Another very tough climb (video & pics)

[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.

[luv2climb]

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.

You got it right. I just started riding steeper and longer climbs. I also dropped a bunch of weight. Now it's stalled out again with 20 more pounds to go.

The first mountain I climbed last year was after dropping from 214 to 185 pounds. I climbed the Tahoe side of Kingsbury Grade, which is only 3.5 miles long. No problem with that climb. The next day I climbed the Reno side of Mt. Rose, which is 13.7 miles long. That was the most miserable experience I've ever had on a bike, thanks to being 60 pounds over ideal weight, riding a 32 lb mtb because I didn't have a road bike, and not eating enough during the ride.

[GingerbreadGirl]

I don't know how you do it.

Today I chose a "hillier" trail (still really flat, believe me) to work on my fitness and shifting (only my second ever ride on a road bike). I've only been cycling three weeks and am pathetically out of shape. Was on bed rest this fall and then put on meds that packed 35 lbs on me in about 4 months. I'm a train wreck.

Managed to do the inclines (can't call them proper hills) but was so tired and zapped afterwards. I hope someday I'm in half as good shape as you.

Encouraging to hear you lost weight though

[luv2climb]

I don't know how you do it.

Today I chose a "hillier" trail (still really flat, believe me) to work on my fitness and shifting (only my second ever ride on a road bike). I've only been cycling three weeks and am pathetically out of shape. Was on bed rest this fall and then put on meds that packed 35 lbs on me in about 4 months. I'm a train wreck.

Managed to do the inclines (can't call them proper hills) but was so tired and zapped afterwards. I hope someday I'm in half as good shape as you.

Encouraging to hear you lost weight though

You've already taken the first step to getting stronger. Keep up the good work and it will get easier. I know about the old saying "it never gets easier, you just get faster", but when you are losing weight as well as gaining fitness, it does get easier.