Help...Bike for big hills.

[Boon 51]

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CvEs-TOIKM
try these, when i used to play basketball these were the best squats for building strength and can be done at home just using your own bodyweight. try a few, they hurt!!

I'll give them a go and see, how many do you reckon.. 10 or 20 per leg.

 

[Boon 51]

From reading your posts i think the only correct answer that you want to hear is



















BUY A NEW BIKE


(NOW GO AND GET ONE )

I wont need a lot of prompting...

 

[chqshaitan]

I'll give them a go and see, how many do you reckon.. 10 or 20 per leg.

To build strength in a muscle I would go for low number of reps with high weight.

If you can do more than 10 in each leg before failure, I suggest that you come up out of the squat at roughly half the speed you went down in. That will work the muscle much harder :P i know from pain in the gym lol

Good luck

 

[Boon 51]

To build strength in a muscle I would go for low number of reps with high weight.

If you can do more than 10 in each leg before failure, I suggest that you come up out of the squat at roughly half the speed you went down in. That will work the muscle much harder :P i know from pain in the gym lol

Good luck

OK.. and how many per day?

 

[jifdave]

OK.. and how many per day?

try 3 sets of 10 on day 1 and see how that feels on day 2. if sets of 10 is easy increase the weight a little

 

[chqshaitan]

OK.. and how many per day?

Do you mean how many sets a day? If i was starting off, i would say do 3 sets of 10, with a 10-15 second break and take it from there. If you can do more complete sets carry on. Ideally, the 3rd set should be a real struggle to complete. If you do not complete it, thats good, as it gives you something to aim for next time you do it

As with any major weight lifting exercise where you want to build muscle, you need to give your body time to recover.

So for best results I suggest that you do not do these the same day that you cycle, but it all depends on your body and how fit/strong you are.

I am no expert on this, but have picked up things when doing the gym.

I am finding that some hills on my commute are challenging, but they are not as extreme/long as yours, so I am just going for it and bearing the pain

 

[Boon 51]

Do you mean how many sets a day? If i was starting off, i would say do 3 sets of 10, with a 10-15 second break and take it from there. If you can do more complete sets carry on. Ideally, the 3rd set should be a real struggle to complete. If you do not complete it, thats good, as it gives you something to aim for next time you do it

As with any major weight lifting exercise where you want to build muscle, you need to give your body time to recover.

So for best results I suggest that you do not do these the same day that you cycle, but it all depends on your body and how fit/strong you are.

I am no expert on this, but have picked up things when doing the gym.

I am finding that some hills on my commute are challenging, but they are not as extreme/long as yours, so I am just going for it and bearing the pain

Some great info... thanks.

 

[Boon 51]

try 3 sets of 10 on day 1 and see how that feels on day 2. if sets of 10 is easy increase the weight a little

Thanks I will see how I get on..

 

[Boon 51]

Slight slant..

My mtb gearing is 42/32/22 front and 11/36 cassette rear, so apart from the last 100 yards the bike was 32 front cog and 36 rear cog to climb the hill..
I have seen another bike with 48/34 front and the same 11/36 rear..
Question..
Would there be a lot of difference between using a 32F- 36R and using a 34F - 36R ?
Cheers.

 

[tigger]

An 11-32 cassette with 50-34 compact will probably see you up there alright - Sram Apex WiFli. Nothing wrong with needing smaller gears, even Contador uses that set up sometimes.

 

[edwardd67]

I'm a big lad and live in a hilly area. I'm still glad of my choice of buying my road bike with a triple crankset and wide cassette. Purists look down their noses at triples, but I love mine. I've got 50,39,30 at the front and 28-11 at the back. I can get up most climbs, although admittedly, not too quickly!

Just changed from a triple 50,39.30 to a double 50,32 and i'm struggling to find a happy gear. Think i need to alter my riding style and practice climbing !

 

[musa]

Just changed from a triple 50,39.30 to a double 50,32 and i'm struggling to find a happy gear. Think i need to alter my riding style and practice climbing !

Think you hit the nail there. Your style will help. Don't attack too early

 

[MattHB]

Boon the bike is fine. Consider some snazzy light weight wheels as an upgrade. It'll make quite a difference depending on what you have on there.

The other thing you can do is loose as much body fat as possible. If you're struggling to increase your fitness, then increase your power to weight by reducing the weight.. Until you've lost any excess weight, its pointless trying for a bike that might be 1kg lighter.

 

[cyberknight]

Boon the bike is fine. Consider some snazzy light weight wheels as an upgrade. It'll make quite a difference depending on what you have on there.

The other thing you can do is loose as much body fat as possible. If you're struggling to increase your fitness, then increase your power to weight by reducing the weight.. Until you've lost any excess weight, its pointless trying for a bike that might be 1kg lighter.

In the last year i lost half a stone , i know it does not sound a lot but it from 11 to 10.5 stone ,which is eerr ( fingers and thumbs ) a 4.5 % weight loss so i find hills a lot easier.

 

[Boon 51]

Just changed from a triple 50,39.30 to a double 50,32 and i'm struggling to find a happy gear. Think i need to alter my riding style and practice climbing !

I'm thinking on either a double with 48, 32/34 and a rear cassette of 11-36 as I will only be using the 32/34 on the steep hill's so not a lot of front cog changing..