Yet another gearing question

[Kano]

Barb -- no hints, no tips, cuz I've got NO clue about gears! All I've got for you is a "you're not alone!" and to go with that, an "I'm so glad I'm not alone too!" We were out practicing today -- in this weather! If you have a peek at the attached picture -- sunny, high clouds, 70-some degrees, sounds and looks ideal, doesn't it? Sadly, it LOOKS like plains, but there should be mountains in the background! Tater and I are surrounded by wildfires! the air stinks!

Anyhow, hills were not fun today! We had a good strong head wind today as we headed south and east to the hills (yay! come tired time, we'll have a tail wind! HAH! it shifted! we enjoyed SOME tail winds, but then, by tired time, we had head winds again!) The false flats got me today, and then we got to the real hill. Poor Earl, he offered to go back toward home (I think he was hoping) several times before we tackled the big one, said, it's okay -- those "roadies on their fancy bikes" turned down toward town instead of riding up this one, but I kept telling him that he could go back, but _I_ was going up that hill.

I think I stopped to let my legs and breath catch up to me five times today. DH came back once and asked how I was doing, which was probably a bad idea -- messed with my ego when he came down to ride back up ahead of me a second time, you know? When we got to the top, and my speed started building again, suddenly I was raring to go, and there was DH, "don't you want to stop?" I can't decide if it's in my body or my head that makes hills such a challenge: last weekend, I did far more hill climbing with no stopping and no maddeningly low speeds (which is what I think bugs me MOST about hills!), so I've got no sort of consistency even to whine about!

One of these days, maybe I'll get me one of those road bikes like you have, and start climbing hills like, like, like, maybe six miles per hour! And, one of these days, maybe I'll have lost another 30-50 pounds, and then I'll REALLY go up the hills!

That reminds me, I've got a mighty serious post-ride hungry going on....

Karen in Boise

[SadieKate]

There are a lot of articles on how to decide what cadence you should use for hills. Each person is different. This article was a in recent RoadBikerRider newsletter. Here's the start:

7. Try This on Your Next Ride o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o

Take Testa's Test to find your best climbing style and cadence.

Max Testa, M.D., is a former pro team physician who now directs a sports medicine clinic in Davis, California, owned by Eric Heiden of speedskating and cycling fame.

According to Testa, the key to discovering your most-efficient cadence is to pay attention to what happens when you're about to blow on a climb.

"What fails when you're trying to keep up on a climb?" he asks. "Do you shift to a lower gear and spin fast because if you go to a bigger gear and grind your legs die? In that case, you need strength. But if, when you use a smaller gear and spin, your breathing goes out of control, you need more cardiovascular conditioning."

Try Testa's Test when you're doing hill repeats:

The test is at: http://www.roadbikerider.com/255e.htm

[Kano]

SadieKate -- this intrigues me! I can hardly wait to play with it!

Now to figure out this hill repeats thing. Off I go to the search engines....

Karen in Boise

[kelownagirl]

There are a lot of articles on how to decide what cadence you should use for hills. Each person is different. This article was a in recent RoadBikerRider newsletter. Here's the start:

7. Try This on Your Next Ride o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o o^o

Take Testa's Test to find your best climbing style and cadence.

Max Testa, M.D., is a former pro team physician who now directs a sports medicine clinic in Davis, California, owned by Eric Heiden of speedskating and cycling fame.

According to Testa, the key to discovering your most-efficient cadence is to pay attention to what happens when you're about to blow on a climb.

"What fails when you're trying to keep up on a climb?" he asks. "Do you shift to a lower gear and spin fast because if you go to a bigger gear and grind your legs die? In that case, you need strength. But if, when you use a smaller gear and spin, your breathing goes out of control, you need more cardiovascular conditioning."

Try Testa's Test when you're doing hill repeats:

The test is at: http://www.roadbikerider.com/255e.htm

Interesting, SadieKate, thanks! I think I am a spinner for sure - a spinner with exercise-induced asthma, so I can relate to the out-of-breath thing too. As long as I use my puffer now though, I am much more comfortable spinning than mashing. I know this is definitely true when I'm dong hills on the mountain bike. I can spin without getting too tired, even up steep slimbs. I have only been riding for 5 months so I still have a long way to go as far as leg strength is concerned but already I have noticed a huge difference since the beginning of April. Is riding 100-150 km a week enough or should I be doing strength exercises as well? I usually just do weights for arms, back etc.. Guess doing more hill repeats would be good too eh?


Emily - thanks for the suggestion. I think I will talk to the boys at the LBS. I do think I'd like to be able to spin up a little more - I don't even care what speed I'm doing.


Kano - LOL on your description. I can totally relate - glad to know I'm not alone! I LOVE my road bike but must admit I was disappointed that it didn't actually help me improve on the steep hills. It's much faster on the flats and the gradual climbs, but when I hit the steeper stuff, I am dying. No more spinning up. I must say I do like the fact that MTBiking is much easier now that I've been riding the road bike so much..

[7rider]

Just the phrase "hill repeats" makes me feel queasy!!
Yuck.
But I'm definitely a masher. When I run out of juice on the hills, I click up a gear and stand and slog it out. It's never pretty, and I keep thinking...boy, I hate the StairMaster at the gym....what the heck am I doing????