Training & Nutrition - training for hills on flat road?

So I live in the flat part of Alabama, and my questions is there anyone to train for hills (I am not talking 10% grade here, just long uphill climbs) which do not involve driving to somewhere which has hills? I do not have a trainer, but I am hoping to get one in the next six months or so.

It's all about effort... a good head wind is as difficult as a lot of hills. Or just ride hard. Hills are still different, but you'll develop strength and capacity that transfer well.

"It's all about effort... a good head wind is as difficult as a lot of hills. Or just ride hard. Hills are still different, but you'll develop strength and capacity that transfer well."

Roadbuzz is right I've come up to a hill and it got easier because the hill blocked the wind.

Just ride as hard as you can.

Joe

Originally posted by joeprim
Roadbuzz is right I've come up to a hill and it got easier because the hill blocked the wind.
:roflmao:
And then, you crest the hill and get that headwind. Oooph.

I should have elaborated a little more. Basically, what you're after is what I think Chris Carmichael calls a muscle tension workout. With hills, it's obvious... point your bike up and pedal to the top in a gear that forces your cadence down into the 60s or thereabouts. On the flats, it means pushing a lot bigger gear than you normally would.

You might try riding without a seat and seat post. Especially if you ride into a real strong wind.

Saw this idea in an old magazine where a guy would ride without a seat and how this was an entirely different workout.

Never tried it, but what about a mtn bike with about 20 pounds of pressure in the tires?

Get in a big gear and do rides where you have no choice but to maintain hard pedal pressure. Or get a trailer and lug some extra weight around every once in a while. When I pull my daughter in her chariot it is like being on a hill all the time on the flats. I can never really let up and must always grind the cranks.

Ok, I'm on vacation, and I hit a hill today during my ride, and I almost had a hernia getting to the top... and it was a pretty small and short (lengthwise) hill! It really makes me scared... I need to do some serious training, but when I'm working on the spinning, how do I compensate for working on hills when I live in a state with mostly flatland?

I'm actually thinking of twice a month taking off for some hilly parts and just ride my bike in the hills until I feel more proficient at climbing them.

I cannot believe how weak I am when it comes to hill climbs! :eek:

aluckyfiji: One suggestion I read not too long ago was to simulate hill workout shift into your largest gear (52/12 or 53/12), stand up and pedal like this for a couple of minutes.

Repeat as many times as you feel like doing. I haven't tried it yet because I have hill here but I may the next time I'm on a long flat stretch.

Zack

No.

Putting a trainer on an incline and standing on big gears would be the next best possibility.

Originally posted by Richard Cranium
No.

Putting a trainer on an incline and standing on big gears would be the next best possibility.

Good idea. It would duplicate the position your body will be in relationship to the bike while you ride on a real hill. Why couldn't I be the dick head that thought of this idea ;)

I also live in Alabama. We have rolling hills (mostly small) in the area that we ride. But at the beginning of our ride we have these two hills directly after each other that are the "mountains" of this particular part of our ride. They kill me each time I go up them. My legs feel okay during the climbs but my lungs feel that they are going to collapse because I am breathing so hard. We (my husband and I) began riding about 8 months ago and still are on the beginners side of riding. I need tips on how to cover these huge hills without dying. Any tips on how to overcome this? Does it just come down to practice, practice, practice?

...My legs feel okay during the climbs but my lungs feel that they are going to collapse because I am breathing so hard. We (my husband and I) began riding about 8 months ago and still are on the beginners side of riding. I need tips on how to cover these huge hills without dying. Any tips on how to overcome this? Does it just come down to practice, practice, practice?

Hey bikingirl, a hearty welcome to you and your husband to the world of road cycling. That's awesome!

Actually you've got it basically right. As far as developing your lungs to climb hills better, there's no substitute for "practice, practice, practice." You've got to work 'em if you want them to get stronger. However, you can also develop more efficient riding techniques to help you climb better. One thing that helps me is to use my arms as well, to give my legs more leverage and a more powerful stroke. In the picture below of Lance in his new colors, as he pushes down with his right leg, he's also pulling with his left hand to give the right leg more leverage, and vice versa. You can do this either standing out of the saddle or sitting in the saddle.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/news/jan05/discoverytraining/Lanceaction320A.jpg

Keep on ridin'! :D

- RJ

Good idea. It would duplicate the position your body will be in relationship to the bike while you ride on a real hill. Why couldn't I be the dick head that thought of this idea ;)

I put my trainer on maximum resistance so I could stand and duplicate hills. I bent the axle on two bikes, and the increased pressure to keep the tire from slipping increases the tire wear and even breaks down the casing fast.

In the picture below of Lance in his new colors, as he pushes down with his right leg, he's also pulling with his left hand to give the right leg more leverage, and vice versa. You can do this either standing out of the saddle or sitting in the saddle.

FWIW, some coaches don't recommend this technique for climbing. If you think about it, you're scrubbing speed each time you lay the wheel over.

Here's a good article on climbing form:
http://www.bsn.com/Cycling/articles/Cycling_techniques.html

As for the original post, to simulate hills on the road, try doing 30 second to 1 minute intervals througout the middle of the ride. The idea is to get your body using more oxygen than normal and then recover at a slower pace. It's not as good as riding actual hills, but it should give you more strength.

I'd like to had that heart rate zone training would be helpful too. Get a heart rate monitor and find some programs to maximize your workouts. I used to run our of air before my legs ran out of juice too, but they coincide pretty well now. Tough hills are also a great way to figure out maximum heart rate ;).

