go at them too hard rather than find a comfortable rhythm.

You need to go to that somewhere

(and then when you can do it in bottom gear, try it in second, and so on)

 

[Citius]

And we've yet to read yours.

I have two relevant posts on this thread, compared to none of yours. I think I win.

 

[Dec66]

That could be part of the problem ! I'm not very tall, hence short leavers but carrying a lot of muscle mass (plus some extra gut I've picked up over the years). I guess its just a matter of putting up with it and getting out there and practicing. It would be ok but the final part of my wobble up the hill is past the village pub, I'm sure its a source of amusement !

Do you go to a gym?

You know those stepper machines the ladies use? Get on one of those, crank it up to the highest setting on which you can keep up 110 steps a minute, and do that for 20 mins with appropriate warm up/cool down either end.

Combine that with the programme @Ajax Bay suggested, and I reckon you'll find it easier (it'll still hurt, mind).

 

[youngoldbloke]

I quite enjoy the short steep out of the saddle attack - I'd rather a short steep one than a long long 'false flat', but even worse is the long drag followed by the long steep, or vice versa - edit - basically any with the word 'long' associated

 

[Sbudge]

You need to go to that somewhere

(and then when you can do it in bottom gear, try it in second, and so on)

There are a quite a few hills at the weekends near me where I get that "what do you mean there isn't another gear?" moment. So far I've only had to turn back on a hill once (at the very end of a long ride) but plenty of them I've gone up slower than you'd imagine possible whilst remaining vertical.

 

[rugby bloke]

Nice to know its not just me then !

 

[Sbudge]

I quite enjoy the short steep out of the saddle attack - I'd rather a short steep one than a long long 'false flat', but even worse is the long drag followed by the long steep, or vice versa - edit - basically any with the word 'long' associated

Try the ride from Great Missenden to Dunsmore:-

Long uphill drag, short 15%+ climb, quick 2 minute descent, dead stop turning at the bottom (so no speed to carry through), 20%+ short climb. The last little bit really takes the ****, it's dead straight too so you as you turn you get the psychological impact of just looking UP!

Just found this, says it more eloquently than me (but doesn't include the bit about the long uphill drag just to get to the start!) https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=434502679975192&story_fbid=770905556334901

 

[Big Dave laaa]

They never stop hurting, you should just get progressively quicker.