Sasquatch16

You spin out on a trainer in highest gear when you try to stand and you have to get off bike and finish walking up a hill.

I have been riding for about 9 months and have lost a lot of weight. I am down to 275lbs. and being 6'4" did not think I was in to bad a shape. Been riding trainer lately with weather being poor lately. Went for a ride today where there were some hills but one in particular really wiped me out. It was only 400' but very steep being 25% for last bit. Weight is definitly an equalizer when riding hills. Need to do a lot more work and lose a lot more work.

TrojanHorse

Keep at it! Hills are mental. It never really gets easier but you will go faster.

Congrats on sticking with it.

Sasquatch16

Thanks. I will go after this hill again. Not sure about being mental. Pulse rate was 162 the highest I have ever seen it and legs were on fire. Afraid if I did not get off and walk that I would fall off. This hill made me really realize how much weight plays into riding hills. I have alot off work left.

Gravity Aided

Yes, you do, but the lactic acid threshold and the heart rate will improve as your hill climbing improves. Lactic acid causes the burning feeling in your legs . Need to do some hillwork myself.

cplager

Climbing hills suck. Even Jonathan Vaughters thinks climbing hills suck. And being, ummm...., heavier than ideal very much doesn't help. So, what do you do about it?

Go climb hills. A lot. And it won't suck less. It will eventually (for a given hill) suck for a shorter period of time.

Did I mention that climbing hills suck?

Mark Stone

Climbing hills doesn't suck. Climbing hills trying to be just like Greg LeMond sucks. Me, I just get on the granny gear in the front and the granny gear in the back and spin steadily at about 5 mph. Everyone passes me, but big deal. They say "You're sure easy to pass" and I answer "You're not 60". I guess if I wanted to be a racer or was very competitive I'd grab a bigger gear and pretend I was Italian, but I'm just "coastin' in the Ghost".

paisan

Sasquatch, where in SE PA are you located?

cplager

If you don't think climbing hills sucks, then you haven't found the right hill yet.

For what it's worth, I'm also a sit-and-spin kinda hill climber. That's why I've got my bike geared down to just under 17" and I often (o.k. sometimes) find myself climbing at 3 mph.

chefisaac

Watch how you answer Paisans question. He is a BEAST when it comes to climbing.

Mark Stone

Well, at 3mph you'd probably still pass me lol! We used to live in Denver (about 20 years ago) and at that time climbing did indeed suck. Mt. Vernon Canyon, Loveland Pass, Tennessee Pass, Battle Mountain, Vail Pass, all over the Colorado Rockies. At that time, you bet climbing sucked! But now we live in a part of the country that has only some minor climbs, and I turned into an urban/city type cyclist, so it doesn't suck any more . . .

Sasquatch16

Yardley area. Hill that got me was on Eagle Rd. going north towards New Hope.

Sasquatch16

Would love to have gearing that low. Already have a triple up front @52, 42, 30 and rear cassette is 12 - 26. Thinking of getting a 34 tooth in back.

cplager

You can probably do something like a 52/42/26 without changing cassette (or you can do a 48/38/22 like me and switch to a 11-34 cassette on the back and keep your existing high range).

I very much like having "a double plus a real granny gear" - meaning the big two rings much closer than the granny. It does mean that I have to simultaneously shift the rear derailleur up two or three gears when I shift into the granny, but I'm very used doing it now and I very much like the lower gear when I need them.

I ride a recumbent, so I can't stand on climbs. On an upright, if you don't have the gears, that is always an option (although I'd recommend having the gears if possible).

Cheers,
Charles

Catlikeone

Oh yeah, Bucks county has some hills that just catch you off guard. The road quality is just a touch bone jarring as well a little north of you west of Washingtons Crossing. Beautiful scenery though.


If you want a good, long but very doable(I did after 30 hill miles coming in with minimal crying, which is alot, just ask paisan. And follow his advice/take a ride w/him! It's worth his clyde weight in gold) try going up 532 at Taylorsville intersection then bearing right for Wrightstown Rd for a couple of miles til 413. I'm pretty sure it maxes at 6% and avgs 2-4 but it's been awhile an need to check.


I have route tcx for that area if you want to practice hills

* checked- maxes at 5.2 avg 1.2 a hair below 6mi. No wonder there were no tears, very gentle lol.

rumrunn6

climbing out of the saddle is a whole different thing for anyone at any weight.