Training for hills when you don't have any?

[Ghost Donkey]

Its better than having it flat, but its not going to replicate climbing a hill that s for certain.

Don t get fitness confused with technique.

That was a general comment not aimed at you GD.

Cheers, I was just thinking of lifting the front to mimic the position. Your post got me thinking out loud a bit.resistance training on the turbo and weights in the gym will help but miles on the road are still priceless. The I realize I need to work on riding hard for prolonged periods of time for my specific events too and improve my bike fitness.

 

[lukesdad]

Cheers, I was just thinking of lifting the front to mimic the position. Your post got me thinking out loud a bit.resistance training on the turbo and weights in the gym will help but miles on the road are still priceless. The I realize I need to work on riding hard for prolonged periods of time for my specific events too and improve my bike fitness.

There are as many schools of thought on training programes as there are riders Everybody has stuff that works for them.

Its funny I guess that I and Fiona are probably a similar age and raced at a similar time. Yet the way we trained were at totaly opposite ends of the spectrum. We ve had many disagreements in the past but its short sighted not to listen to someone with such knowledge

What Im trying to say is you have to do what is right for you. I personaly hate the turbo, rollers and gym.
The only thing I will say is IME in my day riders used to suffer far less with minor illness than they do now, there could be many reasons I guess but I still ride 6 days a week in my 50s and never get a cold.

Its worth thinking about when you are putting a training plan together, if you are ill you can t train.

Off subject I know, and Im sure someone will be a long in a mo to tell me what a load of hogwash.

Off course we could all jet off to the sun and train that would be nice.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

There are as many schools of thought on training programes as there are riders Everybody has stuff that works for them.

Its funny I guess that I and Fiona are probably a similar age and raced at a similar time. Yet the way we trained were at totaly opposite ends of the spectrum. We ve had many disagreements in the past but its short sighted not to listen to someone with such knowledge

What Im trying to say is you have to do what is right for you. I personaly hate the turbo, rollers and gym.
The only thing I will say is IME in my day riders used to suffer far less with minor illness than they do now, there could be many reasons I guess but I still ride 6 days a week in my 50s and never get a cold.

Its worth thinking about when you are putting a training plan together, if you are ill you can t train.

Off subject I know, and Im sure someone will be a long in a mo to tell me what a load of hogwash.

Off course we could all jet off to the sun and train that would be nice.

I've read lots of different theories and could't agree more that it's an individual thing working around your other commitments also. Indoor training is a necessary evil for me to get the time in on the bike with other commitments. Sensible training loads, plenty of sleep and good diet seem to be the way forward. I won't talk food, I've overdone that one already

.

 

[User16625]

In a moment of madness I have signed up to to Etape du Tour Act 2 next year to celebrate my 40th. My issue is that it is a very long and hilly course but I have nothing you'd call a decent hill to train on (Box Hill is about as good as it gets and having cycled Alpe d'Huez previously I know that won't really cut it). So my question is, how do I train for hills if I don't have any to train on? I have a turbo trainer and am just expecting to get miles in over winter, occasional trips to Nth Wales will let me know how I'm progressing but really don't have a clue what I should be doing. Any help greatfully appreciated.

While in north wales, take the A4086 thro the llanberis pass and head for llanberis. Mountain bike to the snowdon summit and then cycle it back again. As the other girl said, just up the resistance on your turbo altho I dont know if puttin it on an incline will affect your training. Cycling on sand, wet mud and other boggy surfaces may help too.

 

[Arsen Gere]

IMHO the key to this is muscular endurance on a good aerobic base.

Use steady long run runs for the aerobic base and some training where you use a high cadence to build the neurological support, I mean 110+ rpm and another session of constant hard effort longish intervals for muscular endurance. Riding in to a head wind for 5 miles is good practice.

I do the opposite and train for time trials on a 5 mile steady climb, sometimes in biggish gears at 80 rpm and sometimes at 110-120 rpm, so no free wheeling on the hill. You could simulate this on a turbo I do if the weather is bad.

I was at a talk sometime ago by Joe Waugh, he was a local lad who went to the Olympics, won the national hill climb, KOTM in the tour of britain etc. (doing quite well until a drunk taxi driver ran over him). I asked him how he trained for the hills and he said he didn't, he just used dual carriageways.
I read in to this that it was the muscular endurance bit that was important.

 

[YahudaMoon]

Any one tried the 'Tyre Hiki' method ?

 

[Arsen Gere]

"'Tyre Hiki' method ? " No do you have a referrence to it?

 

[YahudaMoon]

Tyre Hiki. The Japanese keirin racers use it to simulate a hill.

It involves dragging car tyres with ropes from your saddle rails

 

[YahudaMoon]

Found this video. A couple of Keirin racers doing some training tyre hiki style