Mastering hills

[944fan]

Whats the secret to mastering hills? I can cruise quite happily at 26 mph and maintain an average of 22 over 12 miles or so but go anywhere near a categorised hill and it kills me. There is a13% hill near me and I can barely get more than 200 yards up it. My HR goes up to over 170 and my legs are on fire.

So is it case of keeping doing it until I can or something more scientific? Would weight training help? Seems to me to be more endurance and aerobic fitness limited than strength.

[Gareth135R]

What do you weigh?
All these pro riders are super light.
Don't worry about heart rate so much. I was climbing a long 14% on Sunday and hit 225bpm according to my Garmin.
By the top I was fooked but recovered quickly.

Over winter I will hit the gym.
Squats will help leg strength

[ALawson]

I cannot wait to see the advice to this post, almost in the same boat as the OP.

My understanding, althought probably incorrect is that it's all down to power to weight ratio. So if you are overweight then loosing weight can only help.

I approach the hills keeping the cadence up, this normally means small ring at the front and using the top of the cassette. My times are improving, no substitute for miles though.

[Jimbo.]

Gareth135R said:

What do you weigh?
All these pro riders are super light.
Don't worry about heart rate so much. I was climbing a long 14% on Sunday and hit 225bpm according to my Garmin.
By the top I was fooked but recovered quickly.

Over winter I will hit the gym.
Squats will help leg strength

Your Garmin HRM strap needs a wash or a new battery! Common issue, particularly with the "Premium" strap. 225bpm? You'd be dead.

It's all about power to weight. Most easily improved by weight loss. And cardio, of course.

[TKF]

It ain't legs, it's lungs and lard (lack of)

One good gym routine is to leg press 4kg and do 90 reps per minute for a few hours

[TwistingMyMelon]

This topic came up a couple of months back and there was circa 6 pages of good advice.

The only way to get better at hills is ride more hills!! I have a 14% half miler every morning it certainly wakes one up!!

Cadence is the key but on the real steep ones with a 39/25 I have to grind a bit up the 16%+ ones

It's hard to get good at climbing if you live in a flat area. I would find a steep hill and ride it as much as poss

Some riders are suited to different terrain, I can fly up hills but are never amazing on long flat sections

[CRB14]

Im exactly the same. I'm 77kg but any slight incline andi get left for dead. Some of my mates are big units and they seem to cruise up. I out it down to lack of leg power but could be wrong.

[qureshia]

Firstly 14% is steep

There is a 10%, 1 mile long hill close to where I live
2 years ago I used to walk up it and now I attack it at the start of my usual 50 mile Saturday bike ride (normally takes me just over 6 minutes to climb the hill)

The diff is, I have lost nearly 2 stones (still have a BMI of 25) and I use the easiest gears on my bike (no heroic mashing, just fast light spinning)

With regards HR on the climb, I try and keep mine at 175 or below (my max HR is 188)

I also do lots and lots of hills (live next to the Peak District, just come back from 4 days in Austria)

Summary lose weight, pace yourself, use your gears

[Vladimir]

Spot hill, snarl at it, dig in, conquer hill.

In both running and riding, climbing hills seem to be where I am quickest.

Hills are a short cut to all round fitness and should be relished.

[Blakeatron]

I'm just back into biking and hills are killing me! I am fat and unfit which doesn't help...

Anyway is it better to have an easy gear and spin quickly whilst sitting down or a harder gear and stand up and power through it?

[okgo]

I'd think someone who cruises at 26 mph should be telling us how to ride hills tbh!

Short answer is get fitter. If you're fitter you'll be faster. Long answer is get fitter and ride the cadence that suits you, not everyone spins an easy gear.

Nobody lacks leg power, that's bullocks so forget about that. It's purely fitness, and it's only improved by entering that uncomfortable zone more often.

When you reach a certain level of fitness you can ride any hill without much effort or you can ride it faster.

Edited by okgo on Monday 15th July 22:07

[jesusbuiltmycar]

This really helped me - especially the bit about breathing

Now I just get dropped on the descents! - but thanks to some tips on here I am getting more confident with descending!

[S10GTA]

Weight, or more importantly power to weight. You either need to get stronger or lose weight. Ideally both!

[Rocksteadyeddie]

As above its nothing to do with leg strength and everything to do with fitness, and weight. As the old adage goes "Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades". The more you do the better you'll get at them. Riding longer and watching your diet will help with the weight loss.

[AyBee]

okgo said:

I'd think someone who cruises at 26 mph should be telling us how to ride hills tbh!

Short answer is get fitter. If you're fitter you'll be faster. Long answer is get fitter and ride the cadence that suits you, not everyone spins an easy gear.

Nobody lacks leg power, that's bullocks so forget about that. It's purely fitness, and it's only improved by entering that uncomfortable zone more often.

When you reach a certain level of fitness you can ride any hill without much effort or you can ride it faster.

Edited by okgo on Monday 15th July 22:07

This. Everyone has their own technique - compare the technique of Lance/Froome/Wiggo with Ulrich.

[S10GTA]

I concur with okgo, cruising at 26mph...

[uncinqsix]

I would have to agree with the "ride up more hills" advice. I Strava'd my commute home today, and knocked over a minute off my previous best time up a 1 mile cat 3 climb segment that I use to gauge my progress. I've ridden it more than 80 times now, but only recorded half a dozen of those. Here's the result:

Jul 16, 2013 | 8.6km/h | 318W | 11:03
Jun 12, 2013 | 7.7km/h | 296W | 12:16
Apr 15, 2013 | 5.8km/h | 263W | 16:20
Mar 25, 2013 | 5.4km/h | 249W | 17:36
Mar 12, 2013 | 5.0km/h | 211W | 19:06
Feb 22, 2013 | 4.3km/h | 158W | 21:57

It's amazing just how fast the improvements come, even for someone like me who doesn't do many miles. The KOM is doing it in 7.13, so I have a wee way to go yet...

[Simond S]

They were discussing this yesterday on the World Triathlon Series.

The pro came on and said kw/kg is the only thing that matters on hills. Get the balance right and its a breeze. Too little or much of either and it's hard work.

I loved it when Brownlee described himself as an average climber, then romped up the hill away from the field. (Even stopping in the penalty box "just in case")

[944fan]

Interesting comments about the weight. I am 17 stone at the minute. I have lost a couple but have a couple more to go.

Crusing may have been the wrong word but I can sustain that speed and keep my HR at 150-160 for a decent distance. But hills it goes through the roof and my breathing become very rapid.

I guess on the flats weight has less of an impact. I am pretty sure its not a lack of strength so must just be down to the lard.

I have a triathlon in September and I am aiming to be 15 stone by that. Thankfully that course is pretty flat. Once I get down to that weight I try that hill again

[S10GTA]

17st. That is your issue.

I have dropped just over a stone in the last few months and my hill climbing has improved.