So I'm not a climber

[redrhodie]

One of the many things I've learned on my recent group rides. :) I always thought I was pretty good, but now I realize, nope, everyone drops me. The weird thing is, I like climbing.

It's like when you love to sing, and find out you're tone deaf. You can still love to sing, but it's not pretty. I still love to climb. I suspect it's not pretty. :D

I'm a good descender, though.

[maillotpois]

It's like when you love to sing, and find out you're tone deaf. You can still love to sing, but it's not pretty. I still love to climb. I suspect it's not pretty. :D

I'm a good descender, though.

That's a great analogy! I feel like I seek out climbing rides because they challenge me and it's also definitely not my strong point.

You know how they say of racers: so and so is "a natural climber." After one very steep, curvy, awesome descent, I decided I am a "natural descender." :D

[luv2climb]

I feel the same way. I almost always ride solo, but I usually see other cyclists on the roads. The times I've actually passed another rider on a climb are so few and far between that I'm pretty sure I would get my butt kicked up between my shoulderblades on a group ride. :D

[Bike Writer]

Me too. I climb a lot because it's hard, it's a good workout and I want to get better. I don't think I am or ever will be a good climber, I am usually last or near last in a group. Mostly I ride solo though.

[Veronica]

Hung with the fast guys today for 42 minutes at 20+ mph. The road tilted up, just a bit and I was off the back almost immediately. It was a fun ride though and they waited for me. At one point we were doing 29! I was drafting off the tallest guy in the group and had absolutely no wind! :D

I will never be a fast climber, but I've definitely gotten faster on the flats. I remember when the fast group would drop us when were on the tandem. :rolleyes:

Veronica

[smilingcat]

Hung with the fast guys today for 42 minutes at 20+ mph. The road tilted up, just a bit and I was off the back almost immediately. It was a fun ride though and they waited for me. At one point we were doing 29! I was drafting off the tallest guy in the group and had absolutely no wind! :D

I will never be a fast climber, but I've definitely gotten faster on the flats. I remember when the fast group would drop us when were on the tandem. :rolleyes:

Veronica

When I used to ride with the guys, no one wanted to be behind me in a rotation. :D I was too short for them to have any wind break.

On an added note: Not even good climbers like to climb. They all HURT!! they are just mentally too tough to admit that they too are hurting! Wasn't it late Marco Pantini said "I climb fast so I can stop this agony quicker" or something to that effect.

[BC2COCyclist]

Use this as a motivation to become a better/faster climber...?

[bellissima]

I love to climb too. Is that feeling I get after conquering that long scary hill that motivates to keep on climbing more :eek:

[amb]

I'm not a climber either and I don't really like it. I have a double so I often wish for a triple when climbing.

This week my co-worker took me up Lookout Mtn in Golden, CO.....~4.5 miles uphill, 1,500' of gain. I didn't love every moment but it wasn't so bad and you know what....I felt pretty damn good about doing it when I was done! Sure, 3 ppl passed me but who cares?! Maybe I'll have to start climbing more. I guess it doesn't matter if it's "natural", it's whether you get the job done. Slow, ugly, whatever....

:)

[zoom-zoom]

I kind of suck on hills, too. Some shorter, steeper ones are OK...but once my asthmatic lungs figure-out what's going on, the jig's up. I do great on the flats and downhills, though, 'cause I sink like a rock! One reason I really want to drop 20#s is so that hills won't kick my @ss so badly. :o

[Crankin]

I don't climb fast, but I can climb.
Does that make sense? I have climbed some horrendous hills, but sometimes I am going 4 mph. I just won't quit. If someone is faster than me, so what?
Haven't done any group rides this year, but, in the group I rode with, I could climb with the faster guys (relative here; we are all old). I find it harder to maintain a consistent fast speed on flatter rides. Ten miles of 17-20+ mph on easy terrain will do me in, or at least I need to tone it down for awhile. Since almost everywhere I ride is rolling to hilly, there's usually some chance to rest a bit, and there's a lot of changes in speed. And I hate descending. I think I may be the only rider who looks forward to the climbs and dreads the downhills.

[redrhodie]

Use this as a motivation to become a better/faster climber...?

Well, I think I'll do exactly the opposite--just climb slowly and not worry about it, and catch 'em on the downhill (or make them catch me, which I really enjoy). I think you're either a climber, or your not. It's your body's combination of fast twitch/slow twitch muscle fibers that make it so, and that's genetic. I think I could work really, really hard and maybe see a tiny improvement, but I'll never be flying uphill like a natural climber.

