Going up hills on a bike = hard.

[notfred]

I went mountain biking on Saturday. It was the first time I've been mountain biking on a real mountain. Here's a graph showing elevation and distance from the start on my route. About 1000 feet net elevation gain in about 4 miles. Jesus that was hard. Especially the really steep first mile. And the fact that the road was gravel didn't make it any easier with the back tire slipping half the time.

I don't really know what counts as a big climb in montain biking, but that certainly felt big to me, even though it's probably considered small.

Once we got to the top though, we had a hell of a lot of fun taking the singletrack back down Of course, the trails were really too advanced for my ability, but I only fell a couple of times.

I found a description later on the internet of the trail we took down that said this:

This has been the site of the World Cup mountain bike race and is known for having some of the most technically challenging single track in the area.

I probably should have picked something easier for my first time . it was fun though, there were steps and rocks and streams and switchbacks to cross. My legs are still scratched and bruised from falling and hitting them on my bike, but I want to go again this weekend

 

[Koing]

Glad you didn't stack it too badly!

Yes going up hills is a mofo. I've not been up real moutain hills like you but go on a couple of hills on my bike commute and they are a b!tch. SO much harder when my back pack load is heavier and when the wind is against me. The win makes such a difference. This is also on a bike with thin wheels!

What bike do you ride?

Koing

 

[sillymofo]

Man... people will never learn, ever heard of a MOTORCYCLE? :roll:

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Koing
What bike do you ride?

This is my bike

And yeah, wind makes a huge difference jsut riding around on the street. damn headwind.

 

[The Stigenator]

hill climbing takes some time to master, esp since you got to build stamina and strenght. Mostly stamina.. when climing up hill you got to downshift, but not so much that your getting winded trying to peddle. I usually sit at 5/6 on my bike but when i climb i am down to 3/4. This however depends on how tired I am and how much energy and stamina I got left. I have been known to hit 1/2 just to climb a hill..

take your time, you will slowly build the stamina.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Koing
What bike do you ride?

This is my bike

And yeah, wind makes a huge difference jsut riding around on the street. damn headwind.

Yeah thats the word. Headwind.

Your bike looks rather clean. You sure you been using it?

Koing

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Koing
Your bike looks rather clean. You sure you been using it?

I cleaned the whole thing after I got back on Saturday. I decided it'd be better not to have mud and dust grinding away at my drivetrain

 

[PushHands]

OMFG! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I"m laughing my ass off cuz riding a mountain bike is like typing keys on the computer; the correlation to what one thinks should be done and actually doing it is so close that you can pretty much make the assumption that physical, emotional, psychological, etc. experience can be gained just by thinking about it.

If I wanted to be an expert at flying F15's, I should just do a search on the great INT-TER-NET and just tell how people to do barrel rolls while shooting air-to-air missles! :shocked: :roll: :thumbsdown:

I have sunk to a new low tonight, I just had to. :disgust: :shocked:

Originally posted by: The_good_guy
hill climbing takes some time to master, esp since you got to build stamina and strenght. Mostly stamina.. when climing up hill you got to downshift, but not so much that your getting winded trying to peddle. I usually sit at 5/6 on my bike but when i climb i am down to 3/4. This however depends on how tired I am and how much energy and stamina I got left. I have been known to hit 1/2 just to climb a hill..

take your time, you will slowly build the stamina.

 

[DaWhim]

n00b.....
I used to bike alot

 

[bootymac]

Originally posted by: PushHands
OMFG! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I"m laughing my ass off cuz riding a mountain bike is like typing keys on the computer; the correlation to what one thinks should be done and actually doing it is so close that you can pretty much make the assumption that physical, emotional, psychological, etc. experience can be gained just by thinking about it.

If I wanted to be an expert at flying F15's, I should just do a search on the great INT-TER-NET and just tell how people to do barrel rolls while shooting air-to-air missles! :shocked: :roll: :thumbsdown:

I have sunk to a new low tonight, I just had to. :disgust: :shocked:

drugs are bad, mmkay?

 

[RiDE]

Originally posted by: bootymac

Originally posted by: PushHands
OMFG! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I"m laughing my ass off cuz riding a mountain bike is like typing keys on the computer; the correlation to what one thinks should be done and actually doing it is so close that you can pretty much make the assumption that physical, emotional, psychological, etc. experience can be gained just by thinking about it.

If I wanted to be an expert at flying F15's, I should just do a search on the great INT-TER-NET and just tell how people to do barrel rolls while shooting air-to-air missles! :shocked: :roll: :thumbsdown:

I have sunk to a new low tonight, I just had to. :disgust: :shocked:

drugs are bad, mmkay?

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: The_good_guy
hill climbing takes some time to master, esp since you got to build stamina and strenght. Mostly stamina.. when climing up hill you got to downshift, but not so much that your getting winded trying to peddle. I usually sit at 5/6 on my bike but when i climb i am down to 3/4. This however depends on how tired I am and how much energy and stamina I got left. I have been known to hit 1/2 just to climb a hill..

take your time, you will slowly build the stamina.

Like you would fvcking know. You couldn't climb up that hill on your feet, let alone your bike. Hell, you attempted to go snowboarding but you couldn't even make it up the hill on a damn chairlift! You sat in the lodge talking on the phone all day, while everyone else was actually snowboarding.

