Joonstar

I've been fortunate enough this summer to live in both ontario and bc (canada) this summer and for me it's hills and mountains hands down.

more fun, more workout, and the awesome downhills as a treat.

With the flats I often found myself bored after 90min even while trying to increase my average speed over similar routes. The awesomeness of 45km/h with the tailwind does kickass but for me there wasn't that "yeah, I've done it!" feeling.

Come to BC, there are some great quiet roads in my backyard that goes up to 300m (approx 1000ft). Going up those I felt that "wow, I've done it" feeling after the dizziness and wanting to puke feeling.
With a bit more training I'll attempt cypress bowl road next week, can't wait!!

and all you goats out there thinking pshh 300m/1000ft, I've only cycled in the praries and ontario

kle

Forever and ever, amen. I prefer hilly rides for the feeling of conquering the climbs up the hills and being rewarded with bombing down the other side.

Of course, training up to the point where I can do the hilly rides without reservation is key. To go from "ugh, hills!" to "sweet! hills!"

Machka 

Flat ground with a wind is so much easier than most hills and mountains. The only hilly terrain better than flat ground with a wind are short rollers such as what you will find in Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba.

Hickeydog

I would rather ride hills than deal with wind. With the hills, you can see when the torture is going to be over.

kamalster

My feelings exactly. You can look up, see the crest and get a burst of energy to make it to the top. With a wind...I think of it as the difference between a thunderstorm and a light drizzle. The thunderstorm can kill you, but it's exciting and exhilarating, and it'll only last for a while. The light drizzle is just depressing and it can last all frickin day.

saratoga

Hills don't spontaneously change direction mid-ride when you're expecting relief after doing battle for XXXX amount of time.

rbart4506

The hills/mountains never get easier....You just get faster

BTW I much prefer the hills! Then again I'm one of those 130lbs lightweights so hills should be where I excel compared to other riders at my level.

I live in Ontario and riding in the spring winds are killer...They are never ending and seem to always switch direction! Not to mention the roads here tend to bone straight so when you run into the dreaded cross-winds you need to deal with that forever.

kwrides

+1,000

I live in Houston...it's always flat and windy. I love it when I get a chance to ride in hills.

sjumper

I find the hills to be more enjoyable. It is more physical with hills and mental with the wind. The worst are the hilly spots where the wind always seem to be coming at you. There is one of these at the end of most of my rides. It is probably just 5% average and only goes for a km but wide open and it always seem to be a headwind. Painful always but fortunately it is less than 5 km from home.

sjumper

I'm similar sized guy, also in Ontario. Can't agree more on the spring winds. Unfortunately, this year they have decided to stay for part of the summer as well.

Sundae

Pretty much this. Nothing quite like 20-30 miles of wind, followed by a return trip for 20-30 miles of... more wind.

(If anyone finds a place with spontaneously-changing hills, I'll gladly come ride them with you just for the experience.)

merlinextraligh

First, I'd rather ride hills than flats. But you can't say that flat ground with wind is easier than hills. It depends on 1) the grade, 2) the wind speed, and 3) how fast you ride either one.

For example an average sized rider only needs 189 watts to maintain 6mph on a 6% grade. Whereas the same rider needs 533 watts to maintain 18mph into a 20mph headwind.

And even if we maintain speed constant at say 18mph, a 27 mph headwind is harder in power output terms than a 6% grade for an averaged sized rider. And on the hills you get more benefit form descending, than you do from a tailwind.

The ultimate determinant of how hard a ride is, is not the terrain, but the rider.

skipmcne

Hills also don't blow rocks off the ledge above you; showering your helmet with a pebbles, providing a sharp reminder that not only is there more elevation to go, but that the wind blows harder up here.

ridethecliche

Fixed.

chadteck

+1 for hills.

Joonstar

on spontaneously changing winds, I remember a group ride where I yelled why is it a headwind everywhere!?
to which they replied it's just a fact of riding here!

I think the worst place for wind was the praries. One ride took 90min to get out, 20min to come back. It is just crazy windy and flat.

Has anyone done the cypress mountain road in here? how was it? google tells me it's about 700m of climbing from the bottom to top.

haimtoeg

Yes - I find wind demoralizing.

merlinextraligh

Actually, its just a fact of riding. Because the bike is moving forward, for most riding and wind speeds, the apparent, or effective, wind is going to be a headwind for most angles, and only when the wind is dead behind you does it actually help.

see https://www.hedcycling.com/aerodynami...calculator.asp

Jerseysbest

Much prefer hills over winds.

Winds change constantly, both speed and direction, which makes it very fustrating for me at least. Lips get chapped easier, and when it really picks up, you're riding very slow and barely in a straight line. And nothing like having winds change direction completely so you fight a headwind going out and back.

akansaskid

Obviously we don't have many "real" hills out here, but enough to form this observation: Most (but not all) grades last perhaps a mile or two unless you are in the mountains. Then comes the relief of the downhill. On too many of my centuries out here, with our strong winds, relief often doesn't come until after the first 50 miles. So try this: Take a little 5 or 10 lb barbell and start doing curls non stop. Do this for maybe an hour or two. Then come back and continue this discussion.

kle

...what will doing curls for an hour prove? Maybe strapping that 10-lb weight to your bike on a flat, wind-less ride, and then dropping it half-way and seeing how much better you feel (to simulate the drag from the wind)...

logdrum

Rockies, Colorado and NM especially, we have both hills and wind with sand plus rides starting at 7K or 9K, so you have oxygen deprivation as well which gets worse if you partied the night before.

Winds gust at 70 mph is not uncommon especially in the spring. If you do not ride in the AM expect winds 15 to 25 in afternoon and early evening. The weatherman doesn't even bother to warn you.

It definitely sucks and honestly neither one is my favorite. Both are hard

n8tron

I am fortunate enough to have great long flat route with minimal wind as well as a bunch of good climbing routes. I almost always prefer climbing, I just really enjoy it, but occasionally I just want to go far and for that the long flat route works great.

joe_5700

Wind is always the factor in my route selection. I always set out against it and return with it. Of course it never seems to help me nearly as much as it hinders.

akansaskid

I think anyone with experience in a 20-30 mph headwind for hours at a time can assure you it takes far more power to overcome than merely adding 10 lbs to the bike. My point was that although the additional power required for such a wind is less than that a hill might add, the fact that it goes on an on can wear you down more in the long run. What the hour of curls will prove is that what might seem like less additional effort can wipe you out in the long run.