Larry’s Guide to Riding Hills

Front Gears

Chainrings-Most Bikes have 2 or 3. The bigger ring gives you more power, but takes more effort to spin. Smaller gears give you less power, but are easier to spin. There is a new category called “compact cranks.” These cranks are doubles, but they are smaller than a standard double. They offer the smoother shifting of a double and quickly becoming more important.

Back Gears

Most modern bikes have between 7 and 10 gears. The bigger gears make it easier to spin. Smaller gears give you more power, Cassettes with more teeth on the largest ring make climbing easier.

Tires

Higher pressure and skinnier tires offer less rolling resistance making distances and hills easier. Lower pressure and wider tires offer more shock absorption but offer more rolling resistance. It is important to keep tires properly inflated to minimize rolling resistance. Recommended tire pressures are listed on the sidewall of the tire.

Pedals

Some people choose to use toe straps (called clips) to hold their feet onto the pedals. Others use “clipless” pedals where there is a cleat on the shoe that locks into the pedal. These take some getting used to, but the by locking in, you get more of your power to the pedals.

Shoes

Cycling shoes have a hard sole that puts more of the rider’s power to the wheels. The softer soles of gym shoes absorb energy, therefore wasting. Also, cycling shoes accept cleats to lock the shoe to the pedal. It is important to use cleats and pedals that are compatible with each other. Also, not all shoes are compatible with all cleats.

Weight

If you are considering making upgrades to your bike to reduce the weight of it, always remember that spinning weight is more important than stationary weight. This means you are better off replacing wheels, gears, cranks, pedals, etc as opposed to handlebars, seatposts, frames, etc.

TECHNIQUE

Now, for what you were waiting for….

The key to all day or hill riding is cadence. You should find a comfortable cadence (or pedal speed). For most people that is somewhere between 60-90RPM. This can be dependant on leg length, crankarm length, and level of fitness….

Once you find you comfortable cadence, you should keep it the same. To go faster, “gear up.” To go slower, “gear down.” Since you will be slower climbing hills, you should “gear down” to a gear that will allow you to keep your cadence the same. In some cases, the hill might be steep enough that even in your lowest gear combination, you will still not be able to keep your cadence. That is ok, just remember, if you are pedaling slower and you are not in your lowest gear, gear down to save energy.

Some people like to stand up on the pedals to get more power going up hills. This is not correct. While you do get more power, you spike your heart rate and use more energy. If you are trying to do a longer ride with hills, standing for power might mean only doing 59 miles of a metric century (62 miles) and having to ride back in a SAG van. If you know the route and know that there is a long downhill coming up where you can rest and lower your heart rate, are at the end of the ride, or are a racer climbing hills in the Tour de France it is perfectly acceptable to stand on climbs, otherwise, I would not recommend it. Sitting back on the seat allows you work larger muscle groups such as the hamstrings and glutes (even more so if you are locked in with cleats).

Relax! A light grip on the handle bars is best. A “death grip” raises your heartbeat, using more energy. It also makes it harder to steer efficiently. Relax the elbows. Riding calmly in a lower gear will allow you to go all day.

The following is paragraph from RAGBRAI’s handbook for 2008. This sums up the point that I am trying to make today…

Gearing is another area where personal preference comes into play. Many RAGBRAI riders like a third chain ring known as a “granny gear.” This small chain ring allows a rider to pin comfortably up even the biggest hill. There is a gentleman that I have seen year after year slowly make his way uphill. He incorporates the perfect technique for climbing uphill. His elbows are bent. His hands are lightly resting on the tops of his handlebars. His eyes are looking forward. He has shifted his weight back on the saddle, and he is softly spinning his pedals. (Brian Duffy, Des Moines Register-Primary Sponsor of RAGBRAI)

Last but not least, the only way to get better at riding hills is to ride hills. You can ride flats all day in higher gears and build strength. You can do spin classes where the focus on strength building and hill simulation. But they are no substitute for the real thing. Now let’s go ride some hills and have fun!

If anyone has any questions, feel free to drop me an e-mail at