Riding rolling hills

I rode a more difficult route today than usual, lots of rolling hills, and
it was quite interesting.

I normally train on a basically flat course with some gentle hills, but I
try to ride as hard and as long as I can given my injury, age and short
time back into cycling.

Surprisingly, although there was some heavy breathing (I -think- it was
me), I coped very well, and had no burning thighs, and systemically, I felt
totally fine after reaching each crest; IOW, breathing rapidly returned to
normal.

I rode just 10 miles but I don't feel any more winded than a fast flat ride
of 15 - 20 miles.

Guess we'll see this pm when I go out again. Pretty good feeling though,
b/c at 225lbs and age 53, I've been dreading the hills, and it wasn't that
bad. Good to have a Trek under me, though. (Thx, Mike J.)

-Badger

Badger_South wrote:
I rode a more difficult route today than usual, lots of rolling
hills, and it was quite interesting.

I normally train on a basically flat course with some gentle hills,
but I try to ride as hard and as long as I can given my injury, age
and short time back into cycling.

Surprisingly, although there was some heavy breathing (I -think- it
was me), I coped very well, and had no burning thighs, and
systemically, I felt totally fine after reaching each crest; IOW,
breathing rapidly returned to normal.

I rode just 10 miles but I don't feel any more winded than a fast
flat ride of 15 - 20 miles.

Guess we'll see this pm when I go out again. Pretty good feeling
though, b/c at 225lbs and age 53, I've been dreading the hills, and
it wasn't that bad. Good to have a Trek under me, though. (Thx, Mike
J.)

-Badger

Wait 'till you do a group ride on the same hills and those 60-70 y/o starts
hammering away.

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.

Badger_South wrote in
:
I rode a more difficult route today than usual, lots of rolling hills, and
it was quite interesting.

Hills are much better training that flats, and generally more scenic as well.
On short hills try not to shift down (too much) and keep your cadence up to
sail over the hills. If you shift down a lot, you slow down a lot and people
who put in a little extra effort will be way in front of you by the time you
get to the top.

Badger_South wrote:

I rode a more difficult route today than usual, lots of rolling hills, and
it was quite interesting.

Well there's the "18-wheeler option" to riding a bike
over rolling hills.

Get yourself a good heavy bike, like a touring bike with
"lots of stuff" in the panniers or bolted to the bike.
You could also go with a tandem if you've got a copilot.

Of course the mass helps you go down the hills nice and
quick and aids in maintaining your speed on the flats.
It will also keep you going up the next hill as all those
fellows on their lightweigh Al and Ti bikes start to fall
off in speed.

I experienced this during my first RAGBRAI back in '99.
I did really quite well to the point of getting pace lines
attached to me as I progressed across that very rolling,
hilly state.

Well, they stayed attached until the rolling hills countered
the laws of physics. If the hill is long, or very steep,
your momentum bleeds off, and then there's hell to pay in
maintaining speed.

There's just no getting around it. Sometimes life is cruel.


SMH

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 16:28:09 GMT, "Per Elmsäter"
wrote:

Badger_South wrote:
I rode a more difficult route today than usual, lots of rolling
hills, and it was quite interesting.

I normally train on a basically flat course with some gentle hills,
but I try to ride as hard and as long as I can given my injury, age
and short time back into cycling.

Surprisingly, although there was some heavy breathing (I -think- it
was me), I coped very well, and had no burning thighs, and
systemically, I felt totally fine after reaching each crest; IOW,
breathing rapidly returned to normal.

I rode just 10 miles but I don't feel any more winded than a fast
flat ride of 15 - 20 miles.

Guess we'll see this pm when I go out again. Pretty good feeling
though, b/c at 225lbs and age 53, I've been dreading the hills, and
it wasn't that bad. Good to have a Trek under me, though. (Thx, Mike
J.)

-Badger

Wait 'till you do a group ride on the same hills and those 60-70 y/o starts
hammering away.

Yeah, you mean the ones rehabbing from their THRs? I'm cringing thinking
about it, but I know they're out there, heh.

-Badger

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 13:35:56 -0400, Stephen Harding
wrote:

Badger_South wrote:

I rode a more difficult route today than usual, lots of rolling hills, and
it was quite interesting.

Well there's the "18-wheeler option" to riding a bike
over rolling hills.

Get yourself a good heavy bike, like a touring bike with
"lots of stuff" in the panniers or bolted to the bike.
You could also go with a tandem if you've got a copilot.

