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Anyone else like me and prefer to climb steady and put in efforts in elsewhere?
Current trends 'seem' to be to ride steady, but then hit hills hard. I was dragged up by old guys that warned me that hitting the hills hard would just fatigue me, and that you couldn't win a race from the bottom of the hill, but if you were going to go hard then do so in the last few metres. And that riding hard on the hills wouldn't make you a fast rider.
I tagged along with Virgin active and some Team Corley guys last year and they did seem to follow this approach.
And today I was out with a prolific vets winner, and he asked me why some of the guys upped the tempo as soon as we hit a climb.
?
Do you even have hills down there? 😉
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Yes
I always assumed it was just testosterone.
The naturally produced sort, naturally.
Can't speak for proper roadies but I always motor up the hills because it's the only way to get any satisfaction out of them, otherwise it's just a slog. I've no idea if it's faster or not.
I normally save my efforts for the last mile of a ride if with others, but if I'm on my own and going to try and give it some welly, I'm more inclined to do it on the 2nd half of a molehill than on the flat.
I've no idea if it's faster or not.
Don't get me wrong going uphill fast will be faster! and forgetting pro tour riders is it wise.
Any effort you put in on the flats means you are fighting against wind resistance. The faster you go, the more effort it takes as aerodynamic drag increases exponentially. When climbing, you are less likely to be fighting aerodynamic drag so it makes more sense to put the effort in there where it can make a bigger difference.
But a huge effort on a hill won't get you that far, and then you have to keep it going.
Picking the right corner to accelerate out of will get you further for far less effort.
IME
A 2-second lead on a hill and a 2 second lead on the flat is still a 2 second lead although the distance may be less.
I was taught racing back in the mid 80's, rule of thumb then was the best Rouleur won. Hills (we had many) were there but again as you, we hit them at pace, sprinted over the top, dug in hard and won in the Sprints. I was shit at Sprinting so never won anything but I could climb. I ended up dragging team leaders up climbs then dropping off.. Which has given me the enviable joy of climbing whilst others seek glory on the flat. I haven't raced for easily 15years, but the love of climbing is still there.. and I still don't rate Sprinters as anything but hangeronners...
What are you good at??
What are you good at??
Alrounder really, Jack of all trades, master of none.
But okay at the mid race break or catch. Known for my cornering/handling and love of 'heavy' roads.
I have a mate from another club who'll lead me up climbs, if I lead him through the twist and turns and the stops and starts. A match made in Heaven 🙂
I was always taught that the gains are made by riding through the hill, that is, maintaining cadence on the climb then driving on over the top; surprising how many ease after the effort of the climb. But then I was never any good at climbing 🙂
Depends on the event too. I mean, if it's a hill climb event then...
I always try to hit the hills as hard as i can..a mixture of satisfaction at the top and the fact that i generally dont like climbing them very much, the sooner im at the top the better basically. Oh, and goddamn Strava of course. 👿
and that you couldn't win a race from the bottom of the hill
You can if the finish line is up the top.
HTH.