Originally Posted by
Shrktank
Hello
Just getting into biking. Been riding on a local road with no traffic to get the body accustomed to riding. At each end of the road(makes about a 3.5 mile loop) are hills.
I am trying to find out the best way to prepare t up the hills. Do you power through and shift down when needed? Do you downshift before going up the hill and spin through the hill? Or is there another way
The "best way" is to gradually acclimate your body to it. If a new rider tries to tackle the hills, head on, he will "explode". The heart starts to pump harder, the breathing becomes faster. You don't want to explode. Its simply not enjoyable and depending on your age, it might distract you from the overall heath benefits of riding. There's all sorts of techniques. But I don't think you are asking for that.
Take some short duration low grade hills and use a low gear. Just pedal at a high cadence. Over time, it will get easier. You will notice it. Then gradually get into a longer duration hill. If you do not proactively try to get better on hills, you will not. Its a challenge and you either do it or don't. Some riders avoid it but those who do hills are the more complete riders. Then you can go on group rides with a lot of confidence.