Post by scaredycat on Oct 17, 2011 10:06:24 GMT
Hi everyone,
Wanting to find simple ways to improve my fitness and improve my hill climbing endurance during my busy working week.
I decided to make it my mission to be able to cycle up Glanrafon hill (the one where student union used to be going up to morrisons) with relative ease figuring that if I was able to cycle up it (even if it isnt off road), then I would be better able at cycling up some of the ones on the mtb trails.
I say I want to do it with relative ease and what I mean is that it would be nice to be able to cycle up it in gears 3/7 at the beginning and perhaps shift down to 2/6 when it gets a bit steeper (my bike has 3 big cogs and 9 little ones, dont know the correct terms for all this stuff).
Just thought it might be an idea to start a thread decribing how I am getting along sending out an invitation to any of you lot that want to give any advice, support and/or encouragement.
I woke quite naturally at 5:15am this morning, so I knew it was meant to be!...went out and gave it a shot...
I got up to the left turn (which goes to uni buildings) before the bollards of the first turn on 3/7 and then thought it would be a good idea to go down to 2/6...(was doing the standing uppy peddling whatever that is called)...continued a little further, thighs exploding puffed out, time to go down to 2/5, managed to go a little further and then needed my first stop a short way after the turn..."DAMN IT!!...its all good, its all good" *has a breather, long enough to feel like I have the energy to give it some welly*...back I go, manage to get as far as the little left turning with the steps just over half way up before needing to stop again, thighs wanting to burst, has another breather and off I go.
So I managed to get up there stopping twice...which is pretty shameful in relative terms to you lot, but you'll all help me to do it in one wont you?!
I have a couple of questions about my technique. Was I right to do the standy uppy peddling in a higher gear and have a couple of rests, or should I have gone into a lower one sooner and do sit down riding?
Personally, I much prefer being in a gear higher and peddling slowly but pushing hard, I feel like I have more power and control over what I am doing, but I dont know if I am correct for doing this.
Would it be a better strategy to peddle faster sitting down and try to get up without having rest stops, than doing it in the gears I want to do it in, and feel comfortable using, but still needing rest stops?
Tomorrow (if I manage/have time to go out) I might try it in lower gears and sitting to see if I can even make it up without stopping/stopping less that way...what do you guys and gals think?...although, it just doesnt feel natural sitting down when I am trying to push myself up...hmm
I am also going to try to do some of those core strength exercises in the evening in that video that Craigy Boy linked to in his core strength thread.
So, do you have any advice about my technique and strategy that I can practice when I next go out?
Stand up or sit down? High gear slow peddling or low gear fast peddling?
The two stops that I needed were quite close together, so I guess it is just a matter of figuring out how to conserve enough to put more energy into that part?
*sinister low determined whisper* I'm_going_to_do_this_hill!
disclaimer: If this is totally stupid and boring, then, many apologies for spamming up the forum
Wanting to find simple ways to improve my fitness and improve my hill climbing endurance during my busy working week.
I decided to make it my mission to be able to cycle up Glanrafon hill (the one where student union used to be going up to morrisons) with relative ease figuring that if I was able to cycle up it (even if it isnt off road), then I would be better able at cycling up some of the ones on the mtb trails.
I say I want to do it with relative ease and what I mean is that it would be nice to be able to cycle up it in gears 3/7 at the beginning and perhaps shift down to 2/6 when it gets a bit steeper (my bike has 3 big cogs and 9 little ones, dont know the correct terms for all this stuff).
Just thought it might be an idea to start a thread decribing how I am getting along sending out an invitation to any of you lot that want to give any advice, support and/or encouragement.
I woke quite naturally at 5:15am this morning, so I knew it was meant to be!...went out and gave it a shot...
I got up to the left turn (which goes to uni buildings) before the bollards of the first turn on 3/7 and then thought it would be a good idea to go down to 2/6...(was doing the standing uppy peddling whatever that is called)...continued a little further, thighs exploding puffed out, time to go down to 2/5, managed to go a little further and then needed my first stop a short way after the turn..."DAMN IT!!...its all good, its all good" *has a breather, long enough to feel like I have the energy to give it some welly*...back I go, manage to get as far as the little left turning with the steps just over half way up before needing to stop again, thighs wanting to burst, has another breather and off I go.
So I managed to get up there stopping twice...which is pretty shameful in relative terms to you lot, but you'll all help me to do it in one wont you?!
I have a couple of questions about my technique. Was I right to do the standy uppy peddling in a higher gear and have a couple of rests, or should I have gone into a lower one sooner and do sit down riding?
Personally, I much prefer being in a gear higher and peddling slowly but pushing hard, I feel like I have more power and control over what I am doing, but I dont know if I am correct for doing this.
Would it be a better strategy to peddle faster sitting down and try to get up without having rest stops, than doing it in the gears I want to do it in, and feel comfortable using, but still needing rest stops?
Tomorrow (if I manage/have time to go out) I might try it in lower gears and sitting to see if I can even make it up without stopping/stopping less that way...what do you guys and gals think?...although, it just doesnt feel natural sitting down when I am trying to push myself up...hmm
I am also going to try to do some of those core strength exercises in the evening in that video that Craigy Boy linked to in his core strength thread.
So, do you have any advice about my technique and strategy that I can practice when I next go out?
Stand up or sit down? High gear slow peddling or low gear fast peddling?
The two stops that I needed were quite close together, so I guess it is just a matter of figuring out how to conserve enough to put more energy into that part?
*sinister low determined whisper* I'm_going_to_do_this_hill!
disclaimer: If this is totally stupid and boring, then, many apologies for spamming up the forum
