first hill ride

welp.

my FIRST ride was 20 miles of a few hills...

my SECOND ride was only 12 miles of gigantic mountains.

well at least i now have a goal. i want to get to 20 miles of gigantic mountains!

any advice on those stubborn hills?

things i learned:
down shift right before the climb
stand up to gain speed right before
push left lever for huge difference in gears
push right button for little tweeks in gears
WIND + HILLS= death...(just kidding) lol
...runners wearing IPODS can never hear you say ON THE LEFT!!! ;)

actually, i've noticed that Wind+Flats=death, wind+hills=annoying because hills are seldom straight and you get a lot of reprieve from the wind.

standing is helpful on hills, but some people never stand. I do it for relief, and I like to do it on the very toughest portion of the hill.
You should have your gears set differently for sitting and standing. When you stand, make the gears TOUGHER, maybe 2 or 3 clicks.
where do you live that you have gigantic mountains?

you're doing REALLY well!

hahah where do i live to have such ginormous mountains?

....oklahoma...sad i know

we are pretty dog-on flat here, but the hills that we do have seem like mountains to me. they really are pretty huge so please dont think i'm a wimp! :)

thats really good advice on the gears...why dont ppl stand?
do you stand before the hill?

Standing tires you out quicker. So, here in Tennessee, where we have nothing but hills, you learn to marshall your assets and conserve your energy.

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any advice on those stubborn hills?

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Don't look up. Never. Only see the 2-3 meters of road in front of your wheel. It's less intimidating and suddenly you see the end coming.
This is the only quote from Lance I care for.

You don't stand on a sustained climb because it wears you out too quickly, as you'll tend to be 1-2 gears higher up and your HR goes up thru the roof.
But you can power up a little roller without losing momentum. Or power up over the crown of a hill if you know you'll get some rest right after.
But it helps now and then to give your back, and your leg muscles some relief (different usage) on a sustained climb.

You'll do 20 miles of gigantic mtns soon. then 40 - 60 - no one's gonna stop you :D

another lesson: don't cross-chain. i.e. don't use your leftmost ring in front with your rightmost sprocket in back. Pretty easy once you learn to look down. Reason: it's easier on the equipment. (On a double crankset I don't *really* care)

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Originally Posted by alpinerabbit

Don't look up. Never. Only see the 2-3 meters of road in front of your wheel. It's less intimidating and suddenly you see the end coming.
This is the only quote from Lance I care for.

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I pick some spot just a way ahead, fence, mailbox, greasy spot... and ride for that. Then I pick another. Finally, I'm close enough that I can pick the top of the hill.

I'm a big, chunky gal and I love to ride hills (up at least, the downs are a bit scarey). I'm in the Upstate of SC, so we're pretty doggone hilly but not mountainous.

It's my 4th year cycling, and I'm just now learning how to stand up while pedaling!! (I'm so uncoordinated I can FALL off a bike trainer in my living room).

I like it, but I also like grinding away slowly while seated.

When a hill nearly kicks my butt, I concentrate on pulling up with my pedal more than pushing down. It's also good not to look and see how far it is to the top, as has been suggested.

And it's a psych thing, but I imagine that I'm pedaling downhill. There are angles in space from which--if you could observe yourself--you'd be going downhill.

When I ride at the beach, which is very flat, I always remind myself how lucky I am to live in a hilly area because at home I can coast nearly 50% of the time. When I'm at the beach, it's pedaling almost constantly--no rest & windy.

Enjoy yourself--learn to embrace hills

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Originally Posted by SlowButSteady

I always remind myself how lucky I am to live in a hilly area because at home I can coast nearly 50% of the time. When I'm at the beach, it's pedaling almost constantly--no rest & windy.

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Huh.
I never thought of it that way.
This should be in some cycling bible somewhere.
:)

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

I pick some spot just a way ahead, fence, mailbox, greasy spot... and ride for that. Then I pick another. Finally, I'm close enough that I can pick the top of the hill.

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That's exactly what I do, too.
greasy spot:p
road kill? :eek:

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Originally Posted by zencentury

That's exactly what I do, too.
greasy spot:p
road kill? :eek:

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Ah yes, the always inspiring "if I can just make it to that next bloated racoon" mantra! :rolleyes:

The more hills you do, the smaller they get.
(Had to chuckle at the Oklahoma part though.) ;)

Tip- If you're a beginner, you might not want to be changing big gears (left hand shifter) right in the middle of your hardest climb. Get into your chosen big ring at the bottom, and then play with your rear gears during the climb. :)

Another thing I wanted to throw in as a relatively new "hill climber" myself, well, more accurately a newbie to the "wonderful" world of hill repeats, hills became easier for me when both my mental approach began to change and become more positive, and more importantly when I started to learn technically how to climb.

I began to understand what an appropriate pace was for myself and also learned how focusing on a solid pedal stroke all the way around really made things easier. I haven't quite learned to love hills yet, but I don't dread them like I used to! I have always loved to stand on the pedals but I am enjoying learning how to sit back, find a good cadence, and keep chugging even when the quads are screaming!

wow! thanks for all the input! now i can't wait to get back to those umm...oklahoma mountains...lol

ill keep you all updated on how i do next time ok? you girls are great! i'm going to take all your advice to the road!

too bad oklahoma weather STINKS RIGHT NOW!

its not a good idea to ride when the road is wet, right?

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Originally Posted by letsride89

its not a good idea to ride when the road is wet, right?

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Oh, you're going to get all kinds of replies to that one! Some of us do, and some (like me) are made of sugar and will melt ;).

hahah red, thts funny!

what about my bike though. its my baby. is the rain bad for it?

Have to admit, probably not the best thing for the components. But if you wipe it down, and relube maybe, when you get home, all should be well.

I actually like to ride through the occasional puddle. :p

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Originally Posted by letsride89

hahah red, thts funny!

what about my bike though. its my baby. is the rain bad for it?

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A little rain won't hurt your bike - but you do need to dry it well when you get home and relube the chain, otherwise any remaining water will make it rust.

The grit that is on the roads mixed with water can make a kind of nasty slurry that wears some components and your rims faster than if you always ride when its dry, but your likely to only notice that if you ride in the rain a lot. Out here in the rainly PNW those of us who ride through the winter often have a "rain bike" with cheaper, sturdier components on it just because of this. You can cut down on the wear and tear by being sure to rinse your bike (gentle running water - no power washing! you'll just drive water and grit into areas that it shouldn't go) and dry it thoroughly each time you ride in the rain. Check (and likely change) your brake pads often if you have been riding a lot in the rain too. Make sure there isn't any embedded grit in there to hurt your rims.

this is a great thread! I suggest you TRY riding in the rain, not a big ride just a little one. I bet you don't melt.

Even here in the wet pacific northwest, we tend to not want to ride when it rains, but we often do anyway and no one gets hurt. Many of us ride steel bikes and they have not rusted away yet!

All of the above, plus:

-Counting revolutions. (So you can then say, "WOW, that was a 100 rounder!")

-Reciting the ABCs as you go up.

-Singing that song, "You spin me right round baby right round..." by Dead or Alive until you get to the top. Problem with that song is, like "Who can it be now" by Men at Work, it gets stuck in your head for the rest of the ride.

HAHAHAHA
i'm sorry but that was great!

..i'm sittin in my college class and i read your post "you spin me right around baby right around.."

..and i actually laughed out loud and got weird looks.

thanks for that.

:)

Now tell me...

is it stuck in your head?