Technique for climbing hills?
#51
Senior Member
Same as everyone else stated. Definitions on spinning, grinding, and hills need to be made more clear.
I ride a hybrid. I am in the 26/34 gear often. I climb a lot. Saturday was an easy ride at 1800 feet in 25 miles. Typical easy road riding in western PA. I was in that 26/34 combo often enough.
Last year was my best year overall distance in 3.25 years of riding. 2000 miles and just over 100,000 feet of climbing. That's about 50/50 of flat trail riding and road riding the hills. I'll have to compile the numbers and see what the climbing was just for road riding as the trail riding really only gets me less than 750 feet in 60-75 miles while road riding can get me 2000+ feet in 20 miles or so.
If I had 42/32 gear combo, I'd be walking an awful lot. There are some hills that my bike computer doesn't show speed because I'm going too slow. I am at 2 mph a LOT on my rides and with 42/32, that would be grinding out at 20 rpm.
Thus, per the OP's information, they are not climbing any hills.
As for technique, it all comes down to what you are comfortable with. I'm not comfortable at spinning a high cadence and climbing. I have the gearing and I just drop it down and grind it out (talking 60-75 rpm) and ride slow. I have a lot of extra weight on not only my person (need to lose about 50 lb.) but also in the amount of water I carry. I have bags so I use them as I drink a lot of water (3 gallons worth in an all day casual 75 mile ride with friends.) I'm starting out carrying 15-20 extra pounds worth of drink.
If you're limited on gearing, then you don't have much of a choice. If you're limited to 42/32, then all you have is grinding out at a slow speed.
I ride a hybrid. I am in the 26/34 gear often. I climb a lot. Saturday was an easy ride at 1800 feet in 25 miles. Typical easy road riding in western PA. I was in that 26/34 combo often enough.
Last year was my best year overall distance in 3.25 years of riding. 2000 miles and just over 100,000 feet of climbing. That's about 50/50 of flat trail riding and road riding the hills. I'll have to compile the numbers and see what the climbing was just for road riding as the trail riding really only gets me less than 750 feet in 60-75 miles while road riding can get me 2000+ feet in 20 miles or so.
If I had 42/32 gear combo, I'd be walking an awful lot. There are some hills that my bike computer doesn't show speed because I'm going too slow. I am at 2 mph a LOT on my rides and with 42/32, that would be grinding out at 20 rpm.
Thus, per the OP's information, they are not climbing any hills.
As for technique, it all comes down to what you are comfortable with. I'm not comfortable at spinning a high cadence and climbing. I have the gearing and I just drop it down and grind it out (talking 60-75 rpm) and ride slow. I have a lot of extra weight on not only my person (need to lose about 50 lb.) but also in the amount of water I carry. I have bags so I use them as I drink a lot of water (3 gallons worth in an all day casual 75 mile ride with friends.) I'm starting out carrying 15-20 extra pounds worth of drink.
If you're limited on gearing, then you don't have much of a choice. If you're limited to 42/32, then all you have is grinding out at a slow speed.
#52
Full Member
I just did a ride a few days ago where it was rolling hills for the first 8 miles or so then decided to try the hill that I usually pass by. Its about four miles staight up at about an 8-9% grade the whole way (2000ft elevation for 4miles???). I thought I was in decent condition but I think I must have stopped about a dozen times to rest. It was when both my legs and lungs were about to explode.
I never walked up though. This thread started me thinking about technique. I think that a combination of standing/mashing in a higher gear mixed with spinning at a lower gear would be the trick. Knowing when to do each during the climb would be different for different folks. I need to work on that and find out what works for me...
I never walked up though. This thread started me thinking about technique. I think that a combination of standing/mashing in a higher gear mixed with spinning at a lower gear would be the trick. Knowing when to do each during the climb would be different for different folks. I need to work on that and find out what works for me...
#53
Senior Member
Seems the OP needs some lower gearing. at least 1:1, so something like a 32:32 for starters, if not lower.
#54
Banned
... going at close to walking speed and still gets tiring.
Younger and lighter ... in the 80's, Mt Tam road hill climb 36:28 low, often not even in the 28, but the 20 or 24.
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There is no objective definition of hill and steep that everyone can agree on. The best that I've seen is, if it's steep enough and long enough that it knocks you down to your lowest gears, and you still can't keep your preferred cadence up, it's a steep hill.
#56
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True. My idea of a steep hill might be someone else's modest incline. And my idea of a modest incline might be someone else's steep hill.
#57
Senior Member
I just did a ride a few days ago where it was rolling hills for the first 8 miles or so then decided to try the hill that I usually pass by. Its about four miles staight up at about an 8-9% grade the whole way (2000ft elevation for 4miles???). I thought I was in decent condition but I think I must have stopped about a dozen times to rest. It was when both my legs and lungs were about to explode.
I never walked up though. This thread started me thinking about technique. I think that a combination of standing/mashing in a higher gear mixed with spinning at a lower gear would be the trick. Knowing when to do each during the climb would be different for different folks. I need to work on that and find out what works for me...
I never walked up though. This thread started me thinking about technique. I think that a combination of standing/mashing in a higher gear mixed with spinning at a lower gear would be the trick. Knowing when to do each during the climb would be different for different folks. I need to work on that and find out what works for me...
