How to improve my climbing ?

[Ridgeway]

I'v tried to keep going with my riding as much as i can through the Winter and overall my fitness this Spring is better than last year (as i feel at least) my weight is still an issue though... (81kgs/171cm) so of short and fat really

I'll likely creep under the mythical (to me) 80kgs barrier as i eat summer foods and ride a bit more but unless i can improve my will power then it ain't going to a respectable <75kgs as it should be.

So weight aside, how can i improve on my climbing capabilities ? this is where i loose most of my time out on the roads here and climbing can't be avoided locally (i average 10m climbing for every 1km distance ridden) ie this year about 1200km ridden with 16k metres of climbing which is nice but just too slow......

I tend to ride most of my climbs which are typically 1-2km long with average 6-7% at around 90% of HR max, beyond that and i just expire after 500m. So how can i increase my speed up these climbs ? i suppose it's all down to some decent and proper training (oh and shedding some kgs...).

What do you reckon ?

 

[HLaB]

You've answered your own question really weight and practice are your keys

 

[ColinJ]

Increase your power, decrease your weight, and select a gear that you are happy to spin at a cadence that suits you!

 

[derrick]

Keep pushing up them hills, i know guys heavier than you who are brilliant climbers, Some people have a natural ability, some of us have to work harder to get there. I am only 70kg, often beaten up hills and mountains, But i am quick coming down..

 

[gavroche]

Maybe change your cassette to a gear better suited to you. I have a 32/11 on my best bike and still struggle so I will change to a 42 as soon as my lbs opens again. Admittedly, age doesn't help either, in my case.
By the way, being 81kgs doesn't necessarily mean you are fat. It is all to do with morthology and your bone structure.

 

[Ian H]

To train up hills, ride seated in as big a gear as you can push. Recover & repeat a few times.

To ride up hills, pick a gear you can spin and take it easier than you think you need at the bottom, then maintain or increase the pace as you near the top. On very long climbs, ignore the second part of the advice.

 

[Ridgeway]

Keep pushing up them hills, i know guys heavier than you who are brilliant climbers, Some people have a natural ability, some of us have to work harder to get there. I am only 70kg, often beaten up hills and mountains, But i am quick coming down..

Yeah the down hill bit seems to work ok

 

[Ridgeway]

Maybe change your cassette to a gear better suited to you. I have a 32/11 on my best bike and still struggle so I will change to a 42 as soon as my lbs opens again. Admittedly, age doesn't help either, in my case.
By the way, being 81kgs doesn't necessarily mean you are fat. It is all to do with morthology and your bone structure.

I have heavy bones but definitely a beer belly as well, good shout on the cassette, will give that some thought

 

[Ridgeway]

To train up hills, ride seated in as big a gear as you can push. Recover & repeat a few times.

To ride up hills, pick a gear you can spin and take it easier than you think you need at the bottom, then maintain or increase the pace as you near the top. On very long climbs, ignore the second part of the advice.

Thanks for that.

 

[screenman]

I have heavy bones but definitely a beer belly as well, good shout on the cassette, will give that some thought

Have you had your bones weighed, I was surprised how light mine are.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I rode something similar grade and length today. I hit 92% max HR but only as I approached the top. Try working at a lower effort level to start then pace it based on what your HR is doing.

 

[Sharky]

Have you had your bones weighed, I was surprised how light mine are.

Mine can be lazy

 

[Ridgeway]

I rode something similar grade and length today. I hit 92% max HR but only as I approached the top. Try working at a lower effort level to start then pace it based on what your HR is doing.

That makes a lot of sense, will try this WE

 

[I like Skol]

95kg here (but 186cm) and do pretty well on the hills compared to many of the people I ride with.
Haven't a clue about heart rate or training, I just live at the edge of somewhere hilly (The Pennines) and simply love to push on and beat the people I benchmark against. Been riding them hills since my early teens which probably helps? Mentally there are no steep hills or big hills, just hills. I think a big part is state of mind?

 

[CXRAndy]

I'v tried to keep going with my riding as much as i can through the Winter and overall my fitness this Spring is better than last year (as i feel at least) my weight is still an issue though... (81kgs/171cm) so of short and fat really

I'll likely creep under the mythical (to me) 80kgs barrier as i eat summer foods and ride a bit more but unless i can improve my will power then it ain't going to a respectable <75kgs as it should be.

So weight aside, how can i improve on my climbing capabilities ? this is where i loose most of my time out on the roads here and climbing can't be avoided locally (i average 10m climbing for every 1km distance ridden) ie this year about 1200km ridden with 16k metres of climbing which is nice but just too slow......

I tend to ride most of my climbs which are typically 1-2km long with average 6-7% at around 90% of HR max, beyond that and i just expire after 500m. So how can i increase my speed up these climbs ? i suppose it's all down to some decent and proper training (oh and shedding some kgs...).

What do you reckon ?

Climbing hills is not about the actual time it takes but the relative comfort you can do it. I trained on a turbo trainer, doing base training (Zone'2) increasing the duration towards 3 hours non stop high cadence pedalling.

I then took this good aerobic fitness and with relative comfort cycle up Mt. Teide. The climbs are ave 6% for 12-16 miles long.

Sure climbing hills will make you strong, but there are many ways to achieve the fitness to do it. You dont need hills