Any Hill Beats me, Please Help.

XC Racer

Hi
I've been riding and racing XC for a while now and I think I am going well.
Every Hill that I come to, I always get well behind the pack.
I have got advice from all my team members and they all say spinning it is the best way, and I found it is.
I am getting clipless pedals + shoes shorly.
What is my problem and how do I fix it?
I don't have a Heart Rate Moniter either.
Thanks for any suggestions/solutions.

2LAP

Is it your technique or fitness that you feel is lacking?

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Shibumi

XCR
Some thoughts:

Clipless pedals are a must, especially on hills. When you get them, you should see a big improvent, as you will be able to pull up on each pedal stroke as well as down.

Prior to the start of a major hill, aim to get yourself at the front of the bunch.

Weight is key on hills. Any excess will pull you down.

Get someone to look at your pedalling action on a hill (in training!). An elite rider did this for me, and it helped enormously. He got me to move further back on my saddle (just for the hill) to recruit my muscles better, and to ankle, to also bring the calf muscles into it a bit.

Spinning in a low gear is definitely the way to go.

Try moving your hands to the centre of the bars so that you can pull on them better.

And, of course, train on hills!

Drew

As a reformed road racer - got hit by a car some years back, and just getting back into it - some words of wisdom from my coach come to mind...

He used to advise that when you find yourself running out of legs, instead of changing down one gear, you change down 2 or 3, and then once you get back to a good spinning rate, you shift up again perhaps one gear...

This used to work for me when I was in my younger days, but I had my first serious road distance on Saturday for a while, with hills, rather than all flats, and the hills had me buggered... I can proudly say though, that I stayed in the saddle for all but two inclines, and although it was tempting to get off on one of them, I stayed on the bike for the duration!

Brizza

Are you strugling in XC or road?
On road I concentrate on my pedaling action, I imagine that I am scaping mud off the bottom of my foot.

In the bush there is skill in choosing your line, balance and getting your tire traction correct.

Clipless pedals will help you immensly.

XC Racer

Thanks for the advice guys, it has helped a little, but I still can't wait to get clipless.

Also, this has only started recently, my Lower Back really starts to hurt after a few hills, to the point where I am in severe pain.

What are some stretches to strengthen lower back muscles, or do I just need to do more hills?

Thanks.

2LAP

Back pain is normaly an indicator of a poor position, how is yours?

There are a few strength exercises that you can do to improve this area, back raises, squats, etc. Also have you thought about doing core stability work?

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Shibumi

XCR
Lower back pain is usually symptomatic of the need to perform some 'core strengthening' exercises. The best one, in my opinion, is sits ups / crunches on an exercise ball, as it calls in some of the lower back muscles as well as the abs. I know riders who have banished their back pain through regular exercise of this type.

infinitive one

the best way to get up the hill are
1 spin downstroke and upstoke
2 if in a group sit on the back of someones wheel not literally mind you this will minimise drag making it easier to get up the hills

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the right mind set is the key to victory

2LAP

When climbing speed normaly drops so the aerodynamic benefits of following someones wheel drops, following someones wheel or riding next to someone is good for motivation though.

Its usualy best to ride at your own pace though (when you can) as that minimises the fatigue that will be experianced.

Geonz

You're probably well beyond this -- but I found my climbing got a whole lot better when I didn't let my technique get sloppy. Instead of trying to push harder I focused on a smooth, round stroke. It made me a lot more consistent and, I'll bet, anybody riding near me appreciated it too :-) People do tend to come unglued on hills...

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BIGGERSTUFF

what do u guys mean by spinning?

2LAP

Pedaling quickly (high cadence) and smoothly.

Charlie Parker

My personal technique for hills, (not necessarily correct or healthy, but fast), make yourself some space in the pack, faking loss of balance/total incompetence can help here, then pick your line up the hill, pick a mid range gear then get your ass out of the saddle, stare at the ground two feet in front of your front wheel and hammer up the hill, use the corresponding descent to recover. Yeah, I know it's bad for your knees before a million people post replys telling you that, but the way I see it the cartilage you grind away is weight saved! As for lower back pain, check your saddle height, take a couple of ibuprofen before you race and beware of pedals with too little float, your feet connect to your legs which connect to your back, think about it.