Remember those President's Physical Fitness Tests we had to take in elementary school? I actually practiced long jump every night at home, and still had one of the shortest jumps in my class. Not a lot of fast twitch fibers...but I won the calligraphy contest in art class, though. :) We all have our strengths, but it's our weaknesses that build character. :rolleyes: :p

I love that so many of you who have responded to this thread are people who I always think of as climbers (MP, Veronica, Crankin, luv). Crankin, I'm pretty sure you're a natural climber from your reports of spinning and passing people, and your body type.

[marni]

no matter how fast or how slow you go
the top of the hill will still be there when you get there.

marni

[malkin]

It took me more than a half century to realize that I could enjoy something without being good at it!

Enjoy those climbs!

[luv2climb]

I have climbed some horrendous hills, but sometimes I am going 4 mph. I just won't quit. If someone is faster than me, so what?
I think I have you beat. I've been as low as 2 mph on the steepest climbs. Check out some of my past threads with ride videos of tough climbs with GPS data overlay for proof. :D But, like you, I refuse to quit. I won't stop in the middle of a climb unless I absolutely have to or there's a photo opportunity that may not be there on the descent.

I really don't care if people are faster than me either. There's always someone faster than you no matter how hard you train.

[bluebug32]

I love to climb too, but I usually get shot off the back. The worst is when I'm off the back and panting and huffing and puffing, trying to keep my Gu down, and no one else is even breathing hard!

I just started using Strava and that's humbling too, as it compares your hill climbing times to everyone else's.

[ivorygorgon]

I love this thread!!! It is very encouraging.

I struggle with climbs, and we climb a lot. I ride with a group and I am almost always the last in the group. Sometimes there are some 70 year olds who are slower.

Sometimes climbing makes me want to throw my bike in the ditch! DH and I did a climbing ride this weekend. The first half was 30 miles mostly uphill- about 5500 feet of climbing. Of course the pay off was the way home :)

To top it off DH found out yesterday my rear brake was dragging. Like I needed that little bit of help.

But, like a lot of you have said, I refuse to let the hills beat me. I am getting better. I can hang with the group on flats and some rollers (depending on how fast they are going on the rollers). I have improved a lot. But hills are still a bugger. I don't think I will ever love to climb, and I will certainly never climb like a "natural climber" but I think someday climbing won't make me want to give up biking.

Here is the real key and it is so simple, but so hard. When I compare myself to myself, I am really proud of how far I have come, and much I have improved. When I compare myself to others, I become really unhappy. They key is not to worry about others and concentrate on your own stats and improvements.

[Veronica]

Here is the real key and it is so simple, but so hard. When I compare myself to myself, I am really proud of how far I have come, and much I have improved. When I compare myself to others, I become really unhappy. They key is not to worry about others and concentrate on your own stats and improvements.

You're exactly right! It's more important to be the BEST YOU!

Veronica

[Catrin]

Here is the real key and it is so simple, but so hard. When I compare myself to myself, I am really proud of how far I have come, and much I have improved. When I compare myself to others, I become really unhappy. They key is not to worry about others and concentrate on your own stats and improvements.

Bingo :) I am learning how to do this on the trails, as a new MTBR who has only been riding a bike period for a little over a year, it is a lesson I am taking to heart. When I stop comparing myself to others I have a lot more fun than when I start doing that...

[Geonz]

I love all of you :-) I'm not so fast on the flats but I realized on the TOMRV ride's significant hills that I'd pass people on the up and they'd go by me on the down...
I did get a whole lot better at climbing when I focused on making sure I was getting as much of the full circle going "round and round, not up and down" on the pedals.

[bellissima]

I just started using Strava and that's humbling too, as it compares your hill climbing times to everyone else's.

I like Strava, is fun and motivational :)

Climbing is all about Weight to Power ratio, in others words the lighter and more power you have the better of a climber you are. But just being light and strong does not mean you’ll be a great climber unless you work at it. Climbing is an acquired skill; there is definitely some technique involved. In order to climb better and faster you must climb often, at a slow or moderate pace but you must also push your self on those hills in order to really improve your climbing skills. Gearing is also important, finding the best gear for the grade or the climb is key, as having the best cadence is very important in order to climbing better and efficiently. It takes time and a lot of climbing to figure out what gears to use. Keep on climbing :)

[Owlie]

I suck at hills--I'm okay on relatively steep climbs, but the long shallow ones suck it out of me. I know I need practice, as I spend most of my riding time on flat trails, but I'm pretty sure I'd need to lose about 20 pounds to be "effective" and there's no way that's happening!

