How to stay climbing?

GT_TDI_150

How do you get passed the point when climbing, you're on your smallest gear(whatever that may be) and the pedals just wont turn anymore.

I know that training, training and more training will improve my climbing but that isnt going to help me on the caha or healy pass during the rebel tour.

Any tips?

kenmc

Just think. Each pedal stroke is one pedal stroke nearer the nicest beer you've ever had.

Inquitus

eat less, ride more

chakattack

Pull against the bars with your hands on the tops either side of the stem, move right to the back of the saddle and concentrate on pushing down and forward using your hamstring and arse muscles

Stand on the pedals in bursts of 10-15 revs before sitting again to break it up

Grit your teeth, put your head down and be stubborn about it....suffer

Try a bigger cassette

buffalo

chakattack wrote: »

Pull against the bars with your hands on the tops either side of the stem, move right to the back of the saddle and concentrate on pushing down and forward using your hamstring and arse muscles

Stand on the pedals in bursts of 10-15 revs before sitting again to break it up

Grit your teeth, put your head down and be stubborn about it....suffer

Try a bigger cassette

I do the opposite, when I'm really struggling up a climb I lean forward and put most of my weight on my handlebars, and then I spin the easiest gear I have. I don't have to huff and puff my weight from pedal to pedal, just spin.

Different strokes for different folks.

chakattack

Very true Buffalo, spin if you can. My advice was for when you can't push your lowest gear past 30-40 rpm.

J Madone

chakattack wrote: »

Very true Buffalo, spin if you can. My advice was for when you can't push your lowest gear past 30-40 rpm.

Depends on your weight also, as to technique. If you weigh less than 10 stone I imagine it would be easy enough!
I'm 78 kg now and was 94kg when I started cycling. Used to spin as best I could, now a mix of mostly seated 70 - 90 rpms with a few bursts of out of the saddle.
Stick with it and it will get easier.

Cookie_Monster

get out of the saddle and use more of your body weight to help push down on the peddle.

Start using the dash lines of the road (if any) celebrate each time you get past one (the you'd be real desperate to go there, I've only had to do that once )

IM0

bottom line is learn to pace yourself better so you dont blow before the climb finishes, and or get a bigger cassette

colm_gti

Don't look up!

CillianL

1. A lot of climbing is in the mind, so if you're mentally flakey you'll never climb well for a start.

2. Otherwise, check the gear ratios on your bike or ask at a proper bike shop.
If you're only doing sportives there's no need for a racing 39/53 chainset a compact such as 36/50 would be easier. Likewise its the same for the rear cassette big gears are a waste of time if you're not competing

3. Eat properly. Steep climbing will drain your glycogen reserves something fierce, so eat a meals high in protein and carbohydrates especially the day before an event you want to do well in

4. Lose weight and train hard, you won't get good overnight but the simple answer is you have to work for it

Unregistered.

What's all this bigger cassette non-sense?

Idleater

CillianL wrote: »

1. A lot of climbing is in the mind, so if you're mentally flakey you'll never climb well for a start.

Indeed, concentrate on the garmin for a couple of minutes to take the mind off the hill. I found myself doing this quite a bit over the pyrenees.

Qualitymark

Get off the bicycle and lie flat on your back, cry a little bit, then eat some Walker's toffee and drink cold water.

smacl

If the event is just around the corner, getting a larger cassette is probably the only pragmatic option. If you get knackered on the hill, unclip, put your feet down for 10-20secs, and start off again. Giving yourself a hernia on a climb you're not quite up to makes no sense, particularly if you've more climbs left that day. Most importantly, enjoy it!

ROK ON

I am fat and invariably slow on climbs.

Years ago I used to get off and stop.
I now just refuse to get off. Simply push through it. Even for very poor climbers there are almost now climbs in this country that are longer than 30 minutes.
When you think about it 30 minutes is not a long time to suffer.
I found interval training helped - hills and turbo training.
You get used to the pain and are able to handle it better as a result.

