Stretching Stretching Stretching
Recovering from Sunday's attempt to cycle up all the largest mountains in the Kent Alps, twice. I only managed to ride up them once, but at this stage of my training, once was more than enough.
A recovery ride on Tuesday was a bit more intese that I needed, but more practice on longer hill climbs
Cyclingλ︎
Tuesday recovery ride, taking the longer and much more 'interesting' route to Melia's Cafe. It turned out to be more of a workout than a recovery ride, but wasnt too taxing.
There were quite a few roads I hadnt travelled on and some roads I hadn't used for quite a while. This time we went up "New Road" from Sundridge village rather than the Sundridge road to Idle Hill village. I fell back a little as my legs were tired from Sunday's ride (and the Bianchi had smaller rear cassette that my fellow riders had).
The route back from the Cafe was much easier, although I did push harder on the second half of Pol Hill and surprisingly got a personal best time. So although the Bianchi requires more work to climb hills, it is 'encouraging' my hill climbing muscles and cardio vascular system to get better 🤣
Hilly route to Melia's Cafe - Strava
I am taking it easy for the rest of the week, doing lots of stretching and yoga to keep my body working well.
As there are many hills where I live (the Kent Alps), leg muscles are used quite hard and become very stiff after a few rides.
It is important to stretch all the muscles in the legs, open the hips and stretch the back, neck and arms.
Hill climbingλ︎
To get better at climbing hills on a bicyle requires climbing hills on a bicycle.
The more hills that you climb, the more your physical and mental self becomes accustom to climbing.
Use a sensible cadence for hilss. 70-80 RPM for modest hills should avoid grinding all the way up the hill (until you run out of gears).
NOTE: some grinding can be useful training, but should not be over-done as it very quickly builds up lactic acid and greatly increases fatigue in your legs
Standing whist climbing
- takes more effort
- a little less pressure on the legs, so it can be useful to alternate between sitting and standing
- makes more use of upper body strength
- may increase heart rate slightly
- rock the bike (gently) in rhythm with peddling will make the most of your climbing effort
- can help you get up the most steepest parts of a hill
- can make you feel like more progress is being made
Sitting
- uses less energy overall
- puts more pressure on the legs than standing
- push the lower back backwards to maximise the effort through the peddles
Hill Climbing tips and tricks for cyclists - Dynamic Cyclist - YouTube
Thank you.
Practical.li Website