Road Cycling - Aaaack, I'm not climbing very well these days :P

I took a longer route home today, going out of the city's west end, down the highway, and up some county roads that climb the back side of the plateau where I live.

The ride ended up being about 20mi/32km. On the flats and descents, I did fairly well (final average was 17.6mph/28.3kph, thanks partly to the aero bar's 2mph boost). But on long grades and hills, I was dropping to 8-10mph/13-16kph. The weather was a little warm, but with low humidity, so I was staying cool enough. The bike is a touring bike with a road wheelset and an aero bar, not too shabby.

Out of curiosity, I checked my pulse towards the top of one long gradual grade where I was hovering around the 10mph mark, and it was in the 170bpm area. I think my slowness is a combination of lack of cardiovascular fitness, and too much body fat weight (I can pinch 4cm of fat on my tummy). For a while I had no health insurance and wasn't getting much exercise.

I don't think I'll ever ride like I did when I was 20 (now I'm 33), but I know I can do better than this. Wish me luck as I try to trade that fat for muscle, and tone up my CV system :)

Originally posted by mechBgon
I think my slowness is a combination of lack of cardiovascular fitness, and too much body fat weight (I can pinch 4cm of fat on my tummy). For a while I had no health insurance and wasn't getting much exercise.
:)

You can pinch 4cm on your tummy? I can pinch 4inches on mine!:roflmao: Really! Thats how fat I am now...

I can still go up hills at about 15-17kmh, but I cannot get an average more than 30kmh on my daily route...

Enjoy!

My heartrate soars and my speed slows like mad as soon as the road pitches up at all. I have been off the bike too long and am now suffering for it, so I know what you mean.

It will come in time, just keep working those hills.

Mech, did you go up Hatch Road or out by Hangman? I'm going to try going down Hangman tomorrow and up Ash/High Drive.....I'm a little nervous about it.

Don't worry guys and gals,

The summer is still young. Just keep pedaling!;)

keep riding but vary the route. Also,..............go to gym. Watching some nice totty in tight lycra always gets the testosterone production up and makes you ride faster.

Theres another excuse to tell the wife next time see catches you ogling the women a the beach

Originally posted by mechBgon
I don't think I'll ever ride like I did when I was 20 (now I'm 33
I bet you can! And better, if you want!! Hang in there and good luck!

Originally posted by slotibartfast
Mech, did you go up Hatch Road or out by Hangman? I'm going to try going down Hangman tomorrow and up Ash/High Drive.....I'm a little nervous about it. I went out past Hangman there. :) Doing the route you're planning, I assume you're coming up the "chute" where Inland Empire Way merges into the middle of 2nd Avenue, then taking the next right that goes past Safeway, then right again onto Maple/High Drive? That's not too bad. Your main trouble spots are where IE Way merges (you can stop and wait for an opening, there's plenty of room to just sit there with your hand on the divider wall) and when you make that right turn onto Maple, keep your eyes peeled for people from the opposite side who are trying to make sweeping lefts in order to hit the I-90 on-ramp on your side of the road.

I used to climb Hatch a lot, but with zero shoulder and an increasing traffic load, plus the bad line of sight on the curves, it just doesn't seem prudent anymore. I don't mind going down it, though :)

Mech, just got back from the ride. I live in the vicinity of 42nd and Havana, so we went up Havana to Glenrose then left on the Palouse Highway down past Hangman to Hatch Road. Since my riding partner had some stuff to do this afternoon, we decided to turn around there and retrace our route back home. We went 20.5 miles in 1hr 50 min - ave. 11.1 mph. Those grades coming up out of Hangman are something else! I ride a Gary Fisher Utopia and I was averaging only 5-6 mph up the hills. My partner had a road bike and had ridden the route hundreds of times - he was great and stayed with me and gave me lots of encouragement. My claim to fame was that at least I didn't have to get off the bike and walk. The climb from the nursery to the fire station isn't so easy, either. My legs are pretty tired, but I feel good - great workout. Is it easier climbing-wise to go up the High Drive way? I'm now lusting for a road bike - I need more speed.....Rode over to Manito Park yesterday before work and it's the Centennial Trail tomorrow! Glad summer's here!

Buy a FONDRIEST!!!!!! It practically climbs hills all by itself.

Originally posted by dexmax
You can pinch 4cm on your tummy? I can pinch 4inches on mine!:roflmao: Really! Thats how fat I am now...


I'm going a bit off topic but I've been wondering if anyone knew what good excercises would be to solve that problem? My body seems to look fairly efficient... exept for my BIG gutt (and Im more on the skinny side overall... just 5 years back I was really skinny (I'm only 17 though)). I have weak arms and have been lifting a little bit of dumbells after a ride, but I dunno what to do about that tummy.

Originally posted by enac
Buy a FONDRIEST!!!!!! It practically climbs hills all by itself.

OMG, He's baaaaack!!!