So don't pretend that you can tell me how to climb up anything, at all, ok?

Hell, you're the only person I met in a 2 years of living next to CSUS that actually fell riding a bicycle the 1/2 mile to school, so don't tell me how to ride a bike, alright?

 

[PushHands]

Bwuaaahaahaa... BURN!!
You did it to yourself, and you know it.. Ohhhhh, the BURRRNNNNN!

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: The_good_guy
hill climbing takes some time to master, esp since you got to build stamina and strenght. Mostly stamina.. when climing up hill you got to downshift, but not so much that your getting winded trying to peddle. I usually sit at 5/6 on my bike but when i climb i am down to 3/4. This however depends on how tired I am and how much energy and stamina I got left. I have been known to hit 1/2 just to climb a hill..

take your time, you will slowly build the stamina.

Like you would fvcking know. You couldn't climb up that hill on your feet, let alone your bike. Hell, you attempted to go snowboarding but you couldn't even make it up the hill on a damn chairlift! You sat in the lodge talking on the phone all day, while everyone else was actually snowboarding.

So don't pretend that you can tell me how to climb up anything, at all, ok?

Hell, you're the only person I met in a 2 years of living next to CSUS that actually fell riding a bicycle the 1/2 mile to school, so don't tell me how to ride a bike, alright?

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: The_good_guy
hill climbing takes some time to master, esp since you got to build stamina and strenght. Mostly stamina.. when climing up hill you got to downshift, but not so much that your getting winded trying to peddle. I usually sit at 5/6 on my bike but when i climb i am down to 3/4. This however depends on how tired I am and how much energy and stamina I got left. I have been known to hit 1/2 just to climb a hill..

take your time, you will slowly build the stamina.

Like you would fvcking know. You couldn't climb up that hill on your feet, let alone your bike. Hell, you attempted to go snowboarding but you couldn't even make it up the hill on a damn chairlift! You sat in the lodge talking on the phone all day, while everyone else was actually snowboarding.

So don't pretend that you can tell me how to climb up anything, at all, ok?

Hell, you're the only person I met in a 2 years of living next to CSUS that actually fell riding a bicycle the 1/2 mile to school, so don't tell me how to ride a bike, alright?

WOOOOT!!!

speaking of the topic. ive been climbing a lot of hills lately by mtn biking with my friends. we go up alum rock's eagle rock and then up todd l quick. memorial trail which climbs 1000 ft. in 1 mile! the singletrack is sweet because not too many bikers go there.

we suck though, we are still having to take breathers after the very steep sections.

 

[PushHands]

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
we suck though, we are still having to take breathers after the very steep sections.

Have you read The_good_guy's post above. He explains how to do it. If you're getting tired climbing hills, you must be doing something wrong... :laugh:

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: PushHands

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
we suck though, we are still having to take breathers after the very steep sections.

Have you read The_good_guy's post above. He explains how to do it. If you're getting tired climbing hills, you must be doing something wrong... :laugh:

Yeah, let the guy who can't bench press the bar tell you about stamina.

 

[Goosemaster]

That is why I like Virginia...HIGH mounrains, but gradual inclines At least on the W&0 trails

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: PushHands

Originally posted by: LongCoolMother
we suck though, we are still having to take breathers after the very steep sections.

Have you read The_good_guy's post above. He explains how to do it. If you're getting tired climbing hills, you must be doing something wrong... :laugh:

Yeah, let the guy who can't bench press the bar tell you about stamina.

Unfortunately, those with the most valid wisdom many times do not apply it.

 

[Atomicus]

I climb hills on my freestyle bike like its an anthill and lets not forget my bike cannot change gears and the tires are the size of a large pizza at Dominos! But then again the method I have to use is weight shift and a standing pedaling.

Take notes from The_good_guy, he knows what he's talking about :thumbsup:

 

[DivideBYZero]

Did this trail a coupla weeks ago. Afan Argoed, Wales

Awesome stuff!

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Did this trail a coupla weeks ago. Afan Argoed, Wales

Awesome stuff!

That looks fantastic.

I have yet to bike anywhere another than virginia (only using a roadbike or in the past a trek 800 on the trails) and find it to be gorgeous for road bking. However, that place you linked to looks fantastic for mountain bliking

 

[randomlinh]

i would die mountain biking. heh. biking to dc and back is hard enough for me.. the ever so slight incline coming back home is tough when you're dead tired and out of shape.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Did this trail a coupla weeks ago. Afan Argoed, Wales

Awesome stuff!

That looks fantastic.

I have yet to bike anywhere another than virginia (only using a roadbike or in the past a trek 800 on the trails) and find it to be gorgeous for road bking. However, that place you linked to looks fantastic for mountain bliking

Four man made trails from start to finish. Absolutely the best singletrack I have ever ridden,

 

[helpme]

Downhill is where it's at

Hills? You ride up them? I thought that's what the ski lift is for

Too bad lifts are only open in the summer

 

[Gravity]

I rode some pretty hard stuff in Boise a few weeks ago. Some of the switchbacks were so steep, after losing momentum I had to walk the bike to a lower incline to remount. I rented a full suspension Trek Fuel for the time I was there and had a freakin blast!!

I just got sidi shoes and clipless pedals for my Giant Yukon...prolly mount them tomorrow.