#58
Full Member
Another trick is to pick a tune that sets a steady tempo in your mind. When I first started doing this, I'd pick a different song each time, but inevitably, my mind would drift to "du DUH du DUH du DUH DUH du DUH... du DUH du DUH du DUH DUH... du DUH du DUH du DUH DUH du DUH... Pop Goes the Weasel." I fought this for years, but have given in to the irresistible power of the subconscious.
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I just did a ride a few days ago where it was rolling hills for the first 8 miles or so then decided to try the hill that I usually pass by. Its about four miles staight up at about an 8-9% grade the whole way (2000ft elevation for 4miles???). I thought I was in decent condition but I think I must have stopped about a dozen times to rest. It was when both my legs and lungs were about to explode.
I never walked up though. This thread started me thinking about technique. I think that a combination of standing/mashing in a higher gear mixed with spinning at a lower gear would be the trick. Knowing when to do each during the climb would be different for different folks. I need to work on that and find out what works for me...
I never walked up though. This thread started me thinking about technique. I think that a combination of standing/mashing in a higher gear mixed with spinning at a lower gear would be the trick. Knowing when to do each during the climb would be different for different folks. I need to work on that and find out what works for me...
#61
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Hey so I have learned how to spin on the flat and downhill at a good cadence. But I find that its hard to do that at a low gear while climbing a hill, should I just go to a slightly higher gear and grind my way up hills or is spinning still more effective while climbing?
If you have low enough gears, spinning seated while doing that will be least fatiguing; although for some definition of "hill" you won't have gears that low. Staying seated still remains more efficient as your cadence drops until that no longer works. This is especially true if you have extra (beyond 2 pounds per inch of height) mass which will waste energy if it bobs around.
Joel Friel opines in https://www.joefrielsblog.com/2010/08...-or-stand.html
Body mass. The lower your body mass the more advantageous it is to stand on a climb. The greater your mass the better off you’ll be staying seated. One quick and simple way to come up with your body mass is to divide your weight in pounds (1kg = 2.2lbs) by your height in inches (1cm = 0.4in). So if you weigh 154 pounds (70kg) and you are 72 inches (180cm) tall your “mass” is 2.13 (154 / 72 = 2.13). I’ve found that for males the best climbers are at less than 2.0. These folks should stand a lot (think of Marco Pantani). Men in the range of 2.0 to 2.3 tend to alternate between standing and sitting a lot (for example, Lance Armstrong). Those men at 2.3 to 2.5 are best advised to sit a lot (like Miguel Indurain). Folks over 2.5 usually avoid hills. Women should use a scale which is about 0.2 lbs/in less (for example, under 1.8 are climbers).
Dropping below ~50 RPM you'll need to stand to keep the pedals turning.
Last edited by Drew Eckhardt; 03-27-17 at 06:39 PM.
#62
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My body mass is pushing 3.5 ... i think i should forget hill-climbing and see a doctor.
#63
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Is that a 42t big chainring and a 32t cassette? If so, that means your hills are not tough enough.
If that's a 42t cassette and a 32t inner chainring. Thats means you have enough low gears to climb vertical walls at a snails pace. That's a very low gear. If you want to travel faster than 4mph, choose a higher gear yes.
If that's a 42t cassette and a 32t inner chainring. Thats means you have enough low gears to climb vertical walls at a snails pace. That's a very low gear. If you want to travel faster than 4mph, choose a higher gear yes.
#64
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Merckx climbed mountains with a 42:28.. Freewheel.
Maybe you want a triple crankset, or one of the 46 -30 double cranks.. ?
Maybe you want a triple crankset, or one of the 46 -30 double cranks.. ?
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Hey so I have learned how to spin on the flat and downhill at a good cadence. But I find that its hard to do that at a low gear while climbing a hill, should I just go to a slightly higher gear and grind my way up hills or is spinning still more effective while climbing?
I find that when im spinning my low gear (42/32) I seam to be going at close to walking speed and still gets tiring.
I find that when im spinning my low gear (42/32) I seam to be going at close to walking speed and still gets tiring.
https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_speed
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Stupid question: if you are spinning and then realize you need to stand to make that last push, do you shift before you stand or stand and pedal in the same gear you were spinning in (I find my foot bottoms out)? What's the best timing and how many gears do you go up if you are going to mash it? Same question on the reverse if you go back to spinning....are you likely to drop a chain on a steep hill?
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I will usually shift before standing if that's possible. But you can still shift while out of the saddle. As long as you maintain a steady cadence and pressure on the pedals, a well-tuned modern drivetrain will shift under load.
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I don't know what the accepted method is but here's what I do. On my old 12 speed road bike where the lowest gears are not low enough, I stand, but not in the lowest gear. The 2nd and 3rd lowest gears work for me. On my new commuter I do the same. But my old mountain bike based commuter has crazy low hearing. On that bike I will sit straight up and grab the elbow rests of the aero bars and spin in a low gear. Of course I'm not racing, and my goal is not burning out be for I get home.
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#72
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I bet you don't even bother to lock it ...
Double points for innovation.
Double points for innovation.
#74
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#75
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Now that's some serious climbing! What technique do you use on that infinite % grade? A hoist?