uphill advice.

[RoadRaven]

The key to climbing a hill is getting into a rhythm that suits you and shugging on up - its too easy to blow your heart rate by pushing yourself "just a little bit more" and when you get to the top your legs are tired and sore and don't really want to work anymore.

There are two key ways to get quicker going uphill... Sadie has already mentioned one... keep doing the hill and you'll get better at hills.

What I do is try and do "hill repetitions" every week - though it is a bit harder for me at this time of the year as the middle of winter approaches. Choose a medium hill that slows you down but nevertheless is a hill that rises at a steady rate. (The ones I use are about 1km long)
Ride to the top of it in the biggest gear you can get on top of - stay seated.
Repeat.
Try for 3-4 repetitions, work your way up to 7-8. When you can do 7-8, find a hill thats a bit steeper.

As you ride up remember that it is about steady riding and building your anaerobic fitness... stay seated and be consistent in your pace - settle into that rhythm.



The other sure-fire way to get faster on a hill is to drop weight. Every kilogram (2 pounds) of weight you drop off you or your bike will make you 3 seconds faster per kilometre on a 4-6% gradient hill.

Now 3 seconds may not seem much, but in terms of a race... or in terms of saving your legs... every 3 seconds is significant.


It sounds like this is a training ride for you, Brandi, but if you commute and carry loads of stuff on a steel bike, then your hill-climbing speed will always be hampered... however, the upside of that is that when you climb the same hill without the books/clothes/whatever you carry.... and even on a lighter bike, you will veritably zoom up.