Hills workouts on the bike
160
Member
82 days
iamtb13 posted 11 weeks ago.
I always base it on how fast I am moving. My target is right around 10-12 mph. If I am under that, there isn't much aerodynamic gain to being down so find the position that gets you up and over. If I can maintain over 12 mph, I'll stay down. My two cents.
90
Member
992 days
NotAsFast posted 11 weeks ago.
Getting power for hill repeat comes from being positioned further back in the saddle, so that means either a longer reach down on your bars or being more upright and back in your saddle. My personal preference is to be upright as you are going slower and have more ability to lose balance, especially if the hill is steep.
As for number of repeats, start with short repeats first, 1 minute with a 2 minute downhill recovery. Rinse and repeat. Build up over a 4 week period by 2-3 repeats a week. I usually start at 6 and go up from there. On the 4th week reduce the number by half for a recovery week. After that I usually go into long hill repeat and use a hill I can sustain the pace for 5 minutes with a 3 minute downhill recovery. Same concept. Start with about 4-5 repeats and build by 2 a week until the 4th week when you halve it to recover.
The other factor to consider is what you are training for. If it is a sprint, building short and longs into the training schedule may be over kill as shorts usually suffice. Olympic or higher, start with a 4 week short hill block then mix in long hills every other week with a flat speed session in the alternate weeks.
Warning : Hill repeat will cause legs to gain definition and strength. Use wisely.
280
Member
1293 days
Great Greyhound posted 10 weeks ago.
I try and stay on the aerobars until my speed drops below 10-12mph or so, once I reach that point, I sit up, and then depending on the hill stand as required.
My mid-week ride is my hill repeat ride, ride 20 miles to the hills, ride the hill (4-5 minute climb), coast back down, repeat. Every week, I add another climb, until I reach 5. Then, I take a break, and instead of 6 hills, I ride an extra 10 miles. The following week, I'm back to 2 hills, and I repeat this during the riding months.
Darrell "Legs 'n Lungs" Lenkner
in West Chester, Oh.
Check here for Images of us.
I was able to measure the distance of a pretty nice hill just north of my work this week. Its exactly (as close as I can measure with my Jeep) 1km from the base to the summit. Ive been doing 'hill workouts' on my trainer and will have my first opportunity this year to get outside to do them. My question now is, should I stay on my aero bars as much as possible and only use the base bar when I need to get up and push em hard or should I stand and climb the whole thing? How many sets should I do? The workout itself will have a warm-up before and a cool down after so no worries there. Thanks in advance....
Taking myself off the DL this weekend....3 days and counting