Hills -- is it true?

[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?

[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

[SadieKate]

The comment was accompanied by a photo of Pantani doing exactly that. But seriously, climbing on the tops is recommended because most people find that it expands their chest a bit and makes it easier to breathe and you need as much oxygen as you can get when you are climbing.

Ah, yes, but notice Pantani's saddle to bar drop compared to Veronica's. The drops on her bars are about where the tops of his are.

[Veronica]

I just feel like I get more power from standing in the drops and better control.

Off to work. Don't talk about me while I'm gone.

V.

[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!!

[SouthernBelle]

Veronica,

Is that a mudflap right behind your front wheel?

[SadieKate]

Since she's off to school and she didn't say we couldn't talk about her bike, I'll answer. Yes, it is. Made from half a water bottle.

[SouthernBelle]

How nifty! It took me a sec to figure out her 'dangly bits' My little brain is working now and I know exactly how I would build one. Trouble is I don't have a bottle to sacrifice!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ah, yes, but notice Pantani's saddle to bar drop compared to Veronica's. The drops on her bars are about where the tops of his are.

True, and also he's in a race where every millisecond counts, so switching hands back and forth too many times may lose precious time.
Veronica is on her lovely Rivendell Rambouillet if I'm not mistaken- a bike geometry/philosophy that is known for building the bars at about the same level as the seat. (just like MY blue sister-bike!)

I have a sentimental fondness for standing up for hills when I can- it takes me right back to my chilhood biking days.

[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.

[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.

[Cassandra_Cain]

Karen....

There are a number of factors contributing to positive hill climbing.

Like a number of folks have already said, you want to be in a comfortable position. Also it can be useful to slide back ever so slightly in the seat and lean forward a bit - this just gives you a bit more leverage and ability to apply force to the pedals.

Standing while climbing is easy to do, but not easy to do efficiently or right. You will make more power while standing but it will also jack up your heart rate and fatigue you very fast. Many recreational riders waste huge amounts of energy swaying the bike wildly side to side, etc. I do 90% of my climbing while seated.

Pacing is an aspect you want to consider too. Many, many people will start going up hills as fast as they were going on the flats....so of course, shortly thereafter they rapidly tire. Pace yourself sensibly, start out at a pace that feels a little slow, so that near the end you can build up rather than struggle and gasp to the top.

Another thing that is important is gearing. Most people will pedal at some rate > 70, let's say, in the flats. You want to have a low enough gear, on a hill, where you can keep your cadence higher. Higher cadence/low force is easier to maintain for a longer period, than a low cadence/high force combo.

Finally, for all the mystifying or theories about climbing, once you have your basic technique/position/gearing right - going faster up hills is as simple as power to weight ratio. More power and/or less weight = better hill climbing.

[li10up]

Pacing is an aspect you want to consider too. Many, many people will start going up hills as fast as they were going on the flats....so of course, shortly thereafter they rapidly tire. Pace yourself sensibly, start out at a pace that feels a little slow, so that near the end you can build up rather than struggle and gasp to the top.

Finally, for all the mystifying or theories about climbing, once you have your basic technique/position/gearing right - going faster up hills is as simple as power to weight ratio. More power and/or less weight = better hill climbing.

I think you nailed it - for me at least. They guy that blows past me 2/3 of the way up seems to do this. I keep telling myself that if I could drop the extra 30 pounds I'm carrying around I'd be one h311 of a cyclist!

[RoadRaven]

*pipes up again*

For what its worth, my partner and sons often climb on the drops in races.

I am learning to climb on the drops, it lowers your centre of gravity and therefore alters the way you climb...

Just like learning to stand while climbing, climbing on the drops takes determination and practice - but I def can see/feel the advantage

[SouthernBelle]

As I relatively new rider, I read a lot and, after a rough time earlier, taught myself to spin up hills. My issue now is I can't seem to get myself out of the saddle. This is partly a head thing, and partly getting accustomed to my newer bike. There are times when I should hoist myself up and 'finish off' a hill but just can't seem to do it.

I'm so weird.