Falling going uphill

EAE said:

I've got blisters on my hands from holding on so tight. What is the secret?

Don't hold on so tightly. Hills take some practice, but there's no secret. Just relax and don't push yourself too hard at the bottom.

And, if you're going that slow, be ready to unclip at a moments notice. I did the same thing when I first started riding with clips. I stalled and forgot to unclip. I'm sure I looked like the guy on the tricycle from the old Laugh-In show. And you are right...its very humbling.

EAE said:

Very humbling. The area around me is fairly flat...maybe a few inclines. I went with a friend this weekend for a hill ride - and I'm going to call this one a mountain. It nearly killed me. I ride centuries regularly with no problem...so I would consider myself fairly fit on the bike. But I fell half way up the first climb..I literally could not pedal and just toppled over. I picked myself up and kept going. When the next one came, I was in the little ring, spinning, when I and I think I just powered my way up it....I've got blisters on my hands from holding on so tight. What is the secret?

I am NOT trying to diagnose you, but let me relate a situation which happened to someone I know ...

A few years ago, he apparently became short-of-breath & felt a little weak during a "regular" ride to the Crest ... I reckon he was above 8,000 feet, but below 9,000 when this occurred by the way the story was related (the Crest is at 11,000 feet).

I don't know how much procrastination, if any was involved, or if he went to his doctor within a few days ... OR, that afternoon.

The short version is that he was diagnosed with a "heart condition" ... I don't recall the particulars, but he changed his diet and went from a "normal" weight to being a bit leaner at his doctor's recommendation.

AFAIK, he is fine (well, he looked fine the last time I saw him).

That's a worst case scenario for you to investigate if you find yourself becoming weak when doing other things which require some physical effort OR if you have the same experience the next time you have to climb those hills ...

Not to leave you with THAT to fret over, the best case scenaro is that you were simply approaching being bonked that day, and the next time you attack those hills, you will motor up it with the same ease as your friends.

EAE said:

What is the secret?

There is absolutely no secret. You simply need to do climbs regularly... Really, it's as simple as that...🙂

roadfix said:

There is absolutely no secret. You simply need to do climbs regularly... Really, it's as simple as that...🙂

What about shifting on hills? I never had a problem before but these were so much steeper than the "little inclines" I used to think of as hills....and my chain was tight....

riding hills takes ALOT of practice, and the first few times you do them you will feel absolutely stuffed at the end... but take your time and work up to them bit by bit.

try riding in a middle-range gear and standing up pedaling for a bit to get some momentum, then sit for a bit, then stand for a bit, then sit... etc etc etc try not to shift too far into granny-mode unless you really do need to. you are more likely to get up the hill by a mix of standing/sitting pedalling than going into granny gear and spinning all the way up, and you wont be as zonked when you get to the top.

in a little while, you should be able to stand up and pedal most of the way to the top. and you will find its alot easier and less straining on your legs.

i live in an area that is nothing but hills, and i must ride these hills to get to the flat bits in between... then its over to the hills on the other side of town.

needless to say, i got used to hill climbs pretty quickly 😄

roadfix said:

There is absolutely no secret. You simply need to do climbs regularly... Really, it's as simple as that...🙂

I concur....how steep was the hill?

I climb a mountain regularly which has a 15 or so percent grade, and the part I first found most difficult to get over was the fact that I wasn't going to get up it very fast. Just remember your cadence and use your gears accordingly. cheers

asterope said:

riding hills takes ALOT of practice, and the first few times you do them you will feel absolutely stuffed at the end... but take your time and work up to them bit by bit.

try riding in a middle-range gear and standing up pedaling for a bit to get some momentum, then sit for a bit, then stand for a bit, then sit... etc etc etc try not to shift too far into granny-mode unless you really do need to. you are more likely to get up the hill by a mix of standing/sitting pedalling than going into granny gear and spinning all the way up, and you wont be as zonked when you get to the top.

in a little while, you should be able to stand up and pedal most of the way to the top. and you will find its alot easier and less straining on your legs.

i live in an area that is nothing but hills, and i must ride these hills to get to the flat bits in between... then its over to the hills on the other side of town.

needless to say, i got used to hill climbs pretty quickly 😄

actually, from a heart rate perspective, it's just as hard/easy sitting while climing as standing. I belive one of the pro-tour teams did alot of testing of this. My heart rate actually drop while sitting. It's good too alternate tho.
Also, it takes _alot_ of training to maintain the same pedaling technique while standing as sitting. I would work on my leg strenght.

bbolstad said:

actually, from a heart rate perspective, it's just as hard/easy sitting while climing as standing. I belive one of the pro-tour teams did alot of testing of this. My heart rate actually drop while sitting. It's good too alternate tho.
Also, it takes _alot_ of training to maintain the same pedaling technique while standing as sitting. I would work on my leg strenght.

It makes sense that your heart rate rises while standing. When standing you are having to expend more musclar energy to support more of your body weight. The real reason to stand is to incoporate a few different muscles into the peadling process and to help ward off fatigue as quickly.

L

What gear where you in?