Training for Hills in the Flatlands

[Lee_M]

when he was a lad chris froome used to ride with his brakes partly on to simulate the effort of hills.

 

[S-Express]

unless you're a wall of leg muscles like Chris Hoy.

Chris Hoy, the well-known climbing specialist

 

[mjr]

when he was a lad chris froome used to ride with his brakes partly on to simulate the effort of hills.

Also used to ride on motorways, didn't he? Can't do that in Norfolk!

 

[Saluki]

You could ride into Norwich and do hill drills up Gas Hill, or Ketts Hill if you are not feeling brave enough for Gas Hill. Gurney Road is a lovely climb IMO

Oh Dear Lord, I miss the flatlands

 

[raleighnut]

when he was a lad chris froome used to ride with his brakes partly on to simulate the effort of hills.

So he's always been a bit of a tw*t then.

 

[Pale Rider]

You already know what will make the most difference.

Do this tomorrow, pick up 6 bricks carry them around with you for a few hours, strap them to your bike and then ride up any hill/rise you may have.

Adding dead weight is a good idea.

One guy who did that told me he used bottles full of water in two pannier bags - litre or two-litre pop bottles was his choice.

The advantage over bricks is if you get too tired on a ride you can empty the bottles.

 

[MichaelW2]

Kelling and Cromer are also good for Norfolk hills.

 

[S-Express]

Adding dead weight is a good idea

No, it really isn't.

 

[screenman]

A large cycling cape, a head wind, a 26 rear wheel and a 29 front and there you go..

 

[PK99]

I finally crested each brow - at 5.4 mph! Part of this rubbish performance was a lack of familiarity with the actual hills - not knowing when and where each steepened/ended for example - but most of it was due to total lack of ability to climb hills. Now in my local area I can easily keep up 17 mph for 20 miles I was completely useless today: literally 4800 out 4900!!! Now I know one solution is to lose weight (I am about 15 stone at 6 Foot) but apart from that, can anyone offer viable training tips on getting better at climbing hills in a flat area when one lives in a place where the biggest hill is virtually a mole hill!?

A thought. Coming from The Flat Lands, what gearing do you have? Standard Double? Compact? Triple? What range is your cassette?

Also, forget speed, think sustainable effort level, we use heart rate as a proxy for power. My wife and I (59 and 61) rode Ventoux a couple of weeks ago from Sault. the only thing that stopped us getting to the top was wind gusting at 120kph and our tour company turned us back halfway up from Chalet Reynard. My Garmin trace shows a steady 150bpm the whole way irrespective of slope. The day before I really struggled on a 10-mile 750m climb when I tried to keep up with guys 25 years younger and 25 kg lighter than me and my heart rate was around 160+ for long periods (and the temperature peaked at 38C!)

 

[grellboy]

You could ride into Norwich and do hill drills up Gas Hill, or Ketts Hill if you are not feeling brave enough for Gas Hill. Gurney Road is a lovely climb IMO

Oh Dear Lord, I miss the flatlands

I thought that myself but its pretty time

A thought. Coming from The Flat Lands, what gearing do you have? Standard Double? Compact? Triple? What range is your cassette?

Also, forget speed, think sustainable effort level, we use heart rate as a proxy for power. My wife and I (59 and 61) rode Ventoux a couple of weeks ago from Sault. the only thing that stopped us getting to the top was wind gusting at 120kph and our tour company turned us back halfway up from Chalet Reynard. My Garmin trace shows a steady 150bpm the whole way irrespective of slope. The day before I really struggled on a 10-mile 750m climb when I tried to keep up with guys 25 years younger and 25 kg lighter than me and my heart rate was around 160+ for long periods (and the temperature peaked at 38C!)

This is the very worst part. After finishing, I picked my mum up and took her for lunch and across the road from the pub was a LBS. I popped in for a look and was explaining my travails to the owner. He replied "Oh yeah, for some of those Sevenoaks hills having a 23 or 25 cassette makes it hard work." I agreed.....and hurried out in shame: my bike has a 32 cog!!

 

[gasinayr]

As a mate of mine said, to do hills, You have to do hills.

 

[alpine fenlander]

I find a heart rate monitor really helps with training in the Fens. Firstly it gives you some numbers to focus on when you have a long boring stretch into the headwind and secondly you can make sure you don't go too easy with a tailwind.

I guess Kent hills wouldn't be longer than 15-20 mins to get up, so practise 15-20mins in heart rate zone 4 (Strava zone 4) or do some 10 mile time trials which should be similar. On other days do some sprints, either on the flat which I personally I find extremely boring or find a slightly lumpy route and do sprints up those little hills. It's more fun in a group or with someone of similar ability to push you on.

That should then get you up the longer climbs where you want to keep it steady and also the steeper climbs where you have to push into the red.

Practise grinding a low gear (don't do it if your knees hurt though) into a headwind and practise high cadence as well so you can use different muscle groups on long climbs.

I often cycle in the Alps and the long steady climbs are ok, but due to my weight I struggle with the short, steep (>20%) climbs. Like others said loosing weight is the only way there...

 

[grellboy]

Just ordered a set of bathroom scales.

 

[outlash]

I feel for you, and I know how you feel living on the Cambs/Beds border, I'm no climber either. But a 17mph average over 20 miles isn't exactly quick. Ride more.