Hills on Trainer?
 

Hey, I've posted about this in the Training forum as well, but thought I might get more responses here. Also, I did search but didn't find much ... if I've missed a thread that I should've looked at, my apologies.

I've got 3 1/2 months to train for a trip which is going to include a few longish rides (100+ miles) that are going to include climbs larger and longer than anything I've ridden before. I've got to do most of my training indoors on my Fluid2, and can do 10 - 12 hours a week, more if need be.

Questions:

How best to replicate climbing work on my trainer?

I'm new to structured training, so please speak slowly and use small words. I have HRM only, no power. I am doing the threshold test this Monday to be able to better set my training zones.

Thanks to anyone who chips in here with advice or links to resources. :D Again, I'm new to all of this.

You would think that the best way to train for long steady climbs would be to just do lots of long steady climbs. I don't think this is true though. I think the best way to train for this is to do regular interval work - anaerobic threshold intervals, SST intervals, etc.. This is perfect for a trainer (no wasted time dealing with wind, stop signs, traffic, etc.).

Of course, you have to develop an aerobic base also to develop the ability to ride for 4-6 hrs (ie. like one long aerobic ride per week with gradually increasing times). Then I would concentrate on shorter harder interval days (ie. 3 x 10 min, 2 x 20 min, 8 x 3 min, 12 x 90 sec, etc..).

You would benefit from reading this $13 book - http://www.amazon.com/Training-Racin...0&sr=8-1-spell

Ah, I left that out from my first post. The one thing I have going for me as a cyclist is my ability to keep on trucking ... I can ride outdoors in the for 5+ hours with no problem.

The two things I really need to work on for this upcoming season is increasing my ability to hold higher speeds (20+) over sustained distance and hill climbing.

The hill climbing, due to this trip, MUST come first.

For the intervals ... I do these below, at, or above threshold. The longer ones, I mean ... the shorter ones I understand you just go all out ... but if I am doing say 2 x 10 or 2 x 20?

Thanks! I'll check out that book, also.

Twice a week followed by a recovery day. Climbing intervals. 95% to 95% +4 beats threshhold, 75-85 cadence, 2-5 minutes intervals. The other days I would be doing endurance intervals at 91% threshold, 95-100 cadence, 2x20 or 2x30.

I don't understand this part. 95% to just over threshold? Is that right?

95% of your thresh hold heart rate. If your threshold is 200 bpm than 95% of 200 is 190, +4 beats gives a range of 190-194.

200 bpm threshold? yowzah.

On a trainer- do some big gear, low cadence slogs with standing interspersed. You can raise your frontwheel if you want.

:roflmao2: Threshold test on Monday. Don't worry, it won't be 200bpm. :rolleyes:

This. Worked great for me last winter.

Hey, power is power, whether its on the flat or on the climbs. Do a lot of intervals.

True. But lower cadence triggers a different type of fatigue than the same power output at 90-95 rpms. Standing employs some different muscles altogether.

I've always wondered if you get a "good enough" training effect by resistance and cadence indoors alone or must the front wheel be raised to engage certain muscles?

True enough, but I think anyone that has to ask a general question like this would benefit from overall fitness gains and doesn't need anything more complicated :). You won't really know what you really need to specifically train (and I sure as heck don't) until you get a powermeter and can see where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Then you can train specific things like threshold power, hill climbing, sprinting, etc. Until then, I think general high intensity intervals will do you as much good as anything else.

This is true, but I do know that my leg strength lags behind my aerobic capacity quite a bit. I think some of these climbing specific exercises (and some from the Training subforum) will help to address muscle recruitment in ways that more general training won't. Yes, I totally need to work on everything, but knowing that steep long hills are for sure in my future, I might as well prepare a bit for those.

10 - 12 hours a week with a focus on climbing should do a bit toward helping me with the hills and addressing my general fitness as well, I would hope. All in all, looks like I will be taking this coming season more seriously, which can only be a good thing.

Thanks everyone! :)

It's mostly about the power, so steady states should be the key component (i.e. 2x20's 3x20's, 6 x10)
raising the front wheel will help simulate the climbing posture, and engage some different muscles, but the key is the time at intensity.

Low gear helps with muscular fatigue.

If you're doing Steady state intervals at 90 rpm, you might have trouble hitting the same wattage slogging at 40-50 rpm. Muscles will fatigue.

You're stressing your CV system more at 90 rpm.

I just picked 200 out of thin air. Mine came in at 175 when last tested.

1) the bike should be geared so you don't have to ride 40-50rpm on the climbs.

2) you can do muscle tensions on the trainer, assuming it has enough watts. I've found that for me a Cycleops Fluid 2, has just enough resistence that I can do muscle tensions in the 50-55rpm in a 53/11 and have adequate resistence to make it worthwhile.

Not true at all. Depends at what torque one has to deliver that power for example, riding position plays as well etc. etc

I say practice all cadences. For hills I would definitely try to find a gear that has me pedaling 75rpm or so with a good level of power. For flat TTs the same power at 90rpm is better for me.

My singlespeed sometimes requires me to climb at a 35rpm cadence. I also routinely do 175rpm on the same setup.

:)

I just can't get the image of a hummingbird on a bicycle out of my head. My threshold is about 157.