Hills -- is it true?

[Kano]

Eden -- your third point, stick to your own pace, that's easy: there's just no way to keep up with anyone. I'm doing well to keep up with myself!

No standing on hoods or in drops -- only got "flat" bars, since this is one of those hybrid-y comfort beast bikes. I will play more with standing now and then, which I haven't done much yet. Of course, there's a reason for not standing on this bike: my bike has a suspension fork, and when I do stand, even if I don't think I'm leaning too hard on the bars and trying to keep myself mostly on my pedals, that fork is squishing and flexing, or whatever it is that it's designed to do. It feels like I'm smooshing the front wheel into the ground -- almost like I'm losing forward momentum? Does this description make sense? It's definitely an icky, spongy sensation. Is this another good reason to need that road bike with a "normal" fork that I've been wanting?

If I really want to get good at hill climbing, rather than just barely surviving, gasping my way up the hill, is this bike the wrong tool? I'm about ready to get out the old bike (an old Trek 720), lube up the chain, air up the tires, dust off the cobwebs, and see what happens. It's got a "rigid" frame and I can't help but think it would be a good experiment!

The article -- relaxed hands -- I work hard at that, I think I'm getting pretty good at that part. Open chest -- I wonder -- I can hardly wait to focus on that and make sure I'm doing it! Cadence, I don't know about keeping that high -- what a struggle! Or, maybe I'm doing it just fine, and don't realize it? Butt back -- I've noticed the power that gives me on the flats, I'll have to work on using it on hills too!

Lots of great information -- now I wish I could get out on the road again before Sunday! (meanwhile, I'll eagerly read any other ideas people have to offer!!!!!)

Karen in Boise

[RoadRaven]

Well I have nothing more to add to this thread... so what better reason to say something anyway??


Just endorsing the take it steady, get in a rythym and work your way up... don't get phased by others, don't get phased by your own thoughts.

Know that the hill will end.

To get stronger on hills, it is suggested you stay seated in a gear you can just get on top of.

It toook me a looooooong time to be able to stand for longer than a few seconds... my HR would rocket.

However, as I have got fitter, I can maintain standing for 300-400 metres at times (depending on the grade of course...)

I use standing when I get to the top of the climb so I don't have to drop into a lower gear... a useful strategy when racing, or trying to keep from getting dropped as the rest of the bunch crests a hill and you have dropped off the tail a tad...

keep doing hills - you'll get there

[HipGnosis6]

It's hilly here.... and I often need to distract myself from the rest of the hill. I'll pick a visual target a little ways up hill and tell myself "if I can make it past that telephone pole/intersection/fire plug/art car, I can be proud even if I have to walk the rest of the way up!" and then the very instant I pass it, I pick a new target.

I also like to sing or loudly recite poetry as I climb. Short and repetitive pieces work best for me, so please if you ever ride with me and catch me shouting "C is for cookie, that's good enough for me!" as I straggle up a hill - that's normal, I haven't slipped a cog. Or well.... any more cogs.

My bike doesn't have them, but I hear bar ends are great for climbing for us with the flat bar bikes.

[Grog]

Something I underestimated is shifting skills and momentum. This works for rollers, mostly. I spent a month on Vancouver Island this summer and it was ALL rolling hills, everywhere, and pretty serious hills in many cases. I have improved my shifting a lot, to a point where I can now sometimes pass my Dear Partner - a MUCH stronger cyclist than me, especially on hills - on an uphill with no hopes for him to catch up. I'm pretty sure that fitness is not the factor here, but strategy.

I thought he was just being nice in letting me pass him and not re-passing me immediately! But when he told me he actually couldn't catch up I started observing what I was doing on those specific occasions. I realized that, on the end of a given downhill, I'd shift up (or increase cadence if no bigger gears were available) and take all the speed I could find. Then I would start the climb and as soon as I started feeling resistance I'd shift down pretty quickly, maintaining a very high cadence.

In other words, it means no real resting on the downhill. But a really fun time on the uphill!!!!

In any case, practice is the key. There is no other way to get good on hills. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast, in different gears, trying different tricks, sitting, standing, singing (it helps). Smiling at the hill is also a booster! I think it makes the hill shy away.

[DDH]

Wouldn't it be a perfect world if we could all as beginers have a personal trainer to help us through these difficult things that come up.
I ride a lot of hills, not real steap all the time, but lots of the regardless. I would think that since I have no choice and that is all I have around here, I would get better and that just doesn't seem like the case.
I just keep plugging away though, and hope someday, all of the sudden I will be able to go up a hill at more than 4 mph, and or not have to get off and walk.

[Kano]

I just keep plugging away though, and hope someday, all of the sudden I will be able to go up a hill at more than 4 mph, and or not have to get off and walk.

Donna -- this sounds lots like me!!! Well, I'm too stubborn to get off and walk, though on the big ones I stop and breathe for a while here and there. But I sure do get excited when I can stay at 5mph!

I think plugging away at hills is the key, but I'm very excited to try some of the little things we're reading here!

Last night, I was thinking I could hardly wait to get back out on the bike. This morning, my leg muscles are saying they're very glad I have to work today and watch the grandbabies tomorrow! That hill yesterday must have been a doozy!

