Bike Forums - Climbing

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I'm a Clydesdale and enjoy seeking out climbs, and then with my weight it makes for a quick descent.

It's necessary evil. For every hill you have to climb, you get the same number of hills to speed down.

Climbing

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel4 (Post 20307422)

It's necessary evil. For every hill you have to climb, you get the same number of hills to speed down.

I posted to a previous thread, "Oh No! i just realized that i coast too much."

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJC (Post 13015575)

So todays ride, for some reason i realized i coast way too much. I have no logical reason why?...

i have no clue what my cadence is but assume its 60rpm so maybe i am running too high a gear and should shift down and spin faster and longer? i will have to wait for my garmin to figure out the cadence.

any opinions and tips to break this habit?

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraigB (Post 13174935)

Coasting is not allowed among those who believe rides should be "sufferfests"

Quote:

Originally Posted by zencalm (Post 13174611)

Wait! What's the problem with coasting? I think of it as my reward for pedaling long and hard. Plus, it's fun. I never realized it could be a problem.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston (Post 13180092)

I often think the same thing when I find myself coasting, and as also posted above, using a cadence meter is a good motivator to keep pedaling.

Furthermore if you track your average speed for a ride, pedaling downhill is an easy way to bump up the average.

As far as feeling "guilty" about coasting, I think to myself that I did have to pedal up the hill to be able to coast down, and maybe the respite is good for recovery.

A saying of Ronald Reagan from the 1980 presidential campaign strangely comes to mind as I coast. RR said, "I paid for this microphone, Mr. Breen."

I paid for this hill. :innocent: :lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by noglider (Post 20306890)

..............I like the downhills, too. I've ridden in Florida, and I don't care for it. On flat land, you get a lot of wind which I find harder than hills.

Your reward for climbing a hill is generally the opportunity to blast down the other side, whether coasting or not.

Your reward when riding in Florida is heading out into the wind for 50 miles then making the turn around to head back.....into the wind. Climbing a hill usually has the top to look forward to but riding the wind in Florida (and other States) many times has no top. There can also be a NO LET UP condition where crank rotation is continual and coasting very minimal.

I live in Manhattan which is mostly flat, so I am familiar with the downsides of wind! I ride to work almost every day. Almost every day, I have a headwind in the morning. The wind very often turns around at midday, so I usually have a headwind going home, too!

I descend like a teenager with no sense. On Saturday, I hit 42 mph! It's not something I can recommend, but I do enjoy it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldTryGuy (Post 20307482)

That leads into another popular thread question, which do you like/hate more: hills or wind. I'm in the "likes wind' category because I have a pretty small frontal area which makes me look like Superman(tm) in a headwind compared to the rest of the group. And, while it's possible to have headwind in both directions, it's also possible to get tailwind both ways. Gotta like that!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlazingPedals (Post 20308400)

it's also possible to get tailwind both ways

Not sure which magical fairytale land you reside in, but I've never had a tailwind both ways. Headwinds? Yes, seems about daily. But never a push from the back going both ways. Nuh-uh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aplcr0331 (Post 20308489)

Not sure which magical fairytale land you reside in, but I've never had a tailwind both ways. Headwinds? Yes, seems about daily. But never a push from the back going both ways. Nuh-uh.

Look at what he is riding. :D Really, if it's not blowing at 30+mph, on that machine it is a TAILWIND. :lol: It's slicker than snot.

Can't say that I love long climbs but I just tackled a route that included a climb up Reddish Knob in Virginia this past Monday. This flatlander (Illinois) took on the mountain and actually made it up without having to stop! It was an amazing feeling to make it to the summit after 6 miles of climbing. I believe the maximum grade on that climb was 10.8%. Plenty of those miles were around 7-8%. The views were amazing from the top!

Quote:

Originally Posted by one4smoke (Post 20300016)

When nearing a big climb, do you generally look forward to it, dread it, or take another route?

If there's an alternate route, I will take it, If not, I'll do the best I can and struggle up it. Hills are my Kryptonite.

:)

If you live in North Georgia and don't like climbing then you don't like cycling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by caloso (Post 20301961)

I could see that. I did Haleakala a few years ago and after that long, hypoxic slog to the top, you're looking forward to the ride down. The problem is that you're exhausted, cold, and spend half the ride down dodging tourists on cruiser bikes who haven't been on a bike in years. I called my wife and had her meet me at the store.

I paid for the SAG including the ride down when I did Mauna Kea last year.
/mauna-kea-bicycle-climb

This year I'll be in Maui, hope to try Haleakala.

Quote:

Originally Posted by f4rrest (Post 20311236)

I paid for the SAG including the ride down when I did Mauna Kea last year.
/mauna-kea-bicycle-climb

This year I'll be in Maui, hope to try Haleakala.

Holy crap. That was epic!

always depends on the ride. most of the time, i try to hit the biggest climb(s) in the first part of the ride.
longer rides of 80+ miles, an hc/cat 1/cat 2 climb at the end of a ride looms like the sword of damocles over your head
and is generally not the most pleasant prospect.

I like hills even though I'm not very good at climbing them. I just kind of settle in and concentrate on having enough reserve to get to the top. Being in London, I don't have many hills though .