When will I be strong enough to get up hills?

[Arch]

Ok am off for a cycle in the sun to the polling station... am so glad I joined this forum... :-) don't think i will manage the hills the way my legs are aching but i'll keep you posted.. !

Vote Bike!

There's nothing to be ashamed about with hills. They can be nasty spiteful things. Even little ones, if you're tired, or just having an off day. You'll get used to it, if you do it often enough.

I live in York, and it's pretty flat, so I get very little hill practice - so whenever I'm anywhere hilly, I curse for the first day! Then, I'm better.

 

[Marcus]

Its amazing how quickly you do get used to them - I've only been cycling for just over a week, and there's a bugger of a hill on my route. The first day i had to get off and push from the bottom, second day i got halfway up, and now, a week and a half later, im doing the route four times (8 miles total) and cycling all the way up the hill every time.

I was really amazed how quick my body adapted.

 

[ColinJ]

At a guess, a three year old might be just over 2 stone or 30 lb. The bike and kiddy seat might be 35 lb. That's 65lb all up weight.

1/65 = 0.0154.

0.0154 x 1000 = 15.4 INCHES gear. A 20 ring to 36 sprocket will do it.

Me + bike = 240 lbs. 1/240 = 0.0042. 0.0042 * 1000 = 4.2. I may be overweight and relatively unfit but I don't need a 4.2" gear to get up a 10% hill!

Okay, granted, a 42" gear might be a bit tough for for me. My 28" bottom gear does nicely.

When fit, me + bike would weigh about 204 lbs. 1/204 = 0.0049 and 10,000 * 0.0049 = 49". I'd probably prefer to use a 39/28 gear which would be about 38". I'd say the formula for me would be more like required gear (inches) ~= 7000/(weight of me + bike in pounds).

 

[tyred]

Me + bike = 240 lbs. 1/240 = 0.0042. 0.0042 * 1000 = 4.2. I may be overweight and relatively unfit but I don't need a 4.2" gear to get up a 10% hill!

Okay, granted, a 42" gear might be a bit tough for for me. My 28" bottom gear does nicely.

When fit, me + bike would weigh about 204 lbs. 1/204 = 0.0049 and 10,000 * 0.0049 = 49". I'd probably prefer to use a 39/28 gear which would be about 38". I'd say the formula for me would be more like required gear (inches) ~= 7000/(weight of me + bike in pounds).

I don't think you're supposed to include the weight of yourself, just the bicycle.

 

[BearPear]

Just to echo everyone else's comments, practice does improve your stamina and ability, although one thought crossed my mind. As you cycle more and aim higher up the hill, your passener will be growing all the time, as the weeks/months pass your load will increase!! You'll have Geoff Capes thighs before the end of the summer!

I too am a lady cyclist, and I hate the hills but they are more manageable the more you do it.

 

[ColinJ]

I don't think you're supposed to include the weight of yourself, just the bicycle.

I somehow don't think that one would work! (Scrawny pro climber needs same gear as morbidly obese beginner?)

 

[snorri]

I can't imagine myself ever being fit enough!!

Struggling up the hills with your child on the back?
What are you going to be like when you are taking the grandchildren out?

Regarding cycling to the Polling Station, I'm just back, the Clerk said I was their second cyclist of the day.
That was at 17.00.

 

[Newbietocycling]

Ok - just back! I can NOT believe this, I made it three quarters of the way up the hill!! (until someone in a car started going very slowly behind me, probably cos i was wobbling like a drunk) and I felt guilty so I got off and let her pass, and then pushed it up to the flat bit. I did it mostly by setting myself little targets instead of looking a long way ahead.... amazing how quickly this makes it pass! I can't believe it, compared to yesterday's effort!

Arch, I love York.... just the right balance between village and town. Though I quite like the idea of thighs of steel this country living's gonna give me.

Is great getting all this encouragement aand tips :-) though not sure what you guys mean when you are referring to gear inches etc....?

Very sad that you were only the second cyclist of the day, Snorri it's such an exhilarating way of getting around. I always feel refreshed and happy when I arrive at my destination, whereas walking leaves me kind of tired, and cars/buses don't do much for my energy levels. am loving it!!! apart from faffing around with locks, carrier bags, helmets and harnesses but i'll get used to it..

