Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Question for fat people: hills

Do you ever have to walk your bike up steep hills?


The las time I went for a bike ride (few months ago) I was just so slow and wobbly on some hills that it was just a better idea to walk up them. I was on a rickety pos mountain bike too. Walking a bike when you can ride is kind of lame.


anyone have to deal with the same thing? How long did it take you before you could power up those hills?

You have nothing to worry about man. Some hills are just faster to walk then ride, and walking is still exercise. It won't be long before you're riding hills you used to walk and walking hills you used to not even dare trying. Lather, rinse, and repeat.

oh and yes this has completely happened to me.

Yes, I still walk hills from time to time. In the Appalachians, I ended up walking a few miles of uphills. Not fun, but Mofo is quite correct, it's certainly exercise.

I never walk. I'm too stubborn. Screw gravity.

Don't sweat it, bro. Happens to everyone.

Here's a good article on the fundamentals of climbing.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s-4-41-16883-1,00.html

I did get off a rented mountain bike and walk up a ski slope in the summer off season years ago. My thinner companion really gave me a hard time for that http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/ashamed/ashamed0005.gif (http://www.email-blacklist.com).

On my commute, I haven't encountered any hills I couldn't (not so gracefully) climb, if only in a granny gear. Over the past season of year round commuting, I am now getting out of the saddle and pumping my way up the hills (as small as they are). As your endurance increases, you will be amazed at how much better you will get.

I can't wait for the better weather, when the studded tires come off, I have a feeling it will feel much better on the hills.

The important thing is to get out there and do the best you can. Walking up hills is far better for you than sitting on your couch http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/happy/happy0045.gif (http://www.email-blacklist.com).

I live about halfway up a large hill, and every spring when I start commuting I have to walk portions of the hill. I just can't carry enough momentum to keep going, even in my lowest gear (30t crank chainring, 25t cassette) It gets better the more you do it, as you get into shape and start climbing. Try setting goals on hills you climb on a regular basis. Go a little further without hopping off and walking each time you ride it, and eventually you'll make the full climb!

Get off and walk if you don't feel comfortable with the climb. It will get better and you will make it the first time and be very proud. Then you will get to the point where you don't even remember why you thought it was so hard.

Do you ever have to walk your bike up steep hills?


The las time I went for a bike ride (few months ago) I was just so slow and wobbly on some hills that it was just a better idea to walk up them. I was on a rickety pos mountain bike too. Walking a bike when you can ride is kind of lame.


anyone have to deal with the same thing? How long did it take you before you could power up those hills?

It's typical early season, I had one hill last year:

April: I walked up.
Msy: I struggled up in a very low gear.
June: I geared down, and poured on the steam before getting to the hill.
July: I geared down, and powered up.
September: What hill?

Of course between April and September, nothing beats going up a hill 57 times, in beating it.....

yes

yes, the other day i had to get off my bike and walk it. the hill was like a 300' or so elevation gain in like 1/8 mile of horizontal travel. seriously, f that. i walked like 1/2 of it cause i hit it fast too and continued to climb until i stopped moving.

I rode with the "introductory ride group" of my local bike club last year. Their motto is, "There is no hill so steep up which I cannot walk." Or, don't worry about it. Climbing takes practice, strength and fitness. If you are short any of the above (I certainly am) you may have to walk. The thing is just to be patient with yourself. Improvement takes work and time. Good luck!

i am short on cardiovascular fitness, practice, and endurance. I've got the strength, i just need to work on all the others. lol

I never walk. I'm too stubborn. Screw gravity.

Yup. With a 22/34 low gear, I may do only 3 mph but I'm riding damn it! It may have taken me (and my daughter) 4 hours to climb the 12 miles out of the Snake River Valley but we didn't walk it!

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r181/cyccommute/Hotandsteep7_1.jpg

Mountain biking is entirely different, however. I walk a lot there...sometimes downhill:eek::o

On the other hand, do what you have to do.

I am at 260 lbs right now. When I first started riding I had to walk up hills, and one nasty one in particular. Last week I conquered it for the first time. Could only go half way up before, but then it became 3/4, then 4/5 then bam, to the top and a rest. Now I can do it without stopping for a breath. I would say it took me a good 2 months to beat that hill. Now I am working on building speed and or carrying more weight (groceries etc.).

keep trying.

one day you will conquer the hill and it will be awesome:D

Never had much of a problem with hills. I just put the bike in low gear and pedal up them--here in South Carolina most hills aren't too intimidating! I have much more trouble with the bike itself, being 6'1" and 250 lbs. I had a POS Fuji Crosstown 4.0, which lasted about 500 miles, during which time I had to replace the bottom bracket, the rear wheel bearings, a rear wheel spoke, and two tire tubes. And I ride slowly on mostly good pavement. Does anyone make a bike for us? One that I won't have to spend hundreds on for a custom-made pair of rims and hubs?

