[Closed] Climbing - does this sound familiar?

I'm not arguing that ss is the best training tool, just that there appears to be no evidence that it causes injuries.

I seem to start on the middle ring sitting, drop down to granny as it gets steeper or I get slower, get to the point that I'm spinning relatively quickly and legs are wearing down, then back up onto the middle ring and stand up and stomp for a while as it uses different muscles, before going back to the granny ring spinning. Is this normal? It's always made sense to me but my brain does have strange ways of thinking...

I'm not arguing that ss is the best training tool, just that there appears to be no evidence that it causes injuries.

Pushing big gears at low cadences regularly is not good for your knees and lower back, and there is plenty of evidence to support this. Ask any sports physio........ Or any misguided sole who attempted the Whinlatter Enduro SS, oh how we laughed!! 😀

[i]if it's really loose or wet a higher (harder) gear can improve traction where a lower one (easier) can make the rear wheel slip out. it's like driving on ice. also, being out of the saddle gives you loads more control over where your weight is compared to being in the saddle - far more manouverability compared to the 6 or so inches that you get whilst sitting. [/i]

yeh ok it's more a case of being in the [i]right[/i] gear and weighting /unweighting the rear wheel as necessary whilst maintaining momentum. Being seated tends to increase grip but isn't always where you need be depending on the conditions.

Kev

...my climbing ability massively improved after training on the road bike+turbo(has to be the bollocks trainer to be effective and replicate undulating ride...Tacx Flow etc)during my Tri obsession phase (don't have much time for either these days... 🙁 )

Get a cheap winter hack road bike, find some killer hills..give it 6months or so and you'll get back on the MTB (or mix it if you wish) and you'll feel like a 'Cheat' with all those 'extra' gears 🙂

PS: You have to be quite nasty to yourself on the turbo for the training to cross-over into real-time cycling...some may not agree but its what I've experienced.

Train more and get fit!

yeh ok it's more a case of being in the right gear and weighting /unweighting the rear wheel as necessary whilst maintaining momentum. Being seated tends to increase grip but isn't always where you need be depending on the conditions.

hoorah! this could be the first ever STW agreement 😀

if riding in a largish group of varying pace / ability, make sure you're near the front at the start of the climb. Then you can drift back during the climb, appearing to be sociable and exchanging words with everyone as you drop back until you then sit at the back 'encouraging' the stragglers. That way you'll be marked as a fast rider by the guys at the back, a good guy by the ones at the front, and actually you'll have been the slowest overall (started first, finished last)

🙂 I like this very funny and true !

anc - Member
Pushing big gears at low cadences regularly is not good for your knees and lower back, and there is plenty of evidence to support this.

When you are out of the saddle? What evidence?

When you are out of the saddle? What evidence?

Try Google or failing that just apply some logic, I ain't looking it up for you as your just Trolling.

On the steeper bumpy climbs try and avoid dismounting, if you do make sure you don't "miss out" any of the hill by walking to where it's easy to get back on - walk back down a bit if you have to, but try and ride the whole hill - this helps get over the "can't do that bit" thoughts that will "allow" you to stop at that tricky point everytime.
Then set yourself targets to get past your usual dismount spots, eventually all the hills pieces will join into one........success
Takes time though.
Also using your very lowest granny gear can make things more difficult as you don't have enough momentum to get over small bumps etc which will stop you in your tracks - try a gear up.

Not trolling at all, have argued this with several folk and no evidence has been produced (and if it's that easy then you'd be doing it).

Many ss riders here (including myself, ss'd the Merida marathon a few years back without problems), not heard of any with the problems you are describing.

Not trolling at all, have argued this with several folk and no evidence has been produced (and if it's that easy then you'd be doing it).

Many ss riders here (including myself, ss'd the Merida marathon a few years back without problems), not heard of any with the problems you are describing.

Ok

w'evs.

Also using your very lowest granny gear can make things more difficult as you don't have enough momentum to get over small bumps etc which will stop you in your tracks - try a gear up.

That's a good point fo sho, I've often maintained that there's nothing I can't climb in a double that I'd be able to with a triple, as you have so little momentum by the time you're right at the top of the block anyway!

If you're a Surrey Hills local perhaps we should go for a ride, happy to offer some friendly (or some not so friendly) advice.

that's another good point from Njee/Bigdonx and another reason why to use the granny earlier.

If you stay in middle and get to the end of the range, the only place to go is granny. Which is like dumping 3 or 4 rear gears in one go. You have to shift down the block at the same time otherwise you stall while the ground speed slows to match your leg speed again, which is a nightmare for transmissions. Or if you allow the bike to slow to that speed then you lose all momentum which make climbing on rough stuff harder, and you then need to speed up again.

"I've heards pros say that they look at the summit when climbing!"

That seems weird. You do have to look up at the line you should take, and my usual balls ups occur when tiring and dropping my head.

