Another very tough climb (video & pics)

[Catrin]

...What hills we have are short with 15-22% grades. Based on the years where I really made a point to climb as regularly as possible, I know that it does get easier with practice. Not easy; just easier.

Thanks for this Indy - the other day I was riding with a couple of people and one of them told me that "soon and very soon you won't even notice that you are climbing a hill" - all I can say is he has to be a LOT stronger than I!

[indysteel]

Thanks for this Indy - the other day I was riding with a couple of people and one of them told me that "soon and very soon you won't even notice that you are climbing a hill" - all I can say is he has to be a LOT stronger than I!

When I first started riding, I made the mistake (well, it felt like a mistake) of going to some CIBA rides down south and in doing the Hilly Hundred before I was really ready. I couldn't climb at all, and it was really discouraging. In time, however, my fitness improved and I kept at it. I also started riding with some people who taught me a thing or two about climbing. I did my first J.A.W.S. with one of them, and while I had to stop and start a number of times on a few of the worst hills, I did finish in one piece. The following year, I averaged almost 18 mph for that ride and was beating my mentor to the top of every hill (I don't think he was very happy about it). Now, our hilliest climbs are still easier than what LTR does on a regular basis, but I felt pretty pleased with my progress by local standards.

But in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that I haven't been working on it the last couple of years, and my climbing fitness has deteriorated quite a bit. I'd like to pick it back up, but it's challenging. As it is, we're already driving to mountain bike. To add even more drive-to-rides to our schedule likely isn't going to happen all that often. If we even had one hill near our house, I'd work on hill repeats, but my end of Johnson County is flat as a pancake.

[Catrin]

All good points Indy! In retrospect, last year I was already injured when I started seeking out hills to climb them (August). THIS year my riding schedule has been quite different - more days a week - but fewer "drive-the-bike-to-ride" rides.

That is ok, I am having a blast on both on and off road, my weekly mileage is close to what it was this time last year...so I am going to take what I can get. All of this is for personal pleasure along with health and fitness - I suspect as I spend more time on the mountain bike this year that my road climbing skills can only benefit. Once I internalize the mtb skills better there will be time to start focusing a bit on hill climbing before the snow flies.... I want to find and feed my hill climbing beast, but with more wisdom this time.

All of that being said, I am in awe of the OP climbing skills, stories and videos!

[luv2climb]

All good points Indy! In retrospect, last year I was already injured when I started seeking out hills to climb them (August). THIS year my riding schedule has been quite different - more days a week - but fewer "drive-the-bike-to-ride" rides.

That is ok, I am having a blast on both on and off road, my weekly mileage is close to what it was this time last year...so I am going to take what I can get. All of this is for personal pleasure along with health and fitness - I suspect as I spend more time on the mountain bike this year that my road climbing skills can only benefit. Once I internalize the mtb skills better there will be time to start focusing a bit on hill climbing before the snow flies.... I want to find and feed my hill climbing beast, but with more wisdom this time.

All of that being said, I am in awe of the OP climbing skills, stories and videos!

Sounds like your rides are somewhat similar to mine. The only ride I do that requires me to drive to the start of the ride is a climbing ride, so those are done once a week. The rest of the week I ride down here in the valley where I live. I only drive if it's absolutely necessary, so I probably ride quite a few miles during the week. I don't have a computer on any of my bikes and I only use the Garmin for climbing rides, so I don't keep track of mileage.

Mountain biking will definitely help your road climbing. I used to mtb all the time in the early 90s when I actually had a properly fitting mtb. Lots of good steep stuff on mtb trails!

Believe it or not, even though you can clearly hear me suffering in my videos, I love it! I'm one of those twisted types who enjoys suffering, so my climbs are done for fun in addition to the challenge of conquering yet another long steep climb.

[indysteel]

Sounds like your rides are somewhat similar to mine. The only ride I do that requires me to drive to the start of the ride is a climbing ride, so those are done once a week. The rest of the week I ride down here in the valley where I live. I only drive if it's absolutely necessary, so I probably ride quite a few miles during the week. I don't have a computer on any of my bikes and I only use the Garmin for climbing rides, so I don't keep track of mileage.

