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I want to climb a mountain.....

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  • 31-12-2013 1:57am
    #1
    Daroxtar
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭


    I just got back cycling in June after about 10 years of a break. I try to get out 2-3 times a week and am doing 50km at a time comfortably. I have no idea whatsoever about training techniques, I just go cycling and try to push myself as much as I can.

    I'm going on holiday to France for a week in April. I'm staying in Carcassonne and will get one days cycling allowance from she who must be obeyed.
    This is just up the road and I'm going to give it a lash.
    I have the choice of two routes from where I'm staying
    Here
    Or this
    I'll go up one and down the other.

    I know it's not the Alpe d'Huez but its a 1000m climb with some nasty sections so it'll do for me. I will make it up alright but I want to get there before dark and without throwing up:)
    I have no climbing training done and I live in the flattest part of Meath.
    Now I will be getting in some hill work between now and then but the vast majority of my cycling will be on the flat.

    What can I do on the flat to improve my climbing.
    Thanks in advance.


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    #2
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,544 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Daroxtar wrote: »

    What can I do on the flat to improve my climbing.
    Thanks in advance.
    Ride to the hills;)

    Seriously, there is no substitute to finding some hills and practising on them. Even if it's only a short one, do some repeats

    The only other thing I can suggest is to practice riding out of the saddle by engaging a high gear on whatever slopes you can find (or indeed on the flat).


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    #3
    CSteven88
    Registered Users Posts: 26 ✭CSteven88


    Hill repeats would be your best bet if you've no mountains. Find the biggest hill and just just go up it as many times as you can.


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    #4
    Daroxtar
    Registered Users Posts: 4,325 ✭✭✭Daroxtar


    Cheers guys.
    It seems like I've been doing the right thing unintentionally. I get out of the saddle quite a bit and shift a gear up to try and maintain speed as long as possible going up any kind of slope (mind you, I often end up back sitting and dropping down 2 gears shortly afterwards)

    Should I work on increasing my cadence on the flat, will that be of any benefit, or should I just keep pushing higher gears to build muscle for now?


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    #5
    quozl
    Registered Users Posts: 3,308 ✭✭✭quozl


    If you have a turbo trainer then it can really help.

    A decent climb is about maintaining a reasonable power for a long time without any rest - as you can't freewheel or soft peddle when going uphill. That's going to be some change if you really don't ever climb as you probably soft-peddle or freewheel more than you realise.

    You can do exactly that sort of training on a turbo. Something like 2x15 minutes or 2x20 minute intervals at slightly below your 1 hour pace. Maybe starting off at something like 4x5 or 3x8 initially as not being able to rest may come as a bit of a shock to the system ;)

    There's lots of advice out there on training for climbing on a turbo as they're quite well suited to it.
    Ideally you'd do most of the climb sitting down as it's less tiring but if the incline is too steep then you won't have a choice - it's really hard to tell from strava what a climb is like.


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