What qualifies as a hill for hill repeats?

[rachelroo]

Hi, I'm originally from Minneapolis... Theres lots of hills in stillwater, and it's a beautiful city.

[madscot13]

Bike on over to SP and ride up and down the Grand hill! (That is if you don't pass out on the upwards part or die because your brakes weren't crisp enough for the stoplight at the bottom).

My goal is to be able to go up the hill with poise by the end of the summer.

[BadgerGirl]

Thank you for this post...I was just wondering about hill repeats. I live near Boulder, CO and there are lots of mountains. I want to ride up Flagstaff Rd and Lookout Mtn road this year. I know I can do it, but the whole double chainring gets me! Thanks for all the advice!

[pyxichick]

Northstar,

For something quick and close by, I like the hill on West River Road just under the Franklin Av. Bridge. It's a decent enough grade and takes me over 2 min. to go up.

Further away, there's the Smith Av. (High Bridge) hill in St. Paul that is a good challenge, esp. if you take the road all the way up to the crest of the hill. This one is super fun to ride down!

And if you're in that area, there's the Ohio st. hill, which is shorter and steep.

Another close one is the one that goes down to the Ford dam on West River Road. This one is great to just go up and down, since there's rarely any traffic. I've seen people doing walking repeats there, too.

If you want a long hill, try Upper Afton Road in St. Paul (Woodbury?) which I just did today and boy do my legs know it!

Have fun! And if you don't already have a riding group, think about going on one of the group rides out of NOW Bikes on Snelling in St. Paul, Tuesdays at 6 pm and Saturdays at 8 am. They're very welcoming and it's a good way to learn new routes.

Kate

[madscot13]

pyxichick,
Are you in the NOW bike and fitness riding group? I have been looking for a bunch to ride with and I was wondering how fast they rode and distance. I am a bit pokey but I think riding with others would be good for me.

[pyxichick]

Madscot,

I'm not technically a member of the NOW club, but our VB rides are combined with theirs. You should try one of the Tuesday or Saturday rides. They're usually around an average of 14-16 mph (depending on how hilly it is) and last around 2 hours. They are no-drop rides, and they sometimes split into two groups if some people want to go faster.

Kate

[madscot13]

I think I will try and drop by tomorrow night's ride. Hopefully it is not too hot out. Maybe a TE member will be there? shout out to Northstar and Pyxichick!