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Post by DelB on Sept 5, 2013 14:45:53 GMT
Keeping your entire upper body relaxed. People tend to naturally tense up when putting in the effort. Bobbing a bit is fine but shoulders up around your ears is not. Pedalling circles. In your head just visualise pedalling in circles. Don't ask me why but it works for me. Have to agree with Mr. Howards technique here. I'm by no means a polished hill-climber (at 14.5 stone and nearly 47 years of age!!), but am definitely seeing huge improvements in recent weeks and no longer feel like I'm about to cough up a lung whenever the road turns 'up'. Pedalling in circles, rather than pushing down on each stroke, is the way I do it. Consciously feel your legs pulling the pedals back up at the bottom of their stroke and keep it smooth. I rarely stand up to pedal up hills, only when I feel I need to stretch my legs or give my arse a quick rest.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2013 15:15:27 GMT
This. Also I like to focus on a object at the side of the road such as a lamp post in the distance and concentrate to passing it. Seems to help me block out the burn. Maybe that's why my pedalling in circles seems to help, takes your mind off the burn. Yeah. I also find thinking of past female liasons can help.
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Post by cbrdeano on Sept 5, 2013 15:22:00 GMT
Maybe that's why my pedalling in circles seems to help, takes your mind off the burn. Yeah. I also find thinking of past female liasons can help. How do you pedal efficiently with three legs ? - PMSL
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Post by Radchenister on Sept 5, 2013 17:04:37 GMT
I am no way a hill climber, I'm getting better but at 15 - 16 stone I'm still a couple of stone off where I want to be this time next year. I have learnt to cope though. All good advice above; so kinda what everyone has said - particularly the mindset thing and keeping an eye on the next 20 ft rather than the summit but do bear in mind how long you need to keep it up before cresting (as explained by @eggandham) ... then use every trick in the book to cope ... get used to being wiley with managing a sustained effort. Good breathing and pedal action. Easy cadence but no point in spinning too fast and hard though, as this can be as bad as churning. Getting gears changed smoothly and pre-emptively (lower for sitting, slightly higher for standing (sometimes)). Spin in the saddle easy for fair to middling gradients, sometimes stand to get some lactic shifted about (ahem, almost like resting) and use different muscle groups. When spinning comfortably in the seat, if pains kick in or fatigue, try dropping your heals for a while; perhaps slide back on the saddle, possibly try flattening the back a bit further along, then maybe sit up straighter and slide forward with hands on the tops instead of hoods; any small shift may give you more staying power. Do aim to learn to stand on the steep sections but also sometimes see it as a stretching out thing for just a few seconds to reset the pains, or use it wisely to get over the nasty bit - see it as a bit like an afterburner to finish the climb off but alternatively, maybe just a boost mid climb when the gradients get rough (knowing the profile beforehand via BikeHike can help). Also get confident at balancing out the saddle at slower speeds for the real steeps, working on how to do a kind of slow burn out the saddle motion, smooth and well controlled that can shoehorn you upwards. Something like a slow jogging style, it works well, not done too fast to burn out but using weight to step the pedals around and churn the cranks - when you get tired doing this, just drop into the saddle and spin easy, or even just churn slowish again for a while (not too long), whatever feels sustainable. Managing the energy flow so you don't hit the red and go into deficit (as they say on the tv) is key for me and allows me to do bigger hills. Going slow but aiming to keep going is preferable to blowing a gasket when trying to boot it too much - beating them (hills) into submission doesn't really work when they're big and steep. As time goes on they do start getting less painful, you can go faster and feel ok until later up them, carrying the momentum through, before settling into easy survival / coping pace. Gradually you can also push them harder, even when just coping but don't go mad until you've sussed how to just cope with getting up them to begin with - know your enemy type stuff. My techniques feel a bit Heath Robinson at times but they get me through, one day I might be able to do them properly.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2013 17:13:03 GMT
As per the title, how do you tackle hills? What do you find the best method for getting up them or do you have certain secrets on how to do it?
Round my way, I've got a selection of hills to choose from, Box Hill is about 12 miles away, Newlands Corner is about 5 miles away, plus I've got other hills in the vicinity that I do on a regular basis.
I did this one a while back by looking at google maps for a suitable route, it wasn't until I started cycling up it and looking at Strava afterwards that it was 3 miles long!!!Β www.strava.com/activities/76740638#1535971385
So what tips can you give to a newbie like me? Currently I stay in the saddle as standing I can't do for long as my muscles really start to hurt / ache. I try and keep my cadence up, but find that I have to keep going into a lower gear to keep the cadence going.hi begbie I was thinking of doing either of these two climbs before the summers out. To start with do what works for you. If your happy sitting and spinning then do that to start with until your fitness and confidence increase.
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Post by Radchenister on Sept 5, 2013 17:23:48 GMT
... actually, I reckon avoiding 3 mile hills wouldn't be a bad idea for a while - Rome wasn't built in a day.
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Post by DelB on Sept 5, 2013 17:29:52 GMT
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Post by Radchenister on Sept 5, 2013 17:41:47 GMT
There's 50% gradient on there, I'd have to take my MTB as the T3 is the wrong tool for that one.
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Post by DelB on Sept 5, 2013 17:44:13 GMT
There's 50% gradient on there, I'd have to take my MTB as the T3 is the wrong tool for that one. Probably too much for my legs anyway, but its a nice goal to have.
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Post by Radchenister on Sept 5, 2013 17:46:44 GMT
Just checking out my latest Nemesis (it has some 50% ish in spots, I didn't realise) ... I had this one sprung on me a while back, when a bit worse for wear from a birthday party the day before, think I'll go back and have a rematch, as I had to stop twice to puke: app.strava.com/segments/667813
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Post by DelB on Sept 5, 2013 17:48:52 GMT
Just checking out my latest Nemesis (it has some 50% ish in spots, I didn't realise) ... I had this one sprung on a while back, when a bit worse for wear from a birthday party the day before, think I'll go back and have a rematch, as I had to stop twice to puke: app.strava.com/segments/667813Aye, that looks a bit of a challenge too.
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Post by Radchenister on Sept 5, 2013 17:52:08 GMT
May do it again tomorrow and aim to do it in one hit - I'd be happy with that, time and position almost irrelevant, although mid to bottom 1/3rd of the table would suit me fine for now.
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Post by DelB on Sept 5, 2013 17:54:55 GMT
Yep, first objective should be to just get up it. Subsequent attempts can be made to whittle the time down.
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Post by Radchenister on Sept 5, 2013 18:02:56 GMT
I'm up for it, early night, porridge and eggs at breakfast, get some work done, coffee and a flapjack, then go for it late morning.
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Post by DelB on Sept 5, 2013 18:05:22 GMT
All the very best mate. Let us know how you get on.
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