Of course the mass helps you go down the hills nice and
quick and aids in maintaining your speed on the flats.
It will also keep you going up the next hill as all those
fellows on their lightweigh Al and Ti bikes start to fall
off in speed.

Yeah, yeah. I'll get my cousin at PERN to make me some super-heavy isotopes
for them panniers...

-Badger

Badger_South wrote:
On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 16:28:09 GMT, "Per Elmsäter"
wrote:

Badger_South wrote:
I rode a more difficult route today than usual, lots of rolling
hills, and it was quite interesting.

I normally train on a basically flat course with some gentle hills,
but I try to ride as hard and as long as I can given my injury, age
and short time back into cycling.

Surprisingly, although there was some heavy breathing (I -think- it
was me), I coped very well, and had no burning thighs, and
systemically, I felt totally fine after reaching each crest; IOW,
breathing rapidly returned to normal.

I rode just 10 miles but I don't feel any more winded than a fast
flat ride of 15 - 20 miles.

Guess we'll see this pm when I go out again. Pretty good feeling
though, b/c at 225lbs and age 53, I've been dreading the hills, and
it wasn't that bad. Good to have a Trek under me, though. (Thx, Mike
J.)

-Badger

Wait 'till you do a group ride on the same hills and those 60-70 y/o
starts hammering away.

Yeah, you mean the ones rehabbing from their THRs? I'm cringing
thinking about it, but I know they're out there, heh.

-Badger

I don't know what THR is but I wasn't really joking. I constantly get
dropped by people 5 -15 years older than me on our clubrides and I'm not a
slow rider. I can get them on the final sprint if I'm still in the pack.
We have this one dude that'll turn 69 this year. He does a 30 km TT in 47
minutes.

It is actually one of the things that make me happy. Thinking that maybe,
maybe I'll be that healthy when I turn 70.

--
Perre
"Me , yep I'm 53 like you"

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 19:01:19 GMT, "Per Elmsäter"
wrote:

Yeah, you mean the ones rehabbing from their THRs? I'm cringing
thinking about it, but I know they're out there, heh.

-Badger

I don't know what THR is but I wasn't really joking. I constantly get
dropped by people 5 -15 years older than me on our clubrides and I'm not a
slow rider. I can get them on the final sprint if I'm still in the pack.
We have this one dude that'll turn 69 this year. He does a 30 km TT in 47
minutes.

(sound of jaw dropping) *kerplop* Whoa. Didja check him for hollow bones,
or a hidden jet pack? ;-p

It is actually one of the things that make me happy. Thinking that maybe,
maybe I'll be that healthy when I turn 70.

Hell, I'd settle for that kind of ability at 60. Settle. Sheyeah. As if.

--
Perre
"Me , yep I'm 53 like you"

Oh, THR = Total Hip Replacement. (TKR=Total Knee)

-B

Stephen Harding wrote:
:: Badger_South wrote:
::
::: I rode a more difficult route today than usual, lots of rolling
::: hills, and it was quite interesting.
::
:: Well there's the "18-wheeler option" to riding a bike
:: over rolling hills.
::
:: Get yourself a good heavy bike, like a touring bike with
:: "lots of stuff" in the panniers or bolted to the bike.
:: You could also go with a tandem if you've got a copilot.

Or you can just weigh in at 240 lbs! Same difference

::
:: Of course the mass helps you go down the hills nice and
:: quick and aids in maintaining your speed on the flats.
:: It will also keep you going up the next hill as all those
:: fellows on their lightweigh Al and Ti bikes start to fall
:: off in speed.

Yeah!

::
:: I experienced this during my first RAGBRAI back in '99.
:: I did really quite well to the point of getting pace lines
:: attached to me as I progressed across that very rolling,
:: hilly state.
::
:: Well, they stayed attached until the rolling hills countered
:: the laws of physics. If the hill is long, or very steep,
:: your momentum bleeds off, and then there's hell to pay in
:: maintaining speed.

Yep...and you get dropped by someone who weighs 60 lbs less.

::
:: There's just no getting around it. Sometimes life is cruel.

Yep...I leave my ego at home on the couch.

Back in '92 I was driving from Calgary to Vancouver and before a certain
Roger's Pass there is a long long mountain climb. Half way up this long hill
I passed a cyclist obviously geared for cross-country who seemed to be about
75 years old. He was casually but steadfastly climbing that hill without any
outwards signs of trouble.