So I'm not a climber

[redrhodie]

One of the many things I've learned on my recent group rides. I always thought I was pretty good, but now I realize, nope, everyone drops me. The weird thing is, I like climbing.

It's like when you love to sing, and find out you're tone deaf. You can still love to sing, but it's not pretty. I still love to climb. I suspect it's not pretty.

I'm a good descender, though.

[maillotpois]

It's like when you love to sing, and find out you're tone deaf. You can still love to sing, but it's not pretty. I still love to climb. I suspect it's not pretty.

I'm a good descender, though.

That's a great analogy! I feel like I seek out climbing rides because they challenge me and it's also definitely not my strong point.

You know how they say of racers: so and so is "a natural climber." After one very steep, curvy, awesome descent, I decided I am a "natural descender."

[luv2climb]

I feel the same way. I almost always ride solo, but I usually see other cyclists on the roads. The times I've actually passed another rider on a climb are so few and far between that I'm pretty sure I would get my butt kicked up between my shoulderblades on a group ride.

[Bike Writer]

Me too. I climb a lot because it's hard, it's a good workout and I want to get better. I don't think I am or ever will be a good climber, I am usually last or near last in a group. Mostly I ride solo though.

[Veronica]

Hung with the fast guys today for 42 minutes at 20+ mph. The road tilted up, just a bit and I was off the back almost immediately. It was a fun ride though and they waited for me. At one point we were doing 29! I was drafting off the tallest guy in the group and had absolutely no wind!

I will never be a fast climber, but I've definitely gotten faster on the flats. I remember when the fast group would drop us when were on the tandem.

Veronica

[smilingcat]

Hung with the fast guys today for 42 minutes at 20+ mph. The road tilted up, just a bit and I was off the back almost immediately. It was a fun ride though and they waited for me. At one point we were doing 29! I was drafting off the tallest guy in the group and had absolutely no wind!

I will never be a fast climber, but I've definitely gotten faster on the flats. I remember when the fast group would drop us when were on the tandem.

Veronica

When I used to ride with the guys, no one wanted to be behind me in a rotation. I was too short for them to have any wind break.

On an added note: Not even good climbers like to climb. They all HURT!! they are just mentally too tough to admit that they too are hurting! Wasn't it late Marco Pantini said "I climb fast so I can stop this agony quicker" or something to that effect.

[BC2COCyclist]

Use this as a motivation to become a better/faster climber...?

[bellissima]

I love to climb too. Is that feeling I get after conquering that long scary hill that motivates to keep on climbing more

[amb]

I'm not a climber either and I don't really like it. I have a double so I often wish for a triple when climbing.

This week my co-worker took me up Lookout Mtn in Golden, CO.....~4.5 miles uphill, 1,500' of gain. I didn't love every moment but it wasn't so bad and you know what....I felt pretty damn good about doing it when I was done! Sure, 3 ppl passed me but who cares?! Maybe I'll have to start climbing more. I guess it doesn't matter if it's "natural", it's whether you get the job done. Slow, ugly, whatever....

[zoom-zoom]

I kind of suck on hills, too. Some shorter, steeper ones are OK...but once my asthmatic lungs figure-out what's going on, the jig's up. I do great on the flats and downhills, though, 'cause I sink like a rock! One reason I really want to drop 20#s is so that hills won't kick my @ss so badly.

[Crankin]

I don't climb fast, but I can climb.
Does that make sense? I have climbed some horrendous hills, but sometimes I am going 4 mph. I just won't quit. If someone is faster than me, so what?
Haven't done any group rides this year, but, in the group I rode with, I could climb with the faster guys (relative here; we are all old). I find it harder to maintain a consistent fast speed on flatter rides. Ten miles of 17-20+ mph on easy terrain will do me in, or at least I need to tone it down for awhile. Since almost everywhere I ride is rolling to hilly, there's usually some chance to rest a bit, and there's a lot of changes in speed. And I hate descending. I think I may be the only rider who looks forward to the climbs and dreads the downhills.

[redrhodie]

Use this as a motivation to become a better/faster climber...?

Well, I think I'll do exactly the opposite--just climb slowly and not worry about it, and catch 'em on the downhill (or make them catch me, which I really enjoy). I think you're either a climber, or your not. It's your body's combination of fast twitch/slow twitch muscle fibers that make it so, and that's genetic. I think I could work really, really hard and maybe see a tiny improvement, but I'll never be flying uphill like a natural climber.

Remember those President's Physical Fitness Tests we had to take in elementary school? I actually practiced long jump every night at home, and still had one of the shortest jumps in my class. Not a lot of fast twitch fibers...but I won the calligraphy contest in art class, though. We all have our strengths, but it's our weaknesses that build character.

I love that so many of you who have responded to this thread are people who I always think of as climbers (MP, Veronica, Crankin, luv). Crankin, I'm pretty sure you're a natural climber from your reports of spinning and passing people, and your body type.

[marni]

no matter how fast or how slow you go
the top of the hill will still be there when you get there.

marni

[malkin]

It took me more than a half century to realize that I could enjoy something without being good at it!

Enjoy those climbs!

[luv2climb]

I have climbed some horrendous hills, but sometimes I am going 4 mph. I just won't quit. If someone is faster than me, so what?

I think I have you beat. I've been as low as 2 mph on the steepest climbs. Check out some of my past threads with ride videos of tough climbs with GPS data overlay for proof. But, like you, I refuse to quit. I won't stop in the middle of a climb unless I absolutely have to or there's a photo opportunity that may not be there on the descent.

I really don't care if people are faster than me either. There's always someone faster than you no matter how hard you train.