Idleater

Qualitymark wrote: »

Get off the bicycle and lie flat on your back, cry a little bit, then eat some Walker's toffee and drink cold water.

ednwireland

ROK ON wrote: »

I am fat and invariably slow on climbs.

me too its down to gearing and knowing you cant keep up with young wippets and have to take climbs at your own pace, taking it steady at the start even if everyone is wizzing past you takes some restraint, but once you know you'll blow up half way up if you dont its not as bad

Dermot Illogical

At the Giant's Causeway last year a lot of people were using a zig zag technique to get over Torr Head. I suppose if you're really on the limit and there's room to do it, it might work.

Lumen

RT66 wrote: »

At the Giant's Causeway last year a lot of people were using a zig zag technique to get over Torr Head. I suppose if you're really on the limit and there's room to do it, it might work.

I did that zig-zag thing in a club hillclimb up that stupid Kilmashogue place this year. It was that or get off and toss the bike.

You'd want to be on your own though. There was a funny video posted a few weeks back of some people struggling on a slippery hill on an Irish sportive. Total carnage.

Raam

Lumen wrote: »

I did that zig-zag thing in a club hillclimb up that stupid Kilmashogue place this year. It was that or get off and toss the bike.

You'd want to be on your own though. There was a funny video posted a few weeks back of some people struggling on a slippery hill on an Irish sportive. Total carnage.

LOL at people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VSayKZOAu4

lennymc

Idleater wrote: »

which col was that?

ashleey

Don't get off and stop as its tough to get going again without wanting to stop again in 20 seconds.

And get a 28/11 on the back with a compact front. Contador has been using a 32 on the back this week.

thebouldwhacker

I would have to agree with all that esp ROK saying he is slow........
My top tip is go up with confidence. Do hill repeats and know your body. Start the hill at the speed you hope to finish it at and let nothing in the tank at the end, the beauty of cycling is that down hills allow you to recover. Do this and you'll soon catch and pass all the cyclists who belt up hell for leather.
The caha is a fine climb, it gives you little breaks now and again and has one of the best descents around, the Healy pass however is different, it has so many twists and turns you can forget if your going up or down.

brasshead

Raam wrote: »

LOL at people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VSayKZOAu4

Oh, the humanity.

monkeyslayer

concentrating on your breathing also helps, never ever get off and walk

Idleater

lennymc wrote: »

Idleater wrote: »

which col was that?

Col du Porte, it was nice and warm in the sun.
manafana posted the other picture of me taking that picture if you get me.

Hungrycol

Keep pushing until your knees explode.

NeedMoreGears

My problem on hills is lack of strength rather than power or even endurance (as in very slow speed endurance). I had a 34/26 setup which I found I simply couldn't turn on steep hills (7% or more). I had to zig zag. I changed to 34/30 and had no trouble and even found myself passing people on occasion. Having said that I now have 34/28 which I find perfect.

el tel

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

How do you get passed the point when climbing, you're on your smallest gear(whatever that may be) and the pedals just wont turn anymore.

I know that training, training and more training will improve my climbing but that isnt going to help me on the caha or healy pass during the rebel tour.

Any tips?

This thread title and post is like asking how do you walk when you can't walk anymore!

If you have tried everything you can to keep pedalling and the pedals won't turn anymore and you want to keep climbing its unavoidable that you are going to stop climbing, unless you hang onto to a passing vehicle or get a push. So, to continue upwards under your own steam you have to stop first.

Or am I missing something??

My tip would be step off before you fall over.

Hermy

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

How do you get passed the point when climbing, you're on your smallest gear(whatever that may be) and the pedals just wont turn anymore.

What gives when you can't turn the pedals any more? Do you run out of air? Are your legs aching? Sounds like you might not have a low enough gear that suits you on longer climbs. Either way more time spent climbing hills will make your legs stronger and your breathing less laboured.
Also it helps if you enjoy the pain!:pac:

check_six

My brain promises my body I can get off the bike if I just do one more pedal rotation.

The trick is to make sure your brain is a convincing liar.

smurphy29

I enjoy climbing in a perverse way. Weighing only 65kgs is a help I guess. Practice is the only way to really improve as a climber in my experience, but there are ways of making the climbing experience more manageable.

A heart rate monitor is a huge help - it lets you know when you're overdoing it. If you're at your max and there's still 3k to go chances are you're about to blow up. It's a great tool to pace yourself and focusing on your heart rate can also help as a distraction from the dreadfulness.

