Climbing Hills
- Thread starter djnacory
- Start date
Anonsequitur
Member
Maintain 90rpm cadence, pull on handle bars with arms
My suggestion is to find the gear(s) which allow you to spin at 90rpm or so uphill, and to adjust your leg extension, handlebars, and seat to allow you to optimally recruit your upper body (arms, shoulders, back, etc). Push with your back, pull with your arms/shoulders, and spin at 90rpm is the conventional wisdom.
A triple chainring crankset may give you better gear selection for steep climbs if you don't have one. The Cruzbike Sofrider is equipped with 160mm cranks to facilitate spinning. Typical mountain bike cranksets offer 170mm or longer cranksets. It is more efficient to spin, than "mash" the pedals, and it's better for your knee health.
Cruzbike conversions typically are built from heavy moutain bike frames, so there is a considerable "penalty" in hill climbing compared to a DF. The other variable is the "engine."
My suggestion is to find the gear(s) which allow you to spin at 90rpm or so uphill, and to adjust your leg extension, handlebars, and seat to allow you to optimally recruit your upper body (arms, shoulders, back, etc). Push with your back, pull with your arms/shoulders, and spin at 90rpm is the conventional wisdom.
A triple chainring crankset may give you better gear selection for steep climbs if you don't have one. The Cruzbike Sofrider is equipped with 160mm cranks to facilitate spinning. Typical mountain bike cranksets offer 170mm or longer cranksets. It is more efficient to spin, than "mash" the pedals, and it's better for your knee health.
Cruzbike conversions typically are built from heavy moutain bike frames, so there is a considerable "penalty" in hill climbing compared to a DF. The other variable is the "engine."
MrSteve
Zen MBB Master
Climbing
Your daughter may be better at climbing hills on bikes than you are!
(You could put her on your conversion and then you could race her on a D.F.)
----
Seriously now,
I have 170mm crank arms on my Sofrider, as well as triple chainrings.
My preference is to spin, but when mashing at a low cadence, the longer
lever of the 170s suits me better than shorter cranks.
The Sofrider is a very good climber and it took me quite a while
to get used to it, used to it enough to learn to use (at least some)
of its potential.
-I can easily outclimb all the local recumbents... most of them are
high-end Bacchettas.
-I can outclimb most of the casual DF riders and hang with the
older -like myself- DF club riders.
-The local racers leave me, however, no matter where the road goes!
My advice, Doug?
Practice!
-Steve
Your daughter may be better at climbing hills on bikes than you are!
(You could put her on your conversion and then you could race her on a D.F.)
----
Seriously now,
I have 170mm crank arms on my Sofrider, as well as triple chainrings.
My preference is to spin, but when mashing at a low cadence, the longer
lever of the 170s suits me better than shorter cranks.
The Sofrider is a very good climber and it took me quite a while
to get used to it, used to it enough to learn to use (at least some)
of its potential.
-I can easily outclimb all the local recumbents... most of them are
high-end Bacchettas.
-I can outclimb most of the casual DF riders and hang with the
older -like myself- DF club riders.
-The local racers leave me, however, no matter where the road goes!
My advice, Doug?
Practice!
-Steve
Charles.Plager
Recumbent Quant
A Triple and Practice
Hi,
I agree with both of the two posters above. I highly recommend a triple crankset (I just installed a tiny granny gear so I can now spin up any hill). I also recommend practice. I, too, am slower than equivalent diamond frame bikes up hills (but definitely not down them). Having a heavy bike doesn't help. Having an engine that isn't used to hills doesn't help either (but I'm working on the latter as I just spent a week in Vermont going up some monster hills).
Keep trying and let us know how it goes.
Cheers,
Charles
Hi,
I agree with both of the two posters above. I highly recommend a triple crankset (I just installed a tiny granny gear so I can now spin up any hill). I also recommend practice. I, too, am slower than equivalent diamond frame bikes up hills (but definitely not down them). Having a heavy bike doesn't help. Having an engine that isn't used to hills doesn't help either (but I'm working on the latter as I just spent a week in Vermont going up some monster hills).
