5/17/2023 0 Comments Eight miles high and climbing fast![]() ![]() More consistent cadence and pedal stroke.But a few hours later, the climbers are exhausted because they’re not used to pedaling for hours on end without coasting to softpedaling down big hills. They’ll come to a flatter area with the belief that all that climbing made them stronger than a rider who has only ridden in the flats. You’ll spend more time pedaling during that flat ride.Cyclists from mountainous areas sometimes learn a hard lesson. The same is true for riding 2-3 hours on mainly flat roads compared to 2-3 hours in the mountains. Until recently with smart trainers, there weren’t really “downhill” during indoor training. One of the reasons an hour on an indoor trainer often feels harder than an out on the road is that you’re always pedaling. These workouts are easy to execute in flat terrain but because it’s harder to maintain a consistent power output in rolling hills, it can be quite challenging to execute a quality Tempo workout. Riding at a challenging (about 80% of CTS Field Test power) aerobic pace for very long intervals (30-60 minutes or more) is one of the most effective ways to create deep aerobic fitness. Long periods of moderate power Tempo riding.But those flatlanders often have the last laugh when they do finally hit the hills. Some cyclists who live in hilly and mountainous areas feel pity for the poor bastards who are stuck riding on flat ground and little rolling hills. ![]() The training benefits of cycling on flat terrain You’re more in survival mode than training mode. This means climbs take longer, but the reduced power output is not very helpful for adding training stimulus. When the big muscles of your quads, hamstrings, and buttocks get fatigued before you reach the top of the hill, riders end up slowly grinding their way uphill at power outputs that are lower than what they could sustain on flat ground. Yes, it’s recovery, but it also limits the duration of your powerful efforts.Ĭlimbs place a lot of stress on your muscles, and although you should be able to ride at 200 watts uphill as long as you can ride 200 watts on flat ground, cyclists often have to apply more power on climbs to maintain momentum and keep their legs moving smoothly through the dead spot at the bottom of the pedal stroke. You can get some serious work done on those climbs, but then there’s a descent where you’re coasting or pedaling at a far lower power output. And in many “hilly” areas, the climbs range from 4-10 minutes. Unless you live near big mountains, it’s rare to find a climb that lasts more than 30 minutes. But at some level they can also be disruptive to purposeful training. There are two main problems with spending too much time focused on riding uphill:ĭescents are the reward for all the hard work of climbing, and they are tons of fun. Riders who live in flat terrain don’t have this problem (they have other problems, but not this one). Only cyclists who live in hilly or mountainous areas can really overdo it with climbs. And there’s no doubt that climbing is hard, but the question is whether spending all your time in the hills is actually hurting your overall cycling performance. There are a lot of cyclists who live for climbs, whether they are short and punchy hills or massively long mountain passes. ![]()
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