Icyseanfitz

i like to think of how ashamed id be if i had to walk tends to keep me pushing

C3PO

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

i like to think of how ashamed id be if i had to walk tends to keep me pushing

Another good reason to buy proper road shoes - walking uphill is not really an option on Look cleats!!

spokesm0del

I think a big part of it is psychological. When I started out I'd get to the steep bits and I was saying to myself "I can't do this", and sure enough I'd have to get off. What worked for me was distracting myself with something totally mindless - counting every exhalation. Then you can say to yourself, I'll just keep going to 30... then to 50... and then you find you're at the top of the hill! I think the counting also helps to keep a steady pace. I try and do 1 and a half pedal revolutions for every breath.

GT_TDI_150

C3PO wrote: »

Another good reason to buy proper road shoes - walking uphill is not really an option on Look cleats!!

have look cleats, or more accurately, had look cleats but did the walking think and destroyed them

smacl

C3PO wrote: »

Another good reason to buy proper road shoes - walking uphill is not really an option on Look cleats!!

Or MTB shoes and SPDs even.

Dermot Illogical

I'm only recently getting comfortable on hills and my advice so far would be as follows:

Make sure you have enough gears on the bike for the route you're planning.
Get into the correct gear just before the climb begins.
Start out easy.
Use power only where you have to. It is possible to recover while climbing as long as gradient allows, so don't use up buckets of energy on those parts of the climb. Save the power for the steeper parts.
Stay sitting as much as possible.
Get into a rhythm if possible.
Do your own pace, not that of those around you.
Consider how happy you will be if you make it without stopping, or how embarrassed you'll be if you don't.

Lumen

The reason people new to cycling find going up hills hard is because it's a stupid, unnatural thing to do.

Look at Alpe d'Huez. Even the trees can't be arsed getting to the top.

Morrisseeee

Ah yes, I'm sure we've all been there, you hit that hill in full confidence, but wait it's steeper than it looks :eek: :
jeebus holy moly I'm in the big ring, click click click, damn you front deraileur..............work , no joy, ok I'm slowly heading towards the ditch, in a kind of funeral death march,
/play said music in background,
ok I've now come to a stop, unclip unclip FFS would one of ye (feet) beep beepin unclip for the love of shimano..............
/but no, there shall be no unclipping today,
ok ok I'm balancing it, all is ok, look I'm balancing it................
/cue short period of time (mili-seconds but you want it to last minutes),
/and then............................it's all over................the fall
/all kneel

:pac:

jinkypolly

RT66 wrote: »

I'm only recently getting comfortable on hills and my advice so far would be as follows:

Make sure you have enough gears on the bike for the route you're planning.
Get into the correct gear just before the climb begins.
Start out easy.
Use power only where you have to. It is possible to recover while climbing as long as gradient allows, so don't use up buckets of energy on those parts of the climb. Save the power for the steeper parts.
Stay sitting as much as possible.
Get into a rhythm if possible.
Do your own pace, not that of those around you.
Consider how happy you will be if you make it without stopping, or how embarrassed you'll be if you don't.

This is exactly what I was going to post.
For long climbs start easy don't ride on the biting point the whole time and for me I would say DO NOT get out of the saddle. For me getting out of the saddle is like pulling the plug in the bath, all that remaining energy is going to get used up super quick.
Remember, softly softly catchy monkey.

Max_Charger

Do hills that are strava segments, that will feckin motivate ya to turn the pedals :pac:

Icyseanfitz

C3PO wrote: »

Another good reason to buy proper road shoes - walking uphill is not really an option on Look cleats!!

ive got em, i try to make walking up a hill as unattractive as i can :pac:

seamus

I tend to do hils the same as most people; hit them hard, push up them as hard as I can reasonably go and then when the road levels out, continue to whimper along in a low gear for about 60 seconds while I recover.