One thing that helps me is to use my arms as well, to give my legs more leverage and a more powerful stroke. In the picture below of Lance in his new colors, as he pushes down with his right leg, he's also pulling with his left hand to give the right leg more leverage, and vice versa. You can do this either standing out of the saddle or sitting in the saddle.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/news/jan05/discoverytraining/Lanceaction320A.jpg

I disagree with your analysis of how Lance is using his arms in that photo. I think he's merely tipping the bike over so the downwards pedal force is over the contact line made by the tires touching the road. Tipping the bike in this manner requires almost no upper body effort, since all the vertical forces balance. This is a very common and efficient way to climb standing.

But most climbers stand very little. It's about 10% less effficient aerobically than seated. I'll stand for 30 seconds or so to rest my back or stand when the grade increases briefly, but then it's back into the saddle for me.

I disagree with your analysis of how Lance is using his arms in that photo. I think he's merely tipping the bike over so the downwards pedal force is over the contact line made by the tires touching the road. Tipping the bike in this manner requires almost no upper body effort, since all the vertical forces balance. This is a very common and efficient way to climb standing.

But most climbers stand very little. It's about 10% less effficient aerobically than seated. I'll stand for 30 seconds or so to rest my back or stand when the grade increases briefly, but then it's back into the saddle for me.

Thanks for the clarification terrymorse. Totally agree with the greater aerobic efficiency of climbing seated. I climb the same way as well, and stand out of the saddle mostly when the grade increases or to slightly change the muscle group I'm using, or to just add some variety on the longer climbs. The reason I bring up the out of saddle climbing is that often times when we bring newer riders out on rides with hills or climbs, they don't realize they can climb out of the saddle to get through the tougher sections. As they add that skill to their "riding toolbox", it seems the climbs aren't so menacing to them.

On using arms and pulling on the bars/hoods as you push on the pedals, you're right, I can't speak for Lance; I don't know if he's pulling on his hoods to any extent or not. If I had a pic of myself climbing out of the saddle, I would've put that in. It helps me on steeper climbs to pull on the bars/hoods to get more leverage for my legs to get through tougher sections. Like climbing out of the saddle, it's not what I do for the duration of the climb, it's just what I do to get through the tougher sections. But that's just me. Happy Climbiing :D !

- RJ

Don't stand and don't mash a 53-11 up a hill.

It helps me on steeper climbs to pull on the bars/hoods to get more leverage for my legs to get through tougher sections. Like climbing out of the saddle, it's not what I do for the duration of the climb, it's just what I do to get through the tougher sections. But that's just me.

I know what you mean. When you get to that "oops, this is suddenly steeper" section and don't have any lower gears, the only solution is to muscle it. I still try to use as little upper body as possible. Pulling up with the opposite leg seems to help me get through those nasty bits without stalling out, too.

Push higher gears to simulate hilly terrain. Do intervals. To simulate climbing you can also add panniers and load them up with 20 lbs of books.
When you actually do the climbing, shift into an easier gear and spin more. Pulling on the bars helps as does ankling. Regulate you breathing while climbing . . . do not forget to 'exhale' or you'll hyperventilate.
Practice, practice!

I also live in Alabama. We have rolling hills (mostly small) in the area that we ride. But at the beginning of our ride we have these two hills directly after each other that are the "mountains" of this particular part of our ride. They kill me each time I go up them. My legs feel okay during the climbs but my lungs feel that they are going to collapse because I am breathing so hard. We (my husband and I) began riding about 8 months ago and still are on the beginners side of riding. I need tips on how to cover these huge hills without dying. Any tips on how to overcome this? Does it just come down to practice, practice, practice?

I have found that watching my heart rate monitor, and adjusting my cadence and gearing, I can climb at a sustainable pace (albeit often slow) just below the threshold heartrate above which I would soon blow up and have to stop to rest. Over time, and with practice, this sustainable pace has increased. Good luck, hills are fun!

Reviving this thread.

I also live in the flats (Sacramento) and don't have the time to get to the hills (1-year old twins). But I'd like to do the Sierra Century and a road race this summer, both of which have a fair amount of climbing. I can hammer the flats and can push a big gear from my time as a triathlete.

I'm going to try and see how it will work to simulate a hill by driving the big ring into a headwind. I figure that my heart and butt don't know it's not a hill, just that they're being asked to put out a hard effort.

We'll see how it goes.

Reviving this thread.

I also live in the flats (Sacramento) and don't have the time to get to the hills (1-year old twins). But I'd like to do the Sierra Century and a road race this summer, both of which have a fair amount of climbing.

See some of the earlier comments on the benefits of additional ballast to simulate hills. Take your twins in a trailer on some rides. (they will have to be modest in length to accomodate their needs) Family time AND biking in one easy package. Add in any highway overpasses (like we have on the W&OD bike trail) and you WILL get some practice climbing (at least better than all the time on the flats).

See some of the earlier comments on the benefits of additional ballast to simulate hills. Take your twins in a trailer on some rides. (they will have to be modest in length to accomodate their needs) Family time AND biking in one easy package. Add in any highway overpasses (like we have on the W&OD bike trail) and you WILL get some practice climbing (at least better than all the time on the flats).

Duh! So simple, why didn't I think of this?

A few months back a couple on a bicycle built for two zipped past me. Had one of them not been pedaling he/she would have been getting quite a workout.