uphill advice.

[Brandi]

Ok I do this one route that takes onto some pretty big hills. I just got a cyclocomputer too. I am amazed how slow I go when I get to the top. 4 tp 5 mph. AHHHHH! Is that really slow? How can I improve on that? My normal speed at flat ground is around 15-18 mph.

[SadieKate]

Depends on the hill. Keep riding it and you'll get faster.

[Brandi]

Depends on the hill. Keep riding it and you'll get faster.
The sad part is I have been doing this hill for two years now. Is it possible I am at my max?

[Grog]

I have a few looooong climbs around here and I frequently go down at 10 km/h (6 mph?). Especially on the steeper parts.

If you're not used to climbs take it easy and for the moment focus on form (continue to spin on lower gears as much as you take, don't spend too much energy swaying your body or grimacing... etc.). Just be happy to get to the top! :D

[Brandi]

or bunching up your shoulders? I tend to do that a lot and have to always remind myself to relax.

[mtbdarby]

Brandi,
I had that same problem and worked on spinning over the winter. Now when I get to a hill I break it down:

Get into a good spin and high speed before I hit the hill.

Down shift BEFORE it gets too hard to pedal because that's where I loose all my speed and momentum.

I find the right gear to spin easy and I concentrate on form: back flat, spin smooth, etc. I may start humming to myself, pick a spot to concentrate on several feet ahead of me and enjoy the ride. If I look at the top of the hill I tend to mash and it's mentally tougher for me. The hills I did yesterday I used to ride around 6 mph and now I'm between 8-10, so yes, practise does help.

Of course, I'm a newbie at this as well, but I've found this to work for me. And before I hit the hill, I'm already chanting to myself "I LOVE hills, hills ROCK, I OWN this hill" and I'm to the top before I know it.

Just have fun with it!

[Brandi]

hmmmm chanting?
That could work. I am always hoping a really rockin song will come on my mp3 player before I hit the hill. I am on a country road ,not much traffic.

[Grog]

Now that I think about it... smiling also helps. It gives you energy.

[mimitabby]

Ok I do this one route that takes onto some pretty big hills. I just got a cyclocomputer too. I am amazed how slow I go when I get to the top. 4 tp 5 mph. AHHHHH! Is that really slow? How can I improve on that? My normal speed at flat ground is around 15-18 mph.

i am pokey on hills too.
If you have toeclips or frogs, you can PULL as well as push with your legs.
You will be surprised at the boost that gives you. so try focussing on pulling up rather than pushing down on a few pedal strokes..

m

ps it also helps develop a lovely muscle on the front of your shin.

[GLC1968]

Down shift BEFORE it gets too hard to pedal because that's where I loose all my speed and momentum.

I find the right gear to spin easy and I concentrate on form: back flat, spin smooth, etc. I may start humming to myself, pick a spot to concentrate on several feet ahead of me and enjoy the ride.

Just have fun with it!


I totally agree! In fact, the little song from Finding Nemo about 'Just keep swimming' often morphs itself into 'just keep peddling' and runs through my head on tough hills! :D

[Nokomis]

I totally agree! In fact, the little song from Finding Nemo about 'Just keep swimming' often morphs itself into 'just keep peddling' and runs through my head on tough hills! :D

Ha! I can't tell you how many times last year I had "just keep spinning" bounce thru my head :D

[Brandi]

I totally agree! In fact, the little song from Finding Nemo about 'Just keep swimming' often morphs itself into 'just keep peddling' and runs through my head on tough hills! :D
that is cute!

[RoadRaven]

The key to climbing a hill is getting into a rhythm that suits you and shugging on up - its too easy to blow your heart rate by pushing yourself "just a little bit more" and when you get to the top your legs are tired and sore and don't really want to work anymore.

There are two key ways to get quicker going uphill... Sadie has already mentioned one... keep doing the hill and you'll get better at hills.

What I do is try and do "hill repetitions" every week - though it is a bit harder for me at this time of the year as the middle of winter approaches. Choose a medium hill that slows you down but nevertheless is a hill that rises at a steady rate. (The ones I use are about 1km long)
Ride to the top of it in the biggest gear you can get on top of - stay seated.
Repeat.
Try for 3-4 repetitions, work your way up to 7-8. When you can do 7-8, find a hill thats a bit steeper.

As you ride up remember that it is about steady riding and building your anaerobic fitness... stay seated and be consistent in your pace - settle into that rhythm.



The other sure-fire way to get faster on a hill is to drop weight. Every kilogram (2 pounds) of weight you drop off you or your bike will make you 3 seconds faster per kilometre on a 4-6% gradient hill.

Now 3 seconds may not seem much, but in terms of a race... or in terms of saving your legs... every 3 seconds is significant.


It sounds like this is a training ride for you, Brandi, but if you commute and carry loads of stuff on a steel bike, then your hill-climbing speed will always be hampered... however, the upside of that is that when you climb the same hill without the books/clothes/whatever you carry.... and even on a lighter bike, you will veritably zoom up.

