Where will you guys win the races the hills or the flats?
I am better in the hills but I will do more sprint and flats training next year.
I am better in the hills but I will do more sprint and flats training next year.
Sprinter or Climber
- Thread starter Yippie Kye Ay
- Start date
Definitely climber, especially long, hard climbs. Also pretty good on shorter climbs. Horrible sprinter, dooms me in some races, but at least my time trial skills are good enough I can sometimes attack and hold them off, a la Dekker.....Except that usually I get caught and watch everyone left in the front group (or whatever gropu i'm in) stream by. I'm also gonna' try to work on sprinting for next year.
At this point, I am a climer. I absolutely LOVE hills! That is where the group gets split up. So, even if I started in the back, I will climb my way to the front on the hill.
Although I live in Iowa, I can't really say that I am truly a hill climber. So this winter I will focus more around the final sprints to be able to win...you can't win without sprinting!
Although I live in Iowa, I can't really say that I am truly a hill climber. So this winter I will focus more around the final sprints to be able to win...you can't win without sprinting!
I'd say I'm more of a sprinter, but I'm still a decent climber and next year I should be able to stay with the front groups on hilly courses. I'm not confident in being able to win a field sprint, so ideally I'd use my climbing ability to stay with a small front group and I'd probably be one of the strongest sprinters in a six- or seven-up sprint. In short, both.
I'm climber type size at 70 kilo (150 pound?) but I've got a track background with my current focus on kilo's; so a bit of both. The problem around here is the a grade blokes can sprint and climb equally well due to sheer power which means that if you want to be up there you've got to be good at both. My style of course would be majority rolling hills with a few decent ones, flat for 10k before the finish to control any breaks and about a 3%uphill sprint. Problem is theres only one race on the calender like that!
"100% climber. im 5'10" and 125 lbs. i always beat everyone on the local group rides on the sprint hills. but then get toasted on flat sprints."
Haha, I hear ya. Im 134lbs at 5'10. I blame metabolism.
Haha, I hear ya. Im 134lbs at 5'10. I blame metabolism.
As a fairly large cyclist (6'1" and 170 lbs), I have to say that the sprints are for me. I can attack people like crazy on any kind of terrain but as far as holding them off me it's a bit more of a challenge. This next year I'm going to work on my climbing a lot more, hopefully enough that I won't need a triple crank on those steep climbs.
I'm also a climber @ 5'9" and 65 kilos although there are no real mountains to climb here in Ireland, just continuous shitty rolling roads in the country.
Try getting anywhere between 90 and 100kgs up a hill.Im definately not a climber thats for shure.One things for shure,i find it amazing how guys can fly up the steepest mountain that brings me to a near stand still,i have total respect for you climbers!!!
climber thru and thru. gotta love those hills/mountains as they make for a good 'suffer fest'. 5'3 @ 115lb (girl 
Here is the profile for my playground which is close to my home. The ulitmate challenge is to do this ride a few times back to back.
http://meinnovations.com/CourseProfiles/Cougar.htm
On weekends I head out to the mountains though.
Here is the profile for my playground which is close to my home. The ulitmate challenge is to do this ride a few times back to back.http://meinnovations.com/CourseProfiles/Cougar.htm
On weekends I head out to the mountains though.
what about endurance? some people would find it hard to answer this question....
so if you're not sure, look at yourself in the mirror
start at the bottom: ankles: wide or tiny, guys like pantani (tdf climber) could put their hands entirely around their ankles. = climber
if not: sprinter.
then look at your legs (actually all your limbs)
endurance type persons often are recognised by having relatively long but not thick limbs compared to their torso.
all up from their is greatly depending on what other sports you do apart from cycling.
just do heaps of different types of racing and you'll find out.
so if you're a climber, don't go to the freaking track unless you've got spare time,money and energy, you don't belong there.
if you're a sprinter, have a look
if you're into endurance (ultra marathon), you would not come back for a second 4 hour ride.
good luck.
so if you're not sure, look at yourself in the mirror
start at the bottom: ankles: wide or tiny, guys like pantani (tdf climber) could put their hands entirely around their ankles. = climber
if not: sprinter.
then look at your legs (actually all your limbs)
endurance type persons often are recognised by having relatively long but not thick limbs compared to their torso.
all up from their is greatly depending on what other sports you do apart from cycling.
just do heaps of different types of racing and you'll find out.
so if you're a climber, don't go to the freaking track unless you've got spare time,money and energy, you don't belong there.
if you're a sprinter, have a look
if you're into endurance (ultra marathon), you would not come back for a second 4 hour ride.
good luck.
