Biking up hill

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  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    What tires do you have on your road bike, and what size?

    700x23 Gatorskin. What difference does this make?

    Good choice. Keep those for a while.

    Bigger tires are heavier (small difference) and are like using a harder gear (medium difference). People use fat tires anyway because they can be more comfortable. But we live in an unusually hilly place, and our hills are steeper than most. 23s are perfect.

    Thanks, good to know!

    As you know, I really love bikes.

    There's only so much time you can spend riding (I'm needing more recovery as I age) and I enjoy talking about bikes too, when I'm not riding them. Forgive me if I babble sometimes.

    By the way, next spring I'm going to want to ride Hurricane Ridge Road and Elwha River Road. Maybe I can talk you into doing Elwha with me. I saw the first few miles by car, and it was lovely. :smile:
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    I hope this doesn't come out sounding snarky, but I really think you're over thinking things.

    Just go ride. You'll improve quickly, and most of the conversation will become moot. If there's an actual problem, then that's one thing... but it sounds like you're just new to cycling and need more time in the saddle.

    I agree!!

    That's how I started ... I just rode. And then, as time went on, I started buying new bicycles and/or making modifications to my existing bicycles ... as needed.

    But a lot of the comfort on a bicycle comes from a) having a bicycle that fits properly and b) riding.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    What tires do you have on your road bike, and what size?

    700x23 Gatorskin. What difference does this make?

    Good choice. Keep those for a while.

    Bigger tires are heavier (small difference) and are like using a harder gear (medium difference). People use fat tires anyway because they can be more comfortable. But we live in an unusually hilly place, and our hills are steeper than most. 23s are perfect.

    Thanks, good to know!

    As you know, I really love bikes.

    There's only so much time you can spend riding (I'm needing more recovery as I age) and I enjoy talking about bikes too, when I'm not riding them. Forgive me if I babble sometimes.

    By the way, next spring I'm going to want to ride Hurricane Ridge Road and Elwha River Road. Maybe I can talk you into doing Elwha with me. I saw the first few miles by car, and it was lovely. :smile:
    I really appreciate your insights and willingness to answer my many questions. Elwah is beautiful but I prob can’t kept up with you! I’ve seen it both before and after the dam was breached. It’s amazing how the river and salmon have come back!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    To go back to the question in which someone asked what is the grade of the hills where I'm having trouble. Per Strava 7-12%. It looks like I've made up 5-6% grades. So what do you make of that?

    Personally, I'm OK with hills under 10%. I'm slow on them, but I can make it up. But then I've got really low gears.

    Once a hill goes over 10% it becomes more of a struggle.

    Since you're starting out with this, I'd focus on the 5-6% grades and get so that you feel quite comfortable on them, and then start adding in steeper grades.

    Can you explain what gearing you have for "really low gears"? Thx.

    If I'm not mistaken, my low gear is a 26x34.

    I have a mtn bike triple chainrings on my road bicycles, so the smallest of the triple is the 26. And the "dinner plate" in my cassette is a 34.


    I am so incredibly not a hill climber, but I have made it up 15% grades with that.

  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    I hope this doesn't come out sounding snarky, but I really think you're over thinking things.

    Just go ride. You'll improve quickly, and most of the conversation will become moot. If there's an actual problem, then that's one thing... but it sounds like you're just new to cycling and need more time in the saddle.

    I don’t think it’s snarky, but I’m just responding to various questions others have asked and trying learn. People have asked about my gears, road grades, tires, etc so I responded and want to know why they ask.

    I totally agree, I’m a very new rider and definitely need lots of time in the saddle.

    You're right... sorry. I should have worded it more generally. I think the thread in general is largely over thinking/complicating things. Yes, a lot of us are bike nuts and love to talk about anything and everything bike related... but most of that does't really apply to you at this point in your cycling career. Does it hurt to know some of these things? No, definitely not. Just don't put too much importance on gearing or tires or grips or whatever else (unless there is a problem that needs to be addressed).

    A good motor trumps all the gear.
  • CharlotteAnneUK
    CharlotteAnneUK Posts: 186 Member
    Definitely go down the gears, but do not drop the the lowest gear straight out. think of your body as being like a car, when you go uphill you gently go down gears and don't just drop to first. Yes you will slow down, but as long as you are able to keep spinning you will be fine. I hate hills be it running or cycling, but for either shoulders back, head up, let the air fill your lungs to feed your body. when I tried this on steep gradients I found I was lifting the front of the bike, but I also had it pointed out to me that I was gripping the handlebars like my life depended on them putting my stability and center of gravity off. I also ride clipped (used to have the cage but forgot to take my feet out all the time) this helps with the momentum too.
  • dmkoenig
    dmkoenig Posts: 299 Member
    As you are approaching the hill, try to pick up the speed a bit so you have some momentum. As you start getting on the hill try to keep your cadence the same which means you will need to downshift. Get into that small chain ring (the 34) and continue to downshift until you run out of gears (moving up to the biggest ring in the back). At that point focus on keeping a smooth rotation and relax as much as possible and try to establish a comfortable rhythm. A smooth rotation means that you don't have any breaks in your stroke which commonly happen when you are moving from the 9 o'clock to 12 o'clock position. As you foot moves from 6 o'clock to 9 think of scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe to you keep your leg engaged on the upstroke. This is much easier to do with cycling shoes/cleats. You are better off staying in a sitting position rather than standing. It sounds like your gearing setup is adequate unless you live in a pretty hilly area, in which case you may want to go to a 30-tooth setup. Good luck!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    jjpptt2 wrote: »
    I hope this doesn't come out sounding snarky, but I really think you're over thinking things.

    Just go ride. You'll improve quickly, and most of the conversation will become moot. If there's an actual problem, then that's one thing... but it sounds like you're just new to cycling and need more time in the saddle.

    I don’t think it’s snarky, but I’m just responding to various questions others have asked and trying learn. People have asked about my gears, road grades, tires, etc so I responded and want to know why they ask.

    I totally agree, I’m a very new rider and definitely need lots of time in the saddle.
    A good motor trumps all the gear.

    Don't give up and buy a motor!!
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