Sprinting, hill climbing, giving it some welly when your legs pack up... how?

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Andrew_Culture

Internet Marketing bod
This has been bothering me for a while - I'm new to having these fancy brakes that also act as gear changers and for the first time in my life I can very easily change gear without either looking down at friction shifters or looking down and remembering I'm riding a single speed...

So my question is, when sprinting (perhaps for a Strava segment), or hill climbing (um, perhaps for a Strava segment) what do you do to carry on when running out of beans? Here's an example of my current method:
  1. Approach hill from a flat with a decent amount of momentum
  2. At foot of hill click down a gear or two to try and maintain high cadence
  3. Shift back in seat, relax and give it some thigh grunt
  4. Gradually get slowed down by gravity / physics, try to rectify by changing down gear
  5. Dribble a bit with the effort
  6. Resolve to lose more weight
So that's how I currently manage, but there must be a better way? What do the pros do? I used to get good results just from pushing really hard when the going got tough, but the downside of that was the feeling (afterwards) that my hip joint was about to explode.
 

dan_bo

How much does it cost to Oldham?
TK12_Madone_JensVoight_Legs2.jpg
 

SimonJKH

Blue collar cyclist
Location
Ipswich
Approach hill from a flat with a decent amount of momentum
  1. At foot of hill click down a gear or two to try and maintain high cadence
  2. Shift back in seat, relax and give it some thigh grunt
  3. Gradually get slowed down by gravity / physics, try to rectify by changing down gear
  4. Dribble a bit with the effort
  5. Resolve to lose more weight


My technique is very similar, with the addition of

6. Start swearing violently on every exhale.
 

PK99

Legendary Member
Location
SW19
This has been bothering me for a while - I'm new to having these fancy brakes that also act as gear changers and for the first time in my life I can very easily change gear without either looking down at friction shifters or looking down and remembering I'm riding a single speed...

So my question is, when sprinting (perhaps for a Strava segment), or hill climbing (um, perhaps for a Strava segment) what do you do to carry on when running out of beans? Here's an example of my current method:
  1. Approach hill from a flat with a decent amount of momentum
  2. At foot of hill click down a gear or two to try and maintain high cadence
  3. Shift back in seat, relax and give it some thigh grunt
  4. Gradually get slowed down by gravity / physics, try to rectify by changing down gear
  5. Dribble a bit with the effort
  6. Resolve to lose more weight
So that's how I currently manage, but there must be a better way? What do the pros do? I used to get good results just from pushing really hard when the going got tough, but the downside of that was the feeling (afterwards) that my hip joint was about to explode.


Instead of just incorporating in a longer ride try working on the specific muscle and oxygen supply system = Hill repeats! - Ride up, roll down. Ride up, roll.............. It will never get any easier buy you will be going faster
 

Mugshot

Cracking a solo.
I could have predicted that! And yes, I know...

At the moment I'm sticking with something @scilly-suffolk said, which was something along the lines of 'Don't worry about changing your equipment until you can see your abs...'
I've decided that being able to see your abs or not is down to your personal genetics, mine have decided that I wont see my abs therefore there's nothing I can do about it and can eat and drink as I like knowing it doesn't make any difference anyway.
 
I could have predicted that! And yes, I know...

At the moment I'm sticking with something @scilly-suffolk said, which was something along the lines of 'Don't worry about changing your equipment until you can see your abs...'

Visibility (or not) of your abs is no indication of fitness. If you want a 'ripped' body, go to the gym. If you want to get better at riding, go riding. :smile:
 

tadpole

Senior Member
Location
St George
Abs are made in the Kitchen, not on the bike (or gym).
Rule #5 applies to the question... :laugh:
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Visibility (or not) of your abs is no indication of fitness. If you want a 'ripped' body, go to the gym. If you want to get better at riding, go riding. :smile:

Ride and ride more. Just attempting Strava segments is interval training and it stresses your limits. Keep this up and you get quicker. If you run out of steam, adjust how you ride it next time - i.e. start slightly slower.

You won't get a six pack on a bike, and it's of no use anyway - good core strength is though !
 

Andrew_P

In between here and there
Vary between in and out of the saddle, dropping down to harder gear out and going up when back down. Nearly every hill has a personality to it once learned you will know when to get out and when to take a breather. Thats how I do it anyway. The first time on steep hill I always take it easty and try to remember the profile.

Anyway there are no real hills in Suffolk! :-)
 

steve52

I'm back! Yippeee
This has been bothering me for a while - I'm new to having these fancy brakes that also act as gear changers and for the first time in my life I can very easily change gear without either looking down at friction shifters or looking down and remembering I'm riding a single speed...

So my question is, when sprinting (perhaps for a Strava segment), or hill climbing (um, perhaps for a Strava segment) what do you do to carry on when running out of beans? Here's an example of my current method:
  1. Approach hill from a flat with a decent amount of momentum
  2. At foot of hill click down a gear or two to try and maintain high cadence
  3. Shift back in seat, relax and give it some thigh grunt
  4. Gradually get slowed down by gravity / physics, try to rectify by changing down gear
  5. Dribble a bit with the effort
  6. Resolve to lose more weight
So that's how I currently manage, but there must be a better way? What do the pros do? I used to get good results just from pushing really hard when the going got tough, but the downside of that was the feeling (afterwards) that my hip joint was about to explode.

this is pretty much my method unless im feeling good when i can push till i get stringy bits flailing from each side of my mouth and am sick when i stop, or foced to lay on the verge and inhale grass and dust for a bit.
 

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
Try this
  1. Approach hill from a flat with a decent amount of momentum
  2. At foot of hill click UP a gear and get out of the saddle
  3. Visualize a nice juicy steak at the top of the hill
  4. "Dance" on the pedals - try and imitate Alberto Contador
  5. When legs / lungs are ready to give up, sit back down but try to maintain high cadence, changing down as necessary.
  6. Gradually get slowed down by gravity / physics, try to rectify by going back to 2. above
  7. Fail miserably, sit down, change down gears
  8. Resolve to lose more weight
 

zizou

Veteran
Depends so much on the size and type of hill (and also fitness)

If you 'ease' into the hill, keep effort at a sustainable level then push hard to get over the top then you'll be faster than going hard along the flat to get momentum, attacking the hill from the bottom and running out of gas before the top.
 
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