Keep trying and let us know how it goes.
Cheers,
Charles
psychling
Well-Known Member
Power to weight ratio ... and weather and terrain
POINT # ONE:
The less weight propelled up an incline the better. Apply the 250 watts of power to pushing 180 lbs up a 4% incline of half a mile and you'll get `X' time result. Apply the same watts to pushing 150 lbs up a 4% incline of half a mile and you'll get up faster.
POINT # TWO:
Weather affects long climbing events, assuming all else remains equal. Hot weather causes our body to heat up and we sweat to cool down. If we are unadapted to hot weather riding we will go slower. If we do not hydrate enough we will both go slower and likely cramp up.
POINT # THREE:
Wind affects long climbing events asssuming that all else remains equal. Climbing into a stiff wind will take longer than climbing with a strong tailwind.
POINT # FOUR:
Endurance. As Eddie Merckx would respond when asked how he got to be so dominant: "Train lots!"
---
Last week I was joined by two other cyclists on a long, hilly route. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/194784590
The temp was between 95 - 105 F.
I was on a recumbent and the other two were on upright / diamond frame bikes.
Rider # 1 was 52 yrs old, 5'8" and weighed 175 lbs.
Rider # 2 was 27 yrs old, 6'2" and weighed 170 lbs.
I'm 5'10" and 66 yrs old. I've gone from 232 lbs last July to around 185 lbs now (12 months).
Both riders have probably logged 1,000 miles within the previous 30 days. They ride the same mountainous terrain as me.
I haven't ridden that many miles (3,416) since January but I've logged a lot of climbing (248,000 feet).
They ride / train in the early morning. I try to ride / train mid-day. I make it a pointed goal to adapt to the heat.
Rider # 1 bailed and called for his wife to come get him in their car just past 50% of the ride. Too hot. His HR was higher than he expected and, wisely, elected to live another day.
Rider # 2 climbed almost effortlessly (easily faster than me). But he couldn't handle the heat. He had to stop twice for 45 minutes each time. At the ride's end he was riding without his helmet, his eye's were sunken and he looked deeply fatigued.
----
So, `climbing' is not just `climbing.' Depending on your goal of becoming a better cyclist there are several factors associated with performance. It is how you train for the events that serve as your goal.
POINT # ONE:
The less weight propelled up an incline the better. Apply the 250 watts of power to pushing 180 lbs up a 4% incline of half a mile and you'll get `X' time result. Apply the same watts to pushing 150 lbs up a 4% incline of half a mile and you'll get up faster.
POINT # TWO:
Weather affects long climbing events, assuming all else remains equal. Hot weather causes our body to heat up and we sweat to cool down. If we are unadapted to hot weather riding we will go slower. If we do not hydrate enough we will both go slower and likely cramp up.
POINT # THREE:
Wind affects long climbing events asssuming that all else remains equal. Climbing into a stiff wind will take longer than climbing with a strong tailwind.
POINT # FOUR:
Endurance. As Eddie Merckx would respond when asked how he got to be so dominant: "Train lots!"
---
Last week I was joined by two other cyclists on a long, hilly route. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/194784590
The temp was between 95 - 105 F.
I was on a recumbent and the other two were on upright / diamond frame bikes.
Rider # 1 was 52 yrs old, 5'8" and weighed 175 lbs.
Rider # 2 was 27 yrs old, 6'2" and weighed 170 lbs.
I'm 5'10" and 66 yrs old. I've gone from 232 lbs last July to around 185 lbs now (12 months).
Both riders have probably logged 1,000 miles within the previous 30 days. They ride the same mountainous terrain as me.
I haven't ridden that many miles (3,416) since January but I've logged a lot of climbing (248,000 feet).
They ride / train in the early morning. I try to ride / train mid-day. I make it a pointed goal to adapt to the heat.