Karen in Boise

[li10up]

I realized that, on the end of a given downhill, I'd shift up (or increase cadence if no bigger gears were available) and take all the speed I could find. Then I would start the climb and as soon as I started feeling resistance I'd shift down pretty quickly, maintaining a very high cadence.

This brings up something I've been wondering about. I use the speed from the downhills to help make it up the next rise but then I always get passed by someone about 2/3 of the way to the top. What is the best way to climb...stay in a hard gear as long as possible and then shift or shift sooner? Staying in a hard gear could wear your legs out sooner but down shifting too soon causes you to gain less ground per pedal stroke. So what is the best way?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What is the best way to climb...stay in a hard gear as long as possible and then shift or shift sooner? Staying in a hard gear could wear your legs out sooner but down shifting too soon causes you to gain less ground per pedal stroke. So what is the best way?

I would think it depends a lot on HOW you want to get up that hill. What's the goal for that hill?: Do you want to get up the hill in the least amount of time while pushing your body to the max? Or do you want to get up the hill while conserving your energy so you can better tackle the rest of the ride or the next big hill?

[Grog]

This brings up something I've been wondering about. I use the speed from the downhills to help make it up the next rise but then I always get passed by someone about 2/3 of the way to the top. What is the best way to climb...stay in a hard gear as long as possible and then shift or shift sooner? Staying in a hard gear could wear your legs out sooner but down shifting too soon causes you to gain less ground per pedal stroke. So what is the best way?

DO shift BEFORE it gets difficult.

If you have a moderately recent road bike you have a pretty broad selection of gears just 1-2 teeth from each other. I shift down one or two gears at the time, as soon as there is any resistance. I keep my cadence relatively high through the hill. Of course I still might be passed in the end by strong cyclists, but the idea is not to loose momentum, and to avoid loosing speed quickly (which will definitely happen if you wait until it's hard to shift down).

Good luck!!

[Trekhawk]

DO shift BEFORE it gets difficult.

If you have a moderately recent road bike you have a pretty broad selection of gears just 1-2 teeth from each other. I shift down one or two gears at the time, as soon as there is any resistance. I keep my cadence relatively high through the hill. Of course I still might be passed in the end by strong cyclists, but the idea is not to loose momentum, and to avoid loosing speed quickly (which will definitely happen if you wait until it's hard to shift down).

Good luck!!

I read an article lately that said pretty much what Grog is saying. It said change earlier rather than later and if you still have energy near the top change to a harder gear and power over the crest.
LOL - cant tell you if that works because well hmm.....Im yet to have energy near the top of any big climb.

[kelownagirl]

Oh, that's exactly what I've been doing but you've put it into words for me! And it was working the same way - I have even passed dh a few times when normally I never could. Too bad he usually uses the same strategy... Anyways, I do it well on the rolling hills, but I die on the longer ones whether they are steep or not. Not enough stamina (yet

barb

Something I underestimated is shifting skills and momentum. This works for rollers, mostly. I spent a month on Vancouver Island this summer and it was ALL rolling hills, everywhere, and pretty serious hills in many cases. I have improved my shifting a lot, to a point where I can now sometimes pass my Dear Partner - a MUCH stronger cyclist than me, especially on hills - on an uphill with no hopes for him to catch up. I'm pretty sure that fitness is not the factor here, but strategy.

I thought he was just being nice in letting me pass him and not re-passing me immediately! But when he told me he actually couldn't catch up I started observing what I was doing on those specific occasions. I realized that, on the end of a given downhill, I'd shift up (or increase cadence if no bigger gears were available) and take all the speed I could find. Then I would start the climb and as soon as I started feeling resistance I'd shift down pretty quickly, maintaining a very high cadence.

In other words, it means no real resting on the downhill. But a really fun time on the uphill!!!!

In any case, practice is the key. There is no other way to get good on hills. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast, in different gears, trying different tricks, sitting, standing, singing (it helps). Smiling at the hill is also a booster! I think it makes the hill shy away.

[kelownagirl]

Standing just tires me out so fast, but I like doing it. The main time I really stand is when I take off when the light turns green at an intersection. And that makes me feel like a kid, like someone else already mentioned..

[SouthernBelle]

Standing just tires me out so fast, but I like doing it. The main time I really stand is when I take off when the light turns green at an intersection. And that makes me feel like a kid, like someone else already mentioned..

That's when I can stand!!

[Eden]

No standing on hoods or in drops -- only got "flat" bars, since this is one of those hybrid-y comfort beast bikes.

It can be more difficult to stand and pedal with a comfort style bike. I have a Marin city type bike that I've gotten back out and been using for errand running recently (its the only bike I've got that I can put a rack on and carry things easily). I have noticed that standing to pedal not only delivers less power than doing the same on my road bike, it also feels a lot less stable and I don't even have a suspension fork. I don't think that it will be impossible for you to stand and pedal - but be careful that you don't jerk your handlebars hard.
I'm guessing you bike is pretty heavy too. There is a point at which it becomes ridiculous and people will spend waaay to much money to lose an ounce or too, but when you are riding an upwards of 35 lb bike you certainly will notice the 10 - 15 lb difference that you would get out of using a road bike. You will also notice the difference in the tires - the hybrid's tires are likely much wider than a road bike's.