[redrhodie]

I did my hilly ride today alone, and once again, it appears I'm an awesome climber. My brake must rub on the group rides. :)

I sound great in the shower, too.

[nscrbug]

I suck at hills--I'm okay on relatively steep climbs, but the long shallow ones suck it out of me. I know I need practice, as I spend most of my riding time on flat trails, but I'm pretty sure I'd need to lose about 20 pounds to be "effective" and there's no way that's happening!

X2!!! Except that I'm not even "relatively okay" on steep climbs either...ANY and EVERY climb sucks it out of me...which sometimes depresses me...especially when I see others doing the same climbs with ease. And even more so, when I see fairly unfit riders that are way heavier than me, climbing hills better and faster than I can. I too, know that I could stand to drop about 15 or 20 lbs, and that would help greatly with my climbing...but if these other heavier riders are climbing pretty decently at the weight they are at now, I have to wonder why can't I?

[Veronica]

I think there's a little more to it than just power to weight. MP totally rocks on the climbs no matter what she says. She outweighs me by 15 pounds or so and kicks my a$$ every time I ride with her. I know I have a bucket load of power, but I can't seem to use it when I climb.

Veronica

[bellissima]

Veronica, You are correct is not all about weight to power ratio, but it really makes a difference. Some of us can put a really large amount of watts in shorter efforts (Sprinters) and some can sustain high wattage for long periods with a very good power to weight ratio (climbers). It would be interesting to see what’s your friend’s actual W/kg versus yours. :)

[bluebug32]

I'm just glad that I finally learned to love climbing. Who cares where I finish in the pack because I'm one of the only ones who usually crests the top with a smile.

[AppleTree]

I did my hilly ride today alone, and once again, it appears I'm an awesome climber. My brake must rub on the group rides. :)

I sound great in the shower, too.



This is great redrhodie! When I'm alone, I too am a combination of Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck and George Hincapie, dancing away on the pedals... I am always shocked :rolleyes: when I am in a group ride and find out, alas, I am just a chubby little ol' granny who still loves to ride in spite of it. :p

[maillotpois]

I think there's a little more to it than just power to weight. MP totally rocks on the climbs no matter what she says. She outweighs me by 15 pounds or so and kicks my a$$ every time I ride with her. I know I have a bucket load of power, but I can't seem to use it when I climb.

Veronica

Haha - 15 lbs...l. You are way too kind. :p. :). Maybe 30?

I just have a lot of power AND a lot of weight. :D. But I am still insecure and slower than I want to be on climbs

[Owlie]

I'm pretty sure I'm more a sprinter than a climber. My type IIa muscle fibers are perpetually out to lunch. ;)

[Grits]

I think you're either a climber, or your not. It's your body's combination of fast twitch/slow twitch muscle fibers that make it so, and that's genetic. I think I could work really, really hard and maybe see a tiny improvement, but I'll never be flying uphill like a natural climber.

Remember those President's Physical Fitness Tests we had to take in elementary school? I actually practiced long jump every night at home, and still had one of the shortest jumps in my class. Not a lot of fast twitch fibers...but I won the calligraphy contest in art class, though. :) We all have our strengths, but it's our weaknesses that build character. :rolleyes: :p
.

That is exactly the conclusion a riding buddy and I came up with not long ago. In fact, we said we should get a jersey made that said "climbers are born, not made."

[maillotpois]

It would be interesting to see what’s your friend’s actual W/kg versus yours. :)

3.0/250 watts at threshold. But those are just numbers. :) I was never good at math.

[maillotpois]

[QUOTE=redrhodie;601347
I sound great in the shower, too.[/QUOTE]

I bet you do!!! :D

[Zippinalong]

I hate hills with a passion. I just don't have the leg strength to get up those things. This off season I want to work really hard at building up my leg strength. But then my partner I swear was born for riding. She has fantastic strength in her legs and can go up the hardest hills without stopping. She even bests some of the more seasoned riders up hills and riding in general. She doesn't even do a lot of training which is annoying as hell. :)

But I think the other thing too is the mental aspect of it. Like any sport those who have a very strong drive will tend to do better. My partners mental will is amazing. She showed me a hill she went up one time and I just started at awe at the hill and the fact she made it up there. It was seriously a monster hill. Steep and long. I could see people with bikes walking up the hill. I said there's no way I would have gone up that hill. So I turned and asked her why she went up it. She looked at me and without skipping a beat said because it was there. To her everything is a challenge, meant to be conquered.

But as some of you have said, some have the natural ability and some like me don't and have to train all the time to get better.

