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There are some animals in the Cleveland touring club. I can ride right with the B riders in the pack But as soon as we hit a decent climb they just leave me. Im just astonished at how fast these dudes are pullin up hills.
I'm all the way in my lowest gear and on the small ring and I'm dieing going up these climbs. My heart is pounding out of my chest and I feel like im gonna die. They re grouped, but I never get a chance to catch my breathe because they're taking off once I get to the re group.
What can I do to improve my climbs ? I'm using Shimano Claris. I think I might need to start doing leg lifting 3 times a week. But then when do I recover for the long rides.
Group road bike riding is so much fun. And instead of me getting massive arm pump I just get massive leg pump.
in
I'm all the way in my lowest gear and on the small ring and I'm dieing going up these climbs. My heart is pounding out of my chest and I feel like im gonna die. They re grouped, but I never get a chance to catch my breathe because they're taking off once I get to the re group.
What can I do to improve my climbs ? I'm using Shimano Claris. I think I might need to start doing leg lifting 3 times a week. But then when do I recover for the long rides.
Group road bike riding is so much fun. And instead of me getting massive arm pump I just get massive leg pump.
in
Were you talking 5-10 per day ?
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This worked for me: Build a solid aerobic base, get as lean as possible without losing power (big difference maker), develop an efficient pedal stroke, relax your upper body, open your chest as much as possible, and control your breathing with full exhales. You can also mark another rider who is at the front at the City limit sprint signs and follow their wheel up the hill. Be prepared to burn every match in your book to get over the top with the lead group. You can return the favor on the short, steep climbs by mashing a big gear and put the hurt on the climbers. Ned Overend advised to keep hammering even after the peak when everyone wants to sit up and recover.
Try to find a weekly training crit. They're usually an hour plus 5 laps and resemble the first lap of a full gate moto. Good fun.
So the bike does all the work and you ride Uber to the top?
I'm trying to ride atleast 30 miles Everytime I ride. Did 30 this morning. And 38 Thursday. Tuesday did 22 miles. The Thursday ride was pretty hill intensive. Today wasn't much hills.
I don't think ohio has that kind of gain vet. A guy just moved here from colorado and he's a freaking ANIMAL.
Nice pics
I could barely make 20miles at Road America on Indy Car weekend .... ohhhhh the humiliation. ....
Here's one of the climbs that our local bike club does. This is Mission Ridge road, from just a small distance from the house I just sold to the local ski area.
Stats
Distance: 11 miles
Beginning elevation: 97'
Ending elevation: 4,556'
Elevation gained: 5,314'
Average Grade: 7.1%
Fiets Index: 8.84
3 years ago, my daily ride was only 12 miles, it was on a 29er mountain bike and it was nothing but rolling hills. Seemed like my time was spent 80% climbing then shoot to the bottom and back at it. I didn't have a road bike at that point since I liked riding mountain more than trails. Still do really, but the road bike is so much more convenient. I think the rolling hills were the ideal situation for interval training. It was a natural interval, sprint to the top, mash as much as you can, then recover on the way down, grab water, then do it again. I had to be off the bike for the better part of 9 months, so my endurance is now shot and I'm a bit overweight for riding. I've been getting back into it. The flat 20 mile ride I used to do regularly is kicking my ass lately. On top of that, I'm moving houses, and it's difficult to find time to ride. The new house has a bunch of rolling hills around it also, so I'm going to get back at that. I was at my peak motocross riding ability when i was good at the rolling hills.
The guys in the front of the group charging up the hills have years and years of muscle memory and training. I think you're relatively new to riding right? Maybe last year? Sounds like you're riding and resting well enough. Just keep incorporating more and more hills into your training, extend your mileage, and most importantly, give yourself a 2-3 day rest every couple of weeks to recover. Efficient hill climbing is a long term goal as in something you have to work on over a couple of years to get to the front group.
I was only in HR zone 2 yesterday. But the club rides I never see 2. I'm always 3.8-4.5. And I feel like the Guys I'm riding with are in zone 2. They're not even huffing and puffing while I'm dieing. Ha.
Pit Row
This past weekend some of my friends went up for training camp and biked the course. Said at least half the people ended up walking part of that hill. Just crazy.
I'll be going this weekend for IM camp and give it a shot. Like said above "ride lots" haha...that is the absolute truth.
I'm just wanting to survive, not be the fastest on the 112 mile bike.
I also spend some time time (not enough) doing off-the-bike training that strengthens my core and legs. Squats, lunges, plyometric jumps. And then any number of core-strengthening work. Your core is your power base, a strong core makes a huge difference.
Find your "happy place" in terms of your pedal cadence. Some guys can turn a big gear at a lower cadence (say 65-80rpm) and others have to rely on spinning a higher cadence (85-100rpm) to make it happen. I have a couple of people in my group that I look for when I'm in trouble (climbing). I lock on to their wheel and try to mimic their cadence. This just comes from years of riding together. I'm not a masher, but I will try to mix my cadence up on longer climbs. Typically, I'm spinning around 90ish, but I'll drop down into the low 80s to let my legs bear some of the weight of the climb (hence getting my legs stronger).
On long climbs, you can move forward, or backward on the seat a tad to engage different muscle groups.
Try to feel the sensation of pedaling in full circles, and pulling up on the upstroke of the pedal stroke.
Finally, as someone posted earlier...ride lots. All of this isn't worth a dime if you're not truly in shape.
I try and push the power up going down so I can keep momentum on the upswing. Then soft pedal in an easy gear rolling over the top of hill.
Seems like no matter how I attack it, one of my riding partners kills me on the hills. I use it as an incentive to keep riding and get stronger. Always stay positive.
If I had two days a week to train it would be one 5-7 hr ride and one hill day.
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