Struggle on Hills on Road Bike

[Ajax Bay]

Using bike calculator . com it's easy to see the huge difference weight on an incline makes

Here it is to play with: bikecalculator.com

but I've not changed a single cog on my bike [in a year]

You're clearly not putting enough miles in. or your cassette has worn very slowly.

 

[TheJDog]

I'm imagining if you're trying to keep up with lighter clubmates you're going to struggle. You have to ride at your own pace. You've lost a stone or more in a year doing not that many miles (though many more than most of the population), imagine how sleek you'll be when you're doing twice that per year.

I think I struggle on the hills, too, but I'm 95kg and my usual riding chums are 62kg - those 30 kilos mean that I'm usually 15-20 minutes behind them in an hour's climb, much more than that if it gets really hot. On short climbs (less than 5 minutes) if I smash it and they don't I can just about keep up.

 

[Tin Pot]

The only surefire way to get better at something is to do it as often as possible.

This is not true and has never been substantiated.

It is also contrary to all scientific thought on exercise and training.

 

[TheJDog]

The only surefire way to improve your climbing ability is to increase your power to weight ratio. Lose weight and improve the power you can output for the duration of the climb and you'll be faster. GCN has loads of videos on improving power for certain time periods. The internet is filled with methods for losing weight

 

[chrisb1357]

Thank you for all the advice people. I think more miles and more hills this year is a must and to also work out what pace is best for me on the hills when I tackle each one

 

[bigjim]

I,m a big heavy old guy and always struggle on steep hills. I,m pretty fit, carry little fat but my weight is a handicap against the lightweight guys on their lightweight bikes. I have to accept that and have my own system. I rarely look up on a hill and just focus on the road in front while thinking of anything else bar cycling. I try to get , in the zone. It works for me and so does, the more hills I climb, the better I become. Lowering the gearing means I spin more which means, for me, my lungs seem to be working harder and my muscles less which seems to be a trade-off on which will give up first.

 

[TheDoctor]

If you do still want to gear lower, then a 11-34 is about as wide as 8 speed cassettes go.
Personally, I would ride more and try and do hills at your own pace. And lose some weight if you can.
Dropping 10 kilos made more difference to my climbing than anything else before or since.

 

[broady]

If you do decide to go for a triple I have a Tiagra 10 speed triple groupset sat in the garage doing nothing. Think it's all tiagra except the brake calipers.
If interested then the price is £70 posted second class standard.

(Levers, Crankset, bottom bracket (ultegra I believe), front derailleur, rear derailleur and I think there is a cassette, but not sure if there is a chain or not)

 

[S-Express]

It is also contrary to all scientific thought on exercise and training.

No it isn't. One of the main planks of exercise physiology is 'specificity'. In that sense, there's a lot to be said for riding up hills as a way of getting better at riding up hills.

While it may not be the only way of improving, riding up hills will train the specific processes (aerobic, anaerobic, muscular & metabolic) which are used in climbing.

 

[ColinJ]

No it isn't. One of the main planks of exercise physiology is 'specificity'. In that sense, there's a lot to be said for riding up hills as a way of getting better at riding up hills.

While it may not be the only way of improving, riding up hills will train the specific processes (aerobic, anaerobic, muscular & metabolic) which are used in climbing.

I took it to mean that allowing adequate time for recovery between efforts is also important. I don't think it would be a great idea to try to do a 200 km ride in Derbyshire every day ...

 

[S-Express]

I took it to mean that allowing adequate time for recovery between efforts is also important. I don't think it would be a great idea to try to do a 200 km ride in Derbyshire every day ...

But the original comment (ie doing something 'as often as possible') does not contradict that either.

 

[BrumJim]

I,m a big heavy old guy and always struggle on steep hills. I,m pretty fit, carry little fat but my weight is a handicap against the lightweight guys on their lightweight bikes. I have to accept that and have my own system. I rarely look up on a hill and just focus on the road in front while thinking of anything else bar cycling. I try to get , in the zone. It works for me and so does, the more hills I climb, the better I become. Lowering the gearing means I spin more which means, for me, my lungs seem to be working harder and my muscles less which seems to be a trade-off on which will give up first.

I bet you could beat them up a hill if they were ballasted to your weight, though?

 

[ColinJ]

But the original comment (ie doing something 'as often as possible') does not contradict that either.

If 'as often as possible' is taken to mean 'except when tired from previous efforts and needing to recover' - true!

If 'as often as possible' is taken to mean 'spend every free moment doing it' - false!

 

[screenman]

They shrunk all the hills I ride up at about the same time that I lost 4 stone.

The longer the hill the closer I look.

 

[S-Express]

If 'as often as possible' is taken to mean 'except when tired from previous efforts and needing to recover' - true!

If 'as often as possible' is taken to mean 'spend every free moment doing it' - false!

Does it even need explaining? If you are recovered - it's possible. If you are not recovered - it's not possible. As 'often as possible' means exactly that. Tin Pot was disagreeing with something the guy didn't even say.