omg hills

[nicholas]

Hi all been biking for about four weeks now slowly building speed and distance loosing weight and getting fitter todats ride I decided to attack the steepest hill around me only made three quarter s of the way up and wanted to die reminded me of cross country runs at school 25 years ago but although I feel like crap now absolutely loved it think I may be a masochist are there any strategies for hills ie gearing and stood up or sat down peddling your thoughts would be appreciated

 

[Bryony]

Just keep going up them! That's what I've been told

 

[nicholas]

Thanks bryony thats my plan to include them twice a week

 

[nicholas]

Think I might be paying the price for smoking stuff for 20 years

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

What gearing have you got at the moment? Obviously riding hills lots is going to be the best answer as you need to build the muscle to get up the hills, but the gearing can make it easier and make it more likely that you'll want to keep doing it.

Standing on the pedals is good for getting over short steep climbs but gets very tiring if you have to do constantly it for long climbs.

 

[Banjo]

You use less energy seated but standing up now and then uses your muscles differently so it feels like you have had a rest when you sit down again.

Use low gear and just keep pedalling if your gear changing is good enough you can change up a gear or two when standing .

It will feel like a real achievment whaen you can ride hills you used to walk up.

 

[edindave]

I smoked for over 20 years but not any more. Fitness is the key, cardio-vascular fitness. Just work hard at the hills and you'll see a really quick improvement. And pack in the fags if you haven't already!
Sometimes for short steep hills I find out of the saddle works best. Longer ones for me are better spent tapping out a comfortable rhythm in the saddle, and it's more about pacing myself.

 

[Mattonsea]

They will get easier , honest, you are doing the right thing by taking them on. you did really well by getting 3/4 the way up, that's your bench
mark . You will beat it.

 

[nicholas]

Thanks for the encouragement yeah stopped smoking jan 13 really like wobblyness in my legs now but not looking to tommorrow

 

[Dave 123]

Don't go out at the bottom of the hill too quickly, just hit it slow and steady.
Try to keep your eyes fixed on the brow of the hill and not your wheel. Always look to where you aim to end up.

 

[nicholas]

Thanks dave will take your points on board sounds like good advice

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Just keep at them, I changed my whole gearing till I got fitter, these days I find I can climb a lot on the 52 ring, but it does depend on the hill and length. I will either spin or get out of the saddle all depends on the day.

You use less energy seated but standing up now and then uses your muscles differently so it feels like you have had a rest when you sit down again.

Use low gear and just keep pedalling if your gear changing is good enough you can change up a gear or two when standing .

It will feel like a real achievment whaen you can ride hills you used to walk up.

The only thing I haven't master yet is changing up a ring on the front, I can go down though.

 

[edindave]

The only thing I haven't master yet is changing up a ring on the front, I can go down though.

I wouldn't change front/chain rings when you're standing on the pedals going uphill while they are under load.
Sit down and turn the pedals without torquing the cranks, then changing should be as easy as it is on the flat - both up and down... well, providing this doesn't slow you down so much that you keel over!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I wouldn't change front/chain rings when you're standing on the pedals going uphill while they are under load.
Sit down and turn the pedals without torquing the cranks, then changing should be as easy as it is on the flat - both up and down... well, providing this doesn't slow you down so much that you keel over!

I just lift up on the pressure whilst changing down, I have no problem whilst sat, I am usually on the right front ring, just sometimes I forget I am on the 52 when I set off from lights, longer steeper climbs I will use the full range on the 30th as with 8sp it has a very usable range from 28-25-23-21-19-17, the 30x21 being the same as my 42x28 like wise the 30x17 and 40x23 being pretty close, its very rare I go as low as 30x25 or 28, but its there if the hill is very steep, though these usually means going quite a bit further a field, or if I am carrying extra weight, and I only ever spin out the 52x13 downhill, but I can cruse pretty well on a 52x19 or 21 at about 90rpm depending on conditions. Which is about 17-19mph.

 

[edindave]

I just lift up on the pressure whilst changing down, I have no problem whilst sat, I am usually on the right front ring, just sometimes I forget I am on the 52 when I set off from lights, longer steeper climbs I will use the full range on the 30th as with 8sp it has a very usable range from 28-25-23-21-19-17, the 30x21 being the same as my 42x28 like wise the 30x17 and 40x23 being pretty close, its very rare I go as low as 30x25 or 28, but its there if the hill is very steep, though these usually means going quite a bit further a field, or if I am carrying extra weight, and I only ever spin out the 52x13 downhill, but I can cruse pretty well on a 52x19 or 21 at about 90rpm depending on conditions. Which is about 17-19mph.

I ease off on the pressure when I'm changing rear sprockets up or down, but I effectively freewheel when I'm changing rings on the front. It avoids those crunching noises - metal on metal - bad noises!