ree1
Grunt
Posts: 13
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Post by ree1 on Feb 6, 2010 19:24:04 GMT
I am hoping to do a few mountain bike marathons this year and, i am in need of a bit of help from you guys, in improving my climbing on hills . What is the best type of training to make climbing slightly easier because i am so slow. In the past i have done a couple of merida marathons and really suffered on the climbs .
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Post by Sandi on Feb 6, 2010 20:26:14 GMT
The only way you're going to get faster on the uphills is to just keep riding them. When i first started biking i thought i was going to be sick riding uphill, but know i just pace myself and find them much easier...... Optical illusions.......that's all they are ;D
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Post by boolie on Feb 6, 2010 21:21:32 GMT
Optical illusions.......that's all they are ;D If only that was true! My legs/thighs dont hurt at all (put that down to years of squats in bodypump) but they just will NOT turn any quicker and believe me I really try!
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Post by Oggy on Feb 6, 2010 21:45:14 GMT
If you are struggling on hills then ride lots of hills, simples A good way would be to pick a local loop about an hour long that contains lots of hills and do this 2 - 3 times a week. Stick your ipod in and go for it, timing yourself each time. Keeping it to just an hour makes it easy to do on work day evenings and even do the loop on the road as it means you dont get covered in shite everytime you go out. This has worked for me, last year i rode a loop that used to take me just over an hour, it was on tarmac but i did it on a mtb as that was all i had. I would do the loop at least 2 evenings a week somtimes 3 as well as my normal weekend riding, I did it mainly on my own with my ipod and used to really go for it. The diffrence it made to my fitness was brilliant. Okay im sure there are lots of technical hill climbing drills out there etc but i wouldnt know about them, just telling you what worked for me and I used to bloody hate hills
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Post by sally on Feb 6, 2010 22:10:35 GMT
don't think about them ,switch off and think about somthing else-and don't worry about the people ahead of you-everyone does hills in their own way
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Post by voodoopiles on Feb 7, 2010 0:14:36 GMT
You could try removing your saddle, gritting your teeth and just going for it...
Jesus Boolie !!!! ....you don't work on one of THOSE chat lines by any chance do you ?
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Post by S3dINS (AKA Nik) on Feb 7, 2010 0:50:50 GMT
I bought a cheapo heart rate monitor from Tesco the other day and tried it out while riding a local tarmac loop. I can honestly say it's THE biggest motivator i've found. I was staying at 89-90% of max heart rate while I was climbing and felt very comfortable.
I'm not saying this is how you should do it and I have a lot to learn about how to use my HRM properly but as a motivator and visual interface to see how you are actually coping as opposed to how you feel it's a very good motivator in my opinion.
(Russ will probably give me a kicking now for not using my HRM properly)
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Post by oldgit on Feb 7, 2010 10:05:25 GMT
When I trained for the "Hill Climb" season I use to go to the foot of the Horseshoe Pass and hammer the steep start over and over till I felt sick. Also rode lots of hills in 39 ring X 23 cog and spin in pain for a 30 miles circuit. Mind you it was in the Mallorca mountains
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Post by boolie on Feb 7, 2010 10:19:22 GMT
Jesus Boolie !!!! ....you don't work on one of THOSE chat lines by any chance do you ? Lol, no! Rail Signalling (exciting eh)
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Post by Damon on Feb 7, 2010 12:02:14 GMT
If you are struggling on hills then ride lots of hills, simples Yep! Climbing is my main weakness but going back for more today to just keep on working on it.
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Post by tinytim on Feb 7, 2010 16:42:01 GMT
as the peeps have been saying, ride more hills, session a hill even, session a steep one and when you think you have had it do it one more time ;D i,m gonna try something in the gym this year, dont know if it will work but im gonna do a hard hour on the spinning bike and then finish with ten sets of squats with a good weight at 15 reps just to finish my legs off once a week
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spinner
Have-a-go Hero
Get used to chasing !!
Posts: 180
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Post by spinner on Feb 7, 2010 19:23:45 GMT
just wondered if you are pedalling correctly Until I became a spinning instructor I used to just push down on the pedals and never even considered pulling up as well I see lots of riders pushing down hard on the pedals and can tell by their body motion that they are not pulling up. I may be teaching you to suck eggs but this tip might help others as well ;D You need to be clipped in for best results as you can't pull up with flats. Basically when you push down on a pedal you are using your quads and when you pull up you are using your hamstrings. So you could be only using half your leg power if you are only pushing down. Next time you are out try 'turning circles' ie when one leg is pushing down the other should be pulling up The trick is to do this very smoothly so the transition from pull to push becomes automatic. This is the optimum cycling pedal stroke and will utilise all your leg power. The problem is at first you really have to think about it as it is automatic to just push down and you find youself having to keep reminding yourself to pull up, as it is not a natural movement. Apparently even now Lance Armstrong practices this pedalstroke for hours at a time so it becomes second nature at all times. Hope this helps. To supplement this do hamstring curls as well as squats, lunges and leg extensions in the gym ;D ;D ;D Good luck .
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Post by ady on Feb 7, 2010 20:11:11 GMT
just wondered if you are pedalling correctly Until I became a spinning instructor I used to just push down on the pedals and never even considered pulling up as well I see lots of riders pushing down hard on the pedals and can tell by their body motion that they are not pulling up. I may be teaching you to suck eggs but this tip might help others as well ;D You need to be clipped in for best results as you can't pull up with flats. Basically when you push down on a pedal you are using your quads and when you pull up you are using your hamstrings. So you could be only using half your leg power if you are only pushing down. Next time you are out try 'turning circles' ie when one leg is pushing down the other should be pulling up The trick is to do this very smoothly so the transition from pull to push becomes automatic. This is the optimum cycling pedal stroke and will utilise all your leg power. The problem is at first you really have to think about it as it is automatic to just push down and you find youself having to keep reminding yourself to pull up, as it is not a natural movement. Apparently even now Lance Armstrong practices this pedalstroke for hours at a time so it becomes second nature at all times. Hope this helps. To supplement this do hamstring curls as well as squats, lunges and leg extensions in the gym ;D ;D ;D Good luck . Does this only apply to clipless pedals as I use flats, just wondered, as you cant pull up on flats, so I use a technique whereby you stroke the pedal like your scraping muck off your shoe, works well on very steep inclines.
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Post by missymaverick on Feb 7, 2010 20:29:47 GMT
I deffinately agree with spinner about being clipped in, it makes the uphills alot easier. I used flats for a short time and ended up with a bad back after long climbs. I went to see a physio would said it could be down to olny pushing down on the pedals and not pulling up, I quickly went back to clip ins and my back has not suffered the same since.
I also find bar ends really useful, keeping my back low on the bike and using the lockout on my shocks. All these little things help me getting up the hills faster and I just keep thinking that the views and the downhills will make it all worthwhile ;D ;D
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ree1
Grunt
Posts: 13
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Post by ree1 on Feb 7, 2010 21:53:55 GMT
I have been riding at cannock chase today and did 30 miles in which included follow the dog trail .Most of the ride consisting of gentle rolling hills and as i said before the hills hurt me.Like alot of you said i am gonna have to do more of them. When i get fitter i will go to the long mynd and the berwyn mountains again and hopfully become a stronger climber.
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