Biker395 

"canklecat"

Keep at it ... One thing I've noticed is that exercise in one sport doesn't really translate into conditioning for another as well as you might think. You'll get there.

bruce19

Here in northeast CT I always think of anything 70 ft/mi. or more as hilly.

BlazingPedals

I can't say I train specifically for this ride, I just ride. My normal goal is at least 2000 miles by the first weekend in August, and 20 metric centuries. Not even close this year. I was 500 miles short by August and right now I only have 5 metrics and one imperial. Add 5 metrics during DALMAC and I'm halfway there!

OldsCOOL

Brave soul. Which "bunch" you riding in? Are you going recumbent?

tigat

Hilly: the first 80 miles of last Saturday's Ride Across Wisconsin. The biggest hill was probably less than 200 ft. of gain, but there seemed like there were at least 50 hills of some sort, many sporting grades of 10% plus. If we were not going up, we were going down, which allowed for little recovery time.

My riding companion's Garmin said it was less than 5000 ft. of gain, so basically a trip and a half up a big Colorado pass, something with which I'm more familiar. My legs and lungs say that the Garmin lies. Hilly is hard.

Gnosis

This is the route that I took last Sunday via my 32.6-pound Giant Rincon mountain bike and I’d call it “hilly” (it’s 4,206 feet worth of climbing at just short of 75 miles)…

OldsCOOL

Yeah, that's hilly.

And on a mountain bike. Congrats on finishing!

oddjob2

Want a laugh?

The ride - Baroudeur - Wayne State University

Biker395 

Wow. I'll be riding across Wisconsin on Cycle America's Xcountry ride next summer. Behold the elevation profile:

bruce19

This is something we sometimes forget. There's elevation gain and then there's how it is gained. Fifty rolling climbs might yield the same elevation as one steep.long hill but they are not the same. Here in northeastern CT we don't have a lot of the rolling hills. Not the Alps but still leg aching climbs.

qcpmsame 

We are in the rolling hills category here in NW Florida, Bruce, its not like the Southern Florida around here, once you get away from the beaches. The rollers can give you a decent workout, but I don't kid myself about that, it isn't "hill work" by any means, compared to what others in the Forum have to ride. One day I am going to get to California, and Colorado, to ride on some actual hills and experience the pain that a true climb can give me.

Bill

chasm54

Yes. It can work the other way, though. In SW England, for example, there are virtually no lengthy climbs, but the place is full of really short, VERY steep climbs and descents, so one is grinding up a > 10 hill (sometimes > 15%) then coming down a sharp descent that is too short to offer much recovery before immediately climbing again. I'd take a steady Alpine climb over that, any day. One can get into a rhythm on big climbs.

bruce19

I know what you mean. We have a variety of climbs. Not many are over a mile but some of them are relatively steep. One of the short, steep ones is only about 200-300 ft. long but a 21% grade and an S curve. I had to stand all the way and managed 2 mph. Ouch.

ButchA

Same here... The whole area around Richmond, Virginia is relatively flat with a few rolling hills there and there. Like all coastal states, the more inland you go, the higher the elevation. Or states with a tidal river (i.e. the James River) flowing through the city, can be a little hilly leading down to the river and back. Here's an example of a nice scenic 16.25 ride I did from my house...



You can see right by the University of Richmond, the road (River Rd) dive bombs right down where it meets up with Huguenot Rd and the bridge going over the James River. Mile 5, 6, 7 in the photo is along Riverside Drive and is absolutely beautiful and so scenic and almost flat as a dime, following along the river.

Speaking of scenic, here's a photo of me with my old '85 Fuji along with my sister's Trek "townie" bike behind me. This was taken on Riverside Dr (just a little down from mile 6 in the photo).

OldsCOOL

If anyone is near my area any second Saurday in June, come ride the Michigan Mountain Mayhem. You want to climb? Choose your poison.

big john

There are two centuries here which are part of a series. One has 12,000 feet of gain (most of it in the first 75 miles) with long climbs, including a 35 mile climb up to 8300 feet. The other has 11,000 feet of gain with none of the climbs being more than about 6 miles.
I found the second one easier because I could rest on the descents while on a 35 mile climb, there is no rest.
Speaking to other participants, many people did prefer the longer climbs and thought that ride was easier.

OldsCOOL

Let's talk about headwind. You know, that never ending horizontal hill.

rawly old

It's hilly when I get off & walk the bike. That generally happens when I find a grade that gains 300 ft in a mile. At
67, I'm only good half way on one of those. At some point low gear approximates walking speed so why fight it.
Mind you, this only happens with my heavily laden touring bike,(uh yeah ...sure). I always carefully plan my route
being sure to study an elevation profile. This is very useful information, & frequently results in my hanging the bike
on the front of a bus. Clamoring aboard panniers in hand with my bivvy slung over my shoulder, I present the
driver my 'permanent' regional reduced fare permit & a dollar. I get a voucher good all day anywhere in the county.
Age & technique has greatly increased my ability to cover great distances with my bike,& with remarkable swiftness.
Western Washington has super cheap public transit. In August a journey of 180 miles cost $6.50 & allowed me
a comfortable, stress free, viewing platform for the scenery. I arrived fresh and ready to start my ride.

rawly old

Ah, oldsCool, since you mentioned it, I have a technique for riding into a headwind. It's
simple. Use low gear & go slow. Why knock yourself out fighting it. Trying to maintain
speed only creates greater resistance.

climberguy

I was out in the car and decided to check out a new bike route. It was so hilly that when I got home I had to take a nap.

That's my test for hilly.

OldsCOOL

SWhen the headwinds blow a steady 20mph, that's when I'm in the drops rockin' the chainring. Speeds are kept 13-16mph.

I like that old saying that goes, "you can tell the newbies from the veterans. The newbie complains about the hills and the veteran rider complains about headwind".

I do enjoy using a stiff wind for a training ride. Where else can you cram a 30mi ride into 20?

rawly old

True enough, but on a long tour with a lot of gear, I'll take the easy way out. Bin run over twice; my
muscles havta move over a lot of rough bone.
P.S. Another thing about headwinds, I ride with a handlebar bag I made myself. It's rounded shape
works as a pretty good fairing. In wind it really does make a difference.

OldsCOOL

The touring riders are a tough bunch.

Oldguyonoldbike

We may not have real hills in Oklahoma, but one thing we do have is wind, and lots of it. The wind determines where I ride -- into the wind for as long as I can or until there's only about half a water bottle left, then sit up and sail home downwind.

Cougrrcj

How does one make create an 'elevation profile' for a proposed route? I'm still in the planning stages of a 1037-mile (route 'path' according to GoogleEarth) tour around the perimeter of the State of Ohio.