Originally posted by slotibartfast
Mech, just got back from the ride. I live in the vicinity of 42nd and Havana, so we went up Havana to Glenrose then left on the Palouse Highway down past Hangman to Hatch Road. Since my riding partner had some stuff to do this afternoon, we decided to turn around there and retrace our route back home. We went 20.5 miles in 1hr 50 min - ave. 11.1 mph. Those grades coming up out of Hangman are something else! I ride a Gary Fisher Utopia and I was averaging only 5-6 mph up the hills. My partner had a road bike and had ridden the route hundreds of times - he was great and stayed with me and gave me lots of encouragement. My claim to fame was that at least I didn't have to get off the bike and walk. The climb from the nursery to the fire station isn't so easy, either. My legs are pretty tired, but I feel good - great workout. Is it easier climbing-wise to go up the High Drive way? I'm now lusting for a road bike - I need more speed.....Rode over to Manito Park yesterday before work and it's the Centennial Trail tomorrow! Glad summer's here! If you want good speed on the roads, then a road or sport-touring bike is the ticket :)

I think I passed you going the other way, if you were doing this ride around 10AM or thereabouts! I had to go out there this morning, and the reason is this: at the top of the hill where the fire station is, I traditionally do a ~200-meter uphill sprint for the 35mph sign, just for the heck of it (hit 27.5mph too :D). Well, this morning, could I find my wallet? Nooooo. :confused: I got down to work, and it wasn't there either, and I said to myself...

mechBgon: Scums! :eek: I bet I sprinted so hard on yesterday's ride that it worked its way out of my pocket! (I was wearing ordinary denim shorts with my wallet in my back pocket).

So I took off from the office downtown (suddenly wishing I'd taken the road bike instead of the mountain bike), and went up Southeast to Regal, and up Regal to 57th, and then over to the vincinity of the fire station, where I searched for my wallet where I'd sprinted yesterday (no wallet... it turned out to be in the laundry :p).

So if you got a friendly wave from a guy in a white shirt and blue denim shorts, on a black mountain bike with a Niterider headlight, that was me :)

The climb up High Drive... well, you've probably driven it in your car before. The first few blocks are definitely going to slow you down to a crawl. Then it's gradual until about 16th, hits that ramp up to 20th, and then eases off a bit but is still definitely a climb. After 29th it's pretty mellow, and of course the view is rewarding too :)

Yeah, about 10am would have been us going south. I was the guy on the black/silver Gary Fisher and my friend was on a blue Schwinn touring bike. I was amazed at all the cyclists, joggers, and walkers out on our commute. Everyone was really friendly and we said hi and waved to everyone. :D . Cool ride, but I need to get into better shape before I attempt it again! See you on the road!

enac...its the word "cane" backwards!!! clever, cane...

Keep on working on those hills- the more you do them, the easier they become! I was 100% out of shape for my Italy trip, and those hills kicked my butt for about half of the trip, but by the end of the trip (week 6), I definitely felt like I could take on most hills- and that was with A LOT of extra gear (that I didn't need, btw!).

Good luck!

Keep on working on those hills- the more you do them, the easier they become!

Koffee, I was afraid someone was going to say that! I'll keep working on them, although I think I'll work on some smaller ones and work my way back up to the big ones - that way, my heart will keep beating. :D I'll also keep dropping hints to my lovely wife about why I need a road bike....we'll see....

Hey, how do you guys put someone else's quote in the box like that?

Originally posted by slotibartfast
Hey, how do you guys put someone else's quote in the box like that?
Look over at the lower-right hand corner of the post that you are replying to. See where it says quote? Click on it and it automagically inserts the text into your post. Cool, huh?

Originally posted by slotibartfast
Keep on working on those hills- the more you do them, the easier they become!

Koffee, I was afraid someone was going to say that! I'll keep working on them, although I think I'll work on some smaller ones and work my way back up to the big ones - that way, my heart will keep beating. :D I'll also keep dropping hints to my lovely wife about why I need a road bike....we'll see.... The acid test around here is Mount Spokane (if they get the road work finished). Average ~10% grade with peaks of over 20% in spots... for 8 miles. :eek:

i am limited only by my genetics. i started by just looking right at the road in front of me and not the crest. i initially hated hills, so i said 'i want off this hill as soon as possible...up and over baby!!'

now i love 'em and look for them... and i'm 38.

Originally posted by enac
Buy a FONDRIEST!!!!!! It practically climbs hills all by itself.
that's a nice one, but I though a Pinarello climb hills by itself:D :D

Originally posted by mechBgon
The acid test around here is Mount Spokane (if they get the road work finished). Average ~10% grade with peaks of over 20% in spots... for 8 miles. :eek:

Man, I don't even like to DRIVE up Mt. Spokane! That would be an ultimate climb. By the way, mechBgon, I think that a 8-10 mph average coming up the 2.5 miles out of Hangman is pretty good! Like I said, I only went 5-6 mph and like RiphRaph said, I only looked at the road right in front of me. Of course, I'm a little bit older than you (51 next month) but I can't help keep wondering how much easier(?) and faster it might be on a real road bike. I plan to tackle the test again after Father's Day - my next day off.