 

[Arch]

Arch, I love York.... just the right balance between village and town. Though I quite like the idea of thighs of steel this country living's gonna give me.

Is great getting all this encouragement aand tips :-) though not sure what you guys mean when you are referring to gear inches etc....?

York is lovely, and a great city to cycle in. Nowhere is too far from anywhere else, and the countryside is always within 10 minutes.

Gear inches: You know the old 'penny farthing'? That big wheel was a way of going faster, because the pedals drove the wheel directly. The bigger the wheel, the further you travelled on one turn of the pedals, because the circumference is bigger. Bigger gear, faster, smaller gear, easier to get uphill.

Gear inches are a way of referring to gears that harks back to those big wheels. I can't remember now if it translates as the circ or the diameter of the that wheel, but a 60" gear is the equivalent of a 60" (circumference or diameter, whichever it is) wheel.

Today, we get the same result by matching different numbers of cogs on the rear sprockets and front chain rings, doing away with the need for a huge wheel.

And well done on the hill! See! We knew you could do it!

 

[adds21]

Gear inches are a way of referring to gears that harks back to those big wheels. I can't remember now if it translates as the circ or the diameter of the that wheel, but a 60" gear is the equivalent of a 60" (circumference or diameter, whichever it is) wheel.

Oh, that's worth knowing! Thanks.

And for NewbieToCycling, it really does get eaiser, and then you get quicker. I used to hate hills (all up hill on my way home from work), but I really enjoy them now. I even go the hilly way home these days.

The good news is that you're getting a better workout by having your little one on the bike as well, and as he/she gets bigger, you'll get fitter. One day you'll go up the hill on your own, and will feel like you're coasting up it!

 

[Arch]

Oh, that's worth knowing! Thanks.

Cheers! Considering I can't remember a fairly basic part of the information....


It's diameter - I thought it must be, because 60" would be a 5' high wheel, which is about right.

Lots more technical info on gears, and other things on the late Sheldon Brown's website.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_g.html#gearinch

Including something for Newbie maybe?

http://sheldonbrown.com/carrababy.html

(posted on April 1st....)

 

[g00se]

This calculation for gear-inches and inclines... How does the formula vary for different inclines?

 

[ColinJ]

This calculation for gear-inches and inclines... How does the formula vary for different inclines?

Since you will be riding really slowly up a steep hill, nearly all of your energy is being used to hump the weight of you and your bike up the hill and very little on overcoming wind resistance.

It is therefore pretty much true to say that if you ride up twice the gradient it will be twice as hard and you would probably like to have half the gear-inches to turn. In my case, that isn't possible because I'd already be in my bottom gear on 10%.

The alternative is to drop your cadence (pedal revs/min) by 50% which is what I have to do.

On my mountain bike, I'd have no trouble with a 20% climb but on that bike I have a lowest gear of about 19"!

For a 5% gradient, you'd be going faster so wind resistance would start to become significant. In theory you'd double the gear inches, but knock a bit off for the wind reisistance. It's obvious, is that, otherwise you'd be needing an infinitely big gear on the flat!

Actually, jimbo's calculation is all very well but it makes implied assumptions about your fitness and preferred cadence, and also whether there is a wind.

I like to ride at 90-100 rpm so that implies a particular gear ratio for a particular speed. I might normally ride at (say) 18 mph on a flat road but if there was a vicious headwind I might only manage 9 mph and would therefore use half the gear inches to allow me to use my preferred cadence.

I might normally ride up a 5% slope at (say) 10 mph and would choose a gear ratio for that speed, but if I had a 25 mph tailwind blowing me up the hill (they do exist, but are incredibly rare!) I'd use a much higher gear and ride faster.

 

[Banjo]

Ok - just back! I can NOT believe this, I made it three quarters of the way up the hill!! (until someone in a car started going very slowly behind me, probably cos i was wobbling like a drunk) and I felt guilty so I got off and let her pass, and then pushed it up to the flat bit. I did it mostly by setting myself little targets instead of looking a long way ahead.... amazing how quickly this makes it pass! I can't believe it, compared to yesterday's effort!

