Training for hills!?

commuterking

I am wondering just about hills. I live in northern california and there are an awful lot of gnarly hills here. I used to ride some mountain bike, but now I just switched to a road bike. I think I'm going to continue with road biking and commuting everyday as I have been, so my question is how to train for hills. I could ride forever here on the flats, but when it comes time to hit the hills, my legs flat feel like they're going to give out on me sometimes. It burns so bad, but I just push through them. I'm wondering if there is any way to get through the burning, or if that just comes in time. I've only been commuting about 2 weeks now, and I'm still getting used to it. Any help would be great

penguinonabike

i wanna ask the same thing as i got a lot of hills near me too..

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Wide load!!

pvoss

It definitely comes easier with time, especially on a road bike. I like to run, and found that running hills also helps biking hills too. Of course, picking up running is extreme if the goal is to enjoy bicycling. What will likely help more is getting toeclips/clipless pedals and really learning how to round-pedal properly.

The coach at my LBS gave me this advice in advancing bicycling skills. Pick a single gear, and stick with just that gear for two weeks, as if you had a single-speed bike. Think carefully which one, probably the middle front ring, and a bigger-middle cog. Focus on the form, of one foot following the other.

On flats, it will feel light, which encourages high cadence. Stay 15-17 mph, don't waste energy trying to go 20+ on flats since the wind resistance goes up disproportionately with speed.

Up hills, power through it thinking very carefully about form. Not so much pushdown/pullup but rather one foot following the other. Stay in the saddle, and pick your one gear such that you can. Don't worry about speed.

Down hills, keep pedaling even with no resistance. This gives your body a chance to rest for the next hill, and it becomes very obvious if you are not pedaling round circles. It's a good chance to work on form, and you're still going 25 mph.

That helped me a lot, to get used to pedaling smoothly. And even the first day, my average speed was no worse for picking a single gear.

huhenio

I will follow your advice .... I get psychologically desperate trying to flatten the hills sometimes.
Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't

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2003 Gary Fisher Zebrano (standard gearing)
Comfort commuter with drop and aero bars.
Think of a Buick.

1974 Schwinn Traveler Fixed Gear Conversion (42x13)

Think of some medieval torture element that goes fast

Wheelist, show me the bike!!!!!!!

riptide

The only way to get good at something is to practice that something. I live atop a good sized hill, so I've been climbing them for a while. I would check your
gears out, the lower the better, check your diet (look who's talking-I am a big
junk foor eater) and you may consider a little weight lifting. I pump the iron, there are lot of riders who leave me behind on the flats but I drop them on the hills, Check your technique, I do not stand up while climbing, I have found
if you have to stand up you need lower gears. When I started cycling in the
1970s the bike magzines referred to "Alpine Gearing", a good example is my 1978 Schwinn Superior, 54-40 in from, 14-32 in back.