Mountain biking will definitely help your road climbing. I used to mtb all the time in the early 90s when I actually had a properly fitting mtb. Lots of good steep stuff on mtb trails!

Believe it or not, even though you can clearly hear me suffering in my videos, I love it! I'm one of those twisted types who enjoys suffering, so my climbs are done for fun in addition to the challenge of conquering yet another long steep climb.

You're so lucky to have the Sierras at your disposal for this. While we have some hills in Southern Indiana, few are terribly scenic and certainly they aren't as scenic as your neck of the woods.

Catrin, are you taking your road bike with you on your camping trip? There's certainly some good hills in the park. Maybe too good. I got my heart rate up to 220 on one of them once. That's as high as I've seen it. It's the hill just before you get to the Lodge parking lot.

[luv2climb]

luv2climb, I'm totally impressed and inspired. Thanks.

Thank you.

I got my heart rate up to 220 on one of them once. That's as high as I've seen it.

I got mine up to 212 last summer. This year I reached 206 on my first sufferfest video that I posted back in February. In the early 90s my max was 215.

Sometimes people on BikeForums freak out over my high heart rate readings in my climbing ride posts, and I always have to reassure them that my heart is healthy.

[indysteel]

Thank you.


I got mine up to 212 last summer. This year I reached 206 on my first sufferfest video that I posted back in February. In the early 90s my max was 215.

Sometimes people on BikeForums freak out over my high heart rate readings in my climbing ride posts, and I always have to reassure them that my heart is healthy.

I have a high max HR. It's been a while since I regularly wore an HR monitor, but when I did, I would spend most of a spin workout in the 180s to low 190s as my Zone 3. I don't usually blow up until the high 190s.

[Sardine]

About mountains, how do you build up to climbing them? Do you just keep riding steeper and longer hills or is there some other training involved? How long did it take before you managed your first summit? Thanks.

[GingerbreadGirl]

So awesome. When I mountain bikes I could never climb. I was really fearless on descents though. Used to go to those ski resorts in the summer that allowed you to go up in the lift with the bike and ride down the mountain. i can't picture climbing it though. I am a wuss.

[GingerbreadGirl]

Also I love to see your photos so keep posting them. We should have a ride photo thread.

[luv2climb]

So awesome. When I mountain bikes I could never climb. I was really fearless on descents though. Used to go to those ski resorts in the summer that allowed you to go up in the lift with the bike and ride down the mountain. i can't picture climbing it though. I am a wuss.

I remember climbing one of the dirt roads at Squaw Valley back in 1994. When I was done I told someone who worked there that I climbed it. He told he they discourage climbing. I'm glad I climbed it before I talked to him!

Another cool thing happened yesterday on the way back to Foresthill. I was descending and a climbing cyclist yelled my name. I yelled back "Who is that?". He was the guy who ran a small mtb club in the early 90s. I went on a few rides with them back then. Of course they left me in their dust, but they were pretty laid-back, not stuck up like some serious cyclists.

He was headed out towards French Meadows, which is 20 miles further than the turnaround point of my ride. He told me he almost got killed by a speeding car before he saw me. Stupid of people to be speeding in the mountains like that!

He had four chainrings on his mtb. His small ring was a 20. That's some climbing gears!

Also I love to see your photos so keep posting them. We should have a ride photo thread.

Thank you. That would be a great idea!

[Sardine]

luv2climb, I'm totally impressed and inspired. Thanks.

[Sardine]

So awesome. When I mountain bikes I could never climb. I was really fearless on descents though. Used to go to those ski resorts in the summer that allowed you to go up in the lift with the bike and ride down the mountain. i can't picture climbing it though. I am a wuss.

GingerbreadGirl, this is the image I have of you now – Fearless. It's only a matter of time before you build the fitness back.