How do you do hills first thing in the morning?

[johnr]

I go uphill for a couple of miles, but it starts gently so by the time I hit the steep bit I'm a bit warmed up. I've done the same route for fun (?) in the middle of a ride and find it much easier when thoroughly warmed.

So... the implication is - spend 15 minutes on a turbo trainer before setting out

OR

just take it slow and enjoy the slow improvement as you get used to it.

Make sure you eat a hearty tea every day. Good luck

 

[andrew-the-tortoise]

It's all up hill for the first eight miles of my ride in; usually warmed up after the first two!

 

[cyberknight]

Just do it !

After half a mile i have a stinger of a hill ,at the start of the week i am standing up and keeping the cadence up , by friday i am spinning a granny gear up it

 

[GrasB]

Make sure you're properly limbered up then simply push as hard on the pedals as you want to. It was really interesting in Italy watching my speed RISE
despite the increasing gradients as my legs warmed up & I felt like I could push harder on the pedals.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Make sure you're properly limbered up then simply push as hard on the pedals as you want to. It was really interesting in Italy watching my speed RISE
despite the increasing gradients as my legs warmed up & I felt like I could push harder on the pedals.

Whoa...nowhere near fit enough for that yet. Only just got down to the right side of 17st after being the wrong side of 19

Maybe after another 2.5st disappears I'll feel more like trying that!

For now I guess just soldier on

 

[GrasB]

I'm not talking huge increases, only about a 0.5-1mph with a 1 or 2% gradient increase.

 

[Shady]

MUSIC is the answer....!!!

My commute in the morning leaves at about 07:15 and there is one small climb to being with, then a long climb at the end.

I always find having high temp music helps - Prodigy - Breathe / Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm / Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench etc.

I then tend to pedal to the rhythm and not to look too far ahead of me so the hill seems shorter !!!



Shady

 

[chap]

Nice morning so thought I'd get up early and take a scenic route into work.

I did enjoy it overall but the first 4 miles were a bit of an endurance for me...I could feel my legs not wanting to work, they were turning but up the long gradual hills at the start they felt about as free-moving as a 1970s sachs-huret derailleur on a bike just fished out of the river humber.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/sheffield/770126760852093866

(switch to street map, default topo map doesn't seem to work in UK)

"View Elevation" you can see that it's pretty much 5 miles of constant climbing straight from home. Nice ride along lanes for the most part and some cracking downhills as a reward later saw me get 45 out of the tourer for the first time.

DOes it just "get easier" to set off uphill if I carry on or should I really be looking at changing route to include a couple of warm-up miles?

If you have a typical office job, seek comfort in knowing it will probably be your only achievement before 5:30pm.

 

[cyberknight]

Out of interest did a check on the 1st hill of the morning, about 1/2 mile into my rideit climbs 119 feet in .4 of a mile . Wakey Wakey !!