I did my first cycling road race this weekend. What a blast! It was only a 30 mile Cat 5 race but it was an absolutely stellar learning experience since there was no where to hide. I learned a few good things but I also now know what I suck at.
One of the many things I learned about the sport and myself was one thing I already knew - I’m pretty bad at going up hill (and we’re talking hills - not mountains). I’m never going to be a great climber given that I’m in my mid 40’s and my body hasn’t looked like one of a real climber since I was in 6th grade. (One good thing I learned was that I can go downhill like demon. If I’m going to haul all that lard up I’m certainly going to make use of it on the way down ;-). On the flats I and my fellow wannabe racers/non climbers were riding at or even slightly above the speed of the lead group but dropping back further and further after each climb. (Of course, the leaders did not have to ride fast to beat us so I’m sure if it had been a flat course, they would have found some other weakness of mine to expose. After I do a flat race I’m sure I’ll find out I suck at sprinting).
Unfortunately, it’s difficult for me to work hills into my normal training routes since where I live and train is pretty flat. Is there anything I can do on flat ground to train specifically for climbing?
I’m in the same boat. I did a century yesterday, and on the flats and downhills, I was faster than many of the groups that I rode with. I was gaining ground even when coasting. But on the hills, many people would drop me in a heartbeat. I got dropped a few times like that. There were several times when I would pass a group of riders, then get caught on the next big hill, only to pass them again on the next flat. Towards the end of the ride, I did better on the hills by spinning circles at a high cadence(and really pushing), but I think it’s more a matter of everyone else being fatigued than me finding my climbing secret.
The funny thing is, on my computrainer, I can pull 250 watts for 5-10 minutes at a time on a 5% hill, so I don’t know what the deal is. Maybe I’m hauling too much gear(and me.)
I’m glad you brought up this topic, because I was pondering it myself.
Well, I’m planning to lose the camelbak for races this season, but at 5’8, and a hair under 160, I can’t lose more than another few pounds(I’m not super-scrawny.)
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You mean like the 3 pound water bottle I carried around for the entire race but barely drank out of? I thought about throwing it away before the final climb but I was too cheap to part with it and I was not exactly sure I was going to make it to the top so I wanted to save it in case I needed fluids while I camped out in the woods for a few hours resting up for the finish.
In my case, I have a light bike (much lighter than I deserve). I could definitely loose several pounds off me but in the mean time, I’m interested in how I can work on the power part of the power-to-weight ratio and specifically how I can do it without being able to actually train on hills.
“Is there anything I can do on flat ground to train specifically for climbing?”
Well nothing beats climbing for getting better at climbing - BUT, there are some things you can do to simulate climbing:
-trainer hill reps (just as you would on the road - a computrainer works well for this)
-big gear, low cadence, high power reps: varying from 2-8 mins. Stick it in the big ring, small cog, and watch your power. Keep the cadence low or similar to climbing a steep hill (60-70s). You can do these into the wind for added resistance if needed.
-use ANY hill you have. if it’s short, do more reps. If it’s not steep, climb it in a bigger gear than normal (lower cadence)
-make a point of scheduling special training days on a hillier route occasionally, even if you have to travel to do so.
-strength training in the gym - along with the sport specific examples above may help also.
High intensity interval training will raise your anaerobic threshold power. You will be able to sustain more power longer. You are not looking to increase peak power, just the amount of power that you can sustain over a long climb. It is like weight training for your heart/cardio system.
czone hit it on the head. Big Gear Low Cadence 2-8min with 5-10 min recovery spinning called power intervals. If done on trainer be sure and elevate front wheel approx 6inches to simulate climbing position. You can also use the wind(ie look for wind to ride into) here in oklahoma we don’t have to look it was 30mph today.