Up hill climbs

[Leodis]

Hi peeps,
This morning I was bombing along on my way to the daily grind and passed a fella on a mountain bike on the flat. I then started an incline as normal and then a larger incline and he zoomed past me on the hill, by the time I had got to the top he could have been having a cuppa with his shredded wheat.

My questions are how come I am quick on flats but like a donkey on hills? Is it the bike (hybrid)? Is it fitness? or do I need to push myself harder on hills?

Advice is needed please to heal my cycling mojo.

 

[Moodyman]

Lots of explanations.

• He''s a stronger rider than you,
• You're a fatty and he a skinny,
• His MTB has much better gearing for climbing
• He's not carrying any extra weight panniers, etc.
• You're tired, he's fresh
• You're caarrying a minor cold, he's fine

I'm overweight and often get passed by MTB'ers uphills. I'm a reasonably strong rider, but being big works against you uphills (and with you downhills).

I commute with a laiden bike and those that pass me on the climbs are usually riding light. It doesn't worry me.

 

[ColinJ]

Climbing speed is mainly about power-to-weight ratio. To climb more quickly you need to increase your power and/or decrease your weight or the weight of your bike/clothes/luggage.

What speed would you consider as 'bombing along'? If it is less than about 15 mph then you don't actually have that much power and need to get fitter! If you can sustain 20+ mph, then okay you have quite a lot of power, so you must be carrying too much weight.

If you give me some numbers, I could use a cycling calculator to work out what is going on. What speed can you maintain for a long time on a flat road? How much do you and your bike plus any tools, drinks, clothes you are carrying weigh? What is the gradient of the hill in question?

 

[BSRU]

Some people just aren't good at going up hills, when I used to belong to a road club there were plenty of riders who were fast on the flat but completely crap on climbs.
It is probably not true but I found in general good climbers are not very good descenders and poor climbers were excellent, nutcases, going down hills.

 

[Moodyman]

If you can sustain 20+ mph, then okay you have quite a lot of power, so you must be carrying too much weight[/quote]

This is me

 

[Leodis]

• He''s a stronger rider than you, - Tick
• You're a fatty and he a skinny, - Tick
• His MTB has much better gearing for climbing - Tick
• He's not carrying any extra weight panniers, etc. - Tick
• You're tired, he's fresh - Tick
• You're carrying a minor cold, he's fine - ermm

Conclusion:-

I am a fat sod that needs to work harder.

 

[ianrauk]

• He''s a stronger rider than you, - Tick
• You're a fatty and he a skinny, - Tick
• His MTB has much better gearing for climbing - Tick
• He's not carrying any extra weight panniers, etc. - Tick
• You're tired, he's fresh - Tick
• You're carrying a minor cold, he's fine - ermm

Conclusion:-


I am a fat sod that needs to work harder.

Hit's proverbial nail on head.

I wouldn't worry about people who are faster then you, it's just the way it is. It's good inspiration to get faster and fitter though.

However much I ride and however much faster I get there are always quicker and fitter people then me (and I like to think I'm no slouch on a bike) and on the other side of the pedal there are people that are slower then me. And it will be the same for you...and everybody.

 

[Thomk]

Hit's proverbial nail on head.

I wouldn't worry about people who are faster then you, it's just the way it is. It's good inspiration to get faster and fitter though.

However much I ride and however much faster I get there are always quicker and fitter people then me (and I like to think I'm no slouch on a bike) and on the other side of the pedal there are people that are slower then me. And it will be the same for you...and everybody.

Except for two people perhaps...

 

[ColinJ]

As a matter of interest, I plugged some numbers into a cycling calculator. I assumed a 14 stone rider (196 pounds) with a bike (plus luggage) weighing 28 pounds. To ride at 15 mph needs a power output of about 113 W. If the same cyclist then rides up a 3% climb at the same power level, speed will drop to about 6.5 mph. 3% is not much more than a steady uphill drag and 6.5 mph is pretty slow so you can see how much difference climbing makes.

On a 6% climb (a significant gradient but still not steep), speed falls to about 3.7 mph. A rider weighing 11 stone with a 21 pound bike and with the same power output would climb about 1 mph faster.

 

[Leodis]

Colin thats very interesting. Think I will start pushing myself harder and work on a steady pace.

 

[Bigsharn]

Without a huge amount of experience in hill climbing, I frequently go from 20mph to 10mph on a short incline. It might just be a case of getting out and attacking more hills.

 

[Andrew_P]

I am a fat sod that needs to work harder.

Not as bad as my scalp, 16 odd mph cold windy morning someone came flying past on a Fuji singlespeed, then went no hands pulled a gel out of the rucksack bag went no hands whilst he consumed breakfast still pulling away. Like Ian says there will always be someone fitter/younger/fresher

 

[lejogger]

There's the difference between a hill and a drag too, and the amount of momentum that you can carry into it. Sometimes you can see a climb coming up, and wimp out, dropping to the smaller chain ring and prepare yourself to spin up. Most of the time though, if you can get a good momentum going, you can power up much easier than you might think just by allowing your momentum to keep the bigger gears turning.
Have you ever dropped a gear halfway up a climb and then no matter how hard you try just can't get back up to the speed you were at or know you've done before? You can feel like you're at your absolute maximum just maintaining 12mph even though you flew up it at 15+mph yesterday.
Maybe mtb man just had more momentum. He'd almost certainly have had more motivation too as he probably wanted to salvage some pride after letting you pass him earlier.

I found out a few years ago (while cycling after a few beers) that your body has a physical capacity that is only really limited by what your brain tells you should be hurting or not. I was able to fly up climbs in the big ring that I'd only ever sat and spun up before, not believing that I had the ability to go any faster. Once you really push yourself and get to know your real limits you'll probably surprise yourself as to what you're capable of.

Mind over matter - and brandy in your water bottle!

 

[Andrew_P]

Also your MTB'er had the hare to chase...

 

[fossyant]

Good job it wasn't a fixed rider - you'd be toast.