How do I climb better

[Andre Maree]

Go to gym and do high reps weights for all mucles, arms, shoulders, core, and especially legs.

Make sure your saddle is not too far back, check your position on the bike.

Try to relax your upper body on the climb.

See the climb as a challenge, do not fear it.

[Eldron]

:clap:

Can I use that ?

 

All yours!

 

@Richard Best - riding an average of once per week will make all hills suck. There is no getting around that. Riding is very much a "what you put in is what you get out" kinda sport.

[Pusher]

Umm, once a week, sometimes less, sometimes twice. - Gym / biokinetics twice a week.

I have 2 kids under 3yrs of age and the wife and I both work, so time is few I'm afraid.

Take whatever time you have and train with a purpose. It's not easy when you have a young family and time is tight. What about 30 min hill training @ 5 in the mornings?

[LOOK695]

How hard do you go on the hills? I tend to do them at 90-95% HR

[NotSoBigBen]

Umm, once a week, sometimes less, sometimes twice. - Gym / biokinetics twice a week.

I have 2 kids under 3yrs of age and the wife and I both work, so time is few I'm afraid.

 

'once a week, sometimes less' - the best way to improve your riding is to RIDE YOUR BIKE more

[RudoJ]

 

The olde phrase "do what you hate" when training on your bike is the best advice.

 

 

Very true words, I loathe running, but it has improved my riding, so I wont stop. Maybe one day I'll like it again

[CatGirl]

ek kon ook nie bulte klim nie, ek het dit begin oefen ek is ma 54kg en het nie bo bene wat die boeings an die brand skop nie

 

i keep a steady pace, i concentrate on how i breathe

i make sure i have the correct position on the bike

ek het my attitude verander en nou skrik ek nie meer nie, ek kan enige bult ry

[The Ghost]

Take whatever time you have and train with a purpose. It's not easy when you have a young family and time is tight. What about 30 min hill training @ 5 in the mornings?

 

I try and squeek in a 6km hilly route in the afternoons when I can, Im going to try do it more often now - problem is, often the day after biokinetics Im sore and stiff, because we work hard there.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Richard Best

[The Ghost]

How hard do you go on the hills? I tend to do them at 90-95% HR

 

I think its about 120 - 140% HR.

I am very unfit as Im only starting to exercise again after a long lay off.

[Hairy]

How often do you ride your SS and on what types of terrain. I stay in a pretty hilly area with lots of up and down

 

I commute daily on a flat stretch to work and back.

Distance = about 50km per day with 25km of the leg usually into the teeth of a good old fashioned Cape Town South Easter. This helps with the strength building part.

 

The on Wednesdays we do the Table Mountain morning ride ... the SS has done a couple of them now and this is a fairly "hilly ride" .... like I said before. In the beginning you will feel like you are dying and a few rides later you will be flying up the climbs compared to your current standards.

 

Took the SS to Welwenpas a week ago and found the climbs to be ok on the SS with no real strain.

 

Further to this the rides on the flats have required a very high cadence to pace with the geared boys and has increased my anaerobic threshold by a good margin.

 

All in all it has made me fitter and faster ........ although I have not lost weight I have lost a few cm around the waist.

[Agteros]

'once a week, sometimes less' - the best way to improve your riding is to RIDE YOUR BIKE more

I strongly disagree with this statement

I ride once a week (MOSTLY less) but since I've started going to the biokineticist my bike riding and climbing improved... Ok, it has started going backwards again since I've literately stopped running as well

[NotSoBigBen]

I strongly disagree with this statement

I ride once a week (MOSTLY less) but since I've started going to the biokineticist my bike riding and climbing improved... Ok, it has started going backwards again since I've literately stopped running as well

 

And I'm only gonna say this once so listen UP! You're not 'normal', we do not all have the same cycling 'genes' you do

[Agteros]

And I'm only gonna say this once so listen UP! You're not 'normal', we do not all have the same cycling 'genes' you do

I do not cycling in genes. I cycle in lycra

[Garfield2010]

The Garf's top tips for climbing like the Pirate

 

1.) HTFU - grow a pair as climbing has never been for sissies

 

2.) Lose Weight - climbing difficulty is caused by gravity. Ever wondered why the TDF leaders always weight around 65kg's

 

3.) If you are fat (or has a big bone structure) accept it and become a downhill monster. If you can make up on the downhill what you lose on the uphill its cancels out doesnt it?

 

4.) Do MTB'ing - nothing makes you stronger than doing MTB races. The bike is heavier and the climbs more difficult as well

 

5.) It is all about the rythm. Forget the other guys around you and only focus on your own rythm - dont blow up

 

6.) Change your gear ratios. Try and keep the cadence nice and high. Lance always had a cadence of around 100 no matter if going up or not...

[Wyatt Earp]

Anyone who thinks that by riding once a week and improve will be enough, is only fooling themselves.

[The Ghost]

Max HR this weekend was 184 bpm, average was 169