I've had hills that I couldn't make it all the way up but I didn't walk. I would stop for a minute then do more.

There's a "little guy" that I meet on my way home from work (at least if I'm in front of him, as he passes me). A couple of weeks ago I heard a brake squeal on a hill I was slowly going up. I thought I had picked something up in my brakes... No, he was so much faster than me that he had to hit his brakes :o.

Holly crap, he had to hit his brakes because he was closing on me so fast! God, that embarrasses me...

Hehehe-- Don't feel bad! I tend to move at glacial speed up hills! I don't have the kind of energy I did when I was a skinny 17-year old rider ;-)

Before my MTB (Trek 4100) got stolen I would load up the kids in the trailer and head out "Hill Hunting". If I ever needed motivation every time I stopped for a breath or drink I had my 3 yo. yelling for me to get going! AHHHH Kids! Although walking up a hill with a 50 lb. trailer is excersise too.

I don't live where it's too hilly, so usually no big problem.

"Fat" people come a large variety of fitness levels, so there's no one answer there, either.

Last charity ride I went on, I was riding into a stiff breeze with some uphills. I didn't walk up any of them, but did stop to rest a minute at two or three places- basically the same result.

One thing is make sure you downshift and spin as opposed to exhausting your legs going up the first hill.

When i first started back riding, there were some little uphills on the local biketrail that I would have to downshift for, and still be puffing and panting when i got up them. But after a few months of riding, I got where I could go up 'em in high gear. So a little bit of extra fitness can make a big difference.

The important thing is to get out there and do the best you can. Walking up hills is far better for you than sitting on your couch http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/happy/happy0045.gif (http://www.email-blacklist.com).


+1

Everyone starts somewhere. In a year or so you will ascend with no problem

yes walking is exercise too. thats a more positive way to look at it. as the pounds come off and my legs get stronger i guess it will get easier and easier.

i have been passed by a jogger when ive been going so slow.

ive been lifting weights too so my legs should be stronger from when i last rode.

I agree! You WILL get there...I was surprised at how much easier the pedaling got after only three months of being back on a bicycle! All I need now is a bike that can cut the mustard :-)

I never walk. I'm too stubborn. Screw gravity.Same here. I am way to stubborn to get off and push no matter how much it hurts. Been times I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

I will stand up and wobble-mash-hammer my way up anything. My most recent conquest was riding the Chilly Hilly (2675' in 33 miles) after a 25 mile, 1500' warm up, then having to ride up one of the steepest hills in Seattle. Marion Ave coming out of downtown gains 185' elevation in about 1/3 of a mile.

I've got a 36/25 low gear right now and I'm able to tackle most hills without too much issue. I'm doing a lot of steep hills on my commute to build up to rides like the Chelan Century Challenge, and ultimately Death Ride, in California. This weekend I'm ordering a 34t chainring to replace my 36t, and a 28t low end cassette to replace the 25t low end. This should allow me to spin hills instead of having to stand on the 11-15% grade long climbs.

That's really what to work on, is efficiency in climbing. Proper position, spin a low gear, stay seated, and (my worst habit) try to loosen the death grip on the bars. Egads! I can't tell you how much energy I waste white-knucking the handlebars, even when I'm not pulling on them.
Climbing well is as much an art as it is brute strength. I've got the brute strength down, but my 'art' hasn't gone beyond that of a kindergartener with fingerpaints.

I can't recall having to walk up a pavement hill, but I have otherwise. Offroading/MTBing I've walked up a couple. Just last Friday I walked a hill, but there was a rather deep snowbank + hill, and I literally couldn't pedal as the snow caught my boots as I was pedaling. Otherwise, I tough it out. Stubborn old fat *******, I am.

It will get easier.. and lifting weights can only help--I wish I could make myself do that! And definitely don't be embarrassed about going slow! We get some workout benefits at any speed

Walking a bike when you can ride is kind of lame.


For me, any kind of walking is lame. :D

anyone have to deal with the same thing? How long did it take you before you could power up those hills?

Nearly a year. Here's a little verse celebrating the climb. It's been set to music, and a moderator on the Clyde forum has promised to record the vocal.

Lines Written On My First Ever Climb of the Hill On Lucas Road, December 8, 2007

On the Lucas Road there's a lil' ol' bump.
If hills were like trees, it's a lil' ol' stump
But that Lucas Road and it's lil' ol' bump,
It was too much hill for a Clyde!

