Getting ready for hilly rides??

[Pedal Wench]

I trained for riding in Colorado by doing intervals in Florida - pancake flat, but with headwinds. It's all I could do, and I think I'm better trained than I was when I able to train on hills.

[velo]

Thank you, Pedal Wench. Maybe if I bump up my intervals to twice a week and then a few weeks before, try 3 times/wk, it will be enough. Really, right now, I'm interested in long-term fitness and being able to ride longer distances without killing myself... just a base fitness that will allow me to enjoy many hours in the saddle at a moderate pace. With this area where we're camping being so hilly, though, and absolutely stunning at that time of the year, I just want enough climbing ability to enjoy the rides without sacrificing my other goals. Headwinds we have in spades... intervals into headwinds are definitely do-able. Thanks again!!

[indysteel]

You indicate in your first post that you can't travel an hour to do hillwork weekly, but don't underestimate what even just a few sessions on those hills will do for you. Even if you can't get down there weekly, it'll still be very much worth while to get there when you can. I live in a flat area and, when I was purposely training for out-of-state hilly rides/tours, I was only able to hill work here and there. That here and there helped tremendously though.

[pll]

Speaking for myself... I also ride in a very flat area and in early June I went bike riding to a hilly area in Italy. In addition to mastering gear changes, it takes hill practice to find your sweet spot in terms of cadence when you climb.

My first ride in Italy, during the first couple of climbs, I was suffering quite a bit, my heart wanting to jump out of my chest. Eventually, during the same ride, I think I found my sweet spot. My cadence climbing was a bit higher than in the first part of the ride, and my heart rate settled down. My legs got a good workout, and I was sore for the remaining 5 days, but I was no longer intimidated by the hills. The bike I rented had a compact crank with a 12-25 cassette.

Upon my return to the flatlands, I noticed my fitness had improved a lot!

[Cycling Sister]

I started riding about 6 weeks ago. The ladies I ride with are at least 20 pounds heavier than me and can climb hills faster and easier than I can. They've got muscle memory, aerobic stamina, power, higher cadence and experienced shifting.

I can power up shorter hills and ride flats easy. But, when it comes to long, steady hills, I have problems maintaining my cadence in a lower gear. Even my lowest gear forces me to work hard and can bring me to my maximum heart rate. My lungs give out faster than my legs.

I've asked others for advice on how I can improve my ability to climb hills. I would love to be able to workout in the gym rather than do hill repeats! Give me a treadmill over hills any day! lol I would even be tempted to lose weight and start shopping in the junior's section. But, everyone tells me the only way to get better at climbing hills is to climb hills.

Some things I've noticed that I need to improve is increasing my cadence. I also need to shift into a lower gear before my legs start working harder. I'm so used to trying to muscle my way up the hill and it only hurts me on longer hills. I also am working on increasing my aerobic capacity by working at no more than 80% of my maximum heart rate and increasing stamina by accepting that I'm not going to get up some hills unless I quiet my inner voice telling me I'm going too slow. I also need to be kinder to myself. Instead of powering downhill, I need to rest and spin my legs in preparation for the next hill. Living in PA, there's ALWAYS another hill.

How to translate these goals without being able to ride on hills? A spinning class would help with my aerobic capacity. Intervals that focuses on a long Zone 2 climaxing at Zone 3 heart rate vs. a minute of Zone 4 maximum heart rate would be helpful. But, I don't think endurance weight workouts would not help someone like me. Maybe once my lungs catch up to my leg strength.

Take the bike with you on your camping trip. If you have to stop for breaks, enjoy the scenery! Everything looks better on a bike. Don't focus on distance or speed. Do your best and be proud of it! :-)

[velo]

Thank you again ladies. As I've thought about it more, my best bet to get me in a better shape for hills is probably to hit the gym if possible and do another session of intervals each week. Although I'm new back to riding, the skills of riding for 15 years and racing/training for 4 are coming back quickly, including shifting on hills (if you can call them that around here). So I don't think shifting is/will be an issue ( then again, I've not ridden major hills since coming back to cycling). I think it boils down to my fitness level and lack of a granny gear. My lowest gear is still on a 39t up front and I don't think I have the fitness right now to manage the hills where I'm going with this set up. I think I'm going to take my hybrid (with the triple) as well, just in case. I may just need to forget about riding my Klein... which is OK for just one week. I enjoy my Klein more, but I won't if I'm just suffering on the hills. Thanks again all. It's helping me think this through.

[velo]

Well, after a day like today, I feel like the wind and intervals might be enough. Serious headwind and I planned my ride so first half was into the wind.

[nuliajuk]

It's flat where l live and frequently windy. I've taken to treating a stiff headwind as if it were a hill, getting out of the saddle frequently and pushing a fairly big gear. Doing laps of a 4k circuit means I get some respite from it. I don't know if it's a real substitute, but better than nothing, I guess.