Should it be this hard?

[AndyPeace]

Much of what has been said is probobly the heart of the matter... it just takes time. However a few possibiblities of making a more imeadiate improvment. Have you got enough air in your tires? low tire pressure can make a bike harder work. Have you tried making small adjustments to your saddle height/position- mark the current position so you can put it back if it dosen't help. Are you over dressed? Jeans?

 

[PpPete]

As others have said, sounds like me.

The "hill" i struggled with is not a hill, now i dont even think about it.

6 months time you will not be bothered by this "hill"

And many others too !
The "hill" that persuaded me I needed to change my 20 year old bike (lying unused for most of that time) to a triple..... I now go up in the 53 ring !
I've still got a triple though, cos I is still a bit of a wuss.

 

[ELPTX51]

And many others too !
The "hill" that persuaded me I needed to change my 20 year old bike (lying unused for most of that time) to a triple..... I now go up in the 53 ring !
I've still got a triple though, cos I is still a bit of a wuss.

I like to use the term "still in training for bigger and better cycling events" It gives me hope that I have much more success to come. And yes...I am an optimist. Thank you for asking!

 

[Ozzrahog]

Would just echo what other have said, stick at it it gets easier

 

[simon.r]

Another echo - my first ride as an adult was 1/2 a mile - 1/4 mile up a hill (well, slight slope), then back home. My legs felt like the proverbial jelly and my heart was pounding afterwards I'm certainly not super fit now, but that same hill is ridden at the start of a ride and barely registers.

The only other point I'd make is it may be worth looking at your diet. I'm no expert, but eating the right type of food (and cutting out the chocolate / crisps etc) does seem to make a big difference. I'm sure a quick google will come up with plenty of pointers.

 

[Chris S]

Ooh err, missus!

 

[Gravity Aided]

And any medications you may be taking may also have some effect. I complained to the doctor that I was having problems averaging over 15 mph . He was not surprised, and explained to me that my blood pressure medicine was probably the root cause of that .

 

[Ozzrahog]

Really? Out of interest what medication?

 

[Globalti]

Back in 1988 when i tried to ride my first bike (in many years) back home from the shop I nearly died after 5 miles and I thought I was fit as I used to go walking and mountaineering! It was so hard that I didn't touch the bike for 3 months after that!

But I stuck with it, went over to road riding 4 years ago and I'm 56 now and can ride 30 to 100 miles without too much effort, get up steep hills without stopping and maintain an average of 17-18 mph solo on the flat. I have a 32" waist and my resting heart rate is now 48, what's yours?

 

[PpPete]

Certainly you have to stick with it....
but some of the OPs struggles are certainly down to the bike. I happened to be in Halfrauds for something else (which they didnt have) and spotted the same model as refered in the OPs link.
Didn't look too closely but those tyres - a no name, fairly heavily treaded 700x35c, probably weigh a ton, and likely terrible rolling resistance.
Swop them out for some slick 700x28c (or even 700x25c) and life will suddenly get a lot easier.

 

[byegad]

60/minute seems too slow, this will increase with time. Your set up may be wrong. The saddle should be high enough that while sat on the bike in a riding position you can just rest your heel on the pedal with a straight leg, best done leaning against a wall! This means your knee does not quite straighten with the ball of your foot on the pedal when riding.
What you describe sounds like the effect of a low saddle.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

It does get easier eventually, but you have to work at it, I'm afraid.
When I first started commuting to work, my climb started at the 1 mile mark, had a long slow climb for 2.5 miles and then climbed hard twice to the end. On the first few commutes I could not even make it to the top of the first climb, but a week or two in and it was only the 2nd climb that defeated me. It took a while, but I actually came to find the 2nd of the two climbs easier. Apparently the climb is only 200 feet in total, but it used to feel momumental to me in those early days. Going home on the other hand was 10 minutes faster
In the end I actually changed the route to be longer and have much more climbing in it - taking it to 375 feet of climbing...

Now, I look back and wonder what the problem was!

It will happen. It takes time, a lot of effort, but it will get much easier the more you do it and that comes from someone who is both (a moderately severe) asthmatic and has high blood pressure.

 

[LosingFocus]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but have you checked your tyre pressures? My Dad told me he was finding his cycling really hard so I asked him to check over his bike make sure it was all running OK etc. He said it was all good. So I asked him about his tyres, he said they were OK too (He's got a front sus MTB he uses for road and canal path riding) - fine too he said "nice and hard, 20psi". Got him to pump those babies up to 50psi and he found riding A LOT easier.

 

[tadpole]

Take heart, you’re going to get there if you keep trying.
Back in January I started cycling to work seriously (I’ve been cycling to work for three years before that, but not made any progress, other than I no longer felt I was dying and not dreading the two days a week that I did cycle the 8.6mile 55 minutes) anyway when asked about the ride I used to say four big hill and a scary fast down section (-4%).
One segments (has a massive hill almost 2%) used to take me 128 seconds to do 3/10th of a mile. A sprint at 11mph. Now I’m trying to break the 47 second barrier (22mph) I will do it, it will just take time and more a bit more fitness.
I’ve realised that I have no hill on my ride just slopes and the ‘scary’ downhill section I now cycle down peddling fast and furiously.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Atenalol and Chlorthalizone , Atenalol is a beta blocker, Chlothalizone is a water pill. Sorry it took so long to get back, training an infant beagle in my spare time .