[grey]

My riding partner and I have been training really hard for an upcoming Century, and there is a lot of climbing on the route, so that is what we have been working on: our hill legs.

After Wednesday's training ride, he decided he couldn't do it, and that he wouldn't ride with me after all. I was surprised, he had a bad day out there but all along he and I have had nearly matched paces and skill. Turned out, Tuesday night he had eaten Mexican, at a less than faboo place in town.

I guilt tripped him a little, but I wasn't going to push. He came out for yesterday's training ride after all, same horrible route, hotter day, saying if he couldn't keep up he'd head back to the start point at a convenient spot around mile 60.

During the ride, he said maybe his issue was mental. We have a fellow rider who has not been training much this year, but he is hard to ride with because he moans and groans like he is in horrible pain. At first it is funny, but then you notice your own aches and pains and eventually even small hills are friggin mountains! So at every hill, I said 'I LOVE hills! Hills are friends! Going down will be so much FUN!

He did the whole 87 with us. Even passed me on Hell Hill. Last week he had needed to stop partway up.
My point is, sometimes when we have a bad hill day, we ate the wrong thing or not enough of the right thing.
And a lot of the trouble with hills is mental.

[Sky King]

what a great thread :)

[Veronica]

I haven't had my power tested since 2003. Let's see, I'm ten pounds lighter and have 5 percent less body fat.

My power at VO2 max then was 200 watts. That puts my watts per kg now at 3.08. Of course that assumes I can still put out 200 watts!

Anybody know if that's good or bad? :p

I should probably go get tested again.


Veronica

[zoom-zoom]

I've never had my power or VO2 max tested...part of me thinks it would be cool to know these #s, but part of me wonders if they would have a negative effect. If the #s are good would I feel like a loser for being so average-to-mediocre when I have the potential to be better? Or if the #s are not good would I use it as an excuse to not push myself to improve with what I have to work with?

Pretty sure my VO2 max is not great, though. I'm asthmatic and have always been a slow runner at aerobic pursuits, regardless of training (I was still slow that year I put in >1800 miles on-foot). I'm relatively stronger as a cyclist and was a relatively decent sprinter in HS (anaerobic), which makes me think that my inborn leg power is pretty decent (these big quads have got to be good for something!).

I married a guy with HUGE and strong lungs (his VO2 max # when he was tested in HS were pretty amazing) and massive quads. He's a monster on a bike. I hope our kid inherits his dad's lungs, rather than the crap lungs that my side of the family seems to yield (it helps little that my folks were smokers when we were kids). :p

[bellissima]

Veronica, that is a good number. according to Coggan's power chart (see bellow) Your W/kg puts you on as Women Cat 3 racer! :)

ZOOM-ZOOM, FTP testing is mainly done to create your power zones and monitor your progress. I get tested 3 or more times a year by my coach. The first is at the end of the year to get my power training zones and a sample of my watts prior the base face of my training, the second is close to the start of the racing season when my fitness should be higher, that way my zones can adjusted accordingly and also we can see if the training is working as it should. The other tests are done when we need to check my fitness again.

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n551/ciclistabella76/power_profile.jpg

[Veronica]

Man, that sucks, now I have to work harder on the climbs. My husband accuses me of moseying too much. :D


Seriously, that's kind of encouraging.

Veronica

[Owlie]

I've never had it done, and while it would be interesting to see from an academic perspective ('cause I'm a nerd), I think I'm with zoom-zoom when it comes to what to do with that information.

[smilingcat]

Good climbers have not just the right body build, right muscle composition, light body frame with massive legs and juge lung capacity AND they have the mental toughness that would make a mortal cry! Maybe a short circuit in their brain. They can't hear " STOP!! I'm hurting!!"

[gnat23]

My VO2 max is seriously high. Like on the little chart they gave me, it was in the OLYMPIC category.

And let me be the first to tell you that it don't mean nothing without an accompanying high lactate threshhold and some mental grit. :P

-- gnat!

[ivorygorgon]

Gnat: didn't you do the Death Ride and smile while doing it? :)

[jelee1311]

I hate to pee in anyones cornflakes but my husband is a state champ climber and he wasn't born that way. He does have amazing VO2max but not body type and struggles to be light enough. He is the toughest guy I know and for him its how he can overcome pain.Of course riding 100,000 feet of elevation in one month on 1,000 foot hills probably helped. He just tells me to relax and just keep climbing and then climb some more maybe some day when I grow up ill learn how to climb with style and grace but for now ill just keep slugging it up those hills

[bellissima]

I agree you really have to work at being a good climber ;)