Holy Catfish! It’s SPRING!

Conquering Hills

One of the larger challenges in cycling is going uphill.  For new riders this can be particularly daunting.  It’s bad enough when the new rider reaches the hill alone, and finds that it’s hard to get to the top.  It gets worse in a group ride.  The perception is…

“I was doing pretty good, and then we got to that hill, and everyone just took off and left me.  I mean they went up that thing like it wasn’t even there!  And it was killing me!  Am I really that bad?”

This can be a real blow to the self-image.  The truth is, there isn’t all that much difference between the new rider, and those who are clobbering them on the hill.  Yet, on the road, that small difference equates to something that looks huge.  Here’s why it looks so bad.

If another rider has a one mile per hour advantage on you, they are opening up a gap at a rate of 88 feet per minute.  That doesn’t sound all that bad, but it’s fifteen bike lengths, in one minute.  And that looks like an unbridgeable gap, especially if it keeps widening and you are already winded.

There are several factors that figure into hill climbing ability.

• Fitness
• Bike adaptation
• Weight
• Technique

We’ve already devoted a good bit of  time to fitness.  It comes with persistent work, and it takes the time it takes.

Bike adaptation means becoming accustomed to your bike, to the position, and to operating the bike well.  This too comes with time.

Weight.  Get lighter.  That takes time too.

So what can one do from a technique standpoint?  Actually rather a lot.

There are two principles invovlved in good climbing.

• It’s the average speed that gets you over the hill, not the maximum.
• Don’t go anaerobic too soon.

That first point is rather crucial.  Many riders intuitively think that they need momentum to get over the hill faster and better.  That means that they want to attack the hill, to hit it at a high speed.  This actually doesn’t work well.  But it sure looks like that’s what is going on when one sees the “experts” hitting the big hill.  First off, they descend the previous hill faster.  But of course!  There’s nothing like “free speed,” and the more knowledgeable and experienced rider has learned how to gain some of that on the descent.  But this can lure the newer rider into thinking that higher speed on the previous hill, and through the bottom is essential.  So the new rider waits until close to the bottom of the descent, and then powers up the bike, and then tries to hold  that higher speed.

Honest, this just doesn’t work.  First, the aerobic capacity used is huge, so one arrives at the bottom of the hill, already close to anaerobic limit.  Second, the higher speed drastically increases wind drag (a non-linear force).  (Oops!)  Third, the hill is still waiting and gravity (another non-linear force) begins to drag one back.

The older and wiser cyclists will remind us of two truths.  1)  Races are won on hills.  2)  Don’t go anaerobic too soon.

The thing is, if a rider can not choose exactly where to “go anaerobic, then the advice in that second point is useless. The beginning of the hill is too soon.  If the hill decides when the anaerobic limit is reached, the rider is not capable of taking that advice.

So what’s the answer then?  Simple.  Learn how to control your efforts in a climb.

First off, stop trying to carry speed into the beginning of the climb.  Coast down the hills, and let gravity do its job.  Descents are for recovery!

As for picking the right place to increase power on a hill, one must first learn to get over the entire hill without going anaerobic.  This is best done by performing a fairly simple, but highly instructive drill.

Efficient Hill Drills:

Do this drill on a solo ride.  (Honest this one does not work well with riding partners along!)

Pick a hill.  For your first attempt, pick one that is moderately long, but not too steep.

Before starting, choose two heart rate levels.  The first is your “Target Heart Rate.”  The second is your “Do Not Exceed Heart Rate.”  For the purposes of this drill “Target Heart Rate should be quite low, around 75% to 80% of Lactate Threshold.  The “Do Not Exceed HR” is slightly higher, typically 80% to 85% of LT.

Coast down the previous hill, and approach your exercise climb at a gentle rate, breathing easily.

Now begin climbing, and attempt to hold your heart rate below the target.  You may sacrifice almost anything to keep your heart rate down.  Go to lower gears, slow your cadence, relax your upper body, loosen your grip on the bar, control yoru breathing, even let your facial muscles go slack.

If you exceed your target, slow down.

If you hit your “Do Not Exceed HR” you must stop, do a standing recovery until your HR is well below 75% LT.  And begin again.

Once you have mastered this hill (and don’t be dismayed if it takes several attempts to do so) you may select a different hill for the exercise.

Repeated “Efficient Hill Drills” will teach you to climb efficiently, and will put you in control of the hill, not the other way around.  You will find that you can use the same techniques, at somewhat higher heart rates to climb almost any hill efficiently and smoothly.  Remember, smooth is fast.

Good luck with your climbing!


NOTE:  This concluded the "Spring Training Series," which started with the March 13 post.  Beginning next week  "Utility Cycling 101."    Don't miss it!