[kelownagirl]

Thanks for the training tips RR. I am really working harder at doing hills. I used to despise them and now I only dislike them. ;) I have a 1 km hill close to home that I am working on. Now that I've been up it a few times, I have markers where I try to maintain a certain speed (till I reach a certain house etc). I laugh at staying in your biggest gear etc because right now, I pretty well have to start in 3rd to last gear, and can only maintain about 15kmh for the first third, then drop down a gear and ride at about 10-12 kmh for a little bit, then down to easiest gear and slug up the last section at around 6-7 kmh. Did you know it's actually possible to ride that slow? That final section is the steepest part and I *almost* can't make it without my heart rate going over 175 and coming close to an asthma attack but I somehow managed to hang in. Anyway, I have begun to notice a difference, even in tiny increments - like adding 1-2 kmh in certain sections, or not going under 8 kmh at the end etc. I guess that's the best thing about hill repeats, actually seeing your progress. I have so far to go though...

There is a hill that dh and his brother climb every morning when we camp at the end of July. It's 9km up and about 5-6% grade I think. Just once I'd like to try it but at this rate, it would probably take me about 2 hours to do it, IF I had the endurance, which I don't. I'm going to keep practicing and who knows, maybe I'll do half of it next summer and try for the whole thing the following year. I've got two months...

[Duck on Wheels]

I laugh at staying in your biggest gear etc because right now, I pretty well have to start in 3rd to last gear, and can only maintain about 15kmh for the first third, then drop down a gear and ride at about 10-12 kmh for a little bit, then down to easiest gear and slug up the last section at around 6-7 kmh. Did you know it's actually possible to ride that slow?

And here I came home practically crowing because I made it up the little hills in west side Madison at the bottom of my middle chain ring doing 6-7 mph. For me that felt FAAAST (for a hill). Last Fall I was down in my next lowest gear and doing maybe 4! :eek:

Oh, what the heck. I know lots of women are faster than I. I can be happy for them and still proud of doing better and better, a little at a time. You go gals! Kill them hills! Make'm lie down flat, then I'll come along and give 'em another rolling over. :D

[RoadRaven]

I laugh at staying in your biggest gear etc because right now, I pretty well have to start in 3rd to last gear, and can only maintain about 15kmh for the first third, then drop down a gear and ride at about 10-12 kmh for a little bit, then down to easiest gear and slug up the last section at around 6-7 kmh. Did you know it's actually possible to ride that slow?


Oh yes, I know it is possible to climb that slow - I have a hill 1km before I get homw which we estimate at being11% gradient at its steepest pinch - I go as slow as 4.8km up there if there is a head wind...

Don't worry about what gear you are in - thats where I do my reps - in the third or fourth lowest gear... the key is that you are in a gear you can just get on top of - it doesn't have to be a big gear...

Have fun... yes, remember... its not a grimace - its a smile!!!

[alpinerabbit]

Did you know it's actually possible to ride that slow? That final section is the steepest part and I *almost* can't make it without my heart rate going over 175 and coming close to an asthma attack but I somehow managed to hang in.

I don't know if what I did is healthy, since I don't do it all the time I don't really care - I rode up a 20% slope.... 5 kph....188 heart rate.
Twice in 3 days - the second time was already better. The first time all I could do was to keep pushing and pulling pedals and try not to fall over....

[arnaew]

There's a hill back of my place called Norton Summit, and it's ridden by every rider in town who can get there. It's a rite of passage for cyclists, and there is even a website where you can post your times. I think the big boys (ie Tour riders) do it in about 12 minutes. I did it for the first time a couple of months ago, and it took me an hour and a half, with an average uphill speed of 6 km. It takes a lot of concentration not to fall over at that speed! I think I stopped for about 10 rests on the way up. The road curves around the hill, and has switchbacks and high cambered turns, so you can't really see ahead for more than 500 metres, but every time you make a turn the road is still climbing:eek:
I've been up seven times now, and last Sunday I did it in 44 minutes with an average speed of 10, and stopped 3 times (they were stoppettes really). Mind you, the firm young things were still whooshing past me and were around the next bend before I realised they were there!
The really good thing is that for every debit there's a credit - coming back down in 7 min with a max speed of 60km :D now there's yin to the yang!

[Geonz]

I can go over a year between serious hills, since I live in the flatlands. I'm strong on slight upgrades - I really do love the long, gradual hills. For genuine HILLS, though, I have to work to keep it at 6 mph... but don't always succeed. It all depends on the hill, though! (And toting The Limo this weekend - I have no idea what speed I was going 'cause the computer wire is broken, but it wasn't fast, and those weren't really steep hills.)
I do focus *hard* on form... using as many different muscles as I can so it's not all stress on the same ones.

[JoyfulGirl]

This is the greatest thread. I have decided I'm going to change my attitude about hills. It's been a lousy attitude these last few weeks with me griping out loud <even when I'm by myself> I hate these $%$@ing hills

I will now embrace the hills.
I love hills.
Hills are my friends.
Hills are fun.
Hills make me stronger.
I love hills.

Well, If I disapear for a few weeks it'll be because my boyfriend's called the men in the white coats to drag me off because I'll have been yodelling out "GOSH GOLLY I LOVE THESE HILLS" one too many times for his comfort.
In seriousness, I really do think changing my attitude is going to change my comfort riding. I'll have to wait til tomorrow to find out. But my bet's on this being more fun when I stop griping endlesslessy. <big surprise.>