hi,
i am an inexperienced rider. i am currently training for an IM and doing rides that are 70-100 miles.
there is a certain course that i do in which i go over a hill that is about 7 miles long and slopes about 10%
every time i go over this hill i have knee pains over the next 2 days.
i don’t have these pains after longer (time/distance) flatter rides.
is there something i should be doing going up steep hills (like move a little forward or backward on the saddle? hold the handlebar differently?)
or perhaps is it something i’m doing going uphill that i’m not doing when i ride a flat course?
or is it just the fact that my legs are weak and i do this hill at cadence <50 putting a lot of pressure on my legs?
do you do adjust your body position in any way when you start climbing?
are there any climbing tips?
thanks in advance
oh yeah, my bic was professionally fit, it’s a road bic (not a TT). i have a compact crane and 11-28 cassette (can’t get any easier for climbing)
If 34-28 If that’s not enough get a mountain bike rear derailleur and get a 32 or a 34 on there. This will help you raise your cadence back to where it is on the flats and should help your knee pain.
Alternately you need to work on your power. 50 cadence in 34-28 up a 10% grade indicates a power of 2.5 W/kg. as a threshold power that’s pretty low. You’d get a better cadence if you could ride nearer 3 W/kg. You could just do hard intervals on the flat until you get stronger then tackle that route again.
A 7 mile climb with 10% slopes is pretty tough. I think your inexperience has a lot to do with your troubles. Are their shallower routes you can take until you get stronger?
The best way to climb hills is to go out and find hills to climb.
sorry-I reread and edited my post. Changing the derailleur will allow you to put bigger gears on the back. Like a 32 or a 34. As mentioned above the triple crank could be a good option. possibly in combination with a 34.
just go slower
get used to the idea that it is ok to go really slow up steep hills, with a really slow cadence. pressure on knees relieved.
hi,
i am an inexperienced rider. i am currently training for an IM and doing rides that are 70-100 miles.
there is a certain course that i do in which i go over a hill that is about 7 miles long and slopes about 10%
every time i go over this hill i have knee pains over the next 2 days.
i don’t have these pains after longer (time/distance) flatter rides.
is there something i should be doing going up steep hills (like move a little forward or backward on the saddle? hold the handlebar differently?)
or perhaps is it something i’m doing going uphill that i’m not doing when i ride a flat course?
or is it just the fact that my legs are weak and i do this hill at cadence <50 putting a lot of pressure on my legs?
do you do adjust your body position in any way when you start climbing?
are there any climbing tips?
thanks in advance
oh yeah, my bic was professionally fit, it’s a road bic (not a TT). i have a compact crane and 11-28 cassette (can’t get any easier for climbing)
i go over a hill that is about 7 miles long and slopes about 10%
Awesome hill! IMO this qualifies as a really hard, even epic (1100+m gain) climb, especially if its within a 70-100mi ride. Climb up this hill regularly and you will become a monster climber.
As others have said, try to increase cadence, either hit the hill earlier in your ride when you have more strength in the legs, or change gearing so in your lowest gear (34x28) you can keep at least 80 rpm while climbing. Try to slide back on the saddle and use the glutes more.
Things I do when climbing (but I’m no monster mtn climber!)
keep hands on the bar top and pull back in rhythm with your legs, this sometimes helps to push through the steeper sections.
keep cadence 80+, sit back on the saddle and engage the glutes
switch between spinning and mashing when the legs get tired
periodically do sections out of the saddle to take some stress off the knees - don’t lean too far foward, keep your shoulders behind the plane of the bar tops
do you do adjust your body position in any way when you start climbing?
are there any climbing tips?
thanks in advance
oh yeah, my bic was professionally fit, it’s a road bic (not a TT). i have a compact crane and 11-28 cassette (can’t get any easier for climbing)
As others have mentioned you may want to look into a triple crankset. Or avoid that hill until your a bit stronger.
As far as climbing positions, I find that I’m further back on the saddle than I am on flat ground. The three basic positions are standing, seated w/ hands on the hood and seated w/ hands on the bar top. Personally I prefer bar tops as it feels like the least effort for moderate power efforts, past a certain point I have to switch to hoods though.
Only other climbing specific tip I can think of is the obvious one - lose weight if you can.
You need to do strength training for legs. Squats lunges and other strength training exercises will strengthen quads glutes hamstrings and also the tendons supporting the weight. Your pain is probably under the knee cap in front knee patellar femoral pain. Strengthen the legs.
hi,
i am an inexperienced rider. i am currently training for an IM and doing rides that are 70-100 miles.
there is a certain course that i do in which i go over a hill that is about 7 miles long and slopes about 10%
every time i go over this hill i have knee pains over the next 2 days.
i don’t have these pains after longer (time/distance) flatter rides.
is there something i should be doing going up steep hills (like move a little forward or backward on the saddle? hold the handlebar differently?)
or perhaps is it something i’m doing going uphill that i’m not doing when i ride a flat course?
or is it just the fact that my legs are weak and i do this hill at cadence <50 putting a lot of pressure on my legs?
do you do adjust your body position in any way when you start climbing?
are there any climbing tips?
thanks in advance
oh yeah, my bic was professionally fit, it’s a road bic (not a TT). i have a compact crane and 11-28 cassette (can’t get any easier for climbing)
Easier gearing
Increase fitness
lose weight
These are pretty much the only things you can do. If do all 3, you should be good to go.
on a really long climb as you describe I find it beneficial (mentally) to consciously change positions. I typically move from the front of the seat to the back to standing over the course of maybe 10 minutes. I’ll even throw in some exaggerated ankling just to mix it up.
Just do like Dave Scott and pedal until you can’t pedal anymore. Then dismount, walk a bit, and proceed to crush the spirits of people 20 years your younger the rest of the day.
Seriously, where is this 7 miles 10% hill? The timed portion over Big Savage Mountain at SavageMan is 7.1 miles and 8% average grade. 7 miles and 10% avg is a monster. You ride that regularly and you’ll be a beast.
like some others, I want to know of this climb. That sounds friggen wicked. Best I can regularly ride is a 1000 foot climb on one side is 3 miles, and the other is 6(so like 6% or 3% depending on whcih side I climb).
Anyway, if your cadence is under 50 on a 34/28; you need a lower gear.