Near there was a Clyde - we'll name him Neil,
For sake of the rhyme, no other appeal-
That Lucas Road bump made him squeal,
It was too much hill for that Clyde!

It wasn't too long, it wasn't too high,
It was steep and short and curved to the side,
And that steep and short and curve to the side
Made it too much hill for that Clyde.

Time and again he'd ride his bike
up half of the hill, and then take a hike,
It was just too much hill for that poor bike,
And too much hill for that Clyde!

Time and again he'd throw his heft-
belly a-bouncing, head tilted to the left-
on the Lucas Road and have nothing left
to climb that hill like a Clyde!

"Other cyclists climb that hill" said he,
"sometimes in groups of two or three,
And other riders more fine than me
have climbed that hill like a Clyde."

"Why can't I climb it?" said Neil in distress.
"If that hill beats me, I'm in such a mess
I should give up cycling and take up chess,
but I can't climb that hill. I'm a Clyde."

And then on a cold, dark December day,
the sunshine peeked from a bleak sky of gray,
And Neil thought he'd try again that day,
To climb that hill as a Clyde.

Down Penn, down Ward, and downward he sped,
Down Nottingham Lane the Neil-clyde ped-
eled, faster and faster he sped,
To the hill too much for that Clyde.

His legs were a blur, his lungs were a gasping,
His Shimano Index Shifters were rasping,
As for the lowest gearing he was grasping,
As he climbed that hill, did that Clyde.

He huffed and he puffed and he rode that bike clear
over the top of the hill, and folks far and near
heard him shout, "I'm not even in my lowest gear!
I climbed that hill like a Clyde!"

Stories are supposed to have morals, yasee,
Some meaning for you, some meaning for me,
I know what I think, and that's fine with me,
Meaning I'll let you decide:

Whenever you face a great big hump,
Whenever you face a lil' ol' bump,
Remember Neil and his lil' ol' bump
and climb that hill like a Clyde!

As I ride a fixie, I have only three speeds -- sit, stand, or walk. :)

Seriously, around here some Escarpment grades are 10 or 12%. When climbing those, gears are required for most mortals.

DONT stress
Lots of people fail to make it up hills espeacialy starting out
Ive been commuting for 6 months now and the 1st month I had to push my bike up the hill
on the 2nd month I rode up the footpath (sidewalk)
cause I was going so slow
3rd month rode comfortably
5th month Its hammertime
"A waterfall begins with a single drop"
Just keep doing what your doing and you'll get it
Cheers
O'

Nothing to be worried about, the only thing lame would be giving up on the hill altogether. Keep at it and you'll show that hill who's boss before long.

I officially met the guy who hit his brakes because I was going so slow on a hill a couple of months ago. I was able to keep pace with him because he was on his "foul weather" slow mountain bike (maybe he was being nice :o). Anyway, he and his wife live car free. He is a research scientist and works at the same campus as I do. I asked him how long he's been commuting by bike, his answer "forever". He said he was going to pick his kids up from elementary school, I'm assuming in a trailer.

Guess I don't feel too bad that he is a little stronger than me, as I am still a mere mortal that uses the car to go get the kids from daycare :).

No, but I did VERY rapidly take my bike to the LBS and have him swap out the small front chainring for the tiniest one he could get his hands on, and he sells quite a few of a mod to change the largest rear chainring with a FLIPPIN HUGE one.

I ride in rolling hills terrain so I didn't have really low gears needed for long mountainous climbs, but a few of those hills though short are really steep. Normally if I charge downhill as fast as I can pedal I can get half way up the steep climbs before having to work hard. On one occassion there were roadworks at the bottom of a hill so I had to stop at the temporary traffic lights and it was impossible getting up the hill from a standing start. Walking was the only option as I couldn't turn the pedal even standing on them in my lowest gear of 39/23. Walking really damages the cleats so next time I'll be taking my shoes off (socks are cheaper than cleats).

A skinny guy who climbs great gave me a tip. Sing to yourself. Sing something with a steady rhythm. I sing 1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive. If your cadence slows you can't help but sing slower so you can hear when need to change gear.

@cyccommute: beautiful photo - bright and crisp!

How you get over the mountain is not important...actually getting over the mountain is all that counts.

@cyccommute: beautiful photo - bright and crisp!

Thank you. I wish it conveyed the heat coming off the basalt cliffs along the route (Alpowa Summit outside of Clarkston, WA) Man, was that hot!