Arch, I love York.... just the right balance between village and town. Though I quite like the idea of thighs of steel this country living's gonna give me.

Is great getting all this encouragement aand tips :-) though not sure what you guys mean when you are referring to gear inches etc....?

Very sad that you were only the second cyclist of the day, Snorri it's such an exhilarating way of getting around. I always feel refreshed and happy when I arrive at my destination, whereas walking leaves me kind of tired, and cars/buses don't do much for my energy levels. am loving it!!! apart from faffing around with locks, carrier bags, helmets and harnesses but i'll get used to it..

Nice one. I think if you keep it up within a couple of months you will get up there in style.

My commute to work is mostly down hill about 3 miles so coming home when I first started a year ago left me soaked in sweat and unable to speak. Now I get home quicker and enjoy the ride home. Dont do too much just litttle and often then suddenly your fitness will creep up on you.

 

[jimboalee]

Since you will be riding really slowly up a steep hill, nearly all of your energy is being used to hump the weight of you and your bike up the hill and very little on overcoming wind resistance.

It is therefore pretty much true to say that if you ride up twice the gradient it will be twice as hard and you would probably like to have half the gear-inches to turn. In my case, that isn't possible because I'd already be in my bottom gear on 10%.

The alternative is to drop your cadence (pedal revs/min) by 50% which is what I have to do.

On my mountain bike, I'd have no trouble with a 20% climb but on that bike I have a lowest gear of about 19"!

For a 5% gradient, you'd be going faster so wind resistance would start to become significant. In theory you'd double the gear inches, but knock a bit off for the wind reisistance. It's obvious, is that, otherwise you'd be needing an infinitely big gear on the flat!

Actually, jimbo's calculation is all very well but it makes implied assumptions about your fitness and preferred cadence, and also whether there is a wind.

I like to ride at 90-100 rpm so that implies a particular gear ratio for a particular speed. I might normally ride at (say) 18 mph on a flat road but if there was a vicious headwind I might only manage 9 mph and would therefore use half the gear inches to allow me to use my preferred cadence.

I might normally ride up a 5% slope at (say) 10 mph and would choose a gear ratio for that speed, but if I had a 25 mph tailwind blowing me up the hill (they do exist, but are incredibly rare!) I'd use a much higher gear and ride faster.

We bashed this one out over a year ago.

Every part of your body, EXCEPT THE FAT, is contributing toward motive power. Legs, arms, torso and your head are animate in the process of cycling. The fat on your body is inanimate and does not contribute to producing power for forward motion.

The bike and ALL it's luggage, including a small boy in this example, is inanimate weight. Some argue that the weight of the pedals attached to one's shoes are 'dead', ie part of the human being before the first ball bearing race interface with the bike.

The calc is quick and simple.

There are assumptions. One is that the rider is moderately fit. If the rider is not moderately fit, climbing a 10% hill in the gear prescribed by this calc is a target worth aiming for.

Variations in gradient are accommodated by two methods. 1/ Pedal harder, or 2/ reduce the gear length by 3" for every 2% increase in gradient.

There comes a point in riding a bike up a hill when it would be faster to get off and push. This is about 17" gear length. On this gear, a comfortable 50 rpm cadence is 2.5mph. A rider who can sustain 300 Watts for a duration of 30 minutes might get up a 25% hill.

300 Watts is also 6 mph up a 10% which is done at 50 rpm on a 42" gear on a 24 lb bike.

Set this as a target ( if it is not yet achievable ) and work toward becoming what was known as a "half decent cyclist" by my LBS owner.

Part of my gym bike regime is to adjust the resistance to 300 W and ride the thing for 20 minutes, standing up most of the time at 50 rpm. There are not many 10% hills on my radar that are 3 miles long, so I don't work it for the whole half hour….
It is a strength training thing, which, after all, is what gets a cyclist up a hill.

If, for example, you have a bike like my Dawes Giro 500 with a lowest of 32", to 'spin' at 90 rpm equates to 8.5 mph. Try this up a 10% and you'll need to find 425 Watts. For 20 minutes?? That's a joke. If I could do that, I'd be riding professionally.