Hill intervals: Improve your climbing

[malcermie]

I have a hill near me that is 1Km long at a constant 10% what category would this equate to?

 

[Biker Joe]

At a guess Cat 3.

 

[MattHB]

I have a hill near me that is 1Km long at a constant 10% what category would this equate to?

From thecycleway.com

General guidelines for classification are as follows:
Hors Category (HC) – the hardest, climbs of 1500m+
1st Category – climbs of 1100-1500m
2nd Category – climbs of 600-1100m
3rd Category – climbs of 300-600m
4th Category – the lowest category, 100-300m

So a 1km climb with a grade of 10% climbs 100m putting this at about a 4. There are other factors though that are used, and many websites seem to differ.

 

[lukesdad]

I thought all hills were interval training. I go up one, I go down one, I go up one ......

 

[black'n'yellow]

I have a hill near me that is 1Km long at a constant 10% what category would this equate to?

Where I live, that equates to a bump in road..

 

[Dan B]

There is absolutely no need for a hill. The only thing you need is a big enough gear to get resistance for high pedal forces. To your body there's no difference to applying 100kgf at 60rpm to the pedals on the flat, on a 8% or a 30% gradient.

Don't see how that works: once you're 'on top of' a big gear it requires much less effort to maintain speed than it did to get there, whereas on a steep incline if you slack off you slow down pretty much immediately. If you're doing stop/start intervals in a big gear, that'd be a better simulation, wouldnt it?

 

[MattHB]

Don't see how that works: once you're 'on top of' a big gear it requires much less effort to maintain speed than it did to get there, whereas on a steep incline if you slack off you slow down pretty much immediately. If you're doing stop/start intervals in a big gear, that'd be a better simulation, wouldnt it?

In true accelerations wattage GrasB is right, if you continued to accelerate then the wattage would hold.

But a hill would be preferable as you suggest, but because you would be more likely to hold a consistent wattage on it because the fluctuations in load would be less as there would be a constant braking force. Eg. Gravity. And if your doing intervals, consistency in output is key.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

I only think this is relevant if you don't live near any hills. It's an alternative, not a preferable option.

 

[Ningishzidda]

Well there you go. Put the bike into a higher gear to climb the hill.

 

[Ningishzidda]

As the proud owner of an ergometer with Watts display, I start the session at intensity level 1 ( approx. 100 W ) and ride for 50 kCals in about 8 minutes. After that has finished, I increase the intensity to level 2 and repeat 50 kCals. I continue until I’m on level 16 ( approx. 480 Watts @ 60 rpm ). 50 kCals goes by in about 2 minutes.
Then I ‘cool down’ by decreasing the intensity levels back down to level 1. The whole session lasts 2 ½ hours and has a simulated distance of about 50 km.

 

[GrasB]

Don't see how that works: once you're 'on top of' a big gear it requires much less effort to maintain speed than it did to get there, whereas on a steep incline if you slack off you slow down pretty much immediately. If you're doing stop/start intervals in a big gear, that'd be a better simulation, wouldnt it?

Okay hands up, who can maintain 30mph for 10min solo on a road bike? Because that's me producing around 470w. However if I stay on the hoods & stand up maintaining that same 10 min power my speed will drop to 24-25mph. Which on a 53/11 gear equates to 65rpm. Find a nice long shallow incline (say 1%) & you can be down at 20mph when standing on the hoods.

 

[MattHB]

Okay hands up, who can maintain 30mph for 10min solo on a road bike? Because that's me producing around 470w. However if I stay on the hoods & stand up maintaining that same 10 min power my speed will drop to 24-25mph. Which on a 53/11 gear equates to 65rpm. Find a nice long shallow incline (say 1%) & you can be down at 20mph when standing on the hoods.

I can

 

[Rob3rt]

I agree with GrasB, you don't need an incline, as you accelerate a gear your power will rise sharply, often overshoot the target power then oscillate a little and then level out (basically like a real life step signal). To maintain the same speed in the same gear on the same incline (flat or uphill) in the same conditions, for the same rider requires the same power.

I can

For how long? That's a 20 min 10 mile TT!

 

[endoman]

I agree with GrasB, you don't need an incline, as you accelerate a gear your power will rise sharply, often overshoot the target power then oscillate a little and then level out (basically like a real life step signal). To maintain the same speed in the same gear on the same incline (flat or uphill) in the same conditions, for the same rider requires the same power.



For how long? That's a 20 min 10 mile TT!

Probably an 18 on a TT bike, although nowhere did it state it was on the flat :-)

 

[MattHB]

I agree with GrasB, you don't need an incline, as you accelerate a gear your power will rise sharply, often overshoot the target power then oscillate a little and then level out (basically like a real life step signal). To maintain the same speed in the same gear on the same incline (flat or uphill) in the same conditions, for the same rider requires the same power.



For how long? That's a 20 min 10 mile TT!

If it was all I was doing then yes, but he didn't say it was flat! My FTP is nearing 300w for 60min. I start racing next year (on hold this year because of the baby)