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Can someone explain the graph in the initial post to me? It looks like a 4 mile commute roughly - what is the starting elevation?
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Get your heart checked, and if it's OK, push harder.
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That is very nastily hilly ! Wonder how messed up it would be to even walk the bike up that hill !!! But being a regular commuter I can totally imagine how mentally demotivating it could get to get up that hill day in and day out.
I will say one thing .. The OP asks if he is just weak for averaging 10 mph on good and 6 mph on bad days -- No way ! Just being able to ride the bike on hill like this is an achievement. 6mph is not bad at all. It is a very decent speed. And besides, being a regular commuter, I would say this - DO NOT fall into the "how fast am I going" trap. It will lead to burn out pretty soon. It is commute. There are good days, bad days, and then it could be raining on bad days and stuff like that. On a hill like that, I would even consider walking your bike for very steep sections if you don't feel like it every once in a while. It will still be better than driving ! |
That's a pretty badass commute.
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Originally Posted by Metol
(Post 14349200)
Thanks for the encouragement, jsdavis. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself. I'v been insisting on not resting or getting off the bike. I guess I should take it more easily. Right now I can only dream about having a conversation when riding my hill:twitchy:
Also, dont be afraid to cheat if you cant make it all the way - stand on your bike. Aside from extra power from your weight, it will also give your legs a bit of a reset by focusing on different muscles. I did that when I first started hitting hills, until over time I needed to stand up less and less, and now I can do it without standing at all. That being said, your hill is much more of a pain than mine was; how long is the climb? And is it just bursts or one long steady heavy climb? (sorry your graph is a little hard to read) |
Originally Posted by billyymc
(Post 14350160)
Can someone explain the graph in the initial post to me? It looks like a 4 mile commute roughly - what is the starting elevation?
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I live in the Alps which is about as hilly as it gets. My commute is 43 miles round trip with a little over 3000 ft of climbing. Like the OP, I'm 43 yrs old and ride a Trek FX (although mine is a 7.7, and it shares commuting duties with my surly crosscheck and cannondale touring bikes). I swapped the rear cassette on the FX to an 11-34 and the RD to a Deore XT, which made a big difference on the days when I'm tired. The hill climbing gets easier, but it takes time. Keep at it.
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Originally Posted by megalowmatt
(Post 14351561)
By extrapolating, I am guessing the starting elevation is ~1900 feet and the ending looks to be just under 2400. The op says the grade reaches 18% at one point. I am not sure I would want that commute home but the ride in would sure be fun. :)
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Originally Posted by Metol
(Post 14349060)
I'm a newbie in the forum and also a noob bike commuter. I started to bike commute last year with a newly acquired Trek 7.5 Fx but because this is a snowy area and I also don't have to go to my office everyday, I only bike commute twice a week on average between late spring and early fall. From my house to work, it's all downhill, about 3.5 miles on roads with fantastic pavement. I wish it was longer:)
My problem is the way back home. I can't take the same route for various reasons (traffic, one-way streets, steep hills, lack of shoulders). Depending on the route I take, it's between 4 and 5 miles. Regardless of the route, I have to deal with long climbs. On top of that, pavement is bad in all routes, which greatly irritates me when I'm crawling up hills inch by inch. Here's how my Strava ride report looks like for one of the return routes. The steepest section is like 18% grade, and about half of the route is in the 5-12% range. On a good day, I can average 10mph coming home; 6mph on bad days especially when wine or beer is involved after work like this evening. http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=255768 My legs are slowly getting stronger but in many sections the gear is dropped to the lowest (26 front 26 rear) and I'm basically completely spent by the time I finally reach my house. I'm beginning to doubt my ability to continue bike commuting.:( Do I simply live in an area with bike-unfriendly topography? Or are my legs/lungs simply too wimpy and they will get stronger over time? I'd like to hear how those of you who have hilly commuting are coping with the challenge. By the way, I'm 43 and overweight. |
18% is a serious climb even if it's only for a hundred feet. I'm impressed.
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Originally Posted by Metol
(Post 14349060)
My legs are slowly getting stronger but in many sections the gear is dropped to the lowest (26 front 26 rear) and I'm basically completely spent by the time I finally reach my house. I'm beginning to doubt my ability to continue bike commuting.
In short, keep at it. You'll get there! |
Originally Posted by ThermionicScott
(Post 14350539)
That's a pretty badass commute.
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Originally Posted by Metol
(Post 14349060)
Or are my legs/lungs simply too wimpy and they will get stronger over time? I'd like to hear how those of you who have hilly commuting are coping with the challenge. By the way, I'm 43 and overweight.
I don't have a hilly commute but my folks lived at the top of a 1/2 mile measured 18% grade. I don't think I could ride a bike up a grade that steep, so you're already an official bad*ss for being able to accomplish it. *brofist* |
SlimRider,
3 pounds a week? That's a calorie deficit of 1,500 per day! Easier said than done, and I keep reading that it's not good to exceed a 1,000 calorie per day deficit (your body can go into starvation mode). Lately I've been losing at about 1 pound per week. I could do 2, but 3 is pretty ambitious. |
From my house to work, it's all downhill, about 3.5 miles on roads with fantastic pavement because you will not be getting in trouble with the job, arriving on time. on the bike going home there is no time-clock to punch .. take the long way.. |
Just to clarify, the 18% incline lasts only about two blocks in one of the routes. I've mostly given up on this route because the steep sections are beyond my ability on most days and more importantly the route coincides with heavy car traffic.
