What is it about going uphill that roadies love so much?

I mean, I understand having a sense of accomplishment when you get up a climb, but ultimately, it’s not that exciting or pleasurable imho and it’s just a means to an end, the end being whizzing downhill as fast as you can and whooping with glee at the bottom.

This place is brimming with roadies, so what is it about grinding up a horrible hill that you seem to enjoy so much and furthermore, if I was to start a company offering a downlift service, would I be likely to become very, very rich?

Some roadies enjoying cycling up hills yesterday.

I do some road. Beliece it or not, it’s all about the downhills too. Fast twisty Peak singletrack road at 40+mph. Fun!

They’re still going to be there whether you enjoy them or not.
Might as well make the most of it.
🙂

It’s a matter of pride with ‘er indoors and myself.
Both of us would rather puke than let the other beat them up a climb.
😀

Road riding is tediously boring, so it gives them something to boast about.

There’s a thread on this page about the best climbs in Wales, so actively seeking them out. ..
Bit weird though innit…. 😉

The blissful silence.

‘cos it makes you fitter and faster… and I like the pain 😀

Sense of accomplishment, the feeling of getting stronger over time and what the laydeez say about my arse as a result 🙂

Has anyone else got the, er, specialist publications that cater for this particular perversity?

I’m halfway through the red, barely scratched the blue.

Has anyone else got the, er, specialist publications that cater for this particular perversity?

At least you can talk about it openly with other roadies, try being an MTBer that likes climbing, it’s a wonder my mum still talks to me 😯

It’s the reward for fitness thing; you can’t cycle up a hill just by spending the most money of the kit.
Nice views etc etc.

I love climbing on any bike.

Descending is fun too but nowhere near as satisfying.

Its not cycling if you got a lift up.

I not a proper roadie, but I love hills. I have choice I can ride out on to the Cheshire plain or into the Peak. I’d chose the hills everytime. I go to the Pyranees a every summer just ride up bigger hills.

“Because it’s there”

you want to get to the top because it’s a personal challenge, the view at the top when you get there, the ride back down

Amedias – you and me also, back in the day there used to be offroad hill climb champs if I remember right

I have a nice road bike, enjoy quiet country lanes, zipping along the flat (preferably with a tailwind), bombing the downhills, nice views, solvent, GSOH etc. Bloody hate climbing though, road or MTB.

Because it’s easy on the road 😛

Seen plenty struggle and moan when dealing with a proper technical off road climb 😀

Descents not satisfying, again try off road. Give the full run of Wibbly Wobbly into Rim Dinger a go at BPW, full pelt on a full sus. See if you aren’t grinning like a mad man at the end 😉 . A day there and no way you’d find climbing satisfying.

Though more seriously, I’m not a fan of the ups but I’m getting a lot better at them (annoyingly more so than the downs) and definitely there’s a sense of achievement of reaching the top, and that’s off road. I admit I probably wouldn’t likely cope well with road climbs as my muscles are just trained different at the moment. Or maybe I would. I don’t know. I do find off road longer slogs up hill easier for me than the short sharp technical.

Personaly I love the challenge of a technical off road climb. The old cwm carne trail before it got tambed was always good fun to complete without a dab or stop.

Rim dinger is fun but uplift just takes the fun out of being on my bike

Depends on the hill: there is a ‘between this and that’ gradient that is nicely satisfying and earns you a downhill bit later on: a ride like that is way more interesting than a flat one and somehow the effort vs height feels worth it. Not same for steeper climbs though: I stop having fun at about 9% and actively avoid over 20%. 😳

It’s a bit odd isn’t it. For me, road riding is all about the uphills, off road it’s all about the downs.

Too much risk going flat out on the road, speeds are too high and there are too many other bad things that could kill you to death. Off road (for me) the speeds are much lower, there’s loads of fun to be had and if I run wide I might hit a tree, not an oncoming bus.

I love riding I do.

I don’t get the means to an end thing…

I’ve always preferred riding uphill on the mtb, or at least got more satisfaction from it… anyone can ride downhill

Doesn’t become a hill until it gets past 16% 😀

That isn’t a roadie in the pic it’s a nodder on a nodder bike.

I find going down things boring. You might as well buy a moped or something – and it would be a lot cheaper than a £3,000 bouncy pedal bike.

Yeah,
Love the uphills on the road bike!
Also like the hills on the MTB?
Is there something wrong with me?

I can’t say I love cycling uphills these days. I used to enjoy them when I was ten kilos lighter.

MrSmith – Member
That isn’t a roadie in the pic it’s a nodder on a nodder bike.

😀 😀 😀

I had to reign it in…..it’s a Friday night.

But hang, on, that’s a “sportivist” not a roadie. You can tell by the pale white legs, the cheap cycling shoes, upright position and charity jersey.

Because if it was easy it would be pointless.

I enjoy the pain.

It gets me out of the house.. Its riding a bike..
Strangely it gets more painful the fitter you get and the faster you ride up the hills..

Road elevation gain so far this year just over 55,000ft.. distance only 600miles

… pleasurable… glee…

I doubt you’ll ever understand roadieism.

I’m not really that bothered about hills. Much the same as the flats. It’s just an application of power over a given time/distance.

Probably the same thing that MTBers like about it, you get to go down the other side. Very odd question.

god gave us pedals
can’t see what all the fuss is about 1×11. if yer gonna take the bike for a walk or get someone to drive you to the top in a van, just so you can roll back down, then lose the other 10 gears, mech, and chain, and save weight.
least I’ve earned my descent.

Because unlike MTB descents which I love, road descents on skinny tyres with marginal brakes and more marginal grip scare the life out of me.

The climbs are satisfying somehow.

Each to their own.I enjoy climbs either on the road or off road,I find it a challenge.On road it’s about grinding it out,off road it’s the technical stuff like not inadvertently doing a wheelie or spinning up & having to dab your foot .When I want to go ‘whizzing downhill’ I go for a blast on the motorbike..

I’ve always loved a good steep, lumpy and bumpy climb and I hate it when some of my favorite climbs become sanitised with flatness. I can’t get enough of those endorphins man. 🙂

I did half a million feet of climbing last year, this also means I did half a million feet (93 miles) of descending. 🙂

I don’t get the means to an end thing…

Same here. The ‘means to an end’ types are E-MTB customers to-be (ducks/half-joking)

It’s all riding, uphill or downhill. I like it all. The bigger the climb the better, same with descents, on or off-road. Getting into a good pace over an hour or more long alpine climb is a great state of mind.

Riding on long flat roads, that I can struggle with at times.

Love riding uphill on MTB and maybe that is because I have ridden single speed/fixed for 15 years means so have got fairly quick uphill (and slow downhill as spin out).

Amedias – you and me also, back in the day there used to be offroad hill climb champs if I remember right

Yeah I like climbing too, prefer a good climb to an average descent every day of the week.

I think there were off-road hill climb champs – be good to bring them back!