Hello, just a quick novice query regarding an issue I have with my commuter bike (a fairly new Specialized (brand) hybrid)

I have been commuting to work for a few months now but I feel that the cycling is overly tough going up hills/inclines ie. harder than it should be - this is making me lose motivation to get onto the bike and makes me dread the ride home.

I am a relatively fit person who plays sports at least 3 times a week and can manage quite long distances running but I am quite a heavy/large build at 108kg. I mention this because no matter how much I blow up my tyres they go a bit flat when I sit on the bike - could this be the cause of my problem or is this normal when seated on a bike?

The tyres are quite thin road tyres and came with the bike - is there a type of tyre better suited to larger people which would hold its shape? I really feel like something is slowing the bike down and I can only think of the tyres as the reason other than my weight.

Any help much appreciated!

I really don't like skinny tires. My preferred size is 700 - 32. That size at 65 psi is great for my weight, which is 150 lbs.

If you are getting a lot of bulge on any kind of tire, it will increase the risk of pinch flats.

A tyre should be inflated so that when you sit on the bike, pack all you carry, it compresses some 15% of it's height in the place it touches the ground.

Thicker tyres will need less pressure in order to achieve this, so will require less (and less frequent) pumping and will be better at cushioning road bumps. Above 100 kg, not every 23 mm road bike tyre can hold enough pressure to avoid pinch flats.

25 mm, or a 28 mm tyre is better for commuting, but not sure they can fit your frame (do make sure).


I ride some really bad roads and often use hybrid bicycle with 37 mm tyres. I pump them at around 4-5 bars (front-rear).

Road bike 23 mm tyres for my 70 kg weight need to be inflated about 6-7 bars (front-rear), and they loose pressure daily. The higher the pressure, the more often you need tu pump tyres.

If you want to improve ability to go up inclines, get to the gym. I was commuting for a couple of years and then I started doing squats and leg press 3 times a week. I can power up hills sitting in the seat (I do use my gears of course). Really noticed the difference. If you are young you could really put some muscle on those quads.

Like you, I have a Specialized hybrid; mine came with 23mm tires that accepts 125 lobs of pressure. That produces a fast bike with low rolling resistance. Going with a wider tire and running lower pressures will make your bike handle slower and less efficiently, so going that way won't help you get up the hills faster or with less effort. Cycling uses muscles differently than running, so it could be that with more miles on the bike you will gain strength and technique that will help you on the commute. Don't give up - just give it some time (and miles).

That's true, but the effect isn't as large as most people think. A 25 or 28mm tyre won't be that much slower, and the effect is most noticeable at high speeds anyway, not when climbing.

Going 25, or even 28 mm will not make handling any worse, nor make any noticeable difference going up a hill. We're talking commuting here. Not racing.

Getting drop bars and using different groups of muscles could make a greater impact.

Very basic question, but sometimes it is good to cover those:
You are changing gears, appropriate to the incline, right? Does your Sirrus have double or triple chainrings?

I weight 100 kg and I carry at leat 10 kg of luggage on my commuter. I ride a 700x23 on the front and a 700x25 on the back of my Nakamura road serie (triathlon bike). I ride 7000-8000 kms/year on that bike so I think your tires should be up to the task.

If you've been doing it for a few months, you shouldn't be having too much trouble on the inclines. Are you downshifting? Have your commute times improved? Has your average speed increased?

Maybe you're overworking your legs and they have no time to recover. You did mention that you play sports 3 times a week and do long distance running in addition to your bike commute. You'll also want to make sure you're eating right. More protein, more complex carbs, less sugar.

HTFU sound like the solution!

Thanks for the responses so far - given me plenty to think about.

I believe I am using the gears correctly ie. changing to an easier gear for the inclines so I hope to rule that out as my problem. I have triple chain rings I think.

I checked out what type of tyres I have and they are 700 - 32c. I'm not sure if thats ideal for me but judging by other posts here they should be fine for my weight and road use.