The difference in speed between a road-racing bike and a mountain bike is pronounced, and it becomes more and more pronounced as your speed picks up and aerodynamic drag becomes your main opponent. :) On level ground, I'd characterize my own mountain bike as going about 15mph on the power that would get me 20mph+ on my road-racer (if I still had one). It's said that 70% of the air drag comes from the rider, so part of the road bike's advantage is simply how it lets you position your body.

I once did a 50-mile time trial on my old Specialized mountain bike, from the bottom of Hatch out to the Rosalia grade and back, using 1.9" slicks. I averaged 20.8mph, including the whole grade from Hatch up to the Spangle area. So that's why going up a similar grade at 10mph on a road bike is a little frustrating for me now.

Anyway, if you're looking at road bikes, there are several shops worth your while to visit. Bicycle Butler up on the north side deserves props for being a customer-first type of shop, and for generously supporting the 8 Lakes Leg Aches ride that raises funds for the non-profit where I work :) North Division Bike is another customer-first outfit worth checking out, and have nice used road bikes sometimes. The guys over at the 37th & Grand Wheelsport branch seem pretty nice too, and last time I was over there I seem to recall them having some road bikes in the racks.

Originally posted by SteveE
OMG, He's baaaaack!!!

yes...cane that is what they used to call me,
I am enac the White.

And I come back to you now, at the turn of the TIDE!!!

Originally posted by mechBgon
The difference in speed between a road-racing bike and a mountain bike is pronounced, and it becomes more and more pronounced as your speed picks up and aerodynamic drag becomes your main opponent. :) On level ground, I'd characterize my own mountain bike as going about 15mph on the power that would get me 20mph+ on my road-racer (if I still had one). It's said that 70% of the air drag comes from the rider, so part of the road bike's advantage is simply how it lets you position your body.

I once did a 50-mile time trial on my old Specialized mountain bike, from the bottom of Hatch out to the Rosalia grade and back, using 1.9" slicks. I averaged 20.8mph, including the whole grade from Hatch up to the Spangle area. So that's why going up a similar grade at 10mph on a road bike is a little frustrating for me now.

Anyway, if you're looking at road bikes, there are several shops worth your while to visit. Bicycle Butler up on the north side deserves props for being a customer-first type of shop, and for generously supporting the 8 Lakes Leg Aches ride that raises funds for the non-profit where I work :) North Division Bike is another customer-first outfit worth checking out, and have nice used road bikes sometimes. The guys over at the 37th & Grand Wheelsport branch seem pretty nice too, and last time I was over there I seem to recall them having some road bikes in the racks.


15 mph translated into 20+ on a road bike? Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!

70% of air drag comes from the rider? If you saw me, Mech, you'd adjust that figure to at least 80%. I'm a human sail.

I've never been to Bicycle Butler - I'll give them a look-see. North Division Bike thinks I'm invisible. Been in there 3 times and have mostly been ignored so I won't be spending my $$$ with them. I do like the Wheel Sport on the south hill. Although I didn't buy my bike from them, I had them tune it up this spring and they did a great job. They've always been very friendly and helpful whenever I'm in there. I'll look to them for a Bianchi or Specialized. I also like Two Wheel Transit, which is where I bought my bike. I'll try them out for the Trek, Lemond, Klein, and Felt lines when I get ready to buy. Who in town carries Cannondale?

When is the 8 Lakes Leg Aches? Did I miss it already?

LOL, "human sail!" :lol:

Wierd that North Division didn't seem attentive, because I almost took a job there before getting out of the industry altogether, and Michael, the owner, made it darn clear that customers should be #1, greeted immediately but not given a pushy treatment. Something must've gone awry there. Well, glad to hear Wheelsport South is doing right by you :)

The 8 Lakes Leg Aches ride is coming up on August 9th (Entry form/brochure in PDF format (http://www.lcsnw.org/events/8LakesEntryForm.pdf)). The route's not bad except for the need to cross Hwy. 195 twice, which makes me nervous for others' sakes.

Ahhh, the palouse. I sure miss the undulating roads in the Pullman/Spokane area. That hilliness, along with the wide shoulders, sparse traffic and velvety asphalt add up to a beautiful cycling experience. *sigh*

Baddlands CC still running the Tuesday night training races out of Cheney? Those were always a blast.

Boise isn't too bad, once you get used to the summer heat, more traffic, and the rough, chip-sealed roads with practically no shoulder :p. Good variety of riding options however, and there is a sweet climb up to the local ski area, with over 3000 ft of elevation gain. Still, it's not the palouse.. :\

As far as getting your climbing legs back.. just keep at it, the season is still young. And smile on those climbs!

Ron in Boise (missing the wazzu days)

Ron, how long have you been in Boise? I was in the Palouse for four years - two at Idaho and two at Wazzu. I've got lots of old college buddies down in Boise. I'll keep smiling when I'm climbing, especially when I've made it to the top! :D