rpeterson

So I've been doing hill repeats lately, but at the end of a good hard day I'm feeling it in my knees. No real pain, no soreness, just the odd feeling that I actually feel and notice my knees for the rest of the day and into the next morning, maybe a twitch every now and then. I've been keeping my cadence above 75, and hill repeat days are the only rides where I feel it in my knees afterwords. Would I benefit from upping the rear cassette a few teeth, or is this fairly normal for hard climbing?

DaveSSS 

Here's some info that may be relevant. What you do to increase strength in training and what you might do in an actual race situation may not be the same. FWIW, I might average 87 rpm on a mountain climbing interval of 2 miles, but I could deliberately drop that cadence lower if the idea was to build leg strength. I always advise people to consider whether they are using all of the leg muscles or primaily the quads. Using mostly the quads is not the fastest way up a mountain. I would mix up seated and standing intervals. I drop down to an average of only about 63 rpm when I'm doing a 2-mile standing interval. I can usually generate about 10% more power at approximately the same heart rate when standing. When standing, I try to avoid using the quads to propel the bike. I concentrate on using my weight and give the quads some rest. Think about pushing the pedals down with your butt.

https://www.cyclefitcentre.com/pdf%20final%20docs/backyard%20positioning_julu_aug_2004.pdf
https://www.cyclefitcentre.com/pdf%20final%20docs/THINGS%20YOU%20MAY%20NOT%20HAVE%20KNOWN%20ABOUT%20BIKE%20POSITION_final.pdf
https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/kops.html

teterider

When you fall over from going to slow.

Brian Ratliff

Where's "slow"? And what does getting to slow have to do with gearing on climbs? Someone walk out of the storefront on slow's main street and pushes you over for riding a gear too big?

Sorry... had to do it. Call me a grammar natzi, but the meaning of the sentence threw me for a split second when I first saw it, which I found curious.

Oregon Southpaw

Holy ****, someone page Botto. I would bold the important and oxymoronic parts of that but since the button disappeared...also can I use that as a sig line?

To the OP - Honestly if you aren't feeling pain, and maintaining a 75 cadence going up hills, you're doing better than I am. What sort of hills are we talking about?

spry

When people point and laugh,it's time to turn around and try to go down the hill.

rpeterson

That's what I really need to know, just making sure the odd sensation of feeling my knees doesn't mean I'm going too hard. Most of the hills I do repeats on are 10-12% for 1-2 miles at a time, I've been using a compact with a 12-25 cassette, and I'm happy with it, but I'd rather swap it with a 12-28 than do extra harm to my knees.