Newbie with Hill problems

[Get In The Van]

Lots of great advice given in this thread, for me the mental reward of once i get up this hill, theres a nice down hill somewhere just after. helps me along.
it does get easier and after a while you'll find yourself climbing the same hills in bigger gears thinking 'whos the daddy now hill!' in your best Ray Winstone voice

 

[Pistol]

How fit are you and how do you keep fit as you say you thought you had a decent level of fitness?
I work with a bloke who runs 3-4 times a week between 30-40 miles and he's 9 stone wet through however in june he started doing a bit of cycling to mix things up and commented on how tough he is finding it compared to running,last week he told me of a big hill that he had to walk up I asked which one when he said I nearly laughed as I find this hill easy(now) but i didnt as 8 months ago I walked up that same hill.
Even now regular hills i do im fine but give me a new one to tackle and I can still get it wrong,stick in and it does get easier

I run/jog 3/4 times a week, play football once a week and also do at least 2 weight sessions a week at the gym so I regard myself as fitter than average, though it seems not fit enough to ascend a big steep hill on a road bike. Is it possible to train for hills on a stationary exercise bike? If so what routines can be done? Setting off on a 40 mile round trip in an hour and a half, 9% average hill after 2 miles, first part of hill is about 12%, I'm going to monster this thing today, no pain no pain no pain!!!!

 

[black'n'yellow]

Pistol - if you keep looking for an easy way, you will never find the right way. Aerobic cycle-related fitness is what you need - and currently, aerobic cycle-related fitness is what you seem to lack. If you've got time to sit on an exercise bike, you might as well get out on the real thing. Forget about 'routines' and just ride. The more you do it, the more you will be able to do it.

 

[Nearly there]

I run/jog 3/4 times a week, play football once a week and also do at least 2 weight sessions a week at the gym so I regard myself as fitter than average, though it seems not fit enough to ascend a big steep hill on a road bike. Is it possible to train for hills on a stationary exercise bike? If so what routines can be done? Setting off on a 40 mile round trip in an hour and a half, 9% average hill after 2 miles, first part of hill is about 12%, I'm going to monster this thing today, no pain no pain no pain!!!!

Like I said in my post regarding how my work colleague considers himself to have good fitness level but struggles on a bike,its all about having your bike set up correctly and just getting out there and riding and putting the effort in it does eventually pay off. Enjoy your ride Pistol let us know how you got on.

 

[BigSid]

I love hills. I refuse to let a pile of dirt beat me. When I started cycling I was very unfit and walked a "hill" on my first ride that has turned into a "rise" that I go up in the big ring now. On the breathing front, if you're gasping you're try to fill nearly full lungs. Concentrate on exhaling. Works for me.

 

[Sittingduck]

It's also a mental battle, IMHO.
Don't allow the beginnings of any 'I can't do this' thoughts to take hold. You will benefit from self belief!

That and power/weight increase, are the keys

 

[tom_e]

It's a combination of cardiovascular fitness, and putting the power through muscles which also need matching capability. By being fitter in other sports you're maybe well capable in the former, but getting a bottleneck in the muscles needed for cycling, and they hurt. On the plus side you'll probably improve quite fast.

If it's any comfort I see the same trying to run when I am cycling fit. My legs are buggered long before I am short of breath.

36 inches isn't a really low gear, but if you're not carrying luggage and able to ride standing up it should be alright. If you want to sit down and spin up a steep hill slowly you might want a bit lower, depends on your chosen style. I should keep riding and wait for your muscles to catch up before you go spending any money.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

If it's any comfort I see the same trying to run when I am cycling fit. My legs are buggered long before I am short of breath.

I swear I'm not willy-waving, but fast off-road cycling is now the only riding that gets me so out of breath that it hurts, road cycling fatigue hits my legs more than anything else.

 

[Pistol]

Like I said in my post regarding how my work colleague considers himself to have good fitness level but struggles on a bike,its all about having your bike set up correctly and just getting out there and riding and putting the effort in it does eventually pay off. Enjoy your ride Pistol let us know how you got on.

Back now and been in a hot bath to relax those leg muscles, did 48 miles (78km), the positives were- I didnt have to dismount once for fatigue reasons, and got up all the hills and never really got near the stage where I was close to throwing in the towel on any of them today, which is a massive step forward from last weekend, where I had to walk up half of a 10%'er (and it was only a 25 mile ride). The starting off slower and in a lower gear really does make it easier, getting in a rythem and trying to keep the revs up in a low gear seemed to work even if I did feel a bit slow (keeps that lactic build up away), at least I was getting up the hills without red-lining. There were 2 average 9% (9.2 & 9.4) inclines and 2 average 7%'ers in the route in the end. The first 9%'er starts with a period of 12% for the first 300 metres or so, then hairpins round to slightlt flatter bit (relatively speaking), I was prepared for the steep bit at the start and knew if I could get past that bit it got easier, had I not known the hill well that first bit could have been a real mental challenge.

The negatives - 1) ridiculous headwinds on the way back, made the flat and slight inclines so much harder. I suppose thats common sense but really made turning that big 50 toothed front cog a lot harder. Good job I had the new cycling glasses on or there would have been some severe eye watering going on. 2) My arse was killing me for the last 10 miles. 3) My lower back was killing me for the last 10 miles. 4) My shoulder blades were killing me for the last 10 miles. 5) My hands were killing me for the last 5 miles.

Overall I reckon its miles in the bank and hopefully will be the better for it next time out.

 

[mrbadexample]

Is it normal to be this bad?

No. In my world it's normal to be much, much worse. I'm 6'3", about 16.5 stone and riding a fairly heavy hybrid. Today I was pleased to make it up a 1 mile climb of 2.9%.

I'm not even convinced you should be in the beginners' section.

Keep doing what the other people say and you'll soon be wearing a bandana and growing a goatee.

 

[Seryth]

No such thing as being pansy, none at all, in my opinion cycling is about you and the machine, nuts to everyone else! Getting one big gear on the back is a neat idea, and my first road bike had just such a gear and it saved me from having to stop many times, in fact I only just got a bike without such a large 'escape gear'.

Here's the gear, it's the massive one labelled 'megarange'

View attachment 13391


P.S Sorry for using 'in' language like KOM, it's really frustrating to feel like you don't know what's going on, so sorry!

I have one like that too, they're great. So helpful for where I live in hilly Devon

 

[Peteaud]

Sram now come with a 12-30, so does the 10-sp Tiagra set.

Swap the rear cassette to a 27t for a bit more ease.

Its what i did.