Hills

[annielynn]

I hate hills. I find that I don't have the cardio yet to take a hill seriously. The little bit of advice that I have recieved so far is
- stay in your saddle if you can, when you stand up you cause your heart rate to increase rapidly. Which isn't good on a long pull.
- gear down. As soon as you start to feel it getting hard drop a gear.
- practice. Lots of practice will make the hills a little easier to tackle.

I am not an experienced rider. I have only been riding since August of last year but these are pointers that my husband and several of the climbers in my club have been telling me. Good luck to you!

[maillotpois]

What sort of gears do you have? Shift early into your easiest gear and then try to get into a rhythm and spin up the hill. If you do not have easy enough gears, consider a bigger cassette on back or a smaller chainring in front.

If you need to stop and take a break, try to do so in a place where the road is a little flatter so you can get started again.

Practice good use of your gears and climbing with a comfortable, high cadence. Be patient and don't try to "beat the climb". Slow, steady practice and good technique are important for climbing.

[ekcjwc]

I have a Cannondale Synapse Feminine 7 Bike (2009) Tiagra gears. I have a triple and usually stay in the 2nd position but shift down to my granny gear.

[maillotpois]

since you are having so much difficulty, I would suggest starting the climb in your granny gear in front, and a middle-ish to large cog in back, and then shifting in the back as needed during the climb. Try not to shift under load - give yourself a good push with the pedals and back off on the pedal resistance as you shift to the easier gear in back.