If you know the hill is going to be difficult, shift down and take it easy on the first part of it. If you push hard at first, you run the risk of blowing up before the top. You can always start pushing harder once you are convinced you will make it.

Set some goals, a sign post, a phone pole each time you climb the hill. Make each goal a little farther up than the previous one. Eventually, you'll conquer the hill.

"i have been passed by a jogger when ive been going so slow."

We used to live right by a county park in Colorado. I could across the street and go up an access road into that park. It was very steep, unpaved, but I started doing it every day for exercise. I got better at it, I'd be huffing and puffing but moving on up it.

But, there were also mountain bikers that rode up there. Now, it's not obvious, but a bicycle is much more efficient than walking when it's level. But on a steep uphill, it's really not; you're just lifting your weight up the hill either way, plus a bike's weight if you're biking. Anyway, there were several times that I passed bikers going up that hill. It was always a good feeling. (In their defense, some of those folks might have ridden out from town, in which case they had already ridden 6 or 8 miles and gained a 1,000 feet before they got to where I started!)

Nearly a year. Here's a little verse celebrating the climb. It's been set to music, and a moderator on the Clyde forum has promised to record the vocal.

Lines Written On My First Ever Climb of the Hill On Lucas Road, December 8, 2007

On the Lucas Road there's a lil' ol' bump.
If hills were like trees, it's a lil' ol' stump
But that Lucas Road and it's lil' ol' bump,
It was too much hill for a Clyde!

Somebody on this board is supposed to get me the vocals so I can mix them into the basic tracks. Just sayin... :o

By the time I started cycling last summer I'd already been working my cardio for close to 3 months and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to get off and walk up any hills. I'm 30 or so #'s lighter than my last ride so imagine it may be even a little easier this year, that coupled with my soon to be new, modern, light weight ride...I'll be flying up those hills!

Seriously, what I did was pick a point that I was going to pedal to and by the time I got there I would pick a new point to get to. That said, do what you need to. There's no shame in walking up when you consider the numbers of people who at that moment are lying on their couch eating potato chips.

Of course where I live hills are unavoidable, I live on top of one. Rides start easy, finish hard.

Somebody on this board is supposed to get me the vocals so I can mix them into the basic tracks. Just sayin... :o

Sorry, every time I get to it, either a meltdown happens or I get tied up with school. :( I'm still trying :(

Do you ever have to walk your bike up steep hills?

Even skinny people sometimes have to walk. I grew up on top of a hill with a 15-18% grade (depends on where you define "level" and "top of the hill" on the USGS topo map). The library, pool, and everything else interesting was at the bottom of the hill. You can bet I walked up it as a teen, at all of 120lbs dripping wet.

The main thing with hills is "don't be dumb". If you feel like you can't breathe, you're going to fall, your heart is gonna explode etc... STOP! If you are in that much distress, you're not thinking clearly. Trying to push through is a good way to hurt yourself or someone else. For a lot of people, walking is a safe way to cool down from the overexertion, and suddenly going from extreme exertion to no exertion can cause cramping.

On a very steep grade, it may not be possible to start the bike again safely.

>>>Skinny Guy<<<

I have been known to walk up a hill or two.

On a very steep grade, it may not be possible to start the bike again safely.

Nay. Mountain bikers do it all the time.

If you know the hill is going to be difficult, shift down and take it easy on the first part of it.* If you push hard at first, you run the risk of blowing up before the top.* You can always start pushing harder once you are convinced you will make it.Set some goals, a sign post, a phone pole each time you climb the hill.* Make each goal a little farther up than the previous one.* Eventually, you'll conquer the hill.+1000 I have not yet walked a hill. What I do is STOP and REST then get back on and RIDE. May not matter to anyone else but makes me feel better.:D

+1000 I have not yet walked a hill. What I do is STOP and REST then get back on and RIDE. May not matter to anyone else but makes me feel better.:D

That's what I did on the last ridiculous hill I tackled. Well over 20% grade for 6 blocks downtown, the only level spots are the crossing streets... Ride 2 blocks, take a breather. Ride a block, take a breather. All the way to the top.

I've really been getting into riding hills, and I have some whopper hill rides planned this summer; 7 Hills of Kirkland century (actually 14 hills on the full century route), Chelan Century Challenge (designed by the same sadist who created Death Ride), and Ride 542 (Mount Baker Hill Climb).
My solution to the hills is on order as of 5 minutes ago:

34t chainring
11-32 cassette

The Tiagra GS derailleur that stocks on the X-check complete will handle up to a 37t capacity according to the specs, and having a near 1:1 ratio should make the hills a cakewalk when compared to the stock lowest gear of 36-25.