Standup climbing I find hard because it's so easy to accidentally unweight the rear wheel and slip to a halt. Shuffling along the nose of the saddle seems to keep me in balance better. Guess I'll have to practice standup climbing now.

Speaking as a fat knacker who can only get out at weekends, I get up hills by picking an object maybe 50 yards ahead and telling myself I can't stop until I've made it at least that far. And repeat all the way up.

I would just like to put my virtual head above the e-parapit and say that I am getting a geared bike because my knees are hurting. I have no idea if it is because of my SS to be fair, but I only have one mountain bike and can only afford one mountain bike so I'll have to sell it in order to find out if it is the bike or not! 🙁

mansonsoul: What would stop you putting a cassette and rear derailler on to give you 1x9 (you might need gain guide to keep it on)? Is it a because you've got an SS hub?

Yeah, along with no rear mech hanger or cable guides! 😳

Oh. Get one of them mmmbop frames for £175 off CRC + headset + QR rear wheel + cassette + derailer, shifter, cable, chain guide - Oh it adds up don't it!?

Climbing feels like hell for the first 15 - 20 mins then i feel like i could grind on forever

If it helps keep the argument going, I get sore knees and back on geared bikes occasionally but never on the singlespeed. I tend to sit more on the geared bikes and I spin more - but I struggle with high cadences. Not that I'm suggesting that anyone else would experience these symptoms - I may well not be normal (as indeed anyone else who enjoys SS may not be normal - I mean enjoying doing things the hard way?)

igm - that's something I've heard from other people too, this idea that the more varied body positions that are forced on a ss rider help minimise damaging anything. This is the main reason it seems to me that having only a few gears would be the best bet, 9 or 10, maybe, or even just 5 or 6, so that you still have to move around and work hard, but not quite so hard that your knees are popping out and your heart is exploding...

I'm not the worlds best climber (my power to weight isn't that good due to weighing a healthy 90kg (6'3" tall) but I have got better and now except that only a diet / lifestyle changes that I don't want to make will make me much faster.
A few tips (that work for me):
Change into granny at the beginning of the climb or on a flattish section. Dropping into it when up a steeper section is not good for your transmission and will lose your momentum.
A road bike will help you learn to 'love' hills but it's not the same as offroad. On road it's far easier to get into a rythym as the gradient is more constant and often gentler. Off road you need to react to the terrain which may mean some high intsity burts (where recovery due to fitness comes in).
Don't do a someone up there ^ said and look a few metres in front of you. Especially on technical climbs you need to plot your route through obstical as you would if descending. looking ahead also stops you front wheel lifting and wandering. Chunk the hill into sections challanging yourself to get to the end of each one and then the next. it's amazing how quickly the climb can be over when tricking you brain this way. If you want to get faster then focus on a flatter or easier section at the end of a 'chunk' and power up to it then use the easy section to recover.
Always ride over the top instead of stopping - for me I recover quicker and can control my breathing better that way.
I actually find climbing rigid singlespeed easier than by full suss but the standing up stomping on pedals doesn't work on a fullsuss and is had to sustain on longer rides. So for me SS is not necessarily good climbing training.
Train on your own sometimes - riding with others who have different weights and fitness can be demotivating and sitops you finding your own climbing pace.
Finally make lots of excuses about weighing 3 bikes worth more that the whippets you ride with 😉

Hope that helps.

Trying to split the ascent into sections is really what I meant. Not being that fit/experienced, I'm not doing very techy stuff either up or down yet. Just getting up a hill without keeling over is an achievement for me! 😳

Squidlord - Member
Trying to split the ascent into sections is really what I meant. Not being that fit/experienced, I'm not doing very techy stuff either up or down yet. Just getting up a hill without keeling over is an achievement for me!

I've heards pros say that they look at the summit when climbing! How depressing, I look a few meters in front of the wheel.

No worries. Also, reading back some posts, I wonder if there are really 2 discussions going on here about 2 sorts of climbing:
- long slog up a road or fireroad where for many riders the mental battle will be as important as technique. Main thing here is to keep the pedals spinning somehow
- attacking gnarly stuff, where good technique is key

I'm a pretty slow climber so I tend to just look around, enjoy the scenery and I'll get there when I get there. I don't stop or walk though. I also just pedal in whatever gear gives me a comfortable cadence which is usally 1st. I'm not racing after all just enjoying being out on the bike.

I climbed Pitch hill in under 10 minutes the other day Hooray for me although I'm told 4 -5 is a better time but, you know, screw that...

Squidlord - Member
No worries. Also, reading back some posts, I wonder if there are really 2 discussions going on here about 2 sorts of climbing:
- long slog up a road or fireroad where for many riders the mental battle will be as important as technique. Main thing here is to keep the pedals spinning somehow
- attacking gnarly stuff, where good technique is key