I went out and did a threshold spin last weekend which basically involves managing your effort level so it hovers around your lactate threshold without going over it. So this involved quite a bit of holding back on the climbs. I was actually enjoying the climb up stocking lane for once, it was quite pleasant. What I didn't expect was the energy available to me when the road levelled out - there was no recovery time at all, I was able to flick down the gears and push on harder than I would before. So while I made no great time on the climb up Stocking Lane, on the road from Viewpoint to Featherbeds, I was a full minute faster than my previous fastest because I had no recovery time off stocking lane.
I did this for all of the climbs on the spin with the end result that I rode the entire 50km route ten minutes faster than the previous time I'd done it in practically identical conditions.

What this has to do with climbing technique is that if you find yourself red in the face, your heart pumping in your ears and you're struggling to make 50rpm on the pedals, then it's too late to do anything about it. You're already exhausted and the only way to regain your energy is to rest, i.e. stop.
So you need to avoid getting to that point in the first place, and realistically this involves holding back near the start of the climb rather than pushing it as hard as you can go. This does tend to come with experience, when you get to know your favourite climbs you will know if it's long or short or if there's a complete bastard of a section just around the corner, so you'll know if you need to hold back or if you can afford to pump it.

But for unfamiliar climbs or just when you're starting out, avoid trying to mash the hardest gear you can. Guess what gear you think you'll need and change into it before you start up the hill. If it's a long hill, then find the gear that works for you and choose the next easiest one. You'll thank me at the end of the climb :pac:
If you're already on the easiest gear and it's a bit too hard, then you might have to suck it up and drop your cadence.

Watching your HR is really useful for gauging just how hard you're working and how quickly you're going to die (figuratively, though it's probably useful in the literal sense too). Roughly find your Max HR and your resting HR. Then you take RHR from MHR to get your HR Reserve (HRR). Work out 80% of your HRR and then add this to your RHR to get a rough idea of the maximum you can let your HR go when climbing.

So as an example, imagine MHR = 200 and RHR = 60. 200 - 60 = 140 = HRR. 80% of this is 112. Plus 60 = 172. So when climbing you watch your HR and try not to let it go over 172. You should be able to climb practically all day if do this. You won't win any KOMs, but you won't feel like puking either. As you ride more then you'll be able to push it on hills and work at a higher HR for longer.

endacl

Raam wrote: »

LOL at people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VSayKZOAu4

Brilliant. May have had to stop the vid half way through. May also have wet meself. Just a little bit.

Thanks.

Qualitymark

To give a slightly serious answer, take a run at each hill and go on until it begins to be too uncomfortable, then get off and walk. Each time you'll get a little further, and the point at which the discomfort begins will get a little later. Cycling isn't S&M (unless you like it that way, of course, each to his own), and if you take it easy on yourself you'll build up strength and endurance while still getting pleasure out of your cycle.

Serious answer 2: make sure you're riding a bike that suits you in frame size, frame shape, weight, wheelbase length, handlebars, type of wheels and tyres. If you feel like your bike is a trusty part of you, you'll be much better able to handle hills.

RobertFoster

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

i like to think of how ashamed id be if i had to walk tends to keep me pushing

Which is more embarrassing? Walking, or slowly keeling over?

Some hills make me feel like my heart is going to stop, or I'm going to stop pedalling and not manage to unclip before I topple over, or even sometimes like the bike is going to flip backwards. Like everyone else says though, with practice you get better.

Hills I had to stop on last year I've been able to climb this year (out of the Naul), but I've also found more hills that I need to HTFU practice more (into Bellewstown).

smacl

One other trick I use is to make sure I do a few awkward steep ramps every now and again (full wall, devils elbow, kilmashogue, etc) as they make the other hills seem relatively much less steep. Going from a short 15-20% section back down to a 8-12% makes the latter feel like a recovery zone, which makes it psychologically much easier on a longer climb. Self induced mindfck no doubt, but it seems to work for me.

Dermot Illogical

RobertFoster wrote: »

Hills I had to stop on last year I've been able to climb this year (out of the Naul), but I've also found more hills that I need to HTFU practice more (into Bellewstown).

Have you tried Belgee outside Naul?

humbert

I focus hard on rhythm, breathing and pedalling. It sort of puts me into a trance but gets me up hills.

When the rhythm falls apart and I'm gasping and punching at the pedals I know the game's up.