I was thinking of buying a pressure gauge and seeing if my issue is that I do not have the tyres at the correct pressure due to me having a bad tyre pump or connection or maybe a tiny hole in the tyre somewhere?

Other than that I could do leg work in the gym and see if that helps - I did not consider that the muscles used would be vastly different so perhaps I should build them up a bit.

To answer the post 2 above I feel like my commute is slower on an incline now than when I first began. I think this is partly due to the thought in my head that any hill will be a tough hill and so I drop it to the easiest gear and just trundle up the hill. The thing is that I want to improve my speeds and endurance on the way to work and back so that I can enjoy the bike and maybe even use it recreationally as well as just a commute.

How much difference does a drop bar make or even a more racing style bike?

Thanks again for the help on this.

Ok I had to look up what HTFU meant.

Well my sport is Rugby so I would like to think I am fairly resistant but point taken. Was just wondering if, as a complete novice, I had something totally wrong with my set up. If its just that I need to try harder then fair enough.

Drop bars help out when going downhill, as they give you a more aerodynamic shape.

Don't drop to the easiest gear right away. Only downshift when it's hard to keep up your cadence. I used to have to drop down to it going up hills, but now I can stay in a higher gear. That is probably the biggest improvement to my commute times. My goal for next week is to keep my speed above 10mph at all times. It currently drops to 7-8 going up my steepest hills.

And try taking 2-3 days off from any strenuous leg work. Your muscles need time to rebuild or they won't get stronger.

If you have a Sirrus and are inflating your tires properly with a bike pump and not the air compressor at the gas station designed for automobiles, your problem is two fold: you mentally see climbing a hill as daunting and down shift to the easiest gear possible and you have trained your body to climb like that, but it's not your equipment.

Work on your mental attitude and the body should respond the way you want it to.

Cheap pumps won't deliver the pressure you need. Start with the gauge.

How knobby are the tires? Bumps on the tires will slow you down.

Check your air pressure!

Check it before each ride until you know where it is at, what works, and how slowly they lose pressure. If you can get a good floor pump with a pressure guage, it will make this task much easier. This is the one I use (so you can see what I am describing), but there are others, in a range of prices:
https://www.serfas.com/products/view/515/refererroducts%7Cindex%7Cpumps%7Cfloor-pumps

I am 113 kg with the build of an American football linebacker, so we are similar size. I run 700x32 tires at 95 psi and they work great for commuting. Check the sidewall of your tires for a recommended range of inflation pressure. Mine have a range of 75-100psi. Running at the higher end of the range will make you roll faster and easier.

Good luck, keep after it, and never surrender. You can do it. Hills are no challenge after rugby.

I weigh 107kg and recently was running 23mm tires (Veloflex), and am now running 24mm tires (Vittoria). The 23mm were pumped to about 120 psi front, 135 psi rear. The 24mm are being pumped to around 115 front, 125psi rear. I find this works well at this weight.

A good floor pump with built-in-gauge is critical. I pump them up every-other day.

Definately keep your tire pressure up, makes all the difference for me I'm only 70 kilos, but a friend that I ride with is a little over 100 kilos. He used to detest hills until he figured out that it was easier if he kept a faster cadence with a lower gear. I don't know if it is just a mental thing but I've been doing this too for over a year and what a difference, especially when my bike is loaded down with all the stuff I have to take to work. Just pick a lively pedaling speed and focus on climbing past the top of the hill. Next thing you know, your flying down the other side! One note, if your cadence is fast enought that you are shuffling around on your saddle a lot, slow it down a bit because your starting to waste energy at that point. Good luck!

the only thing that makes climbing hills easier for me is losing weight. The thing to remember about hills though, is that you should just climb them at a comfortable pace and avoid worrying about it. You'll be at the top eventually, and worrying about how fast you are going doesn't really help you get there faster.