Rider # 1 bailed and called for his wife to come get him in their car just past 50% of the ride. Too hot. His HR was higher than he expected and, wisely, elected to live another day.
Rider # 2 climbed almost effortlessly (easily faster than me). But he couldn't handle the heat. He had to stop twice for 45 minutes each time. At the ride's end he was riding without his helmet, his eye's were sunken and he looked deeply fatigued.
----
So, `climbing' is not just `climbing.' Depending on your goal of becoming a better cyclist there are several factors associated with performance. It is how you train for the events that serve as your goal.
djnacory
New Member
Thanks for all the input!
I think some practice will get me there. I have the bike adjusted so that I can add in my upper body. I can spin my way up but I'm just used to mashing my way through on the DF. Hills have been getting easier with time. It has been over 100F most days for awhile but I carry lots of water and stay hydrated so I don't really see that it has been a problem. Next month I'll be doing a 150 mile ride with my 14 year old daughter so I'm into extra training now. She runs track and plays soccer so she's always in shape.
The bike does weigh in at 42lbs so it's heavy but the better aerodynamics make up for most of the weight. Being an engineer I have been redesigning this in my head and this winter may come up with some modifications or maybe new design I'll just have to see what works.
Thanks for all the help.
I think some practice will get me there. I have the bike adjusted so that I can add in my upper body. I can spin my way up but I'm just used to mashing my way through on the DF. Hills have been getting easier with time. It has been over 100F most days for awhile but I carry lots of water and stay hydrated so I don't really see that it has been a problem. Next month I'll be doing a 150 mile ride with my 14 year old daughter so I'm into extra training now. She runs track and plays soccer so she's always in shape.
The bike does weigh in at 42lbs so it's heavy but the better aerodynamics make up for most of the weight. Being an engineer I have been redesigning this in my head and this winter may come up with some modifications or maybe new design I'll just have to see what works.
Thanks for all the help.
John Tolhurst
Zen MBB Master
I didn't read that claim into
I didn't read that claim into it? ...
I didn't read that claim into it? ...
John Tolhurst
Zen MBB Master
Love the beard by the way.
Love the beard by the way. How'd you get to retire and still have a brown one?
Love the beard by the way. How'd you get to retire and still have a brown one?
psychling
Well-Known Member
beard ..
John ...
That picture was taken in 1971 outside a `pensione' in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I was on an `unauthorized' (parole officer not informed) hitchhiking trip to as many archaeological sites in `mesoamerica' as I could fit in in 3 months. Another American staying at the pensione took the pic telling me that he thought my `WANTED' poster by the Feds should be somewhat complimentary.
Needless to say ... I'm older, cuter, smarter, funnier and I dance well, too.
John ...
That picture was taken in 1971 outside a `pensione' in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I was on an `unauthorized' (parole officer not informed) hitchhiking trip to as many archaeological sites in `mesoamerica' as I could fit in in 3 months. Another American staying at the pensione took the pic telling me that he thought my `WANTED' poster by the Feds should be somewhat complimentary.
Needless to say ... I'm older, cuter, smarter, funnier and I dance well, too.
Andrew 1973
Zen MBB Master
To Psychling
"That picture was taken in 1971 outside a 'pensione' in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I was on an 'unauthorized' (parole officer not informed) hitchhiking trip to as many archaeological sites in `mesoamerica' as I could fit in in 3 months. Another American staying at the pensione took the pic telling me that he thought my `WANTED' poster by the Feds should be somewhat complimentary."
I should have been more troublesome prior to getting married and starting a family. Maybe then I'd have a story like yours to tell
"That picture was taken in 1971 outside a 'pensione' in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I was on an 'unauthorized' (parole officer not informed) hitchhiking trip to as many archaeological sites in `mesoamerica' as I could fit in in 3 months. Another American staying at the pensione took the pic telling me that he thought my `WANTED' poster by the Feds should be somewhat complimentary."
I should have been more troublesome prior to getting married and starting a family. Maybe then I'd have a story like yours to tell
