Is Walking a Sin?
 

I've been taking my mountain bike finally out on rocky, muddy, dirty trails as it was intended to ride on.

A while back, I was defeated by a paved, bicycle pathed hill and decided to stop to rest rather then walk up it. Something inside was nagging me about riding rather then walking, maybe it's cardio related, though of course walking would be better then stopping I guess.

After that though, I experienced the second wind, the feeling I could go on forever. It was the first time in my life I felt anything other then increasing pain and burning during physical activity.

I found a good excuse to walk it on a muddy incline a little later, physically I couldn't climb any more, the rear wheel just spun. If I tried to stand up on the pedals it just made things worse as my weight was even more off of the rear wheels. I guess that's just a limitation of being a clyde. I've seen skinnies ride up that trail. After that I found that the rear tire spun in relation to the rim, even though I was at maximum pressure. I had to flatten the tire and re-fill so the valve would be orthogonal to the rim.

Today I rode the longest ever, a nice long paved bike path that ends where the trails begin. A very big hill defeated me, causing me to walk it. And a moderate hill on the way back.

Should I try to avoid walking the bike at all costs? When I have been defeated, my heart rate was off the charts, my sides cramped, and I was very dizzy.

Every once in a while, you come to an obstacle that requires you to dismount to traverse it. Hell, if these guys can walk their bikes up a hill, then I think we're excused. :D

http://www.co.cullman.al.us/images/C...ocross_pic.jpg

Seriously though, I spin up hills when I can, and walk them when I can't. There's no shame in it. As I get in better shape, I find myself walking less and less - the last two times a hill beat me, it was only because my chain came off.

-DR

If I can't spin up a hill, I walk up it. Hurt my knees trying to keep on mashing up.

I ride a mountain bike with pretty low gears - I just keep dropping gears and spinning no matter how steep. On some hills it would probably be faster to walk, but I just keep pedaling and crawling along. It's just one of my personal benchmarks - and besides, I hate walking. ;)

there is nothing wrong with walking up a hill, I've been riding for 12 years (mostly MTB) and there are still hills that whip my butt, also there is nothing wrong without walking down a hill either.

There's nothing wrong with walking IMHO. It sure beats sitting on the couch not doing anything at all

I just get into one of my easier gears and just try and stand up and sprint. My easier gears aren't very easy though. Standard double with a straight block cassette. (11-21) So when I drop down to my climbing gear 39-16 and I can make it up nearly any hill I have ever ridden.

I walked more climbs when I was on my fixie all the time (47-16) But I haven't walked a hill since I got my Tarmac a few weeks back.

I don't enjoy walking the bike -- at Tim said, it's more fun to ride, even at a snail's pace in a tiny gear -- but if I do have to walk, it doesn't detract from the accomplishment of making it up the hill. If my bike and I are both at the top of a mountain, and I provided the power to get us there, then that's victory...whether or not I had to push the bike over the worst grades.

I'll proudly walk up anyhill, and vow silently to one day conquer the hill... I have a few of these on some of my planned rides, and I have to walk them. But I'm usually not the only one walking.

You're an animal!:D I can't climb with my 30-26 granny gear so I'm going to try and swap out the rear cassette for something with a 32 or 34 on it.:o:o

No shame at all, do what you have to do. You'll find you can do a little more of that hill each time, so just keep trying.

Apologies if this sounds rude, but...why do you even need to ask this question? Isn't this a matter of common sense? Think about what "at all costs" implies, for heaven's sake.

I have this thing... I never walk on a road bike. If I have to stop for a moment so be it, but then I keep riding.

I love to MTB and I had to get over my thing about walking. There are just times walking makes more sense - that's why the shoes are so comfortable and the cleat recess - so you can walk! The fact that you keep moving is the key, doesn't matter if you are riding or walking, you are moving. Even the most hardcore will get off and walk if a section taxes his or her skill or endurance. 'sides think of the exercise of pushing a 30 pound bike up a steep hill. Builds up the arms and leg muscles!!!

Of course, there is no shame in trying to ride something first. The key to riding up a steep hill? Know your limits. Don't try and muscle or power your way up. Get into a low comfrotable gear and work on a steady, cadence and take the steep hill as a opportunity to rest and go easy. Once I stopped trying to power up I was amazed how much better my climbing got!

Walking MTB Off Road = not a sin.

Walking Road Bike = sin

This says it all. The primary reason I wear a heart rate monitor is because it tells me when I'm working harder than I should. All your symptoms were telling you to ease off. If walking is what's needed, do it. There's no shame in walking your bike up a hill, think of all the couch potatoes who are doing nothing at all. ;)

The only shame in walking is for the guys who swap out the triple for a double and then can't make the hill. In my opinion riding the triple beats pushing the double.

I love the triple. No shame in walking or carrying the bike. It is what it is! Cycling is joyous and the moment I have to worry or feel shame is the day I put the bikes away. Being outside and having fun is what it is all about.

Go out and enjoy!

Nope, no shame at all. Do what you have to do to get yourself up over the hill and on your way. Shame is turning back.

For your listening enjoyment I suggest a song by Kenny Rogers called "The Gambler"

I'm having my LBS drop a 13-26 cassette on my resto project to replace the 11-21 stock cassette. Even so, I'm sure that with the 39/53 front, there will be some hills I encounter which will have me pushing the bike.
No shame in walking it. Just come back and keep attacking the hill over and over until one day you can ride all the way up.

I walk every evening from my desk to the fridge to get a beer!

divergence = unrepentant sinner

Considering I have an MTB (with MTB gearing) and mostly ride on roads and live in Illinois, I don't have a huge issue with hills. There have been times when I might have been able to walk almost as fast as I rode up a hill, though. lol

not finishing a ride is a sin, walking is not... all of us clydes have had issues with hills one time or another..

I have a friend who we all hate because he can walk faster than any of us can ride. Here I am grinding slowly up some gnarly, rutty, loose dirt trail and he comes walking by, pushing his bike, fresh and all talkative. What's up with that??? :p

I get mad when I am passed by a biker on a hill but the day I get passed by a walker, I think my head will explode! :D

I can't run because of back issues but one of my workouts at the gym is to get on the treadmill, set it at 15 degree incline and 3 to 3.5 mph and walk as long as I can. It is a heck of a work out for me.