I had to dress more properly at work today and there was a forecast for thunderstorms so I drove in. But on my way home I looked for an alternative route...I might have found one! The pavement still sucks in many places but the climb can be broken up into smaller chunks by traversing between hilly streets using flatter streets that run perpendicular to the hill's fall line. I can't wait to try this route on bike:) MattFoley, I'm in Spokane and my commute involves South Hill. |
Htfu!!! :d
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Electric pedal assist bike could be an option for the OP, why completely knock oneself out just to get to work? Turn up the power on the badass hills, and down or completely off on the moderate to lighter ones. Cycling to work should be somewhat enjoyable, and not a training prep for the Ironman.
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Originally Posted by Metol
(Post 14354370)
Just to clarify, the 18% incline lasts only about two blocks in one of the routes. I've mostly given up on this route because the steep sections are beyond my ability on most days and more importantly the route coincides with heavy car traffic.
I had to dress more properly at work today and there was a forecast for thunderstorms so I drove in. But on my way home I looked for an alternative route...I might have found one! The pavement still sucks in many places but the climb can be broken up into smaller chunks by traversing between hilly streets using flatter streets that run perpendicular to the hill's fall line. I can't wait to try this route on bike:) MattFoley, I'm in Spokane and my commute involves South Hill. |
Borrow someone's fixie for a couple of weeks. After doing your commute on that, switching back to your geared bike will feel like a dream!
jk |
Originally Posted by Metol
(Post 14349153)
It's a tempting idea, bored117. Sounds like a great way to keep my motivation without getting wiped out completely. But I kind of worry about my self-esteem because my commute is only 4-5 miles.
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I know you said you didn't want a rack but...assuming you do not have any weird attachment points on the bike for the rack to bolt onto, its only a quick 4 bolts to pop off when you do not want it on there. I just took mine off the old grocery bike in about 2 two minutes the other day bc I was curious to see if I could stick with a cycling group on it. I threw it back on the bike as soon as I got home just as easy
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Originally Posted by MattFoley
(Post 14355103)
That was my guess! I can see why you find it daunting...it's exhausting just driving up South Hill. I think your idea of mixing up the north/south climb with east/west cuts is a good idea...hopefully you live on the western portion of the hill, from what I remember the eastern side around Sacred Heart is kind of a mess as far as the roads go and the car traffic is worse.
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Originally Posted by bored117
(Post 14355941)
Self-esteem? Tell you what, I started 2 years ago with huffing and puffing for 3 miles one way commute on practically flat which drained me by end of week... (okay, I was really sedentary for over a decade...) I think you are doing much better than me by far :) I actually really like the profile of your ride. If you sweat, and you will with that hill, you can take shower and have nice beer/water/soda at end of ride at home... no big deal. You probably won't sweat at all going to work no matter the temp... being presentable! I think you got wonderful commute for getting fit, saving time, and manageable as you get better. Pretty soon, you won't be happy with that 5 miles and start figuring detours around to lengthen it :)
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Originally Posted by Spld cyclist
(Post 14353010)
SlimRider,
3 pounds a week? That's a calorie deficit of 1,500 per day! Easier said than done, and I keep reading that it's not good to exceed a 1,000 calorie per day deficit (your body can go into starvation mode). Lately I've been losing at about 1 pound per week. I could do 2, but 3 is pretty ambitious. www.ehow.com/how-5687648-lose-three-pounds-week.html |
Hills are the only part of bikeing i hate. My knees hurt so bad going up them and id guess i live in the lowest part of my town so going any where is up hill.then comeing back is much better well for one hill
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You mentioned in a couple of posts that you have a mountain bike. Did you ever think of using that for your commute, at least on days when your legs are fried? I have an old hard tail Fuji that I use for my winter commuter. It's a lot slower than my usual commuter, but put it in the granny gear and you can ride it up a wall. It also has the advantage for your self esteem - nobody expects someone to go as fast on a mountain bike.
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Originally Posted by SlimRider
(Post 14356576)
Losing three pounds per week is totally dependent upon your individual physical circumstances. Follow this link for more info:
www.ehow.com/how-5687648-lose-three-pounds-week.html |
Just climb that hill and focus on eating veggies instead of sugar and white starch junk. You'll lose weight.
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Originally Posted by SlimRider
(Post 14356576)
Losing three pounds per week is totally dependent upon your individual physical circumstances. Follow this link for more info:
www.ehow.com/how-5687648-lose-three-pounds-week.html You're correct that losing weight would help the OP get up the hill. I'm all for losing weight (I'm doing it myself). I just think people should have realistic expectations of how fast they can accomplish it, so they don't get discouraged when it doesn't happen that quickly. |
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