Walk or wait. . . What to do?

[Lifesgreat]

OK fellow bikers, here's the situation.
You are going up a long hill and you are in your granny gear. Your heartrate has going through the roof-95%+ and you are pedalling so slowly that you are afraid you may tip over while attached to your bike. You stop. Do you wait until your heartrate is where it is supposed to be and start riding again, or do you start walking up the hill until your heartrate is where it is supposed to be. What would you do? Are there advantages or disadvantages (physical/psychological) to one way or the other?


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Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good we might oft win
By fearing to attempt-William Shakespeare

[yellow]

Great question!

Some random thoughts from my brain:

1) You don't have a low enough granny gear! What's your largest cog in the back? Are you riding a double? See my Ode to my 30X27. There is no shame in having a really low granny, esp if you ride in hilly areas a lot.
2) Starting on hills is tough. If the hill is super steep, walk to a flatter spot where you know you can start, clip in, and not splay yourself on the road (speaking from experience here). And even if it's not steep consider your gearing and whether or not you'll be able to start easily enough. If you can't, walk to a flatter spot.
3) Finally, if it were me, I'd walk. That keeps the lactic flush going (still moving, not standing still) and your heart rate will come down.

Just my $0.02.

[Nanci]

I stop, wait until I can breathe, then ride again. If it's that steep, it takes a while to recover, even walking. Walking gives me a sense of defeat, recovering to ride again makes me feel like I conquered the hill.

If you have trouble getting started again, ride crosswise or slightly downhill until you get going.

It doesn't take very long, maybe only a minute, to lower your heatrate enough to continue on.

I usually get out of breath long before I feel lactic acid build up, on a hill.

Nanci

[mainerider]

Having been in a similar situation, when I was going 4 mph, and almost fell over because I couldn't get my feet unclipped fast enough, I walked until I could get back on my bike and finish the climb. I did feel defeated for walking that small section and still have that climb "to do" over again. (Crawford Notch, NH).

[snapdragen]

I think it takes more energy to walk, than to just wait a bit and get back on the bike.

[Deanna]

I believe in stopping. I like to say I rode the whole hill, even if I have to stop a few times. If it's a climb I plan on doing repeatedly, it's motivating to aim for one less stop the next time I go up it.

[alpinerabbit]

Kinda hard to walk in road shoes. So I tend to stop.

[Dianyla]

I believe in stopping. I like to say I rode the whole hill, even if I have to stop a few times. If it's a climb I plan on doing repeatedly, it's motivating to aim for one less stop the next time I go up it.

Yeah, what she said.

[SadieKate]

Everybody is different, but I walk. If I stop and stand, the muscles in my legs won't continue to pump and keep the circulation going, otherwise everything pools in my feet. For long straight downhills where I don't care about gaining speed, I'll even keep my legs gently turning over so that circulation and flushing is maintained. If I'm riding a familiar route and know that a particular hill is going to be a problem, I try to get my heart rate down by riding at a very low effort for quite a while before.

Good recovery after a ride includes putting your feet up, not standing still, so it just seems that walking is better than standing. Only time I stand is when I've stopped at the flattest place and couldn't get started elsewhere. I kind of view it as a mini-cooldown period like you should do at the end of a ride.

There is no rule that you have to ride the whole thing. In a mtnbike or cyclocross race, the racers take the most efficient means of locomotion. If that means getting off the bike and running up a hill with it, fine.

Fitness, gearing and confidence will help you conquer the hill one day.

[bcipam]

Unfortunately this happens to be more than I like... I stop, catch my breath and start walking. Problem with a steep hill and ultra granny is it's tough to get started again. Takes alot of technique and skill. I look at it this way. I'm still exercising. It's not easy pushing a 25 - 30 pound bike up a steep hill. It's still work. Once the ground levels out a bit, then I try and get back on the bike. It's all good.

[Trek420]

what bcipam sez

"I look at it this way. I'm still exercising. It's not easy pushing a 25 - 30 pound bike up a steep hill. It's still work.... It's all good."

It's all under your own power, it all counts, it's cross training! But my goal is to do it fewer times and less.

I think it was the great Eddie M. who said something like "You're faster going than not going" so I keep moving. That's probably not what he meant but...

Trek-never met a hill I'm ashamed to walk-420

[MomOnBike]

I'm with the walkers. In my little mind, the important thing is that I get to the top of the hill, by whatever means. Defeat is giving up, turning around and not making the top.

Also, especially with my recumbent, walking helps stretch out the muscles in the top of my thighs so that when I get back on and ride, I'm actually stronger.

And furthermore...somewhere back in the mists of time, I read that you are stressing your heart more by suddenly stopping excercise (stopping & resting) than by loafing along in a cool-down walk. This might be bunkum, but I choose to believe it.

And don't forget the keeping the blood moving thing, either.

Yeah, I walk when I need to - less and less as time goes by.

[annie]

Hmmmm - there was a time when I'd have said I would NEVER walk a hill. I've become older and wiser. If I am on the mtb, going up a steep, gnarly climb and don't make it, I will definitely walk. Most likely I won't get up otherwise. Or else go back down and try again, 'cause some of that is technical skills that I just don't posses and the only way to learn it is to keep trying. On the road bike, tho', its still a matter of pride for me. I may go slow - I may use that granny gear - but I will ride up the hill. If I meet a hill that I can't do that on - I think I would start to walk, rather than waste time standing there. No point to that. And I agree that it is not good to simply stop. Got to keep the heart pumping and the blood flowing. When I've pulled a loaded BOB trailer, and not made a wise route choice, I have definitely walked up hills. I simply couldn't keep pedaling and I don't think resting would have made any difference. If the hill is too steep to keep going, might as well walk. If its a long hill, and the grade lessens, then by all means, get back on and try to ride. I agree with MOB - the important thing is to get up the hill. Next time on the same hill, you try to go farther. It's a good gauge of judge progress. Hills are SUCH good training. Automatic intervals. I always try and think of them in a positive way.

annie

[Hell-uv-a-job]

Your heartrate has going through the roof-95%+ and you are pedalling so slowly that you are afraid you may tip over while attached to your bike.

The way I look at it, and I am greatly out of shape, if I'm still breathing and not about to pass out I will go down pedaling!! If i can do it, anybody can.

[Aint Doody]

I walk--I had a really good cyclist tell me one time, "If your hands are on the bike, it counts!" That's my mantra and I'm sticking to it.